CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WORKERS EXPOSITION TO …abepro.org.br/biblioteca/enegep2008_TI_ST_072_515_12394.pdf · CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WORKERS EXPOSITION TO DUST IN ROAD WORKMANSHIPS

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE

WORKERS EXPOSITION TO DUST IN ROAD WORKMANSHIPS IN THE REGULARIZATION PHASE AND

PREPARATION OF BASE AND SUBCOURSE - STUDY

Emilia Rahnemay Kohlman Rabbani (UPE) [email protected]

Béda Barkokébas Junior (UPE) [email protected]

Eliane Maria Gorga Lago (UPE) [email protected]

Ana Rosa Bezerra Martins (UPE) [email protected]

Raimundo Patriota de Almeida Filho (UPE) [email protected]

Particulate material in suspension can provoke illnesses of breathing

matter, depending on its concentration, size of particles, time of

exposition, reactivity and toxicity. The presence of dust in worksites of

roads construction is visiblee, thus, this research of case study

considers the characterization of dust to which workers who act in

highways workmanships of earthmoving are displayed, through the

identification, gauging and analysis of the particulates. In such a way

that these information, together with the contribution of the companies

in improving the elaboration and implementation of breathing

protection programs, offer better conditions of work and health to the

laborers who act in this sector. In this way the Laboratory of Security

and Health at Work of the Polytechnic School had as study object the

BR-101 duplication workmanship between the cities of Cabo de Santo

Agostinho and Ribeirão in Pernambuco in the period from October to

November 2007. Initially it has been accomplished a study of the art

through national and international literature and later a recognition of

the accomplished activities and the chemical agents related to the

latter; after defining the strategy of sampling and methodology to be

applied for Homogeneous Groups of Exposition (GHE) a qualitative

and quantitative evaluation of the harmful agents was carried through.

The results had demonstrated that the dust concentration on site does

not exceed the limits of tolerance of ACGIH , demonstrating that the

adopted measures of control in the worksite had been efficient.

XIV INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

The integration of productive chain wit an approach to sustainable manufacturing. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 13 to 16 October - 2008



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Palavras-chaves: Management Safety and Health at Work, Dust,

Highways Earthmoving, Chemical Risks



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1. Introduction

This research raised from the necessity of studies related to the exposition to dust by the workers in the regularization phase, preparation of the base and sub course, also known as earthmoving, during the construction of highways and roads due the emission of particulates and that it can be harmful in the work environment. In this direction, the research aims to contribute in the prevention of industrial accidents, in the modality of occupational illnesses, of a sector of the civil construction.

Observing the data of the Ministry of the Social welfare (BRAZIL, 2007), referring to registered industrial accidents, an evident subnotification as for the occupational illnesses is verified, this perhaps must the difficulty of proving the causal relation between the acquired illnesses (are the ones that cause removal or not) and the conditions of work. Of a national total of 503.890, accidents registered in 2006, 26,645 had been of occupational illnesses. The industry of civil construction contributed with 31.529 accidents, being 965 attributed the occupational illnesses and of these 297 had been in the respiratory device.

According to Barkokébas JR et al. (2006), the industrial accidents not only represent high costs for the company but also for the society, which many times pays the bill for the Ministry of the Social welfare, and for the worker himself, therefore beyond the economic factor there is the human factor that because of death, invalidity or illness it is not possible to dimension

The execution of road workmanships is one of the main generators of shares for the industry of civil construction. Paved highways and roads are indicative of social development for allowing the cheap and fast access of men and merchandises to the most remote points of a nation. According to National Confederation of the Transport - CNT (2008) it was only in XIX century that the first paved roads had appeared. And, due to increasing necessity of draining of merchandises and people in the country, there was an increasing requirement for more modern routes. Thus the first highway paved in Brazil appeared, today known as Washington Luis inaugurated in 1928. Another factor that sped up this growth was the implantation of the automobile industry.

Currently in Brazil, the transport matrix is predominantly road corresponding about 96.2% of the matrix of transport of passengers and 61.8% of the matrix of load transport (CNT, 2008). With this, one verified the necessity of the maintenance and magnifying of the Brazilian road mesh, thus guaranteeing, the increase of the transportation service level, the reduction of accidents indices and, consequently, to reduce the Brazil Cost.

A planning of maintenance and expansion is necessary. And, in accordance with carried through road research of 2007 in CNT, long road lanes are in critical state. 54.5% (47,777 km) are with the floor in regular, bad or very bad situation, 65.4% display (57,253 km) signaling with problems, 42.5% (37,259 km) do not possess side parking lanes, 39.0% (31,880 km) possess plates with spoiled legibility. Then, the road system reaches satisfactory standards of safety and performance, a volume of investments in the order of R$ 23.6 billion and, for the correct maintenance of the mesh, investments of R$ 1.34 billion per year, superior to values historically applied.



