Airborne hazards are contaminants that occur in the gaseous form (gases and vapors) or as aerosols, dusts, sprays, mists, smokes and fumes. Dusts are among the most dangerous because they are often associated with occupational diseases such as lung disease, lead poisoning, cancer, asthma, allergic reactions or irritations, and others. Inhaling airborne toxins such as dust puts people at risk for occupational disease when they are inhaling these things at the work place. It can lead to temporary and permanent diseases as well as death and this is occurring all over the world. Contaminates such as dust can also alter the quality of products in the workplace which may lead to hazards such as fires or explosions and other damage.
The respiratory tract is divided in three sections and is the entry way of such airborne contaminates. The first is the nasopharynx region which is the head region, including the nose, mouth, pharynx and larynx. The next is the tracheobronchial region which includes the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. Lastly is the pulmonary region which is made up of the alveoli; the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the process of respiration occurs in the alveolar region.The human trachea has a membrane lining that produces a layer of mucus that helps filter waste that an organism breathes in through the air. There is also a small lining of tiny hairs in our lungs called cilia. These tiny hairs act as a filter in our lungs and control the amount of mucus that enters our lungs. The reason why we cough is because the cilia push up the mucus, so not too much enters our lungs. If these hairs are not functioning properly, an organism is at risk of a lower respiratory tract infection.
The mucociliary escalator is a major defense and barrier against infection. When organisms that are headed to infect the respiratory tract get trapped in sticky mucus and sent up by this so called mucociliary escalator and then pushed towards the throat.
Airborne contaminants can present a significant threat to worker health and safety. Materials present different threats and significant based on what it is and the size of it. Examples of these include mineral dust from extraction, metallic dusts, chemical dust, bulk, pesticides, vegetable dusts, wood, flour, cotton and tea, pollens, moulds and spores.
Lung disease can be classified into two different cases. Doctors may label lung conditions as obstructive lung disease or restrictive lung disease. Obstructive lung conditions include things that make it hard to exhale all the air in the lungs. Restrictive lung conditions effect people in a manner that make it difficult to expand their lungs with air. Symptoms that pertain to these conditions both include shortness of breathe. Increased activity makes it harder to breathe because there is less time for the air to get into the lungs.
Employers with chemical hazardous
chemicals in their workplaces are required to provide labels and safety data
sheets for the workers. They also must train them to be able to handle
chemicals correctly.
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