Mill Workers Research Articles

Morbidities of rice mill workers and associated factors in a block of West Bengal: A matter of concern.

Context:Rice mill workers usually belong to unorganized sector and lack in training regarding hazard prevention. Unprotected exposure to suspended particles and fumes can lead to respiratory morbidities among them. Workers, especially loaders, were susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal diseases.Aim:To find out the morbidity profile and associated factors among rice mill workers.Methodology:A cross-sectional workplace-based study was conducted during July--September 2018 among 143 workers of two rice mills in Indas block, West Bengal. Workers, employed for at least 6 months in the rice mills and who gave informed written consent was interviewed using a predesigned pretested questionnaire and were clinically examined. Nonfasting capillary blood glucose estimation and spirometry were carried out. Workers contraindicated to spirometry were excluded.Result:Commonest morbidities were musculoskeletal discomfort (65%), hypertension (20.9%), and chronic respiratory morbidity (16.9%). No personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by these workers. Significant association of musculoskeletal discomfort was found with tobacco abuse (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) =2.90), job of loader (AOR = 3.51), and central obesity (AOR = 3.39). Hypertension was significantly associated with increasing age (AOR = 1.06), and increasing body mass index (AOR = 1.17). Whereas increasing age (AOR = 1.08), working inside mill (AOR = 7.58), working more than 48 hours a week (AOR = 7.37) were significantly associated with chronic respiratory morbidity.Conclusion:Optimization of working hours, effective continuous use of PPE, and use of proper ventilation technology are recommended. Proper work placement, preplacement examination, and periodic health screening with spirometry are also needed.

Prevalence of Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among cement industry workers.

Objectives:Occupational and environmental pollution have become an imperative jeopardy for developing devastating metabolic diseases. Limited animal model studies have examined the impact of exposure to cement dust on metabolic conditions. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of pre-diabetes and Type-2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) among non-smoking cement mill workers.Methods:This epidemiological cross sectional study was conducted in the “Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia” during the period Oct 2016 to June 2017. Initially 310 cement mill workers were interviewed; after the interview and clinical history taking, 186 non-smoking cement mill employees were finally recruited. The cement mill employees were exposed to cement dust-related pollution in a cement industry for eight hours a day for six days a week. The mean age was 36.56 ± 0.78 years, mean BMI was 25.70 ± 0.29 m/kg2, and mean period of employment in the cement industry was 82.77 ± 6.95 months. HbA1c was measured using the Dimension Xpand Plus Integrated Chemistry System (USA).Results:The cement mill employees were divided into three groups: non-diabetics group, with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <5.7%; pre-diabetics group, with HbA1c 5.7-6.4%; and diabetics group, with HbA1c >6.4%. Among the cement mill personnel, 79 (42.47%) were non-diabetics, 28 (15.05%) were pre-diabetics, and 79 (42.47%) were diabetics. The prevalence of pre-diabetes and T2DM among cement mill employees was considerably associated with the period of employment in the cement industry (p=0.032).Conclusions:Exposure to cement dust was associated with an increased prevalence of pre- diabetes and T2DM among cement industry employees.

Prevalence of Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among cement industry workers

Objectives: Occupational and environmental pollution have become an imperative jeopardy for developing devastating metabolic diseases. Limited animal model studies have examined the impact of exposure to cement dust on metabolic conditions. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of pre-diabetes and Type-2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) among non-smoking cement mill workers.&#x0D; Methods: This epidemiological cross sectional study was conducted in the “Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia” during the period Oct 2016 to June 2017. Initially 310 cement mill workers were interviewed; after the interview and clinical history taking, 186 non-smoking cement mill employees were finally recruited. The cement mill employees were exposed to cement dust-related pollution in a cement industry for eight hours a day for six days a week. The mean age was 36.56 ± 0.78 years, mean BMI was 25.70 ± 0.29 m/kg2, and mean period of employment in the cement industry was 82.77 ± 6.95 months. HbA1c was measured using the Dimension Xpand Plus Integrated Chemistry System (USA).&#x0D; Results: The cement mill employees were divided into three groups: non-diabetics group, with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) &lt;5.7%; pre-diabetics group, with HbA1c 5.7-6.4%; and diabetics group, with HbA1c &gt;6.4%. Among the cement mill personnel, 79 (42.47%) were non-diabetics, 28 (15.05%) were pre-diabetics, and 79 (42.47%) were diabetics. The prevalence of pre-diabetes and T2DM among cement mill employees was considerably associated with the period of employment in the cement industry (p=0.032).&#x0D; Conclusions: Exposure to cement dust was associated with an increased prevalence of pre- diabetes and T2DM among cement industry employees.&#x0D; doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.1.1266&#x0D; How to cite this:Meo SA, Bin-Muneif YA, BenOmran NA, AlSadhan MA, Hashem RF, Alobaisi AS. Prevalence of Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among cement industry workers. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.1.1266&#x0D; This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

