Occupational Health Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment with Introduction of Biomass in Coal Based Captive Power Plant

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Occupational Health should aim at the Promotion and Maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of all the employees. A pilot project was taken up due to acute shortages of coal during the COVID Pandemic, on industrial level, mixing of biomass with coal at a ratio of 2080 respectively was considered as a good raw material. With introduction of biomass, workers were exposed to different organic substances either directly through dermal route or respirable dust with risk of becoming victims to Occupational diseases. Objective(s) The objective of the study is to identify and mitigate occupational health hazard of various nature prevailing at workplace after introduction of new raw materials;to safeguard the workforce from discomfort and occupational illness and to provide healthy working environment at RIL-Hazira. Method(s) Walk through survey was initiated by team of industrial hygienist and medical officer along with the process engineer. Subsequent workplace evaluation was done according to ACGIH screening criteria for respirable dust & VOC monitoring. To measure airborne respirable contaminants, we have considered housekeeping staff, operator, field executive, Boiler operation engineer which were found more likely to be at the risk of airborne contaminant exposure. To identify the concentration of contaminants, personal air sampler (SKC Make) was used for collection of respirable dust samples for different job category of workers. NIOSH 600 method was used for exposure assessment and samples were collected by using PVC filter used at the flow rate of 2.5 lpm. The composition of biomass pellets was received from biomass team & chemical analysis of biomass was done at our laboratory. Occupational Diseases known to be caused by organic agricultural compounds used as fuel were taken into account such as Bagasossis, farmer's lung & other hypersensitivity pneumonias, non-tubercular mycobacterial infections, infections caused by various fungi & bacteria. Prevention & Control measures were taken during the project such as modification of process, local exhaust ventilation, worker education on different diseases, personal hygiene, use of PPE, good housekeeping. Result(s) Through effective Risk assessment, Hazard Identification and measures taken to mitigate Occupational health hazards, no occupational health disease was reported after implementation of the change in process in a total of 55 identified workers. Moving forward these workers will be periodically monitored. The amount of total respirable dust was reduced by approx. 10- 25% at different location of the plant after control measures taken. This project also brought huge monetary benefits to the plant. Leading forward as the pilot project for introduction of biomass was a great success it has been planned to be scaled up to 40% mixture of biomass.