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Considering the construction of highways as this article’s object of study and dust as generator of the chemical agent, it is suitable to acquit as the pavement services are executed. In accordance with Senço (2001) the pavement works for the expansion of the road mesh are initiated with the activities of cutting, filling with earth and earthmoving of the base and sub course. Amongst the innumerable potentially generating processes of the chemical agent dust there is the activity of ground regularization, which aim at the correction of some imperfections of the earthmoving surface, therefore, in the end of the earthmoving, there must have been already taken the necessary cares to the good finishing of the surface and the compacting of the sub course. The material to be imported to the small earth fillings can be obtained in the own slopes of cutting, if its quality is not worse than the material of the sub course, in an operation of local importation or boot-outside. The use of the local materials of cutting slopes must be surrounded by cares not to destroy the geometric form of these slopes and having possibility and being economically compatible it is suitable to bring the material of some box of loan. It is worth to highlight that being the support on which they will work with the layers of floor, and being the final stowage of loads transmitted through the floor, the ill executed sub course fatally will bring damages to all the structure of the highway. Amongst the used equipment of great transport in the activities of pavement, it can be cited the dumping bulldozer truck, the ballast engine, the compacting machine coil and the tractor of mat or agriculturist, these equipment are used for the cutting and transportation of great volumes of ground, as well as its compacting and leveling, activities which cause the exposition of the workers to dust.

1.1 Justification

The work environment is without a doubt the object of study and concern for the professional of safety and medicine at work that has legal obligations in the prevention of accidents and occupational illnesses.

The Civil construction workers are exposed to the most different types of raw materials productive processes. In the specific case, of roads construction in the phase of earthmoving with dust generation that propagates in the work environment, and that if it is not correctly controlled it can cause damages to the worker’s health and consequently it will represent direct and indirect costs to the company, the government and the society. One highlights, therefore, the importance of the study and knowledge of the existing risks in the work environment, in order to guarantee the appropriate performance of the safety and medicine at work professionals. Thus, this work of study case provides the information on what refers to the characterization of dust to which workers who act in workmanships of earthmoving in highways are exposed to. In such a way that these information, coupled with the contribution of the companies in improving the elaboration and implementation of respiratory programs of protection, offer better conditions of work and health to the laborers who act in activities of regularization and preparation of the base and sub courses of highways.

1.2 Objectives

This proposal has as main target, to identify, to survey and to analyze the present dust in the worksites in the construction of roads, in the earthmoving phase, having as goal the prevention of related occupational illnesses to the breathing matter.



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This research also aims to guarantee the physical integrity of the worker, reduction of costs, and improvement in the work environment of the workers’ quality of life, through proposals of measures of control that will be able to subsidize a program of management of risk in the industry of civil construction.

And it has as specific objective:

a) to make the survey of the activities in worksites, the phase of earthmoving in construction of roads, vulnerable to the contact with dust; b) to analyze the identified levels of dust quantitatively; c) to evaluate the indices of existing dust in worksites with indices disposed in the national and international legislation; d) to contribute for the development of parameters and indices that can help in the management of prevention of the security and occupational health of the workers of the industry of the civil construction analyzing the adopted measures of control.

2, Theoretical Referential

In its published scientific article in annals of ENTAC 2006, Arrigoni et al., demonstrates the result of risks inquiry and consequence of silicosis that the workers of worksites are exposed to. He also quotes that in Brazil, estimates displayed by Algranti (2001), in relation to the number of potentially displayed workers to the silica dust, arrives at six million, being that four million are in the sector of civil construction and still suggest, research for measurement of the levels of dust in workmanships, exposition and quantification of the free silica content.

Ribeiro et al. (2003), in his work which aims to esteem the number of exposed workers to the related silica and economic activities in Brazil find the following results: 5% of the formal busy workers, during the research, were displayed to the silica in more than 30% of the weekly journey of work, being this value bigger than the found ones in the United States and the countries of Europe; the civil construction was the economic activity which concentrated the biggest number displayed of 62%.

It is still important to introduce here some basic concepts, as the definition of aerodispersóides that according to Saliba et al. (1998), are the particles which are found in suspension in air and they can be harmful to health, and they are subdivided in table 1.

