Preventive measures of work-related obstructive lung diseases

Prevention is the best tool for avoiding work-related lung diseases. The main goal must be to reduce or avoid any hazardous exposure.

In the first place, exposure levels should be controlled by practicable measures, such as substitution of hazardous substances, automation or enclosure of industrial processes, and improvement of work area ventilation; things we mentioned before in the session about risk assessment. In mining, for instance, wet drilling, effective design and maintenance of ventilation systems, watering down, dust suppression and capturing systems, adequate re-entry arrangements and, as a last resort, correct use of respirators, are examples of good practice.

Respiratory protective equipment

Respiratory protective equipment should be used as a last resort – when an inhalation exposure risk remains after other reasonable controls have been put in place. It may also be used as additional, back-up protection should the other control measures fail to operate.

The use of respiratory protective equipment is not a safe way to avoid exposure completely, but, correctly used, it will reduce the exposure. A respirator that is not correctly used, however, or a mask that is not suited to the task, can, on the contrary, result in high exposure due to a false sense of protection. Careful risk assessment of the work place is therefore of utmost importance to decide what kind of respiratory protective equipment should be used for optimal protection.

Types of respiratory protective equipment range from relatively inexpensive single-use, disposable masks to more robust reusable models with replaceable cartridges.

There are two principal types of respiratory protective equipment:

• Respirators that use filters to remove the contaminants. Different filters are used according to the specific contaminant such as dust and different kinds of gases. Some respirators have combinations of different filters.
• Breathing apparatus that supplies air from a clean source (e.g. air compressor or air cylinder)

This type of respirator is designed solely to filter out dust. It should not be used in oxygen-deficient environments or where harmful gases and vapors are present.
^{© G. Tjalvin}

Specialized respiratory protective equipment is necessary to prevent exposure to volatile organic compounds.
^{© G. Tjalvin}

Depending on the replaceable cartridges, this type of respirator is designed to remove gases, volatile organic compounds, and other vapors from inhaled air. A typical organic vapor respirator cartridge consists of a metal or plastic case containing activated charcoal or specific resins. The filter cartridges must be replaced when they become saturated or when particulate accumulation begins to restrict airflow.
^{© G. Tjalvin}