Objective To investigate occupational hazards of workers exposed to dust in a machinery plant, and to assess the risk of pneumoconiosis so as to explore an effective strategy for the control and prevention of occupational diseases.
Methods A field survey of occupational health was conducted in the dust workshops of a machinery plant in 2009, in combination with physical examination and questionnaires among 216 workers exposed to dust.
Results Protection facilities at the worksite were inadequate, and the personal respiratory protection provided to the workers was poor. Occupational health examination found no cases of pneumoconiosis, but there were 66 (30.56%) with chest radiograph abnormalities, with 6 subjects categorized under the group that need medical surveillance. Compared with last year, there were 16 chest radiographs indicating progression of lung damages. With the extension of dust exposure duration, the percentage with chest radiograph abnormalities of workers went significantly higher (P < 0.001).
Conclusion The risk of pneumoconiosis among the workers exposed to dust in this plant is increasing. The establishment of occupational disease prevention and management system, as well as other techniques, is imperative. Furthermore, an early risk assessment of pneumoconiosis can be conducted through the monitoring and dynamic observation among the dust-exposed workers with abnormal chest radiographic images, including those with small opacities though not qualified to be involved into group of medical surveillance.
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