Effects of Occupational Dust Exposure on the Ventilatory Functions among Cement Factory Workers: A Cross Sectional Study in Barak Velly Cement Limited, Assam

The present study is undertaken to find the effects of cement dust exposure on ventilatory functions among cement factory workers in the Barak valley district of Assam. Barak valley Cement Limited Started manufacturing Portland Cement since 1999. The Cement factory is situated at Badarpurghat 25Km from Silchar Town. They produce (43 and 53) grade Portland pozzlona Cement. Pulmonary Function Tests were carried out among 60 cement factory workers with more than 10 years duration of exposure to cement dust and 60 un-exposed subjects chosen from staffs of Silchar Medical college and Hospital, Silchar. The FVC (2.13±0.98L compare to 3.31±0.76L; P-value <0.00001) and FEV₁(1.91±0.89L compare to 2.86±0.76L; P-value<0.00001 were significantly lower in cement factory workers than control subjects. The FEV₁%(91.24±14.27 compare to 85.99±13.82; P-value 0.0201 showed little difference. However PEFR (5.33±2.23 compare to5.34±2.54 showed no significant difference. These findings suggest that chronic exposure to cement dust can decline ventilatory functions. So, far as protective gears were available but finding suggest poor compliance. However, cement factory management should focus attention on health education and introduce effective gadgets and enforce their usage.