CONSTRUCTION-INDUSTRY
RESPIRATORY-DISEASE

RESPIRATORY DISEASE RISKS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Exposure to hazardous agents in the construction industry and the risk of developing occupational respiratory disease were reviewed. Increased risks of specific respiratory diseases for various construction jobs were discussed, including lung, larynx, oropharyngeal and nasal cancers, mesothelioma, asbestosis, silicosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and occupational asthma. Additionally, site-specific exposures to infectious agents were seen as possible causes of respiratory infections in construction workers. The long latency period of respiratory ailments, the mobility of construction workers, and exposure to multiple hazards are considered obstructions to epidemiological studies of construction workers. The authors conclude that construction workers are at increased risk of developing occupational respiratory disease.

Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews, 10(2):313-324, 1995. (101 references)

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