Lessons from Health Hazards | Beryllium's 'public Relations Problem' Late Lessons from Early Warnings: Science, Precaution, Innovation 131 6 Beryllium's 'public Relations Problem'

(1) Although Dr David Michaels currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), US Department of Labor, this article was written while he served on the faculty of The George Washington University. It reflects the personal views of the authors, and does not purport to reflect the official views or positions of OSHA or the Department of Labor. (2) Authors would like to thank David Kriebel for his contributions and Christina Morgan for her assistance in preparing this manuscript. Scores of workers employed in nuclear weapons production have been diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a progressive and irreversible inflammatory lung disease. This chapter presents a history of knowledge and public policy about preventing beryllium-related disease, focusing primarily on the United States beryllium industry's role in shaping US regulatory policy.