Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct 5;3(4):e189.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.189. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Self-reported disease symptoms of stone quarry workers exposed to silica dust in Ghana

Dzifa Francis Ahadzi  1 , Abdul-Rahaman Afitiri  2 , Bernard Ekumah  2 , Verona Kanatey  1 , Abdullah Afedzi  1
Affiliations

Self-reported disease symptoms of stone quarry workers exposed to silica dust in Ghana

Dzifa Francis Ahadzi et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Background and aims: Understanding the importance of using personal protective equipment (PPE) and the influence of work-post (working distance to main dust source-crusher) in stone quarries is vital for designing tailored interventions in minimizing workers' exposure to silica dust. Nonetheless, studies on silica dust and disease symptoms in Ghana are nascent. This study assessed how work-post and use of required PPE jointly influence exposure to silica dust and disease symptoms in Ghana.

Methods: Generalized linear models (complementary log-log regression) were fitted to cross-sectional survey data of 524 stone quarry workers in Ghana to assess the joint effect of work-post and PPE usage on self-reported disease symptoms while controlling for relevant compositional and contextual factors.

Results: Stone quarry workers who work between 1-100 m and beyond 100 m from the crusher with the required PPE were 90% and 87% respectively less likely to report eye irritation compared with their counterparts who work between 1 and 100 m from the crusher without the required PPE. Individuals who work between 1-100 m and beyond 100 m from the crusher with the required PPE were 94% and 95% respectively less likely to report breathing difficulty compared with the reference group. Workers who work between 1-100 m and beyond 100 m from the crusher with the required PPE were 97% and 99% respectively less likely to report coughing compared with the reference group. Workers who work between 1-100 m and beyond 100 m from the crusher with the required PPE were 93% and 97% respectively less likely to report common cold compared with their counterparts who work between 1 and 100 m from the crusher without the required PPE.

Conclusion: There are adverse health implications for people who work in silica dust polluted environments, suggesting the need for a national safety and health policy to target them.

Keywords: Ghana; disease symptoms; occupational; self‐reported; silica dust; stone quarry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A map showing the communities in which the quarry sites are located in the five selected regions
Figure 2
Figure 2
Self‐reported disease symptoms across study regions
Figure 3
Figure 3
Wearing of personal protective equipment across study regions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Working together to beat occupational cancer. No Time To Lose. https://www.notimetolose.org.uk/. Accessed October 7, 2019.
    1. Safety and Health Topics | Respirable Crystalline Silica | Occupational Safety and Health Administration. https://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/silicacrystalline/. Accessed March 19, 2020.
    1. Mwaiselage J, Bråtveit M, Moen BE, Mashalla Y. Respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among cement factory workers. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2005;31(4):316‐323. - PubMed
    1. Steenland K, Ward E. Silica: A lung carcinogen. CA Cancer J Clin. 2014;64(1):63‐69. 10.3322/caac.21214. - DOI - PubMed
    1. NIOSH hazard review: health effects of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica. 2017. doi:10.26616/NIOSHPUB2002129 - DOI

LinkOut - more resources