Seven years after the first cases of popcorn lung were identified, and five years after NIOSH published its first report, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has failed to issue a standard protecting American workers from exposure to diacetyl. Many of the workers identified with severe lung damage have needed lung transplants, and several have died.
The Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act:
- Requires OSHA to issue an Interim Final Standard within 90 days of the date this law takes effect that would apply to flavor manufacturing establishments and the microwave popcorn processing and packaging industry. This includes engineering controls, respiratory protection, exposure monitoring, medical surveillance and worker training.
It would also require employers to develop a written exposure control plan that will indicate specific measures the employer will take to minimize employee exposure. - Requires OSHA to issue a final standard within two years. That standard would apply to all locations where diacetyl is used. It would also set a specific limit on how much diacetyl workers could be exposed to.
