Respiratory Problems Are Prevalent in Industrial Workers

[pic 1]

NAME                              CRAIG TINASHE TSEKWENDE

REG NUMBER                C14122903R

PROGRAM                      BEMC

COURSE                          ENGINEERING RESEARCH METHODS

ASSIGNMENT                ONE (1)

RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS ARE PREVALENT IN INDUSTRIAL WORKERS

Almost every product used by humans is product of a manufacturing process or industry. To come up with a an attractive and desirable product takes a lot of processing steps, from the raw material processing until it is a finished product. All these steps are directly or indirectly linked to manpower or human labor, with the help of machines to ensure customer satisfaction. Many people work in industry for a lifetime to make a living.

However, unfortunately there has been a rise in respiratory diseases that occur in the workers of industry. Especially those industries that either work with a lot of powder, produces a lot of dust and or smoke. Workers have been diagnosed with varying diseases including; occupational asthma, heavy coughing, cystic fibrosis and ultimately lung cancer. This is of great concern as the success of industry hence satisfaction of customers is dependent on the workforce. The safety and health of the workers is of utmost importance. Below is an application of the six step problem solving process to the problem.

1. Problem Identification

Respiratory problems are prevalent in industrial workers. There has been a rise in cases of respiratory illnesses reported in industrial workers.

1. Problem Analysis

Possible Causes

• Dust that is produced by the processes or that is worked with during the process
• Industrial gases that are produced during manufacturing
• Lack of proper protective wear for workers
• Lack of education in workers about safe practices
• Outdated infrastructure or poor infrastructure
• Overworking of workforce or overtime

        pollutants        infrastracture

        dust        [pic 2][pic 3][pic 4][pic 5]

        smoke        outdated        defective[pic 6][pic 7]

[pic 8][pic 9][pic 10][pic 11][pic 12][pic 13]

        quality        ignorance[pic 14]

        work shifts        education

1. Possible Solutions

• Purchase of protective wear - the employers can equip the workforce with face masks when working on the floor
• Education of workers - workers can be educated on effects of dust and smoke produced by industrial processes
• Adjusting the shifts for the workers such that they work for fewer days a week. This would give them time out of the toxic environment
• Industrial Automation

1. Selection of Solution

Solution selected is Industrial Automation. Automation removes or reduces the need of human labor as machines replace them and takes the workers from a harmful environment