Assessment of the work environment and possible association with the health of the worker exposed to dust

Heliodora Díaz Padrón; Rita María González Chamorro; Luana Argote Ravelo; Enrique José Ibarra Fernández de la Vega; Caridad Cabrera Guerra

2014, Number 3

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Revista Cubana de Salud y Trabajo 2014; 15 (3)

Assessment of the work environment and possible association with the health of the worker exposed to dust

Díaz PH, González CRM, Argote RL, Ibarra FVEJ, Cabrera GC

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Language: Spanish
References: 11
Page: 19-23
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ABSTRACT

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted to characterize the working population in an enterprise producing sanitary ware and tiles, where the main contaminant is dust. Morbidity through the medical certificates submitted was assessed and an individual survey to the 25 % of the exposed workers was applied directly. In the machining area draining 80 % of the jobs exceeded the permissible limit values to obtain values exceeding 5.6 times the allowable average concentration of the pollutant. Likewise; the area of tile also had the value of the dust concentration which is higher than the allowable value set respirable fraction of 1.5 times. 66.7% of the certificates corresponded to the area where sanitary ware is made; the main causes are related to diseases of the respiratory system (20.4 %) and injuries (10.2 %). 20.9 % of all certificates correspond to ostiomioarcticular system pathologies. These pathologies are associated with the risk.

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