A clinical and radiographic study of coir workers.

Uragoda, C. G.

doi:10.1136/oem.32.1.66

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The presence of two known cases in a small group of 41 workers is more than would be expected in the general population. In the case of a comparable occupational group, coir workers, there were only nine such cases among 779 workers (Uragoda, 1975). The number of cases among kapok workers is too small to draw any conclusions, but a high incidence among them would not be surprising in view of the poorly ventilated conditions in which they work.…”

Section: Tuberculosismentioning

confidence: 86%

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An investigation into the health of kapok workers.

Uragoda¹

1977

Occupational and Environmental Medicine

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Kapok is a cotton-like fibre obtained from the fruits of Ceiba pentandra, a tree grown in tropical countries. In Sri Lanka ginning of kapok is usually done by machine in poorly ventilated buildings where workers are exposed to a great deal of dust. Forty-one workers in five ginneries in Colombo were examined. Mill fever occurred in 28 (77-8 %) of the 36 workers who were able to give a history. Chronic bronchitis, which is an uncommon condition in Sri Lanka, was detected in seven workers with an average of 20-9 years' service in the industry. It is suggested that chronic bronchitis is an occupational hazard of workers who are exposed to kapok dust for long periods. Byssinosis was not found in any of the workers studied.Kapok is the fibre obtained from the fruits of the tree Ceiba pentandra. It is a commercially important vegetable fibre but its effects on those who work with it have not been well documented. In the only reference that could be traced, Egtabaeng (1971) attributes a wide range of pulmonary diseases to kapok, namely asthma, acute and chronic bronchitis, emphysema, bronchopneumonia, fibrosis and bronchiectasis, but no evidence is presented in support of this assertion. The present investigation was undertaken in order to elucidate the pathogenicity if any, of kapok dust.Kapok is rather like cotton in appearance but is yellowish rather than white, and is lustrous. The fibres are very light, only a sixth of the weight of cotton. Their ability to repel water is attributable at least in part to the waxy cutinous covering of the fibres. They retain their buoyancy even when left in water for weeks. These qualities make kapok suitable for use in life saving equipment such as life belts and life jackets (Kirby, 1963).Kapok is widely used for stuffing pillows, mattresses and cushions. In recent years synthetic material has been increasingly used for this purpose, and therefore the demand for kapok in the world market has declined. Nevertheless, kapok has the advantage over other filling materials that a lesser weight of kapok is sufficient for the same purpose.The low thermal conductivity of kapok makes it useful for insulation. It is one of the best sound absorbers per unit weight and is used for this purpose in aircraft where its lightness is an added advantage.Received for publication 17

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Section: Tuberculosismentioning

confidence: 86%

“…In a survey of 779 coir workers in Colombo only three cases (0 3 %) of chronic bronchitis were detected (Uragoda, 1975). These workers lived under similar social conditions to the kapok workers and their average age and period of service in the coir industry were similar to those of kapok workers, 30-1 and 11 -2 years respectively.…”

Section: Chronic Bronchitismentioning

confidence: 89%

An investigation into the health of kapok workers.

Uragoda¹

1977

Occupational and Environmental Medicine

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“…A clinical and radiographic study of 779 workers in the coir industry has also been reported by Uragoda (1975). Coir fibre is obtained from coconut husk and has a variety of uses.…”

Section: B) Production Of Coir Fibrementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a detailed account, which included a description of the processing techniques and consideration of respiratory diseases associated with working with other vegetable fibres such as cotton, flax, hemp, sisal, jute and man ilia, Uragoda (1975) reported no definite relationship between coir dust and respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, byssinosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. While the 779 workers studied had been engaged in coir processing and been exposed to the dust for between 0 to 35 (average 11.2) years, 235 had had over 14 years service.…”

Section: The Coir Industry In Sri Lanka Probably Dates Back To the Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomedical and Environmental Aspects of Some Coconut-Derived Products and Their Production Processes in Sri Lanka

Wickramasinghe¹

2010

COCOS

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The coconut palm is said to have been introduced to Sri Lanka over 2300 years ago. Several industries have grown up to process products from this tree. Many of these production units have traditionally been located in rural areas and any adverse environmental impacts have in the past been considered negligible or not very serious. However, with the development of these industries and the increasing density of population more concern is being taken to identify and mitigate any adverse environmental effects and biomedical effects on workers in these industries as well as the general public. The industries examined in this article relate to the production of I) coconut oil, 2) desiccated coconut, 3).charcoal and activated carbon and 4) husk fibre and coir pith. Biomedical aspects of some of these products are also noted as well as articles which can serve as guides to the literature in each area.

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“…The coir fibers are extracted from the outer part, the husk of coconuts, and comprise brown and white fibers. 4 The brown coir is, for instance, used for upholstery padding (car seats), sacking, and horticulture. On the other hand, white coir is used to manufacture fine brushes, strings, ropes, and fishing nets, among other items.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Occupational Injuries in selected Coir Industries in Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study

Onni¹,

Dodanwalage²,

Bråtveit³

et al. 2023

Int J Occup Saf Health

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Introduction: The coir industry processes fibers from coconuts and is important for a high number of people in Sri Lanka. Coir workers handle several dangerous machines. This project has studied occupational injuries among coir workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in six medium-sized coir industries in Sri Lanka, each with 15-100 employees. The workers who were present at work on the two days the researchers visited the respective industries (128 of total 214 workers) were interviewed on socio-demographics, work tasks they normally perform and occupational injuries they had experienced in the last three months. Independent T-tests and Chi-square tests were used to analyze for differences between groups. Results: The mean age of the 128 interviewed workers was 45 years and 53.9% were male. Totally 34 (26.6%) of the workers had experienced at least one injury each during the past three months. Women reported significantly more injuries than men (38.9% vs 15.9%). The workers operating machines reported significantly more injuries than workers who performed other types of work (42.3% vs 22.0%). Slipped, tripped, and fall (64%) were the most common events of injury seen among the injured workers followed by cuts by sharp objects or machines (20%). The most common type of injury among the workers reporting injuries were cuts and bruises (50%). Conclusion: More than one-fourth of the workers reported to have been injured in the last three months, indicating a high injury risk. This raises concerns and highlights the need for preventative measures to minimize risks.

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A clinical and radiographic study of coir workers.

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

An investigation into the health of kapok workers.

An investigation into the health of kapok workers.

Biomedical and Environmental Aspects of Some Coconut-Derived Products and Their Production Processes in Sri Lanka

Prevalence of Occupational Injuries in selected Coir Industries in Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study

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