2026
A federal appeals court recently upheld workers' compensation benefits awarded to a former shipyard painter who developed significant breathing difficulties and permanent lung impairment after years of workplace exposure to paint fumes, thinners, welding fumes, sandblasting materials, and other airborne contaminants.
The employee worked in a shipyard from 2005 through 2017 as a painter, paint inspector, and supervisor. Medical evidence presented during the case concluded that workplace exposures contributed to or aggravated the worker's emphysema and restrictive lung impairment. The court affirmed that an employer may be held responsible when occupational exposures contribute to a worker's respiratory condition, even when other factors or pre-existing conditions may also exist.
Click here for the full Operational Alert: RESPIRATORY HAZARDS IN OPERATION
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