Dust Exposure; Respiratory Symptoms and Disease among Informal Quarry Workers in Lusaka Province; Zambia

Background: Research into dust exposure and respiratory outcomes in quarry workers has not been extensively conducted in Zambia. Methods: This study determined total and respirable dust levels associated with respiratory symptoms and disease among Zambian informal quarry workers. A cross-sectional study in 2013 among quarry workers (n=400) used an adapted American Thoracic Society respiratory health questionnaire. Area gravimetric dust samplers assessed dust levels. Multivariate models tested for associations between demographics; dust levels; smoking; occupational history and respiratory symptoms and disease. Results: Doctor-diagnosed respiratory disease ranged from 22.2 (bronchitis) to 5.0 (pneumonia); respiratory symptoms ranged from 22.5 (cough) to 8.5 (breathlessness). Dust exposure for ? 6.7 years and exposure to a cumulative total dust concentration of ? 36.7 mg-yrs/m3 were associated with having phlegm and coughing for three or more months; respectively. Conclusion: Dust exposure and respiratory symptoms in this population indicate a need for dust control to prevent disease

Occupational lung disease in wood workers

An occupational history gives a clue to the arrival of diagnosis. However; rather unexpected relation between exposure and disease may also occur in occupational medicine. Three cases are studied. The lesson of these cases is not the difficulties in diagnosis and being too late for treatment; but that it could have been prevented if doctors and supervisors instill into the minds of the workers that any work involving dust must be engaged in only with the use of a protective dust mask

A review of the effects of wood dust and vapours at work

There are 350 carpenters in the Seychelles. Most of them do not wear dust masks or safety glasses or overalls. Nor is the dust locally extracted at the machine itself. Three of these carpenters in the single year were suspected having lung cancer. Ultimately two of the diagnoses were confirmed whilst; the third was found to be a pneumoconiasis. The use of modern machinery; which produces very fine dust particles; without the use of the protective apparel which is compulsory in the developed world; is likely to have been an important contributory factor to these 3 mens' respiratory diseases