OCCUPATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT TO EXPOSURE OF RESPIRABLE CRYSTALLINE SiO2 AT CEMENT MANUFACTURING

Abstract

According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU - OSHA) and the Roadmap on Carcinogens about 120,000 work - related cancer cases occur each year as a result exposure to carcinogens at the workplace in the EU, leading to approximately 80,000 fatalities annually. Occupational risk assessment is used as a criterion for occupational safety.
At the cement manufacturing sector, it was revealed that the main hazard is exposure to carcinogen substances such as respirable crystalline SiO2. In the present work, two methods were used for risk assessment in a cement production enterprise: the classical Fine - Kinney method and Flexible risk assessment method developed by Reinhold and Tint. The results of the joint application of these two methods show the advantages and disadvantages of each of them and point to the need to combine more than one method to effectively cover aspects of risk assessment. 
It was made the evaluation of applied existing control measures, as well as new measures for better protection have been proposed.