Respiratory Abnormalities among the Workers of Iron and Steel Industry

World labor was estimated to encounter various occupational injuries and health effects shown in iron and steel industries as 37% back pain, 16% hearing loss, 13 % chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 11% asthma, 9 % trachea, bronchus or lung cancer, 8% injuries, 2% leukemia. %. Significant decreases in FEV1 and FVC have been associated with increases in occupational exposures to gases and fumes. The objective of this study is to study the effect of occupational exposure on lung function of the workers of iron and steel industry. The present crosssectional descriptive study was carried out between Jul 2013 and Dec 2014 to assess the effect of occupation on respiratory system among 200 workers in Iron and Steel Industry in Nanded City (Maharashtra). For analysis and internal comparison steel melting section, Rolling mill section and quality control section were taken together as continuously exposed group and maintenance and administrative section as intermittently exposed group. It was observed that out of 200 workers most of the workers 102 (51.00%) had peak expiratory rate above 400. 98 (49.00%) workers had peak expiratory flow rate below 400. pulmonary function tests among the workers of various section. It had been observed that among all the workers who were referred 78(39%) had mild obstruction while 19( 9.5) and 9 (4.5%) were having moderate and severe obstruction respectively. It can be concluded from the present study that most of the findings were more among the workers of continuously exposed i.e. steel melting section, rolling mill section, and Quality control department group than intermittently exposed group.