“Measuring the factors affecting Job Characteristics with Personal outcomes” (A Case Study of Khairpur Sugar Mill)

The fundamental purpose behind this research was to find out the association amongst job characteristics and personal outcomes of the representatives of Khairpur sugar factory. The quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to analyze the data and interpret the results. In this research personal outcome, such as satisfaction, internal work motivation and growth were the dependent factors and independent variables were job characteristics like skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, feedback, policy practices and benefits. The present studies led to the laborers of Khairpur sugar mill and total workers were 394 and only 78 workers were randomly selected for this study. Essential information gathered through sample received from the employment indicative overview survey (Hackman &amp; Oldham, 1975) . The secondary sources incorporate journals, annual reports and unpublished research works. Statistical software for social science (SPSS version 21) and descriptive survey was used to analyze data and multiple regressions were applied to establish the correlation between independent and dependent variables. After analyzing the results, it is concluded that job characteristics such as skill variety shows the significant relationship with personal outcomes which is at the level of .000 as well as task identity, task significance and benefits have a positive relationship with personal outcomes such as (internal work motivation, satisfaction and growth) but autonomy, feedback and policy &amp; practices shows less significant impact on personal outcomes.

Comparative Study between the Effect of Short Term and Long Term Exposure to Cotton Dust on Pulmonary Function Tests in Cotton Mill Workers

Background&#x0D; Byssinosis is the most common disease affecting the cotton textile workers; symptom complexes like mill fever, weaver's cough, mattress-maker‘s cough, also occur in textile workers. 1Cotton workers are at risk for occupational lung disease, including byssinosis and chronic bronchitis3. The present study was done to compare the effect of short term exposure and long term exposure to cotton dust in cotton mill workers and suggest precautions them to prevent this.&#x0D; Objective&#x0D; To compare the effect of short term and long term exposure to cotton dust on pulmonary function tests in cotton mill workers.&#x0D; Method&#x0D; In this study, one group of fifty workers exposed for short term duration and other sixty four, for long term duration exposure were examined for PFTs of age 25–50 years. PFTs were carried out using spirometer.&#x0D; Results or observations&#x0D; The present study found that there is statistically significant difference in PFTs between the short term exposed group and long term exposure group of 25–50 years age.&#x0D; Discussion &amp; conclusion&#x0D; The results of the present study helped us to understand and compare the shortterm and long term exposure group better and suggest workers to take precautions to avoid more subtle effects that can occur.

Noise exposures of sugar cane mill workers in Guatemala

Objective: To describe personal noise exposure measurements obtained on Guatemala sugar cane mill workers as a function of job category.Design: This is a descriptive evaluation of existing data.Sample: The data set included 51 representative noise dosimetry surveys utilising NIOSH sampling protocol, completed on workers performing 21 jobs in a Guatemalan sugar cane mill. Results: Noise doses ranged from a low of 50.9% to an extreme of 25174%. The highest observed mean noise doses were for evaporator cleaners (15761%) and juice extractors (2047%). Ninety percent of noise dosimetry samples were between 50% to 1200% dose. Annual noise exposures are also reported after considering the 7-month seasonal work schedule.Conclusions: The majority of sugar cane mill workers were exposed to hazardous occupational noise exceeding the Guatemalan permissible exposure limit (GMLSW), which is consistent with U.S. NIOSH recommended exposure limit of 100% noise dose (85 dBA time-weighted average). Consequently, the majority of workers should be enrolled in a hearing conservation programme including engineering noise control in order to prevent long-term adverse effects on workers’ hearing.

Oral health status and related quality of life among tobacco factory and cotton ginning mill workers in Guntur city, Andhra Pradesh, India

Oral health status and related quality of life among tobacco factory and cotton ginning mill workers in Guntur city, Andhra Pradesh, India

Risk, Postural and Physical Strain Assessment of Sawmill Workers in Nigeria

Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) have been seen as major health problems that have direct impacts on workers’ physical/psychosocial well beings, health, and productivity. Thus, the assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in sawmills will lead to a suitable platform for development and execution of proper ergonomic intervention programmes to achieve desirable workplaces. This research focused on determining the prevailing factors associated with MSDs and establishment of exposure’s level of sawmill workers to MSDs, based on risk and postural analyses using Quick Exposure Check (QEC), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment Method (RULA); and physical strain assessment using relative Cardiovascular Load (% CVL), Cardiovascular Strain (% CVS) and Relative Heart Rate (%RHR) equations. Six hundred and sixty – three (663) male and thirty – three (33) female workers participated in the research survey and the participants were classified into two groups: machine operators’ classification (which included: Band-saw Operators (BOs), Circular-saw Operators (COs) and Planer Operators (POs)) and sawmill workers’ classification (which included: Machine Operators (MOs), Mill Workers (MWs), Dust Parkers (DPs); and Machine Maintenance Personnel (MMPs)). Ninety – six (96) workers each from each machine operators’ classification group (making 288 MOs), 240 MWs, 96 DPs, and 72 MMPs were considered for this study. Two cities were considered in each six Southwestern States of Nigeria, namely: Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States and a minimum of two sawmills were used in each city. The results of the postural analysis using QEC, REBA, and RULA show that an appreciable number of workers were working above the secured limit. Physical strain assessment results showed that not less than 60% of the workers were operating under high or very high-level discomfort and 61.8% of the workers were subjected to either heavy or very heavy work intensity.

Lung function and paper dust exposure among workers in a soft tissue paper mill

PurposeTo study respiratory effects of exposure to soft paper dust exposure, a relationship that is rarely studied.MethodsSoft tissue paper mill workers at a Swedish paper mill were investigated using a questionnaire and lung function and atopy screening. Spirometry without bronchodilation was performed with a dry wedge spirometer, and forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were obtained and expressed as percent predicted. Exposure to soft paper dust was assessed from historical stationary and personal measurements of total dust, in addition to historical information about the work, department, and production. The impact of high exposure to soft paper dust (> 5 mg/m3) vs. lower exposure ≤ 5 mg/m3, as well as cumulative exposure, was analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Multivariate models were adjusted for smoking, atopy, gender, and body mass index.ResultsOne hundred ninety-eight current workers (124 male and 74 female) were included. There were significant associations between both cumulative exposure and years of high exposure to soft paper dust and impaired lung function. Each year of high exposure to soft paper dust was associated with a 0.87% decrease in FEV1 [95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.39 to − 0.35] and decreased FVC (− 0.54%, 95% CI − 1.00 to − 0.08) compared to the lower exposed workers.ConclusionsThe present study shows that occupational exposure to soft paper dust (years exceeding 5 mg/m3 total dust) is associated with lung function impairment and increased prevalence of obstructive lung function impairment.

Respiratory and other illnesses among the jute-mill workers in an industrial unit of Bangladesh

Background and aims: Bangladesh produces 33% of the world’s jute and about 40 million people in Bangladesh are directly or indirectly involved in the jute sector. The jute (organic) dust inhalation causes byssinosis and other respiratory illnesses. However, no study has yet addressed the health status of the jute handlers/workers in Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of respiratory illnesses among the Jute Mill Workers (JMWs). Additionally, this study tried to find out the overall health status of the JMWs which included presence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) and its related risk, which are usually ignored.&#x0D; Study design: A cross-sectional study conducted in a purposively selected jute mill - 40km off from Dhaka City. Of the 5500 workers, a list of 600 workers was provided by the mill authority for enrollment in the study. The investigations included – a) interviewing on socio-demography and clinical history; b) anthropometry (height, weight, waist- and hip-circumference); c) blood pressure measurement; d) estimation of fasting blood glucose and lipids; e) peak flow meter test; f) spirometry; g) high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) and electrocardiography.&#x0D; Results: Of the enlisted 600 jute mill workers, 514 (men / women = 478 / 36) took part in the study. The response rate was 85%. For overall estimate of bio-physical characteristics (n = 514), the means (95% confidence interval) of age, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 44.19 (43.34 – 45.04) years, 24.44 (24.16 – 24.73), 0.90 (0.90 – 0.91), 118.9 (117.4 – 120.4), 79.69 (78.81 – 8/0.54), respectively. Regarding social class and education, 84.4% were from non-affluent (poor) class and 50% were illiterate. About 88% of the JMWs had been working for ≥42 hours a week and 91.6% were exposed to moderate or heavy work (equivalent to ≥60 min walk). The prevalence of breathlessness, tightness of chest and chronic cough were 16.5%, 25.7% and 16.3%, respectively. The restrictive and obstructive pulmonary functions were detected in 7.0% and 0.8% of study population respectively. The prevalence of systolic hypertension was 16.5%, diastolic hypertension was 7.2% and diabetes (IFG+DM) was 13.3%. They had increased cardiovascular risks – hypertriglyceridemia (23.9%) and hypercholesterolemia (24.3%).&#x0D; Conclusions: JMWs have been suffering mostly from respiratory illnesses and a substantial number of them suffer from undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Dyslipidemia was also prevalent as a potential risk factor. The study could not assess ocular, auditory, musculoskeletal and mental health and it suggests that a well designed study should address these health related problems of JMWs.&#x0D; IMC J Med Sci 2019; 13(1): 007

The non‐genetic paternal factors for congenital heart defects: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

BackgroundAdvances have been made in identifying genetic etiologies and maternal risk factors of congenital heart defects (CHDs), while few literatures are available regarding paternal risk factors for CHDs. Thus, we aim to conduct a meta‐analysis and systematic review about the non‐genetic paternal risk factors for CHDs.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library online databases and identified 31 studies published between 1990 and 2018 according to the inclusion criteria. Paternal risk factors were divided into subgroups, and summarized odd ratios (OR) were calculated.ResultsPaternal age between 24 and 29 years decreased the risk of CHDs in the offspring (OR = 0.90 [0.82, 0.98]), while paternal age ≥ 35 years old increased the risk of CHDs (35‐39 years old: OR = 1.14 [1.09, 1.19], and ≥ 40 years: OR = 1.27 [1.14, 1.42]). Paternal cigarette smoking increased the risk of CHDs in a dose‐dependent way. Paternal wine drinking (OR = 1.47 [1.05, 2.07]) and exposure to chemical agents or drugs (OR = 2.15 [1.53, 3.02]) also increased the risk of CHDs. Some specific paternal occupations were also associated with increased risk for CHDs or CHD subtypes including factory workers, janitors, painters, and plywood mill workers.ConclusionsThis meta‐analysis and systematic review suggested that advanced paternal age, cigarette smoking, wine drinking, exposure to chemical agents or drugs and some specific occupations were associated with an increased risk of CHDs. More measures should be taken to reduce occupational and environment exposures. At the same time, fertility at certain age and establishment of healthy life habits are strongly recommended.

The effect of chronic exposure to flour dust on pulmonary functions

Purpose. This study aimed to examine the effect of chronic exposure to flour dust on the pulmonary symptoms and pulmonary indices of mill workers. Methods. The cohort study was conducted on 67 mill workers and 53 controls from 2014 to 2016. Demographic information was collected through interviews and pulmonary indices; flour dust exposure was measured by spirometry, and NIOSH 0500 and NIOSH 0600 methods. Results. The incidences of pulmonary symptoms, including cough, sputum, dyspnea, wheezing and bronchitis, were significantly more in the case group than the control group. At the beginning of the study, there was no significant difference between the case and control groups regarding the pulmonary indices of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow and FEV1/FVC; however, after 2 years of exposure to flour dust, the pulmonary indices significantly decreased in the case group and showed a restrictive pattern. Based on the linear regression model, the most important predictor variables of FVC and FEV1 were age, body mass index, smoking and level of exposure to respirable flour dust. Conclusions: There is a strong correlation between chronic exposure to flour dust and the incidence of pulmonary complications and reduced pulmonary functions.

