As with all production and manufacturing processes, there are certain risks as well as standardised control measures to minimise exposure to these workplace risks. A number of these risks – deafness from noise, tendonitis from ergonomic factors, asthma from dust – are common to many industrial facilities. In addition to these, health issues more specific to the aluminium industry include:

• ‘Potroom’ asthma from dust;
• Sensitization to beryllium and sulphur dioxide;
• Cancers linked to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or coal tar pitch volatiles;
• Burns from caustic soda.

The aluminium industry takes these health issues seriously and tackles them with control measures that include:

• Engineering methods (ventilation, modified equipment and processes, exhaust scrubbing, capture of dusts and gases);
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE);
• Improved work practices;
• Smoking reduction programmes (a cumulative risk factor);

Equipment substitution.

As the likelihood of certain health concerns can be directly related to the level and duration of a worker’s exposure, these measures significantly decrease, or even, eliminate the risk.

 

IAI members are engaged in a thorough process to improve occupational health through the adoption of rigorous Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) practices as well as the implementation of risk-based health assessment programmes. In 2004, 86% of IAI member companies reported that they had met the implementation criteria for both these programmes.

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