Occupational Health Hazards in Steel Manufacturing Industries

The number of Steel Manufacturing Industries (SMIs) in India is increasing at faster pace due to strong demand of steel by automotive, manufacturing and construction industry. Large number of skilled and unskilled workers employed in these industries is suffering from various diseases due to physical and environmental hazards.The present research work deals with the investigation of occupational health hazards (environmental and physical) and their impact on the health of workers of SMIs. A qualitative and quantitative study has been undertaken on 160 workers of four Small Scale Steel Manufacturing Industries (SSSMIs) and four Large Scale Steel Manufacturing Industries (LSSMIs) in Ludhiana city, exposed to these conditions, and on 40 workers of control group. The Ambient Air Temperature, Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Sound Level have been recorded at respective work places. The results regarding environmental conditions reveal 36.90 % and 68.42 % higher values of Ambient Air Temperature and Suspended Particulate Matter than requisite standard level prescribed by OSHA and NAAQS respectively. The Sound Level has been found to be within permissible limits prescribed by CPCB.