Occupational silicosis among workers in an ore mill, Thailand.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Methadilogkul O ; Siriwatananukul P ; Supanachart P
• Description:
  An examination was conducted to establish whether or not there was an epidemic of silicosis among the workers in an ore mill located in Thailand, to evaluate the epidemiological distribution of silicosis, to identify risk factors for silicosis disease, and to develop appropriate preventive and control measures. The mill was divided into three sections. Section one ground feldspar and phosphate. Section two usually ground quartz (14808607) and flint. Section three ground clay only. Of the 80 workers at the site, ten workers were identified with silicosis. Pulmonary function tests were normal in five. The five with abnormal pulmonary function generally had a restrictive ventilatory defect. Clinical symptoms and signs included dyspnea, chest pain, chronic cough, restriction of lung expansion, and decreasing breath sounds. At the conclusion of the examination, workers were instructed about the hazards of silica and how to avoid it by using NIOSH approved masks. Engineering changes were suggested to make the workplace safer. The facility was closed and then reopened after these changes had been made. Dust levels were now noted to be below the levels permitted and workers have been wearing the approved masks.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Asbestos Dust Asbestos Workers Construction Materials Dust Inhalation Epidemiology Occupational Exposure Pulmonary Function Tests Respiratory System Disorders Risk Factors
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Conference/Symposia Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  419-420
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00198286
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the VIIth International Pneumoconioses Conference, August 23-26, 1988, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 90-108, 1990 Sep; (Part I):419-420
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1990
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Part Number:
  I
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the VIIth International Pneumoconioses Conference, August 23-26, 1988, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9a53591227beeefb4f39d8e8e126af90ac9ff39fea5cc3ec707ad6e11dc92d5eb78e50ab75d93369426f981218c013a3aafb11403eaed15685332430de25fa89
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180462/cdc_180462_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 116.32 KB ]