Frequency of Respiratory Symptoms among Marble Workers in Cutting and Grinding sections of Marble Factories, Lahore

Occupational exposure to dust particles was a public health problem in developing countries. One of the main dust which is responsible for higher prevalence of obstructive lung diseases is silica dust present in marble factories. Objective: To compare the frequency of respiratory symptoms among individuals working in cutting and grinding sections of marble factories, Lahore. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in marble factories situated in Ichra market, Ferozepur Road Lahore, during April to September 2022. Forty-one marble employees each from wet cutting and dry grinding sections were selected after obtaining written consent from the respondents. Data were collected in a pretested standardized questionnaire regarding socio demographic and respiratory symptoms. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 24.0. Results: The mean age of workers was 29.93 ± 6.18 years while mean years of work experience was11.19 ± 5.66 years. 20 (48.78%) workers of dry cutting had cough as compared to 14 (34.14%) workers of wet cutting section. Similarly, 11 (26.8%) workers of grinding section had experienced phlegm whereas 6 (14.63%) from wet cutting workers complained of this symptom. Similarly, breathlessness and chest tightness were more prevalent among grinding workers as compared to marble cutting workers showing statistically significant association (p-value < 0.005). Greater than 15 years of work exposure, respiratory symptoms were significantly (p-value < 0.001) more common in grinding workers than in cutting workers. Conclusion: Respiratory symptoms were more marked among grinding workers than among wet cuttings workers.