Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the occupational hazards within the tanning industry caused by contaminated dust. A qualitative assessment of the risk of human exposure to dust was made throughout a commercial Kenyan tannery. Using this information, high-risk points in the processing line were identified and dust sampling regimes developed. An optical set-up using microscopy and digital imaging techniques was used to determine dust particle numbers and size distributions. The results showed that chemical handling was the most hazardous (12 mg m(-3)). A Monte Carlo method was used to estimate the concentration of the dust in the air throughout the tannery during an 8 h working day. This showed that the high-risk area of the tannery was associated with mean concentrations of dust greater than the UK Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 2677. stipulated limits (exceeding 10 mg m(-3) (Inhalable dust limits) and 4 mg m(-3) (Respirable dust limits). This therefore has implications in terms of provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the tannery workers for the mitigation of occupational risk.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 53-62 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | International Journal of Environmental Health Research |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2005 |
Keywords
- dust
- particulate matter
- occupational risk
- image analysis
- tannery
- Monte Carlo
- size distribution
- microorganisms
- capture
- lead