[Knowledge] Not to be underestimated grain dust and its protection advice

concept

Cereals are the seeds of cereal crops, including cellulose-based seed coatings and carbohydrate-based interiors. Common cereals are: wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, sorghum, millet, sorghum, yellow rice, buckwheat, soybeans, broad beans, peas, mung beans, red beans, kidney beans and so on. Grains may be contaminated by many other materials during transportation and processing. Therefore, grain dust is a changing mixture containing different contaminants. It is harvested, dried, treated, and treated with barley, wheat, oats, corn, or rye. Dust generated during storage or processing, including all contaminants or additives in the dust.

Involving industries and processes

Extensive throughout the agricultural, transportation, storage and food and beverage industries.

Processes may be involved: 1. Processing and processing stages for food and its derivatives; 2. Handling: Including loading, unloading, packaging, transport and storage operations (all activities of cereal seeds and animal feed are included).

Possible contaminants

The type of contaminants will depend on the origin of the grains. Contaminants may include: bacteria; fungal spores; actinomycetes and other similar bacteria; microbial toxins such as endotoxins and mycotoxins; parts of insects and insects; storks and their excreta; weevils and their excreta; animals Wool; feathers infested by pigeons; from insects, animal waste; pollen; silica; soil particles; fungicides, pesticides and fertilizer residues; plant debris other than food.

May involve work

Workers in grain processing and production industries who are prone to contact with grain dust include: drivers in transit, patrol workers or operators during material transfer, operators during processing and feeding, and porters patrolling during grain storage. Wait.

About identification and detection

1 Because most of the grain grows in the soil, unprocessed grain materials usually contain different levels of dirt, stones and other components, resulting in a certain amount of free silica in the grain dust, so usually under the unprocessed The dust produced by the grain is subjected to the free silica content test to determine whether it belongs to silica dust (free silica content greater than 10%), if the silica content is less than 10%, consider the determination of grain dust, otherwise Qualitative as dust.

2 The dust produced during the processing of the processing should be specifically analyzed, and the presence or absence of other substances other than the cereal powder should be determined through on-site investigation and analysis, including the detection of free silica content. Dust or other dust.

3 The dust produced by the finely processed grains is often not identified as grain dust when identifying the hazards, such as flour, rice flour, corn flour, etc., and most of the impurities are removed during the pre-milling process. When mixed with other substances, it contains few impurities and can be judged as other dust.

Grain dust hazard

The complex and varied nature of grain dust means that it can cause a wide variety of health effects. These include at least: a. skin irritation and dermatitis b. conjunctivitis and keratitis c. nasopharyngitis d. lung and airway diseases (such as chronic bronchitis) e. cereal heat f. exogenous allergic alveolitis ( Such as migrant workers lung) g occupational asthma. There is evidence that other animal and plant pollutants in cereal dust also have potential health effects. It has been reported that workers who have been exposed to grain dust for a long period of time are asthmatic due to sensitization due to tapeworms in the warehouse; long-term exposure to damp granaries causes peasants' lungs. Cereal dust is a kind of respiratory sensitization. Once an allergic reaction to the respiratory system is initiated, even if the amount of grain dust exposed by workers during further contact is very small, an allergic reaction can still be triggered. Due to the different tolerances, symptoms may occur several hours later or even at night. Therefore, many diagnoses may not confirm that the allergy symptoms are related to the nature of the work, resulting in misdiagnosis.

Protection advice

1. Change the labor process and procedures;

2. Closed operations;

3. Local ventilation;

4 to ensure a certain degree of overall ventilation;

5. Reduce the number of workers exposed and exposure time;

6. Ensure the material is properly treated;

7. Ensure that the equipment is good;

8. Do a good job of employee training and personal protection;

9. Do a good job of employee dust testing and employee health checks.

Personal protection advice

1 equipped with dust masks;

2 protective clothing and gloves can avoid skin contact;

3 Employees should use personal protective equipment correctly and supervise training. They should be regularly cleaned and inspected to ensure that it is still valid.

4 Dust can contaminate employees' clothing, hair and skin. Therefore, it is necessary to have enough washing facilities. Laundry facilities should be convenient and site dust creation should be near. Appropriate washing facilities as a means to control the importance of exposure to dust should not be underestimated.