This is article 4868 of Da Yi Xiao Nu
In this era of roaring machines and rapid development of science and technology, we enjoy unprecedented material civilization, but at the same time, the "invisible killer" of occupational diseases is also quietly approaching, bringing a serious threat to our health. In order to more widely popularize the knowledge of occupational disease prevention and control and raise the attention of the whole society to the prevention and treatment of occupational diseases, the former Ministry of Health decided to designate the last week of April every year as the national "Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Law" publicity week from 2002.
1. What is an occupational disease?
According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases, occupational diseases refer to diseases caused by exposure to dust, radioactive substances and other toxic and harmful factors in the occupational activities of workers of enterprises, public institutions and individual economic organizations. Occupational diseases contain the following four elements, all of which are indispensable:
First, the main body of the disease is the worker of an enterprise, public institution or individual economic organization;
Second, it must arise in the course of engaging in an occupational activity;
Third, it must be caused by exposure to occupational disease hazards such as dust, radioactive substances and other toxic and harmful substances;
Fourth, it must be an occupational disease listed in the classification and catalogue of occupational diseases published by the state.
Only diseases that meet these four requirements at the same time and meet the requirements of the law can be called occupational diseases.
2. Types of occupational diseases
On December 23, 2013, the former National Health and Family Planning Commission, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the former State Administration of National Safety Supervision, and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions jointly issued the "Classification and Catalogue of Occupational Diseases", which divided occupational diseases into 10 categories and 132 kinds, which involved the respiratory system, skin, eyes, ear, nose, throat and mouth, etc., and were extremely harmful to the life and health of workers.
1. Occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases
Pneumoconiosis is the most prevalent occupational disease in mainland China, accounting for nearly 90% of the total number of occupational disease patients in mainland China. Workers working in coal mines and quarries are susceptible to pneumoconiosis due to long-term exposure to toxic and harmful substances such as dust. Production dust refers to solid particles that are formed during the production process and can be suspended in the air for a long time. Productive dust comes from the mechanical processing of solid substances, the condensation of material vapors, and the incomplete combustion of substances.
2. Occupational skin diseases
Such as skin damage caused by contact with organic solvents, petroleum products, dyes, etc.
3. Occupational eye disease
Such as electro-optic ophthalmia caused by industrial welding.
4. Occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases
For example, working in a noisy environment for a long time can cause noise-induced deafness.
5. Occupational chemical poisoning
Toxic substances that are produced or used in the production process are called productive poisons. In the production process, productive poisons can exist in raw materials, auxiliary materials, inclusions, semi-finished products, finished products, waste gases, waste liquids and waste residues, and their forms include solids, liquids and gases. For example, chlorine, bromine, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and methane exist in the form of gases, and welding fumes, mercury vapors, benzene vapors, and dust, smoke, and fog suspended in the air are produced during electric welding.
6. Occupational diseases caused by physical factors
Physical occupational hazards in the workplace include meteorological conditions (temperature, air humidity, air flow, air pressure), noise, vibration, electromagnetic radiation, etc.
7. Occupational radiation sickness
These include systemic radiation illnesses such as acute and chronic radiation sickness, focal radiation illnesses such as acute and chronic radiation dermatitis and radiation cataracts, and long-term radiation injuries such as radiation-induced leukemia.
8. Occupational infectious diseases
Only five infectious diseases, anthrax, forest encephalitis, brucellosis, AIDS and Lyme disease, are designated as occupational diseases, among which AIDS for medical technicians and police officers is defined as occupational diseases.
9. Occupational tumors
Occupation-related factors that can cause tumors are called occupational carcinogenic factors. Cancers caused by occupational carcinogenic factors are called occupational cancers. Substances that cause occupational cancer are called occupational carcinogens. Occupational carcinogens can be divided into three categories: confirmed carcinogens, such as tar, aromatic amines, asbestos, chromium, mustard gas, chloromethane, vinyl chloride and radioactive substances, suspected carcinogens, such as copper, copper, iron and nitrosamines, etc., but have not been confirmed by epidemiological investigations, and potential carcinogens. These substances have been tested positive in animal experiments and are carcinogenic, such as drill, zinc and lead
10. Other occupational diseases
Occupational skin diseases (contact dermatitis, photosensitive dermatitis, electro-photodermatitis, melanosis, acne, ulcers, chemical skin burns, other occupational skin diseases), chemical eye burns, chromium nose disease, dental erosion, metal soot fever, occupational asthma, occupational allergic alveolitis, cotton dust disease, bursitis of underground workers in coal mines, etc., are all included in the list of occupational diseases.
3. Occupation-related diseases
Another category of diseases, occupation-related diseases, is a broader concept that encompasses a wide range of health problems caused by factors such as the work environment, the nature of the work or occupational behaviour. These issues may not be explicitly recognized as occupational diseases, but they are indeed closely related to occupational activities. Occupation-related conditions may include conditions that have not been fully studied and recognized, or health problems caused by specific work postures or habits, such as vision loss due to prolonged computer use or cervical spondylosis. In addition to understanding the difference between occupational related diseases and occupational diseases from the definition, they can also be distinguished through the following three points.
1. Some common work-related diseases, such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis, can occur in other general populations in addition to occupational workers. The main body of occupational disease must be the worker who is exposed to the occupational disease hazard factors in the production process.
2. The etiology of work-related diseases is multifactorial, and occupational disease hazards may only be one of the causes of work-related diseases, but they are not the only causative factors. The cause of occupational diseases is very clear, and it can only be specific occupational disease hazard factors.
3. Work-related diseases are not included in the national statutory "Classification and Catalogue of Occupational Diseases", and there are currently 132 occupational diseases in 10 categories, but with the study of emerging occupational disease hazard factors, more occupational diseases will be included in the catalogue.
Author: Hospital of Blood Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Wang Hailong
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