National conference on silicosis
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, organized a national conference on silicosis on the 1st March, 2011 in New Delhi to review the action taken on the Commi-ssion's recommendations and to discuss the issue with all the stakeholders to evolve further course of action. Silicosis is a disease of lungs caused due to inhalation of dust containing free crystalline silica. However, due to lack of awareness, even among the doctors, it is often confused with tuberculosis.
Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC inaugurating the conference said that silicosis is a serious occupational hazard but preventable. The government agencies and employers under whose jurisdiction any such work is carried out which may cause silicosis in absence of preventive measures are responsible for the violation of human rights of the workers so affected. He said that the Commission is deeply concerned and takes a serious view of the callous approach of the government agencies for not focusing in this area. He said that it is the responsibility of the government departments and organizations to make all out efforts to check occurrence of silicosis by adopting precautionary mea-sures and timely diagnoses followed by appropriate medical care of the workers affected with it.
Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member, NHRC sharing Commi-ssion's concerns on silicosis said that the Commission has been pursuing the matter with the public authorities persistently to spread awareness about this disease and make amends to check its occurrence while maintaining an updated data on the victims of silicosis in the respective states.
Mr. Sharma on behalf of the Commission, sought cooperation of the civil society, NGOs and the media to spread awareness on the issue and help the Commission by bringing to its knowledge the incidents of silicosis in different parts of the country so that issues regarding medical relief to the patients and monetary relief to the family of the persons died due to silicosis could be looked into as directed by the Supreme Court of India. The Apex Court while hearing a writ petition (civil) no. 110/2006, People's Rights & Social Research Centre (PRASAR) v/s. Union of India & Others on the 5th March, 2009 had directed NHRC to look into the issues related to medical facilities and monetary relief in the cases of silicosis. Mr. Sharma said that what is worse is that the persons who are affected with silicosis are labourers from unorganized sector belonging to poorest strata of the society.
In some states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, it is reported that hundreds of persons suffered from this disease while working in different industries where silica is generated. The major silicosis prone industries are stone quarries and crushers, quartz mining, foundries, sand blasting, ceramics industries, gem cutting and polishing, slate/pencil industries, construction, all other mining industries, glass manufacturing industries. Exceptionally high exposure of silica can cause silicosis within a month with a significant impairment of lungs within few years.
As per the report of Indian Council for Medical Research (1999), there are about 30 lakhs workers in India who are at a high risk of exposure to silica. The Commission in the recent past recommended that the government of Gujarat pay rupees three lakhs each to the next of kin of the 238 victims of silicosis.
It also recommended that 304 persons who are suffering from silicosis and who have been staying in Madhya Pradesh should be given a rehabilitation package by the state government. By adopting twin measures to tackle the problems related with silicosis, the Commission is not only looking into the monetary relief aspect but also the prevention, rehabilitation and remedial measures which could be taken up by the concerned public authorities. Some of its preventive measures recomm-ended to the public authorities are as follows:
* Conduct occupational health and dust survey every six months in suspected hazardous industries;
* Conduct medical examination of all the workers before their employment and during the employment particularly, in relation to any respiratory disorder;
* Install devises like wet drilling and dust extractors to control and manage genration of silica dust;
* Carryout publicity campaigns on silicosis and report the number of cases of silicosis to the government through district/primary health centres/hospitals;
* Develop master trainers to train all the doctors and paramedics in public health services for early diagnosis of silicosis;
* Conduct research to find subsitute to silica which is not hazardous;
* Set up occupa-tional health and safety committee in all the silica prone industries;
* Integrate silicosis with Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, RNTCP;
* Compensation should be calculated based on disability adjusted life year developed by World Health Organization.
The conference took a serious view of the fact that most of the States failed to carry out the survey as recommended by NHRC and report the same to it through a ten-point questionnaire circulated in the year 2008. The aim of this questionnaire is to ascertain the number of silicosis patients in different states and Union Territories; preventive measures taken by the concerned authorities to control its occurrence; provisions of medical care and monetary relief given to the affected people. The representatives of states and the union territories sought further time from the Commission to give an updated information on the status of implementation of NHRC's recommendations after carrying out the survey.
