Factory inspectors

By and large, the practice in most developed countries has been to recruit engineers as Inspectors of Factories. It should be accepted that Factory Inspection is a live profession which has to improve its techniques in keeping with the technological developments and the ever-changing social concepts. Recent years have not only seen great increase in mechanisation in the already advanced developed countries bringing with it its own hazards, but it has brought in new risks of a more complex nature.
Now-a-days chemical, electrical and engineering hazards might be found together in one plant. The old clear border lines between trades have disappeared. A trained engineer, may not necessarily make a good Inspector. His initial training cannot be accomplished by his merely working as an under-study, for a limited period, to an experienced Inspector. It will have to be recognised that the Inspector should initially receive broad general training concerning the history of labour legislation, complementary legislation, technical aspects, human aspects, factory organisation and other related subjects that concern his work. So far as the technical aspects are concerned, the Inspector must be made aware of the contributions the other branches of engineering profession and other discipline make towards effective inspection for promoting the safety, health and welfare of workers. He must be made aware of the problem so that when the need arises, he may seek assistance from the appropriate authorities.
An analysis of accident statistics in Indo-Pak Subcontinent will show that a lack of appreciation of hazards and of knowledge of even the most rudimentary facts about safety is one of the major secondary causes of industrial accidents. With the rapid development of industries it will become more important than ever that technical personnel should be aware of the problem. Often it becomes necessary to impress upon the engineering and supervisory staff the need for even the most obvious safety measures. Because of the pressure of their curriculum and the nature of their scholastic training, it is only when they actually enter industry that they begin to realise the necessity of safety but are handicapped by the lack of necessary training. The need for integrating safety training in technical education is a matter of importance, more so in countries where there are no voluntary safety organisations of any note and safety is treated as a matter of enforcement by the Factory Inspectors. The first step towards this direction could be made by reorganising the college workshops and vocational training institutes in such a manner that they may serve as a examples of accepted safe practice. This could be followed in gradual stages with the teaching of safety as a regular part of every theory course, not as a separate technique.
To conclude this in-depth analysis and research, it may perhaps be useful to examine the recent study conducted in Karachi where high prevalence of various respiratory illnesses and symptoms amongst textile workers in Karachi has been analysed.
The study titled "Pattern and predictors for respiratory illness symptoms and lung functions among textile workers in Karachi' was conducted by the Aga Khan University's (AKU) Department of Community Health Sciences in collaboration with the University of Alabama's School of Public Health.
Published in an online foreign journal, the study is a cross-sectional survey of 372 adult men working in spinning and weaving section of 15 textile mills in Karachi - one each from Korangi/Landhi industrial areas and North Karachi industrial area, two from Federal B. Area's industrial area, four each from the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate and the SITE area. One textile mill each from Ittehad Town, Baldia Town and SITE Nooriabad were also included. Findings of the study show that there is a high prevalence of various respiratory illnesses and their symptoms in textile workers. The symptoms include shortness of breath (46.8 percent), frequent wheezing (39.8 percent), byssinosis - a chronic asthma like narrowing of the airways generally caused by exposure to cotton processing (10.5 percent), chest tightness (33.3 percent), chronic phlegm (12.9 percent) and chronic cough (7.5 percent). However, it has been found that prevalence of asthma is comparatively low, four percent. According to the study this finding was consistent with local research conducted earlier but warranting further investigation. It has also been found that eight percent of the workers have obstructive, eight percent restrictive and two percent have a mixed pattern of lung function abnormality. Out of 372 men who took part in the study, 46.8 percent were employed in the spinning section and 53.2 percent in the weaving section. A majority of workers, 57.8 percent, were non-smokers and 34.6 percent were smokers. The remaining 7.5 percent had quit smoking.
Regarding work duration, the study reveals that 31.7 percent have been working in textile mills for one to five years, 35.5 percent for six to 10 years and 32.8 percent have worked for 11 years or more. A majority of the workers, 73.9 percent, are educated with a medium monthly household income of Rs 1,714 per person. The study states that workers of the spinning section working long hours mostly uneducated and belonging to Sindhi-speaking families, are more prone to developing one or more respiratory conditions. "Respiratory illnesses and symptoms, including byssinosis have been reported by workers across the globe employed at various processes in the textile industry. Over the years, the prevalence of byssinosis has gradually declined in developed countries due to improvements in dust control measures. However, the situation in developing countries is still worse, where large numbers of textile workers continue to suffer from respiratory illnesses".
The research also highlights factory more likely to be associated with respiratory illnesses and symptoms among textile workers. The factors include working in bale opening, blowing, and carding spinning sections of the textile mill besides smoking, lack of education, nor using safety gadgets, high exposure to end toxins and long working hours. Smoking, according to the study, combined with cotton dust has an additive effect on respiratory symptoms and pulmonary functions of textile workers. In Pakistan, few studies have assessed the prevalence of respiratory illnesses. Research conducted in the 1990s had found that prevalence of byssinosis was around 8 percent to 15 percent, chronic bronchitis or asthma 3.6 percent and lung function abnormality 20 percent to 38 percent.
Regarding two recent studies published from Karachi in 2008, the study says that they reported a higher prevalence (19.3 percent to 35.6 percent) of byssinosis as compared to earlier studies. "These studies found that factors associated with respiratory illnesses and symptoms include working in spinning, ring and carding areas, low educational status and not using face masks." Reference to Sindh government statistic, the study says that Karachi has 794 registered textile units with approximately 40,500 workers who are primarily involved in spinning and weaving of cotton and synthetic textiles. "In multivariate analysis", says the study, "it was found that the spinning section of textile mills was consistently associated with most of the respiratory symptoms including frequent wheezing, chronic wheezing and chest tightness." The study says that dust concentration is higher during initial processing involving cruder forms of cotton. Also, concentrations of gram-negative bacterial end toxins, thought to cause byssinosis, are also higher in the initial processing. "Therefore, workers employed in these sections are more likely to suffer from byssinosis compared with other sections."
It will be useful to refer to the draft text prepared by Workers Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplace Act. Perhaps those that matter in this Council will examine some of the recommendations made in this thesis, and, if found feasible, it is incorporated in the Draft Act by the Council whose efforts are timely and well-appreciated.
(The writer is Advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan)