Hazards of occupational diseases that are easily encountered and preventive measures

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　　Occupational diseases refer to illnesses that occur among workers in enterprises, institutions, and individual economic organizations (hereinafter collectively referred to as employers) as a result of exposure to dust, radioactive substances, and other toxic and harmful substances during their occupational activities. There are 10 major categories and 115 types of legally recognized occupational diseases in our country. Since many migrant workers operate in harsh working conditions, the risk of suffering from occupational diseases is particularly pronounced. Especially on the production front line, the risk of being exposed to productive dust is higher, and the hazards are more severe. 　　Productive dust refers to solid particles generated during the production process that can remain suspended in the air for a long time, such as coal dust, cement dust, quartz dust, etc. These dusts mainly originate from mining, drilling, blasting, tunneling, road construction, etc.; the preparation of raw materials in the technical metallurgy industry, such as ore crushing, screening, and transportation; sand preparation and cleaning in the foundry industry; the processing of raw materials in the refractory materials, glass, cement, and ceramic industries; the processing of raw materials in the textile and fur industries; and the processing of solid raw materials and packaging of finished products in the chemical industry. If the dust prevention measures are inadequate during the above processes, a large amount of dust can escape. 　　Occupational health hazards in cement production: The main hazard to workers in cement production is dust; large amounts of dust are generated during processes such as crushing, grinding, screening, batching, taking the product out of the kiln, and packaging. Long-term inhalation of raw material dust can cause silicosis, while inhalation of dust from the burned clinker or cement can cause cement pneumoconiosis. When cement comes into contact with water or sweat, it can produce alkaline substances such as calcium hydroxide, which irritate the skin and cause dermatitis; if it enters the eyes, it can lead to conjunctivitis and keratitis. Areas such as raw material drying and vertical kiln calcination (145°C) are subject to high temperatures and thermal radiation. Furthermore, various devices can generate noise to varying degrees when in operation. 　　Dangers of welding work: The main hazards of welding work for workers include welding fumes and ultraviolet rays. Long-term inhalation of dust-laden fumes can lead to welder’s pneumoconiosis. If high-manganese electrodes are used, long-term inhalation of the fumes may also lead to manganese poisoning. Strong ultraviolet rays in welding arcs can cause photophthalmia if no protection is used. 　　What are the occupational hazards associated with painting work? The main occupational hazard in painting work is inhalation of organic solvent vapors. Various paints are composed of film-forming substances (various resins), solvents, pigments, drying agents, and additives. Ordinary paint usually uses gasoline as a solvent; epoxy iron oxide primers contain a small amount of xylene, while dipping paints mainly contain toluene with a small amount of benzene as well. Spray paint (nitro paint) and its thinner (banana oil) contain large amounts of benzene or toluene, xylene. When painting without protection, the benzene concentration in the air at the work site is quite high, posing a significant threat to the hematopoietic organs of painters. 　　Patients with four types of diseases should avoid working in environments with dust. Among occupational disease patients in China, those suffering from pneumoconiosis account for the majority. Pneumoconiosis is a systemic disease characterized by diffuse fibrosis of the lung tissue, caused by long-term inhalation of occupational dusts during production activities. In the early stages of pneumoconiosis, there may be no clinical symptoms, but some patients experience chest tightness, coughing, and expectoration. As the aforementioned symptoms worsen, there may be shortness of breath, wheezing, and difficulty breathing; in advanced stages, emphysema and cor pulmonale can develop as complications. 　　Patients with the following four types of diseases should not engage in work involving dust: 1. All types of active pulmonary tuberculosis or extrapulmonary tuberculosis, such as intestinal tuberculosis and renal tuberculosis; 2. Chronic lung diseases or severe chronic upper respiratory and bronchial diseases, such as significant emphysema, lung suppuration, lung parasitic and protozoal infections, as well as atrophic rhinitis, nasal tumors, bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, and severe chronic bronchitis; 3. Lung diseases or pleural changes that significantly affect lung function, such as extensive and severe pleural thickening and adhesions, pleurisy, encapsulated pleural effusion, and severe congenital or acquired chest deformities; 4. Severe cardiovascular system diseases, such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and organic heart diseases. For welding work, as workers are exposed to dust and ultraviolet radiation simultaneously, those suffering from conjunctivitis cannot engage in this type of work either. 　　The key to preventing pneumoconiosis is dust prevention. Pneumoconiosis can be completely prevented, and the crucial factor is avoiding exposure to dust. By taking proper dust prevention measures, the dust concentration in the working environment will **decrease**. Once it meets the occupational health standards, pneumoconiosis can be largely prevented. The main technical measures for dust prevention can be summarized in the eight characters: “publicity, reform, water, sealing, ventilation, protection, management, and inspection”. It means: “Xuan” refers to carrying out proper publicity and education so that dust prevention becomes a voluntary action among employees; “Ge” denotes innovation in production processes and technologies, which is the fundamental measure for eliminating pneumoconiosis. Specifically, this includes switching from dry to wet processing methods, using raw materials that contain no free silica or have low levels of it, and implementing mechanization, enclosure, and automation in the production process; sealing off the sources of airborne dust; using ventilation to remove dust; taking personal protective measures and improving physical fitness; strengthening technical management and establishing appropriate dust control systems; and conducting regular health checks on workers exposed to dust, as well as periodically measuring the dust concentration in the working environment and ensuring proper oversight. 　　Furthermore, since pneumoconiosis is a progressive disease, in the vast majority of patients the condition will continue to progress regardless of treatment, moving from one stage to another. However, the rate of progression varies from patient to patient; therefore, it is important to undergo regular follow-up examinations on an annual basis to monitor the extent of the disease’s progression. From Safety Popular Science Network