Abstract
Working in a foundry is challenging and requires the workers to take extreme control measures to avoid effects related to their activities. The workings involve melting metals to turn them into liquids state and then transferring them into a mold. In the process of casting metals, sand is also used during molding. During the activities, foundry workers are exposed to various health risks like nonionizing radiation, gases, vibration, noise, and heat. This discourse will analyze the health hazards that workers are exposed to in the foundry industry.
Health Exposures
These health hazards may lead to chronic exposure to irreversible diseases like lung cancer, Silicosis, and other prolonged-lasting sicknesses. Without proper working gear, people can inhale fine dust particles that contain fumes and silica. Most particles, especially from casting sands, have a high content of silica that can easily pass into their respiratory system (Akgün & Ergan, 2018). The particles’ size makes them unnoticeable by workers, and therefore taking appropriate measures became a significant challenge. Furthermore, their ability to be respirable makes employees vulnerable.
Continuous inhalation of the silica particles would lead to the development of a respiratory disease called Silicosis.
Silicosis is a pulmonary disease resulting from inhaling silica dust particles over a long period. The problem usually progresses slowly to form fibrosis of the lungs. The respiratory infection may occur in different stages depending on the silica content that escaped to the lungs. Acute Silicosis is a rapid condition that happens within months of exposure to the high level of silica dust particles. On the other hand, Accelerated Silicosis takes about five to ten years before becoming a health concern to workers. The lowest exposure to silica can cause chronic Silicosis, and it takes over ten years to start showing signs.
Another exposure in the foundry that would be extreme to the workforce is nonionization radiation. Workers usually spend a lot of time close to extreme heat while melting the metals. Such heat energy has high levels of infrared radiation and can easily penetrate the body. Long-term contact with the energy would result in chronic eye issues and other skin problems. Infrared radiation can cause severe problems to the body tissues.
Level of Occupational Exposure
The level of exposure in the foundry industry is above the published occupational exposure limits. The work conditions and the state of protective clothes used make the employees more susceptible to harmful gases and dust. For instance, Silicosis has varied stages influenced by the level inhaled in the respiratory system (Freire et al., 2021). It, therefore, implies that the set occupational exposure limits may vary in the case of foundry workers and their environment.
Other Exposed Workers
Similar to foundry workers, people working in construction sites and mining areas are more exposed to health hazards. Miners have a high chance of breathing tiny respirable particles that can affect their respiratory system. Construction workers majorly deal with sand materials and stones in the working process. Sand contains dust particles and silica that, when inhaled, would make employees develop Silicosis and other related health issues.
It is, therefore, appropriate for people to take regular diagnoses to determine their health status. Most of the health hazards take time to manifest, thus making them less concern to the majority of the people working in such industries. Workers should be fully aware of the exposure so that they can practice adequate self-protection to minimize the chances of getting exposed to diseases that would affect their lives in the long term.
References
Akgün, M., & Ergan, B. (2018). Silicosis in Turkey: is it an endless nightmare or is there still hope?. Turkish Thoracic Journal, 19(2), 89.
Freire, B. M., Gonzaga, R. G., Pedron, T., Monteiro, L. R., Lange, C. N., Pedreira Filho, W. D. R., & Batista, B. L. (2021). Occupational exposure to potentially toxic elements in the foundry industry.Environmental Science and Pollution Research.