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Deadly Dust: Silicosis and the Politics of Occupational Disease in Twentieth-Century America, David Rosner and Gerald Markowitz, 1991

Since its publication, Deadly Dust by public health historians David Rosner (1947–) and Gerald Markowitz (1944–) has been introduced in court cases as evidence that manufacturers either "knew" or "should have known" the dangers workers faced in various "dusty trades," particularly sand blasting and granite cutting. A major issue in the court cases has been the inadequacy of warnings given to workers. Prior to the lawsuits, only a general warning about the danger of working with silica was placed on the side of bags; since the lawsuits, detailed warnings have become more common.

This historical monograph helped re-open the silicosis issue for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) of the United States Department of Labor.