Agreed, PPEs are often badly designed, often excessively expensive and often not conveniently accessible when needed but I've always taken the view that wearing them is the lesser of two evils. Silicosis and especially mesothelioma are truly evil diseases so I'm surprised so many who are at high risk of exposure aren't worried about them.
You say PPEs have bad side effects but as I've mentioned those whom I've asked never explain what they are. Why? And why are they undocumented?
Re sucking dust away, active air pressure masks etc., I agree they're a good idea and ought to mandatory in many environments. I accept sucking dust away as the norm on my table saws and planers etc. but even so I still wear a mask (although not an active pressure one) as the sucking up is not 100% effective. Also, what happens in environments where it is not practical to suck away dust such as a stonemason working up on the side of a building or such? The only solution has to be PPEs.
I wear a mask occasionally but for a lot of physical jobs it's just not feasible. As in the mask clogs and needs constant replacement or just limits the flow of breath. If you shovel with a dirty mask or have one in a cold (freezer) environment, it's like getting waterboarded.
Its no biggy in an office, and I guess for a ton of people that's the reference "work". On construction sites etc you get a ton of pseudo protection where people pretend to comply to escape the jurists and egghead harassment.
I totally agree that stone lung is horrific, but I also think a ton of laws fail that protection goal miserable on purpose.
Right, despite my earlier comments I have to agree that in some situations masks are a significant problem. I've had them clog from dust when my hands haven't been free to change them or similarly perspiration from my forehead has made them wet to the extent that no air could flow leaving me gasping for breath.
So what's the solution? It seems that in some situations there is none. Perhaps in those situations the only move would be to inform people of the risks of not wearing masks and let them decide whether to work there or not.
That said, persons who later develop a dust-borne disease are likely to change their tune when the seriousness of their predicament sinks in and then retrospectively blame their employer for allowing them to work sans masks. Moreover, no insurance company would tolerate such a situation if aware of the fact—hence the laws, even if they're unworkable.
You say PPEs have bad side effects but as I've mentioned those whom I've asked never explain what they are. Why? And why are they undocumented?
Re sucking dust away, active air pressure masks etc., I agree they're a good idea and ought to mandatory in many environments. I accept sucking dust away as the norm on my table saws and planers etc. but even so I still wear a mask (although not an active pressure one) as the sucking up is not 100% effective. Also, what happens in environments where it is not practical to suck away dust such as a stonemason working up on the side of a building or such? The only solution has to be PPEs.