Occupational risk index of pneumoconiosis

Abstract

Purpose Pneumoconiosis is a kind of diffuse lung fibrosis disease caused by long-term inhalation of industrial dust and retention in the lungs. In recent years, the incidence of pneumoconiosis decline in Europe, America and other developed countries, but remains stubbornly high in China, and even shows a rising trend. Currently, China does not have a comprehensive pneumoconiosis risk index system for risk assessment. This project aims to review methods to construct the risk index system of occupational dust exposure. A comprehensive, evidence-based and practical risk index system will offer a solid foundation for calculating the risk index weightings, adjusting indicator system and practical application in the future.

Method Pubmed search was conducted for all the literature in 2000 -2014 about the risk factors of pneumoconiosis. RCT trials, cohort studies and case-control studies were identified to explore the risk factors of pneumoconiosis. Animal experiments, clinical research, radiological research, genetic research, and simple descriptive studies were excluded. Referring to "The Law of Occupational Disease Prevention in People's Republic of China" and national occupational health risk assessment system in other countries and an occupational dust risk index system prototype was formulated.

Result 19 highly relevant literatures were identified from the systematic review. We found that dust concentration, working duration, age and smoking habit are highly correlated to the risk of pneumoconiosis. Combined with occupational health risk assessment systems in other countries and "The Law of Occupational Disease Prevention in People's Republic of China", the primary occupational risk index system was built. The system totally included four level indicators, 11 secondary indicators and 48 tertiary level indicators, covering human factors, physical factors, environmental factors and the management factors.

Conclusion The primary risk index system not only covers the detail of production process from the dust generation to the dust spread, but also includes personal risk exposure caused by individual differences, working environment and hazards caused by improper management. It is trusted to be a comprehensive risk index. However, the index system needs further statistical analysis, like setting the index weight and testing with the data collecting from actual work, to improve the rationality and practicality of the index system.