Effect of occupational exposure to dust on pulmonary function tests in individuals working in saw mills in Raichur district

Introduction: In general, Exposure to dust at working places causes deterioration of pulmonary functions, increased prevalence of respiratory diseases, worsening of existing illnesses and also increased incidences of cancer and deaths. There are many saw mills situated in Raichur district of Karnataka and many workers are engaged in working at saw mills. They are exposed to saw dust during there working hours. So the present study was taken up to evaluate the effect of wood dust exposure on pulmonary functions of these individuals and also to know the additive effect of smoking on respiratory health of these individuals. Aim: To estimate the effect of saw dust exposure on PFT of saw mill workers. To compare the effect of saw dust exposure on PFT of smokers and non-smokers among saw mill workers. Materials and Methods: Data collection was effected by way of an interviewer-administered, questionnaire to determine years of exposure as from date of employment, site or position at workplace, use of safety gadgets such as dust masks and earplugs to prevent entry of airborne microorganisms and dust into the mouth, nose and ear which can cause infections, etc. All the male workers in saw mills of age between 20-50 years were included. Results were expressed as Mean ± SD and Statistical comparison of measured variables between the 2 groups was carried out using unpaired-t-test and difference among mean values were calculated at a level of P Results: A significant difference in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio between saw mill workers and control group was found. We have also found a marked decrease (P1 andFEV1/FVC ratio of smokers in comparison with non-smokers. Conclusion: It is concluded from our study that exposure to saw dust causes inflammation which leads to decrease in lung compliance. Lesser compliance causes declined PFT values. A decrease in FVC in present study is an indication of restrictive lung disease conditions and decreased FEV1/FVC ration indication of Obstru

Voices of Scottish Librarians: The Evolution of a Profession and Its Response to Changing Times

Voices of Scottish Librarians: The Evolution of a Profession and Its Response to Changing Times

Work-Health Imbalance among Female Rice Mill Workers in Southeast Nigeria

Work-Health Imbalance among Female Rice Mill Workers in Southeast Nigeria

Comparison between Narrators of_Shirley_and _Mary Barton_:How They Look at the Mill Workers

Comparison between Narrators of_Shirley_and _Mary Barton_:How They Look at the Mill Workers

Sleep quality impact on the oral health status of sugar mill workers of Fazilka, Punjab: A cross-sectional study

Background: A trend toward adopting a 24/7 lifestyle, long working hours, and shift works in industries can adversely affect the sleep health of workers. Sleep deprivation not only has an adverse effect on physical health but may also affect oral health. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the impact of sleep quality on the oral health status of sugar mill workers of Fazilka, Punjab. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 237 participants. The oral health status of mill workers was assessed using simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), decayed-missing-filled surface (DMFS), community periodontal index (CPI), loss of attachment (LOA) indices, and sleep quality by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Windows, Version 20.0. (Armonk, NY, USA: IBM Corp) for statistical analysis. Chi-square test and t-test were applied, and the level of statistical significance was set at P

The Wellbeing of the Labor Force in Bombay: Discourses and practices by Priyanka Srivastava