Liquid Aerodispersóides

Solid Aerodispersóides

fog dust

mist fibers

- metallic smokes

source: Saliba et. al (1998)

Table 1 - Types of aerodispersóides

According to the same author, for definition dust "is solid particles produced by mechanical rupture of solids and whose diameter of particles is greater that 0.5µm". This rupture mechanics can be of the milling, perforation of rocks, sifting of sand, types etc. Dust can be



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classified regarding the size of its particles, see table 2 and regarding the effect in the organism, see table 3.

Table 2 - Type of dust regarding the diameter of its particles

Type of Dust Effects in the Organism

Types of agents/ Illnesses

Pneumoconiótica It is able to provoke some kind of pneumoconiose

Sílica / silicose; Asbesto / asbestose; Cotton / bissinose, etc.

Toxic It is able to cause injuries either by inhalation or ingestion

Led, mercury, arsenic, cádmio, manganês, chromo, among other metals

Alergic It can cause some kind of allergic process

Epóxi Resin Dust epóxi and some wooden dust

Inert It can cause light and reversible injuries such as bronchitis and colds

Sílica in a minor concentration than 1,0% and for not containing asbesto

Source: Saliba et. al (1998)

Table 3 - Type of dust regarding the effect in the organism

3. Methodology

The research developed for the LSHT (Laboratory of Security and Hygiene at Work of the Polytechnic School of Pernambuco) has accomplished a study in the duplication of the South BR-101 of earthmoving workmanships, between the municipalities of Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Ribeirão - Pernambuco, in the period from October to November of 2007. The research was initiated with an extensive bibliographical revision, emphasis in the technical safety norms y and with the identification of the systems of breathing protection demanded by the law for the chemical agent in study (dust).

The workmanship in study was accomplished by consortium formed by four construction companies with performance in the national and international market. The branch of the activity in study is of construction and the not-urban recovery of auto-roads, highways and

Type of Dust Near Size ( µm )

Sedimentable 10 �

�

�

150 Inhalable

� �

10 breathable

� �

5

visible �

�

40

Source: Saliba et. al (1998)



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other ways for the passage of vehicles, which corresponds to the CNAE: 4211-1/01 and it possesses degree of risk 04.

Once specified the effective and applicable norms, one continued with the knowledge of the activities accomplished in the unit; definition of sampling strategy and methodology to be applied for evaluation of the chemical agent dust in study; definition of the Homogeneous Groups of Exposition (GHE); qualitative evaluation with identification, determination and localization of the generating source, characterization of the activity and the type of exposition; quantitative evaluation with the accomplishment of the registers of the harmful agent, its concentration, intensity and time of exposition and finally an analysis of the EPC (equipment of collective protection) and the EPIS (equipment of Individual Protection) used by the consortium in question, its efficiency in the attenuation or neutralization to the limit of legal tolerance established and in case of needing the suggestion of the implementation of other control measures.

3.1 Recognition and evaluation of risks

The recognition of risks was accomplished through data-collecting in the central worksite, as well as in the work fronts where there was activity of inspection. Also they had been carried through inspection in the workstations, objectifying to visit all the area where one accomplishes professional activity, registering all the agents of risks displayed. During the recognition phase, one verified the necessity of the accomplishing a quantitative evaluation of the chemical agent dust.

It was used for this evaluation a sampling bomb from the manufacturer SENSIDYNE INCORPORATION, Model GILAIR 5, number of series 20070702006, calibrated at October10, 2007 registered in the process 1273-2007 of Almont of Brazil. The samples had

been collected in cassette with filter of PVC with porosity of 5,0 µm in electronic micro scale with sensitivity of 0,001 mg reference SKC 225-8-01 for breathable and total dust daily pay-heavy, as well as a cyclone Nylon type for breathable dust. The samples were sent to the company Scientific Environ Ltda and the analysishad been accomplished by the Gravimetrical methods of the NIOSH 0500 and NIOSH 0600, for total and breathable dust respectively.

The sample pump was duly adjusted by the soap bubble method, being that for the samplings of field one must recommend the following parameters: for total dust the outflow is of 1,0 to 2,0 L/min and the sampled air volume is at the very least of 7 L to 15 mg/m³ and the maximum 133 L; whilst for breathable dust the sampling outflow is of 1,7 L/min and the showed air volume is at the very least 20 L to 5 L mg/m³ and the maximum of 400L.

The results had been analyzed concerning the limits of tolerance established by ACGIH 2007 for Breathable Dust 3 mg/m³ TWA (exposition limit – average considered by the time) and of Total Dust 10 mg/m³ TWA.

