Coal Dust Essay

Working in the coal extraction industry in Walker County, Alabama, can be a fulfilling occupation. However, WebMD warns that coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or CWP, is a debilitating and even fatal occupational disease that anyone in that profession should be aware of. Miners who manufacture carbon black and carbon electrodes, those who work directly in the mines, and those who mill graphite are particularly at risk.
A person who is constantly exposed to airborne respirable coal dust may develop a coal macule in the lungs, which is a patch consisting of white blood cells and coal dust. Macules often become lung tissue abnormalities that cause issues such as blocked airways, coughing and shortness of breath. A miner may not display symptoms such as these until later, when there is no longer exposure to the dust, but the severity of the disease is directly related to the length of
time and the amount and type of dust that is inhaled.
CWP cannot be cured, but it can be prevented by minimizing exposure to sources of airborne respirable dust.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration is working to protect miners from coal dust by issuing a rule that requires mining companies to conform to much stricter standards. For example, dust in the air must be more closely monitored, and the employer must take action immediately when these exceed a certain level, which is half the amount of the previous allowable level. Miners should also receive closer medical attention so that early detection is more likely, and serious problems do not develop after exposure has ended.
If you are age 50 or older and you are going through a divorce in Clinton Township, Michigan, it is natural to be concerned about how you will support yourself. According to Michigan Legal Help, you may be eligible for spousal support. There is no set formula, and the amount is determined on a case by case basis, so the judge will consider many factors, including your age and how close you are to retirement, before making the
determination.
Spousal support is typically a short term solution, and it is intended to help you maintain a reasonable standard of living while getting back on your feet after the divorce. This might include getting an education, learning a new skill or some other factor that is relevant to your ability to enter the job force and becoming self-supporting. If you are unlikely to be able to acquire the resources necessary to recover financially, you may be compensated with spousal support that is not limited to a certain amount of time.
Once you or your spouse reaches retirement age, becoming eligible for Social Security benefits may be cause for modification or an end to your alimony. You are entitled to benefits based on your ex-spouse’s work record if that amount is more than you would receive based on your own. This financial change is often a factor that the judge may consider relevant. The information provided here about age-related factors affecting spousal support in Michigan is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be considered legal advice.
A company in Sacramento, California may have information such as a formula, technique, program or device that needs to be protected from disclosure. Cornell University Law School’s Legal Information Institute states that this may be possible through a patent or a trade secret, but not both. The patent provides the company with the right to own exclusive rights for a limited amount of time, but the information is public. If the company opts for trade secret protection, the information is confidential unless there is public disclosure.
A person who makes that information public may be guilty of breaching confidentiality of a trade secret. However, it may be possible to prove that the company failed to make reasonable efforts to keep the information private. Forbes magazine notes that a person who discloses a company’s trade secret may not be found guilty in court if the company has not taken adequate steps to keep the information private.
Before earmarking the information as confidential, a company must clearly define which aspects must be safeguarded, and which information may be shared, if any. The specificity is part of making a reasonable effort to keep the secret. If it is not so well defined, and a company allows a portion of the information to be shared in a public forum, such as a trade show, or published online or in print in some format, a person may be able to prove in court that it was not truly confidential, in spite of a nondisclosure agreement.