Reviewed by: The Wellbeing of the Labor Force in Bombay: Discourses and practices by Priyanka Srivastava Mrunmayee Satam The Wellbeing of the Labor Force in Bombay: Discourses and practices By Priyanka Srivastava. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. The mid-nineteenth century saw the foundation of the cotton textile industry in Bombay and by the end of the century, the city had emerged as the hub of industrial and commercial trade activities in colonial India. It was the flourishing cotton textile industry which proved to be a major force in the rise of Bombay as the Urbs Prima in Indis.1 Despite the contribution of the industrial working class being crucial to Bombay's growth, the previous existing scholarship on colonial textile labour in Bombay does not really go beyond the political and economic domain—focussing on the trade unions and the relationship of the industry to the city's economic emergence. Therefore, Priyanka Srivastava's book brings in a number of welcome new perspectives, which engage with labour, gender, social, nationalist and urban histories. The book is an upgraded version of the author's doctoral thesis submitted at the University of Cincinnati. The book begins with a brief background to the growth of cotton textile industry and the emergence of an "unhealthy" industrial working class in Bombay. In the second chapter, Srivastava discusses the political economy of the textile industry and its employees. While highlighting the informed ignorance on the part of the colonial state and the industrialists towards the health issues faced by the mill workers, Srivastava argues that the political economy cannot be understood in totality without studying the structural neglect towards the health and wellbeing of the mill hands in the city. Chapter Three focusses on the impact of the bubonic plague of 1896 on the city, with a special focus on the change in the attitudes of the colonial state and the industrialists: the high mortality rates recorded during the epidemic forced the government agencies and the mill owners to reluctantly intervene in matters associated with housing, health, sanitation and working conditions of the industrial working class. The chapter traces the housing and development schemes, such as the City Improvement Trust (CIT) initiated for the mill workers in the first half of the twentieth century. In Chapter Four, the author discusses the emergence of alternate forms of urban governmentalities due to the failure on the part of the government agencies and the industrialists to address issues related to workers' health and sanitation. A number of voluntary organisations, such as Bombay Sanitary Association, Social Service League and the Young Men's Christian Association, were set up by the educated elites in Bombay to "uplift" the "unhygienic" industrial labour force in the city (109–10). After a careful examination of the nature of various social service programmes initiated in the city, Srivastava concludes that the voluntary organisations often reflected "contemporary biases" and "paternalistic tendencies" that existed in the society (110). In the same chapter, the author also includes the impact of mainstream nationalism into the discourses and practices of improvement and social welfare. The author argues that the ideas of social upliftment promoted by nationalist leaders such as M.K. Gandhi and G.K. Gokhale had a strong presence in the various programmes initiated by the non-state agencies. Chapters Five and Six describe the discourses and practices associated with maternal and infant welfare amongst the industrial working class in Bombay. Maternal and infant health became important concerns in the twentieth century because of the need to reproduce a healthy workforce in order to contribute to the growth of the economy. Srivastava argues that this resulted in women being recognised only for their reproductive capabilities and pushed aside other important concerns, such as the wage gap between the two sexes and the need to improve their working conditions. Chapter Six throws light on the process of the medicalization of childbirth in twentieth-century colonial Bombay; there was a considerable expansion of medical facilities such as infant welfare centres, creches, paediatric hospitals and charitable dispensaries. However, the author argues that the "financial conservatism" displayed by the "colonial state and Indian industrialists" resulted in the limited success of the policy (228). The...

Effect of flour dust on forced vital capacity in flour mill workers

Background: Flour milling involves the processing and grinding of cereals into flour. Exposures to flour occur in milling operations, where grain is processed into flour. The pulmonary function test is one of the important measures to assess respiratory efficiency. The present study was aimed to find out the effect of flour dust on forced vital capacity (FVC) in flour mill workers. Aims and Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the spirometric parameters in flour mill workers (FMW) and to compare the observed values of FMWs and bank office workers to provide health education and preventive measure to them. Materials and Methods: Effect of flour dust on FVC was recorded in 60 males FMWs and 60 males controlled groups of office worker included in this study, those are working in flour mill >2 years. Statistical analysis was performed by unpaired t-test and values shown in mean ± Standard deviation. Results: FVC of FMW is very much compromised when compared to office worker value. Observed value of FVC of FMW is 2.57 ± 1.05 and Office worker (OW) is 3.60 ± 0.67, Forced expiration volume in first second (FEV1) of FMW–1.92 ± 0.87 and OW–3.05 ± 0.49 FEV1/FVC of FMW–74.02 ± 17.31 and OW–85.74 ± data are analyzed with un-pair student t–test the P value is highly significant. Conclusion: From the study, we can conclude that statistically significant changes are seen in pulmonary function test parameters of FMWs. Moreover, these significant changes in pulmonary function test parameters may be due to the prolonged exposure of flour dust, to which FMW are constantly being exposed.

Comparative Study between the Effect of Short Term and Long Term Exposure to Cotton Dust on Pulmonary Function Tests in Cotton Mill Workers

Background Byssinosis is the most common disease affecting the cotton textile workers; symptom complexes like mill fever, weaver's cough, mattress-maker‘s cough, also occur in textile workers. 1Cotton workers are at risk for occupational lung disease, including byssinosis and chronic bronchitis3. The present study was done to compare the effect of short term exposure and long term exposure to cotton dust in cotton mill workers and suggest precautions them to prevent this. Objective To compare the effect of short term and long term exposure to cotton dust on pulmonary function tests in cotton mill workers. Method In this study, one group of fifty workers exposed for short term duration and other sixty four, for long term duration exposure were examined for PFTs of age 25–50 years. PFTs were carried out using spirometer. Results or observations The present study found that there is statistically significant difference in PFTs between the short term exposed group and long term exposure group of 25–50 years age. Discussion & conclusion The results of the present study helped us to understand and compare the shortterm and long term exposure group better and suggest workers to take precautions to avoid more subtle effects that can occur.