Occupational silicosis and doctor's recommendations

(QBĐT) - Occupational silicosis is a progressive disease that cannot be cured, even when exposure to dust stops. The disease is caused by harmful working conditions affecting workers. Currently, there is no specific treatment for this disease, so prevention and control of occupational silicosis is extremely important. In addition to the responsibility of employers, workers need to proactively implement appropriate disease prevention measures.

Doctor Hoang Ai Nhan, Head of the Department of Environmental Health - School Health - Occupational Diseases (Provincial Center for Disease Control) said: Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling dust containing silica in the working environment. The characteristics of the disease are fibrosis and development of particles in both lungs causing difficulty breathing, the disease accounts for a high proportion in the current occupational disease system.

Silicosis often progresses slowly, fibrosis spreads more and more, if detected early and exposure to dust is stopped, many cases can stabilize. It is worth mentioning that silicosis is an irreversible disease, with a high mortality rate, however, patients often die not from silicosis but mostly from complications of the disease such as tuberculosis, lung disease, bronchiectasis, empyema, pneumothorax... Industries that often have silicosis include: Mining, coal mining, metal welding...

Provincial Center for Disease Control conducts occupational health examinations for workers.

As a production and business unit in the field of mining and processing industrial stone, dolomite stone, construction stone, Industrial Stone Mining Company I, in Van Ninh commune ( Quang Ninh ) has been operating in this field for 14 years. With 35 workers, of which 20 are direct workers, the company always complies with the provisions of the law on occupational safety and hygiene (OSH), focuses on technical measures of occupational hygiene (OSH), prevents harmful factors and always improves working conditions.

The company has installed a water pumping system at the crushing and screening station system and anti-dust misting on the roads around the mine to minimize dust; arranged blasting time, avoiding wind direction to reduce the amount of dust spreading into residential areas...

Mr. Le Quang Vinh, Director of the company said: During the operation, the company has issued regulations on labor safety for departments, assigned to department heads and boards to strictly supervise. Every year, the company provides appropriate labor protection equipment for each department. At the same time, coordinates with functional agencies to train labor safety and hygiene for officers, workers, and employees of the company; organizes periodic health check-ups and occupational health for employees of the company. Up to now, the company has not had any work-related accidents and no workers have contracted occupational diseases and pneumoconiosis.

On August 5, 2020, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 1365 KH-UBND on caring for and improving the health of workers, preventing occupational diseases in the period of 2020-2030. With the goal of protecting, caring for and improving the health of workers, encouraging healthy lifestyles and nutrition at the workplace, preventing diseases and occupational diseases for workers, ensuring the quality of human resources, contributing to the sustainable development of the province.

“In working conditions where workers are regularly exposed to silica dust, preventive measures play an important role. To prevent occupational silicosis, units and enterprises need to invest and change production processes and technologies towards clean, environmentally friendly production, using machines that generate less toxic elements, less noise and vibration; using automatic, closed technology lines; reducing toxic elements by general and on-site ventilation and exhaust.

Replace toxic chemicals with less toxic substances. In addition, businesses need to periodically monitor harmful factors in the working environment; organize periodic health check-ups and occupational disease detection for employees; separate employees from environments with toxic factors if they are suspected of having a disease. In particular, during the working process, especially working in a heavy, toxic, and dangerous environment, employees need to be fully equipped with personal protective equipment according to regulations. Employers need to develop internal regulations to ensure safety and hygiene in the workplace; organize working hours, reasonable breaks between shifts, and arrange work positions suitable to the health conditions of employees," Dr. Nhan recommended.

According to Circular No. 28/2016/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health on guidelines for the management of occupational diseases, the subjects subject to occupational disease detection examination include: Workers exposed to harmful factors that are likely to contract occupational diseases or working in arduous, toxic, dangerous and especially arduous, toxic, dangerous occupations and jobs, including apprentices, retired workers or workers who have changed jobs and are no longer working in occupations and jobs with a risk of occupational diseases. According to statistics from the Provincial Center for Disease Control, from 2022 to present, the whole province has had more than 5,620 workers undergoing periodic health examinations, more than 2,450 workers have been examined to detect occupational diseases and no workers have been found to have occupational diseases.

Thanh Trung

(Provincial CDC)

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