Health effects of long-term exposure to industrial dust in preparation plants of hard coal mines

Statistical data on occupational diseases registered by the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź indicates a renewed increase in the number of pneumoconiosis in Poland in recent years, especially in the section of PKD (Polish Classification of Business Activities) – mining. Simultaneously, in 2018, because of the implementation of Directives of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, changes were introduced to Polish legislation in the field of protection of workers against the risk of exposure to carcinogens or mutagens related to the respirable fraction of crystalline silica formed during work. Considering this information, the members of the Department of Safety Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology attempted to assess the dust hazard and the frequency of occurrence of respiratory diseases among the employees of the preparation plant of mine X exposed to the harmful effects of industrial dust produced in the work process. The following methods were used as part of the research: individual dosimetry, infrared spectrometry, directional interview, diagnostic tests, and spirometry. The obtained results made it possible to identify workstations with the highest exposure to the harmful effects of industrial dust and to recognize the impact of this action in the form of pathological changes in the respiratory system in 18.4% of the miners surveyed