Editorial
Dreadful exposure
Victims of pernicious exploitation
This is a story of enslavement and misery. This paper on Friday front-paged it in an investigative report titled: Living at cost of lungs exposing how lethal a limestone factory can get to its workers. These limestone grinding factories are located in poverty-stricken monga afflicted northern districts.
The areas' proximity to India, Nepal and Bhutan, the suppliers of limestones make them suitable locations for the grinding factories. But a perfectly economic enterprise is tainted black by the employers' insensivity towards the workers' health.
Everyday hundreds of kilograms of limestone are being crushed by a giant machine leaving the workers completely defenseless against the onslaught of silica inhalation, let alone suffering the deafening din of the machines. The result is silicosis of the lung, an incurable disease that cripples a vital organ of respiration and blood circulation. It can cause tuberculosis. The overall cost to public health is huge, the victims usually young men may be handicapped for life.
There are 30 stone grinding factories indicating the degree of the workers' vulnerability to silicosis of the lung. We wonder why this employment generating industry that feeds the poultry sector should have grown in an unregulated manner.
However, silicosis is preventable and not contagious, according to experts. Use of masks to ward off inhalation of silicon and that of propelled fans to blow the dust away can reduce exposure to and risk of silicosis. Besides, the factory should be set up in a building designed to keep the dust at bay.
The Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) is doing a good job. It is trying to make the industries accountable to certain labour standards in terms of work environment, providing necessary tools for safety and periodic health checks.
In the immediate terms we suggest that the afflicted workers be compensated and some kind of health insurance needs to be provided to workers involved in hazardous profession.
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