Although the Ontario government has announced that diesel exhaust emissions are going to be lowered in Ontario mines, the Laurentian University researcher heading up the United Steelworkers Diesel Particulate Project says the level of exhaust emissions will still be too high when compared to other modern countries.
He said the United Steelworkers will continue the fight to make diesel emissions significantly lower. In a detailed slide presentation, Flagler said Ontario is currently at an Occupational Exposure Limit of roughly 315 micrograms. The US has a recommended exposure limit of 126, but Finland has an exposure limit of just 20 micrograms, he said.
Flagler said in many countries the diesel exposure level is set as a national standard. In Canada, the exposure levels vary from province to province, he said. For example, Saskatchewan is at 160 micrograms per meter cubed, while Quebec is at 400 micrograms, he said."It's classified as a Group One known human carcinogen. It causes or contributes to lung cancer, and bladder cancer," he said.
He said hundreds of workers were contacted and while a large percentage of them knew they could talk to union representatives or health and safety reps about the issue, there was a concern that some workers had no idea of the study or of the dangers associated with diesel exhaust. It was not a large percentage, but Flagler said it still needs to change so that more workers are aware.
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