Workplace is a place where people work. It is very important to ensure that the workplace is in a good condition. This includes good facilities, proper attire, nice colleagues and many more. With good surrounding environment, it can help the workers to perform better and more efficient. On the other hand, working with bad environment can actually cause many negative affects towards the people working in the workplace. Some of the affects can cause diseases and death. One of the examples of disease that is very dangerous to human is Silicosis.
Silicosis is one the most common disease that has been affecting thousands of people every year. This disease is a type of lung disease that cannot be cure. It is caused by the inhalation of dust that contains free crystalline silica or also known as silicon dioxide during sandblasting. Sandblasting is a method to clean or etch surfaces with high velocity abrasive. Abrasive blasting involves vigorously projecting a stream of abrasive particles onto a surface, usually with compressed air or steam. Even though the release of this dust has stopped, but the disease progressions are still active. Very high exposures are associated with much shorter latency and faster disease progression. Silica dust is mainly being released in a construction sites and any other risky workplace such as mines, quarries, place to manufacture glass, ceramics and masonry workplace.
There are many organizations worldwide that are concern to prevent many of the incidents in workplace to happen. Some of the organizations that help to prevent silicosis and deaths in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica during sandblasting are World Health Organization (WHO), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Ector County Health Department (ECHD) and Center for Disease Control (CDC). Other than helps to prevent Silicosis, these organizations are also responsible to search and make recommendations to reduce injury and illness at the workplace.
Section 2: Problem Presentation
Here's an example of real-world incident involving ethical issues.
In 1988, there were 3 cases of silicosis involving sandblasters were reported in Texas. All of these 3 workers were working in the same workplace. As a sandblaster, their job was to sandblast oil-field drilling pipe. All of them were hospitalized and one of them died because of the disease.
The next year which was 1989, 7 more cases involving Silicosis were reported. So there were 10 cases totaled. This time, 7 people from the same workplace were affected by Silicosis. There were approximately 60 people working there as sandblasters. The Texas Department of Health had conducted some environmental survey at that workplace. As a result, that 9 people that were affected by Silicosis had been confirmed to expose to silica dust for a very long time. Their chest x-ray showed that they are consistent with pneumoconiosis which is a lung disease caused by inhaling too much dust particles. 6 people out of that 7 people were reported having acute silicosis based on their lung tissue pathology report and negative result of M tuberculosis.
All of these 10 workers in all of the above cases were exposed to sandblasting ranged from 18 months to 8 years. 9 out of the 10 workers does not have any silica exposure before but there was only one worker that had experienced of working with sandblast oil-field drilling machines for 3 years before he continued his job in that workplace. For sandblasting process, blasting rod is needed to clean and remove sand from foundry castings. Blasting rod usually use a mixture of 20.5% of crystalline silica to be passed through the drilling parts. The sandblasting operation is enclosed by blasting cabinet but the cabinet is badly repaired and giving clouds of dusts to be released at the work area. Not only that, the workers also shoveled used sandblasting material manually and uses it again for the machine. These actions increase the dust particles in the air and it is inhaled by the workers.
During 1988, air sample were taken by the health department to examine the quality of the air in that workplace. The results showed that the amount of crystalline silica exposures at the sandblasting area was really high. The workplace had really unhealthy environment to work with.
Section 3: Problem Analysis
Case study analysis:-
a) Economic impact
Bad workplace can contribute to many kinds of diseases to be spread and also can cause death. These conditions also may affect the economy of a company. For example, when the workers of the company get sick and they have been infected by a disease such as Silicosis, they for sure will not be able to continue their work. These kinds of situations will affect the completion duration of the project. The longer the time to finish the project, the more money they have to spend. Other than that, customers will be less confident to give away their money as there were many bad incidents happened including death in that place. If the employers still not concern about the situations and improve the conditions of the workplace, many people will not dare to work at that place. All these situations will give a very huge impact to the economy of the company.
