Organised by Department of Labour Government of West Bengal Kolkata 27/09/2019

Organised by Department of Labour Government of West Bengal Kolkata 27/09/2019.

Occupational Safety & Health Association of J harkhand 27-09-2019.

LET US BE ACTIVE TODAY. TO STOP SILICA DUST EMISSION AT WORK NOT TO STOP EMPLOYMENT & REVENEU GENERATION.

About Silicosis. SILICOSIS- Occupational Lung Disease. Silicosis is an often fatal lung disease caused by breathing dust containing silica and granite. There is no cure of silicosis, and treatment options are limited. However, the condition can be prevented, if measures are taken to reduce and stop exposure..

Case Study on Quartz Grinding Worker -1. Late Sarojit Chandra Mondal , age 32 years worked in Ramming Mass unit for 3 years and developed silicosis. ILO Rating of Chest X-Ray Plate of Late SaroJit Ch. Mondal rated as having PROFUSION 3/3 and NODULARITY at per q/t.

Case Study on Quartz Grinding Worker -2. Md Ayep Molla , age 46 years worked in the same Ramming Mass unit for 1 year and developed silicosis. ILO Rating of Chest X-Ray Plate of Md Ayep Molla as having PROFUSION 1/1 and NODULARITY at per p/p.

Silicosis Identification – A Significant Task Towards Prevention.

Perspective of Interventions-. Present situation demands for ethical and sustainable production process. Keep changing of mind set of the occupiers and officials of government regulatory agencies for undertaking the following steps: Ensuring basic human rights at work. Development of Occupational Safety & Health culture at work. Early identification of silicosis cases and recommendation for compensation by the Pneumoconiosis Board. Up-gradation of rural hospitals with 300MA X-Ray M/C in silicosis affected and mining areas. Special ambulance services to be provided to the silicosis affected workers..

Policy Level Interventions. New rules should be formulated:- to bring all the silica dust emitting units under hazardous process, to disallow occupier of any industry to make staying arrangements of their workers inside the dust emitting factory premises, to empower the workers to identify their occupiers and industries/ mines where they worked and developed silicosis, to employ workers through government run employment exchange only..

Responsibilities of the govt. and employers. to strengthen silicosis control program in West Bengal that was started in 2012, to maintain safety standard at work place, To form safety committee at work place, to ensure routine medical check up of the workers, to ensure compensation should be paid by their employers, to create Silicosis Fund by the industries and mines owners for relief and rehabilitation of silicosis affected families..

Preventive measures by using modern technology. Setting up of automatic plant in Ramming Mass Unit. Running of dust collectors / dust extraction systems in each and every dust emitting unit and monitoring by dedicated energy meters. Mandatory construction of housing and installation of dust collectors at the top of the stone crushers and loading- unloading sites. Mixing of silicon dioxide (fine silica dust) with other ingredients for producing insulators, fire bricks and refractory items and glass to be done by fully automatic machine. Young entrepreneurs should be encouraged by the government for research, designing and developing for manufacturing low cost pollution control equipments and safety items like dust collectors and respirators etc..

LOW COST DUST COLLECTOR FOR STONE CRUSHER. crusher crushed stone crushed stone dust hood dust hood duct duct duct centrifugal fan and motor stone feed air from fan cont.A cont.A WATER TANK duct WATER INLET DUST SLURRY OUTLET.

Prevention related documentation work. Listing of silica dust emitting workplaces and its workers: Industries: ramming mass, insulator, refractory, glass, stone crushing, centering plant of steel industries, coal dump and ash pond sites of power plants. Mines: Marble and granite cutting and polishing, stone quarrying and crushing Construction sites: road, tunnel and building construction sites and sand blasting. Informal and home based industries: stone curving and chipping to produce idols, pestle and mortar and flour mill wheels etc. Details of mines and industries and its workers should be published in government’s website. Documentation of Occupational and Clinical Histories of the workers should be done by the govt. as well as by the NGOs.

Social Security- Relief & Rehabilitation. Implementation of Haryana type model of relief & rehabilitation for the silicosis affected workers and their families as recommended by the NHRC on 27/02/2018. Housing facility for all silicosis affected families. All the silicosis affected families to be considered as BPL ones and food grains supply to be ensured accordingly. Child care support program for orphan and dropout children. Women empowerment and livelihood generation program ( cattle rearing, fish processing and tailoring etc). Recruitment of eligible candidates in government job from silicosis affected families..

Hope this consultation is the beginning of Stakeholders’ initiative that may curb the menace of Silicosis and may ensure the Social Security of orphan children and widows. Thank you JOHAR.