(Reporter of People’s Daily Health Client Shi Mengzhu) The National Health Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other five departments recently jointly issued the “Notice on Launching the 2022
Photo by Li Weihai
It is reported that April 25 to May 1, 2022 is the 20th “Occupational Disease Prevention Law” Publicity Week, and the theme of this year’s event is “Everything for the Health of Workers”.
Thinking it was stressful, but actually mercury poisoned
25-year-old Ms. Liu is A newly hired thermometer factory worker. Half a year ago, her thermometer factory received a new order. Due to the large demand for thermometers, the workshop required to work overtime to increase the production of mercury thermometers. After more than a month of hard work by all the staff in the factory, the production target was finally completed.
But recently, Ms. Liu gradually developed insomnia, memory loss, and emotional agitation. At first, she thought it was due to the high pressure of work, but she didn’t go to the local hospital until she developed general weakness and edema of her eyelids and lower extremities. After a detailed examination by an occupational disease and poisoning medical doctor, it was found that Ms. Liu suffered from membranous nephropathy, and the level of metallic mercury in her urine was seriously exceeding the standard. After on-site investigation in the thermometer workshop where Ms. Liu worked, combined with the characteristics of Ms. Liu’s disease, it was diagnosed as occupational acute mercury poisoning.
At the same time, some workers in the workshop were found to have similar symptoms, but to a lesser extent. Based on the above situation, inform the thermometer factory to carry out occupational health inspections for mercury workers.
Under the careful diagnosis and treatment of medical staff from the Department of Occupational Diseases and Poisoning Medicine of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Ms. Liu left the production workshop where mercury exceeded the standard. , Systemic symptoms improved, proteinuria gradually decreased, kidney function recovered, and the disease was cured.
What is occupational disease
The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases Article 2 states, “Occupational diseases as mentioned in this Law refer to diseases caused by workers of enterprises, public institutions, individual economic organizations and other employers who come into contact with dust, radioactive substances and other toxic and harmful factors in their occupational activities.”
The classification and catalogue of statutory occupational diseases in my country was announced and implemented on December 23, 2013, including 132 occupational diseases in ten categories, and open terms: occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases Systemic diseases, occupational skin diseases, occupational eye diseases, occupational ENT diseases, occupational chemical poisoning, occupational diseases caused by physical factors, occupational radiation diseases, occupational infectious diseases, occupational tumors, other occupational diseases, and open terms .
Ye Qiao, director of the Department of Occupational Diseases and Poisoning Medicine of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, introduced that my country’s “Classification Catalog of Occupational Disease Hazard Factors” covers dust, chemical factors, physical factors, radioactive factors, biological Factors and other factors that may affect the health of workers are harmful factors. Employers and workers should do a good job in the control of harmful factors in occupational sites and production processes and the prevention of occupational diseases. Once suspected occupational diseases are found, “three early” should be achieved, that is, early detection, early separation, and early treatment.
Occupational diseases focus on prevention
“Occupational diseases focus on prevention”, Ye Qiao told the people Daily health client reporter. Workers must receive occupational health training before engaging in harmful operations. According to the types of occupational disease hazards, personal protection should be done in accordance with regulations under the guidance of the employer, such as wearing professional masks, earplugs and other protective equipment at work. Employers should continuously improve the process, avoid the “running and dripping” of toxic and harmful substances, and improve the working environment. In accordance with relevant regulations and national health standards, employers should regularly conduct occupational health inspections on workers to detect suspected occupational diseases in a timely manner.
In addition, some work-related diseases have not been included in the national occupational disease classification and catalogue. It has become increasingly prominent in the population, and has affected the physical and mental health of some occupational groups in my country, which is worthy of further study.
Source: Health Times