Pneumoconiosis is still the most common occupational disease of hard coal miners. About 400 employees fall on average annually. Recently, the Higher Mining Office (WUG) recommends, inter alia, using dust masks that are more effective than required by the regulations.
Janusz Malinga, director of the WUG working conditions department, announced on Thursday that the latest data confirm the threat of pneumoconiosis that has been present for years. Last year, in hard coal mining, 390 people fell ill with it, and in all sectors of the mining industry – 409 people. It’s about 75 percent. all identified cases of occupational diseases in this industry.
Syphilis is most often manifested by chronic bronchitis and progressive emphysema (rupture of excessively supplied air sacs in the lungs), with time to right ventricular hypertrophy and circulatory failure. While the disease can affect anyone exposed to frequent contact with floating dust, miners are the most vulnerable.
The disease usually begins to show symptoms after at least several years of exposure to frequent inhalation of dust. Hence, the effects of any preventive measures taken may be visible in the statistics only after 5-10 years. In the Polish mining industry, the dust hazard directly affects approx. 40 thousand. employees.
The level of pneumoconiosis diagnosed in coal mines has remained at a similar level for years – from 380 to 530 annually. The Halemba, Polska-Wirek, Knurów and Zofiówka mines are the most endangered in this respect.
In order to prevent the air from dusting, some of the underground devices are fitted with e.g. sprinkling devices and special dust collectors. Chemical agents are also used to reduce the surface tension of the water used for spraying.
According to Malinga, there has been no gross negligence in the mines in this regard. The most frequent irregularities detected by WUG inspectors are related to the failure of sprinkling devices or the poor condition of explosion-proof dams. Often, the measures to prevent exceeding the permissible dust concentrations in the air already flowing into the mine workings are insufficient.
Miners working in such conditions should use dust masks appropriately selected for the degree of dustiness. WUG experts have recently recommended, inter alia, the use of masks in mines with an effectiveness higher than required by the regulations. However, the problem is still the frequent ignorance of dust protection regulations and the discretionary use of masks by miners – as it turns out, sometimes only during inspections.
However, employees often complain about the low comfort of using disposable masks, which should be changed even several times during a shift in the event of high dustiness. The solution to this problem – apart from increasing the effectiveness of collective dust protection – is, according to the WUG, a change in the type of masks currently used.
Rather, the relatively ineffective disposable respirators should be phased out – instead, reusable masks that have replaceable filters, are tighter, easier to use, and much more effective, are used instead, explained Malinga.
However, reusable masks are more expensive than disposable ones, which causes a general underinvestment in mining. In the opinion of the WUG, mines should, however, more often than before take into account practical issues when ordering personal protective equipment for employees, e.g. employee feedback on the convenience of use.
Malinga also noted that although preventive measures in terms of dust hazards have been undertaken for many years, it is necessary to try to shape the belief of miners more than ever about the necessity to use masks – not only through training and admonishing, but also through a good example set by the control services or supervision.
Educational activities have a certain effect – WUG inspectors have been hearing from social labor inspectors or trade unions for some time that the staffs themselves are starting to demand better personal protection measures from employers, e.g. better masks. These are, admittedly, sporadic signals, but they show that this awareness is starting to grow, Malinga pointed out.
In total, in all mining sectors in Poland, 546 cases of occupational diseases were detected last year for approx. 220 thousand. employed people. The most cases are pneumoconiosis (409 cases per 40 exposed), the remaining cases are permanent hearing loss (74 cases per 30 exposed), the so-called vibration syndrome (38 cases per 4,5 thousand people) and others (a total of 22 cases).
In 2008, a total of 610 cases of occupational diseases were recorded in the mining industry. As noted by Malinga, the fall in morbidity in the following year by approx. 9%. it is small, and the differences in statistics may also depend, for example, on the level of detail of the research. At the same time, representatives of medical circles dealing with occupational medicine draw attention to the problem of underestimating data on occupational diseases in Poland. (PAP)