3.2 Homogeneous Groups of Exposition (GHE) to dust

The preliminary analysis evidenced 97 functions in the worksites that first had been divided in 30 GHE. Amongst functions only 21 display exposition risks to dust that would need a quantitative analysis, which had been subdivided in 10 GHE. Then 16 samplings of dust in the worksite in workers of 8 distinct functions had been accomplished, being 8 samples of total



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dust and 8 samples of breathable dust, having still 4 white samples to determine values of reference.

Table 4 describes only the activities developed for the workers who are exposed to dust that is the object of study of this article, stratified for homogeneous group of exposition, job/function developed in the worksite and Brazilian code of occupation through which it was possible to determine the activities performed by each function.

GHE JOB / FUNCTION BRAZILIAN CODE OFOCCUPATION

1

Safety technician 3516-05

Field person in charge 7102-15

Person in charge of Works of art 7102-05

Administrador 7102-15

2 Servant 7170-20

3 Pointer 4142-10

4

Truck driver 7825-15

Lorry driver 7825-10

Average car driver 7825-10

5

Loading truck driver 7151-35

Moto-leveller operator 7151-30

Digging truck operator 7151-15

Compactator Coil operator 7151-10

6 Agricultural Tractor operator 7151-10

7 Tractor of Mat operator 7151-45

8

Topography assistant

3123-20 Person in charge of topography

Leveler I

Topographer

9 Mason 7152-10

10 Flagman/servant 7170-20

Source LSHT research

Table 4 - Description of activities for homogeneous group of exposition (GHE)

4. Analysis of Results

The collected qualitative and quantitative data demonstrate that the workers of the GHE 01, 02 and 03 who were responsible for the earthmoving in the duplication of the highway are exposed to concentrations of either breathable or total dust in such a way that they are below the established norm of ACGIH 2007 for Breathable Dust that is of 3 mg/m³ TWA and for Total Dust of 10 mg/m³ TWA, as it can be observed in table 5, beyond the displayed air volumes which are inside the daily pay-established parameters. The environments of work of this homogeneous group can be seen in figure 1.

GHE Vol. / Time

for total dust

Total dust

(mg/m³)

Vol. / Time for

breathable dust

Breathable dust

(mg/m³)

01 - Safety technician at work, Person in charge of Field, Person in charge of Plant of

111,54 L < 0,269 112,65 L < 0,266



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Concrete, Person in charge of works of art, Administrator 02 – Servant 86,75 L < 0,346 87,00 L < 0,345

03 – Pointer 126,69 L 0,482 109,31 L < 0,274

Source: LSHT research

Table 5 - Results of the analyses of GHE 01, 02 and 03

Figure 1 - Images of the environment of work: - the maid; B - in charge of field

When the heavy machines operators were analyzed from the GHE 04, 05, 06 and 07 it was also observed that the same ones are not exposed at the levels of dust above the limits of ACGIH 2007 as can be seen in table 6, and its respective environments of work including the used equipment which can be observed in figure 2. Some equipment has closed cabin and conditional air to attenuate the levels of dust and noise, as well as allowing the refrigeration of the environment, however all the measurements of these groups had been accomplished in equipment of open cabin. Moreover some equipment had an air compressor to make the internal cleanness when initiating the daily activities of field.

GHE Vol. / Time

for total dust

Total dust

(mg/m³)

Vol. / Time for

breathable dust

Breathable dust

(mg/m³)

04 – Truck driver, lorry driver, average car driver

109,89 L 0,683 110,59 L < 0,271

05 – Loading truck operator, Moto-leveler operator, Digging truck operator , Compactator coil operator

91,96 L < 0,326 107,23 L < 0,280

06 Agricultural tractor operator 91,96 L < 0,326 107,23 L < 0,280

(A) (B)



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07 – Mat tractor operator 91,96 L < 0,326 107,23 L < 0,280


Table 6 - Results of the analyses of GHE 04, 05, 06 and 07

Figure 2 - Images of the equipment: - the leveler; B – digging truck; C - compressing coil and D - Agricultural tractor

The results of the dust concentration continue uniform for GHE 08, 09 and 10, considering that the dust levels were between 0,151mg/m³ and 0,757mg/m³ as can be seen in table 7, values which are well below of the tolerance limits of ACGIH 2007. One observes in figure 3, the environment of work of these homogeneous groups.

GHE Vol. / Time for

total dust Total dust (mg/m³)

Vol. / Time for

breathable dust

Breathable dust

(mg/m³)

(A) (B)

(C) (D)



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08 – Topography assistant, Person in charge of topography, Leveler I, Topographer.