b) Professional responsibilities
To avoid many other bad incidents to happen, the employers have to be responsible to their workers. After they had been informed about the diseases infected by the workers, they as the employers should be responsible to them. They need to ensure that the previous incidents will not be happened again.
c) Responsibilities for safety
Safety is the most important element in a workplace especially in the danger area such as construction sites, mines and other risky place. The above cases in section 2, the workers were reported wearing only disposable articulate respirators. In a place where sandblasting activities were conducted, a more complete and better safety gear should be used. The safeties of the workers are much more important rather than complaining about the cost for the protection gears. Not only has that, the employers needed to always remind their workers to be careful in whatever jobs they are doing in that place. They have to be much more concerned about this matter to ensure all activities to be smoothly completed and well done.
d) Risk assessment
The sandblasting processes at the workplace uses a blasting rod with a sandblasting agent that contains 20.5% crystalline silica sand where the workers inhaled it. Inhaling the silica dust causes 10 of the workers to be infected by Silicosis. These situations are very dangerous and risky for the workers. Although it was a very risky job, the employers still ordered their workers to settle them. The duration and intensity of silica dust exposure increase the chances of acquiring Silicosis. The employers need to conduct some risk assessment methods to reduce the risk at work. Firstly, they need to identify the hazards or threat. After that, they have to decide who might be harmed by that hazards and how it happens. Next, the risks need to be evaluated and decide on the precautions. The findings will then be recorded and implemented. Lastly, they need to review the assessment and update it frequently.
e) Humanitarian concerns
Although the workers were paid to settle the jobs they required doing, but still the employers have to be concern about their abilities towards the jobs. The above case showed us how inconsiderate the employers were. As human beings, they have to take care and help to improve the welfare of the workers. This is to ensure that all the workers are happy and safe.
Section 4: Conclusions and Suggestions
As a conclusion, both the employers and the employees play an important role in the development of a project. To ensure a project is conducted smoothly, all the workers have to be safe and far from diseases.
To prevent diseases such as Silicosis in workers who work with crystalline silica, precautions step should be seriously considered. The employers should use less hazardous materials which contain less percentage of crystalline silica. They also need to recognize the situations where there might be generation of silica dust and plan to eliminate it. Other than that, the employers need to inform the workers about their exposures to silica dust and all the effects that they might be infected. The workers need to be train about safe work practices to reduce the exposures. Warning signs need to be post around the workplace which may be contaminated with silica dust. The employers should provide regular medical exams for the workers to avoid severe diseases. Some disposable protective clothes should be provided to the workers. They also should provide area for the workers to shower and clean themselves after work to prevent contamination to be spread to other places.
As the employees, they need to wear proper respiratory protection as there will be uncontrollable silica exposures into the air. Instead of using compressed air to remove dust from the machines, they should use a water hose. They should not eat, drink or apply cosmetics near the area to prevent contamination. Lastly and the most important thing is they must wash their hands and face after being expose to silica dust.
Part 2: Code of Ethics Development
The case shown in Section 2 tells us how unhealthy the workplace is with silica dust everywhere and how this condition affects the workers working there.
Here's some of the code of ethics that both the employers and the employees should practice.
According to Silica Code of Practice (August 2006):
1) The employer shall practice to maintain the silica dust within the working area.
2) The employers shall practice all the necessary precautions to ensure the duration for the workers to expose to silica dust is at the most minimum level.
3) The employer shall continue a record of airborne dust complaints which shall be available to the Joint Occupational health and Safety committee at all times. The employer shall develop a system acceptable to the Division for responding to dust related complaints in an effective manner.
4) A written preventative maintenance program shall be implemented due to dust control systems.
5) The frequency of these required visual inspections may be reduced at the
discretion of the Division, based on review of the company's silica management
program.
6) The Joint Occupational Health and Safety committee shall, as a minimum, review
annually the effectiveness of the Dust Control Program.
7) The employers shall have to ensure that all the workers working under him should be protected from the exposure of silica dust in the workplace.
8) The employer shall give instruction and training to the workers on how to use the respiratory equipment properly in accordance with CSA Standard Z94.4.
