Macho Mistakes at Ground Zero
NY TIMES
Published: May 22, 2007
As more and more workers who inhaled the dust at ground zero fall ill, it has become increasingly clear that much of the problem can be traced to the Giuliani administration?s failure to insist that all emergency personnel and construction workers at the site wear respirators.
The then-mayor and his agency heads put their emphasis on a speedy cleanup and return to normalcy. In that, they were remarkably successful, clearing the site in less than 10 months. Unfortunately, the price is now being paid by thousands of workers who have developed lung and other ailments.
The evolution of this tragedy was described by Anthony DePalma in The Times and other analysts. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the twin towers, it was understandable that emergency workers would rush in in hopes of rescuing victims, and hang the precautions. But as rescue operations turned into a search for remains and then debris-removal, workers continued to ignore warnings from both city and federal officials that respirators should be worn at the site.
There was some understandable delay rounding up enough of the recommended respirators. But there was no excuse for a lag in fitting the respirators to individual faces and training the workers to use them. The more fundamental problem was that many workers hate to wear respirators because they can be uncomfortable and inhibit talking. There was also a certain macho disdain, especially when authorities were putting out mixed messages about the safety of downtown air.
By late October, only 29 percent of workers at ground zero were wearing the respirators, and even Mayor Giuliani visited without wearing one, setting a terrible example. This was a case where workers should have been protected against their own destructive instincts.
Critics often blame the federal government ? particularly the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. But a federal district judge, in allowing a suit against the city and other defendants to go forward, noted that city agencies had explicitly assumed responsibility for developing and enforcing health and safety standards, including the use of respirators. The suit may shed more light on who, if anyone, can be held liable. But the clear lesson is that Mr. Giuliani?s administration failed in its duty to protect the workers at ground zero.
