Making Your Workplace a Safe Place to Breathe

Much like the asbestos so common to certain industries many years ago, a mineral byproduct called crystalline silica has become a significant risk to workplace safety all over the world with more cases of disease and death reported each year. At ProHealth, we know how critical employee health is to running a successful business.

The danger lies in the tiny particles, referred to as “respirable particles” that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause silicosis. Silicosis is an incurable lung disease that can often be fatal. In addition, crystalline silica exposure places workers at serious risk for developing respiratory diseases such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD and kidney disease. According to research, approximately 2.3 million people in the U.S. are exposed to silica in the workplace.

Our team members can offer you exactly what you need. We can provide you with an employment physical examination that’s in-depth, all-encompassing and reliable. Employers frequently ask potential workers to get medical exams. When you need an employment physical exam, you can always depend on ProHealth. Our qualified, experienced and skilled providers and staff members can offer you access to physical examinations that can give you confidence and security. Our physical exams cover all of the key bases, too. They cover physical ability assessments, alcohol and drug tests and beyond.

We can help make the testing process efficient, accurate and expedient. All of our clients are given a specific point of contact to answer any questions at any time. We offer our business clients individualized services to make sure your process is quick, efficient and accurate. Our clients are also welcome to use any of our seven testing facilities found across Northwest Florida.

In order to monitor the health of employees who are exposed to silica dust, we conduct testing on employees working in industries where respirable silica crystalline is a byproduct of the work being conducted. These industries include:

• Marble cutting
• Sand and gravel operations
• Foundries
• Abrasive blasting operations
• Paint manufacturing

• Glass and concrete product manufacturing
• Brick making
• China and pottery manufacturing
• Manufacturing of plumbing fixtures
• Construction-related activities such as highway repair, masonry, concrete work, and rock drilling

Fortunately, OSHA’s new rules offer flexibility to assist employers in making their workplace safer by providing them with compliance dates staggered to ensure a sufficient amount of time to meet the requirements. To comply with OSHA, employers are given from one to five years to implement proper measures of protection and provide medical testing for the employees. Find out more about OSHA’s new rule on silica online at the official OSHA website.