The three-level protection principle for dust
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There is no specific treatment for the harm caused to humans by dust, especially pneumoconiosis; therefore, it is very important to prevent dust-related hazards and to strengthen occupational safety measures in jobs involving dust. The management of occupational protection in dust-intensive work should follow a three-level prevention approach: Primary prevention The main measures include comprehensive dust control, which involves reforming production processes and equipment to replace manual operations with mechanical, automated, enclosed, and remotely controlled methods wherever possible; using materials that contain little or no free silica instead of those with high levels of free silica; employing wet processing methods whenever the technical requirements permit; and using personal dust protection equipment to ensure individual safety. Regular monitoring involves conducting periodic tests on the dust concentration in the working environment, to ensure that this concentration remains within the limits specified by **the standards. Health checks refer to the health examinations conducted on workers prior to employment in accordance with **relevant regulations; workers who suffer from occupational contraindications, minors, and female employees shall not be assigned to work in tasks that are prohibited for them. Education and outreach to popularize basic knowledge on dust prevention. Strengthen maintenance: The dust removal system must be subject to enhanced maintenance and management to ensure it remains in good working condition. Secondary prevention: Its measures include establishing a dedicated organization responsible for dust control, formulating dust control plans and various regulations; employees who start working in environments with dust must undergo health checks; those already employed in such environments must also have regular health checks, and those found to be unsuitable for working in such conditions should be transferred from such roles promptly. Tertiary prevention: The main measures include transferring workers who have been diagnosed with pneumoconiosis from their original jobs as soon as possible, arranging appropriate treatment or rehabilitation for them, and ensuring that they receive the social insurance benefits in accordance with **relevant regulations.
Primary prevention: Isolation, ventilation, humidification, improvement of process technologies, adoption of new processes and technologies. Secondary prevention: Operation control, regular testing. Tertiary prevention: Adjustment of the time workers are exposed to these conditions. Quaternary prevention: Job rotation
Dust refers to solid particles that can remain suspended in the air. Dust generated in industrial production is called industrial dust. If industrial dust is not controlled, it will damage the working environment, harm workers’ health and damage machinery and equipment, as well as pollute the atmospheric environment. In our country, there are many industries and types of work that generate dust, such as the mining of metal and non-metal ores as well as the stone quarrying industry; road construction, tunnel digging, and geological exploration activities in infrastructure development; the glass manufacturing industry; and the processing of refractory and building materials. The crushing, grinding, packaging, transportation, and other stages in the casting industry. The degree of harm caused by dust to the human body depends on factors such as the amount of dust inhaled, the route by which the dust enters the body, the location where the dust settles, and the physical and chemical properties of the dust. Among various types of dust, asbestos dust and dust containing free silica are the most harmful to human health. Asbestos dust not only causes asbestosis but is also carcinogenic ； Dust containing free silica can cause silicosis, and dust with more than 70% free silica is even more harmful to the human body. Dust particles of different sizes pose varying levels of harm to the human body, with those ranging from 2 micrometers to 10 micrometers being the most harmful. Furthermore, charged dust, dust with low solubility, dust with high hardness, and dust of irregular shapes pose greater hazards to the human body. The main routes through which dust enters the human body are the respiratory system, eyes, skin, etc., with the respiratory system being the primary route. The harmful effects of dust on various human systems are as follows: Once dust enters the respiratory system, it can cause diseases such as pneumoconiosis, pulmonary dust deposition, lung lesions caused by organic dusts, respiratory tumors, and local irritation ； If dust enters the eyes, it can cause symptoms such as conjunctivitis, corneal opacity, eyelid swelling, and acute keratitis ； When dust enters the skin, it can block sebaceous glands and sweat glands, leading to dry skin that is more susceptible to infections, and causing conditions such as folliculitis, acne, and dermatitis.
Tertiary prevention: The main measures include transferring workers who have been diagnosed with pneumoconiosis from their original jobs as soon as possible, arranging appropriate treatment or rehabilitation for them, and ensuring that they receive the social insurance benefits in accordance with **relevant regulations. In fact, it is already an accident handling process aimed at preventing further expansion of the harm to the employees. So it should not fall under the category of prevention, just my personal opinion.
The general methods for preventing dust include water, wind, sealing, leather, protection, piping, inspection, and education – that is, wet methods of work, improved ventilation, sealed dust removal, technological innovation, personal protection, enhanced maintenance and management, regular checks on employees’ health and dust levels, as well as awareness campaigns and education.