Abstract
The production of cement is related to multi-stage processes that include quarrying, crushing, raw milling, blending and production of clinker and the final process of cement production is packaging. Cement workers are exposed to various kinds of occupational hazards, but the most hazardous exposure is dust. Several studies have revealed that the prevalence of respiratory symptoms is much higher among workers exposed to dust compared to workers who are not exposed to dust. This study was motivated by an encounter with several workers, especially from cement industries and construction companies, who presented with chronic respiratory symptoms during medical surveillance. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that they suffer from chronic respiratory disease. This study was conducted in Johannesburg, specifically in the Roodepoort and Booysens areas. This is because these areas are situated near mines or cement industries that manufacture either cement or ready-mix concrete. The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among workers exposed to cement dust. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 81 workers from two cement production companies - 31 (38.27%) workers from Company 1 and 50 (61.72%) workers from Company 2. Data was collected using a questionnaire (Annexure C) and lung function tests were used to supplement the findings. A majority of the participants in this study were male, i.e. 87% from Company 1 and 91% from Company 2. The study found that respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, wheezing, recurring blocked nose, bouts of coughing, chest tightness, phlegm, chest pain and breathlessness were significantly prevalent among participants from both companies. Workers who reported smoking at the time of data collection were 6.34 times more likely to experience respiratory symptoms. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that chronic respiratory symptoms are prevalent in cement-exposed workers in the Gauteng Province. It is recommended that engineering and housekeeping control measures - such as the use of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuums to clean up dust instead of dry sweeping - be implemented. This control measure will help in reducing silica exposure during production. Workers should also be encouraged to use respiratory protection gear during working hours when they are exposed to dust. Furthermore, chest x-rays and blood tests should be used to vii identify the kinds of chemicals that workers are exposed to. This can be very useful in terms of detecting health problems earlier.