NHRC Members, Mr. Justice G.P. Mathur, Mr. Justice B.C. Patel, Mr. Satyabrata Pal, senior officers, representatives of the respective State Governments and Union Territories, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and other stakeholders including NGOs participated in the day long discussions which were spread in four sessions.
Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC inaugurating the conference said that silicosis is a serious occupational hazard but preventable. The government agencies and employers under whose jurisdiction any such work is carried out which may cause silicosis in absence of preventive measures are responsible for the violation of human rights of the workers so affected. He said that the Commission is deeply concerned and takes a serious view of the callous approach of the government agencies for not focusing in this area. He said that it is the responsibility of the government departments and organizations to make all out efforts to check occurrence of silicosis by adopting precautionary mea-sures and timely diagnoses followed by appropriate medical care of the workers affected with it.
Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member, NHRC sharing Commi-ssion's concerns on silicosis said that the Commission has been pursuing the matter with the public authorities persistently to spread awareness about this disease and make amends to check its occurrence while maintaining an updated data on the victims of silicosis in the respective states.
Mr. Sharma on behalf of the Commission, sought cooperation of the civil society, NGOs and the media to spread awareness on the issue and help the Commission by bringing to its knowledge the incidents of silicosis in different parts of the country so that issues regarding medical relief to the patients and monetary relief to the family of the persons died due to silicosis could be looked into as directed by the Supreme Court of India. The Apex Court while hearing a writ petition (civil) no. 110/2006, People's Rights & Social Research Centre (PRASAR) v/s. Union of India & Others on the 5th March, 2009 had directed NHRC to look into the issues related to medical facilities and monetary relief in the cases of silicosis. Mr. Sharma said that what is worse is that the persons who are affected with silicosis are labourers from unorganized sector belonging to poorest strata of the society.
In some states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, it is reported that hundreds of persons suffered from this disease while working in different industries where silica is generated. The major silicosis prone industries are stone quarries and crushers, quartz mining, foundries, sand blasting, ceramics industries, gem cutting and polishing, slate/pencil industries, construction, all other mining industries, glass manufacturing industries. Exceptionally high exposure of silica can cause silicosis within a month with a significant impairment of lungs within few years.
As per the report of Indian Council for Medical Research (1999), there are about 30 lakhs workers in India who are at a high risk of exposure to silica. The Commission in the recent past recommended that the government of Gujarat pay rupees three lakhs each to the next of kin of the 238 victims of silicosis.
It also recommended that 304 persons who are suffering from silicosis and who have been staying in Madhya Pradesh should be given a rehabilitation package by the state government. By adopting twin measures to tackle the problems related with silicosis, the Commission is not only looking into the monetary relief aspect but also the prevention, rehabilitation and remedial measures which could be taken up by the concerned public authorities. Some of its preventive measures recomm-ended to the public authorities are as follows:
* Conduct occupational health and dust survey every six months in suspected hazardous industries;
* Conduct medical examination of all the workers before their employment and during the employment particularly, in relation to any respiratory disorder;
* Install devises like wet drilling and dust extractors to control and manage genration of silica dust;
* Carryout publicity campaigns on silicosis and report the number of cases of silicosis to the government through district/primary health centres/hospitals;
* Develop master trainers to train all the doctors and paramedics in public health services for early diagnosis of silicosis;
* Conduct research to find subsitute to silica which is not hazardous;
* Set up occupa-tional health and safety committee in all the silica prone industries;
* Integrate silicosis with Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, RNTCP;
* Compensation should be calculated based on disability adjusted life year developed by World Health Organization.
The conference took a serious view of the fact that most of the States failed to carry out the survey as recommended by NHRC and report the same to it through a ten-point questionnaire circulated in the year 2008. The aim of this questionnaire is to ascertain the number of silicosis patients in different states and Union Territories; preventive measures taken by the concerned authorities to control its occurrence; provisions of medical care and monetary relief given to the affected people. The representatives of states and the union territories sought further time from the Commission to give an updated information on the status of implementation of NHRC's recommendations after carrying out the survey.
NHRC Members, Mr. Justice G.P. Mathur, Mr. Justice B.C. Patel, Mr. Satyabrata Pal, senior officers, representatives of the respective State Governments and Union Territories, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and other stakeholders including NGOs participated in the day long discussions which were spread in four sessions.