105,42 L < 0,285 105,04 L < 0,286

09 – Mason 204,74 L 0,757 199,07 L < 0,151

10 – Flag man 107,73 L 0,548 92,23 L < 0,325


Table 7 - Results of the analyses of GHE 08, 09 and 10

Figure 3 – Images of work environment: A – Topography assistant; B – Mason and C – Flag man

5. Conclusions

The study of the collected data demonstrated that the exposition to dust in road workmanships in the regularization phases/preparation of the base and sub course is not unhealthy nor dangerous, not allowing special retirement, once that the concentrations found in field had been quite below of the limits established for the ACGIH. However even not being the equipment of respiratory protection - EPR of obligatory use, it is recommended the use of the respiratory protector of the type semi face piece with filter layer class PFF1 or replaceable respirator with semi face part and filters P1. It was observed that the EPR adopted for the

(A)

(C)

(B)



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health management and security at work of the workmanship for the analyzed GHE is duly dimensioned, the same is an air purification respirator type semi face piece filter for particles PFF1, of the manufacturer Sperian Safety Products Ltda., with the Certificate of Approval - C.A. number 3703, approved for protection of the respiratory ways of the user against dusts and fogs.

There are many factors that had contributed for such results between them one can cite that the risk areas were located outdoors, with good inclined air circulation and storms, as rain which humidifies the ground, diminishing the dust emission. The low concentrations of dust also can be justified by measures of control adopted by the trust of companies, as for example the wetting of the ground or the highway of access to the place where are being executed the activities by means of a truck pipe to attenuate the dust emission, as it can be seen in figure 4. Geologic characteristics of the ground also can influence the results, chemical analyses for characterization of the ground had however not been accomplished, as for example the determination of the crystalline free silica percentage in the sample. Moreover, the dust concentrations can vary in function of the climatic conditions, what causes the necessity to become fulfilled other measurements in random days for different times of the year to complement the data displayed here.

However the results presented here demonstrate that not always locals that apparently have activities directly associated to the handling of ground are vulnerable to exposition to harmful concentration of dust, and that operationally simple control measures as to humidify the places of emission of particulates reveal efficient.

Figure 4 - Measure of control of dust emission - truck pipe and B - the track of wet access

References

ACGIH – American Conference of Governamental Industrial Hygienists. 2007 TLVs e BELs. São Paulo: Traduzido pela ABHO – Associação Brasileira de Higienistas Ocupacionais. 2007.

ARRIGONI, GIOVANNI MARIA & MUTTI, CRISTINE DO NASCIMENTO. Saúde na construção: investigação do risco e conseqüências da silicose para os trabalhadores de canteiros de obras. Anais do XI Encontro Nacional de Tecnologia no Ambiente Construído, ENTAC 2006. Florianópolis, SC.23 a 25 de agosto. (CD-Rom).

(A) (B)



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BARKOKÉBAS JR., Béda et. al., Projeto Piloto de Gestão de Segurança do Trabalho Aplicado a Empresa de

Construção Civil da Região Metropolitana do Recife. Pernambuco-BR. In: XIV Congresso Brasileiro de Ergonomia – ABERGO. Curitiba, 2006.

BRASIL . Ministério da Previdência Social. Anuário da Previdência Social, 2007. Disponível em: <http://www.previdenciasocial.gov.br/AEPS2004/docs/4c30_06.xls>. Acesso em: 15 abr. 2007.

CNT - Confederação Nacional do Transporte. Pesquisa rodoviária 2007. Disponível em: < http://www.cnt.org.br/>. Acesso em: 15 abr. 2008.

NIOSH. Manual of Analytical Methods. 4th edition, U.S. Departament of Health and Human Service, Public Health Service Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinati, 1994.

RIBEIRO, FÁTIMA S. N.; ALGRANTI, EDUARDO; CAMARGO, ESTHER A. DE & WUNSCH FILHO, V. Exposição ocupacional à sílica no Brasil. In: VII Congresso Brasileiro de Saúde Coletiva. Anais, 2003.

SALIBA, TUFFI MESSIAS; CORRÊA, MACIA A. C.; AMARAL, LÊNIO S. & RIANI, RUBENSMIDT RAMOS. Higiene do Trabalho e Programa de Prevenção de Riscos Ambientais. São Paulo: Editora LTr, 2º edição, 1998.

SENÇO , WLASTERMILER . Manual de Técnicas de Pavimentação. Vol. 2. 1º ed. São Paulo: Editora Pini, 2001.

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CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WORKERS EXPOSITION TO …abepro.org.br/biblioteca/enegep2008_TI_ST_072_515_12394.pdf · CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WORKERS EXPOSITION TO DUST IN ROAD WORKMANSHIPS