Prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among cement factory workers in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Abstract

Cement workers are exposed to various kinds of occupational hazards, dust being the most hazardous. Despite certain exposure limits on the emission of air pollutants in place, several people die each year due to complications from respiratory disease. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among workers exposed to cement dust. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional design was employed among 81 workers from two cement production companies in Gauteng, South Africa in 2018. A self-administered questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and a spirometry test were used as data collection tools. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum, binary logistic regression, Pearson’s chi-squared, and Fischer’s exact tests. Respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, recurring blocked nose, sneezing/stuffy nose, fatigue/tiredness, rapid breathing, soreness/watery eyes, and breathlessness were significantly prevalent among participants from both facilities. Engineering and housekeeping control measures such as the use of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuums to clean up dust and proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where workers are exposed to dust particles should be implemented.

Keywords:

• Cancer
• cement factories
• exposure survey
• lung disease
• lung volume
• self-reported symptoms
• silicosis

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the University of Johannesburg and the National Institute for Communicable Disease for their support.

Ethical approval

Ethical clearance was sought and received from the University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (REC-01-21-218), and permission was obtained from two cement facilities before this study was conducted. All the information retrieved from this study was kept confidential and anonymous by allocating random numbers to selected participants to replace personal identifiers. Informed consent was obtained from study participants before the commencement of this study and all fundamentals were discussed through an information letter.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from study participants before commencement of this study and all fundamentals were discussed through an information letter. The authors are also thankful to both cement companies for providing access to conduct this study.

Consent for publication

Consent has been obtained from both companies to publish the data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Funding

The study received no external funding.

Data availability statement

None.