Question

Many factory workers began suffering from pulmonary fibrosis in a stone breaking facility. Out of concern for his workers, the manager consulted a physician. Which of the following advice would this physician have given in order to prevent more workers from getting fibrosis?

• A. Use a protective mask
• B. Covering mouth with hand
• C. Fewer workers in stone breaking facility
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is A Use a protective mask

There are specific industries like manufacturing and building construction industries where workers are exposed to dust continuously due to grinding or stone-breaking. There is so much dust that the defense mechanism doesn’t work well enough. Longer exposure in such an environment leads to inflammation (characterized by heat, pain, redness, and swelling). It leads to fibrosis i.e. proliferation or rapid multiplication of fibrous tissue thus causing serious lung damage. To avoid such situations, workers are advised to use protective masks.
Covering the mouth with the hand will still expose the airway to the dust.
Reducing the number of workers will still expose those few workers to such lung-damaging conditions.