Deadly dust

Labourers die of deadly silicosis as they continue working in hazardous conditions

A couple of weeks ago, the Supreme Court issued orders to the Punjab authorities to provide compensation to the families of the labourers who died of silicosis in Punjab. The decision was taken after the Public Lawyers Front filed an application before the Supreme Court, requesting suo moto action against the violation of occupational safety in stone-crushing factories.

Silicosis is an occupational disease that cannot be cured. It can’t even be cured if the patients limit their exposure to silica dust. The disease is caused by breathing in stone dust in factories. In silicosis, the patient’s lung tissues are scarred by the tiny particles of crystalline silica. The person who suffers the disease fails to extract oxygen from the air. It is an irreversible damage to the human body that cannot be cured. Even if someone stops working in the environment, their body continues to suffer damage.

The problem was initially identified by a former LUMS law student who lives in Gujranwala. The workers in his village were suffering silicosis and the doctors were confusing it with tuberculosis. He reportedly took the silicosis patients to the government hospital where doctors refused to CT scan the patients because they thought that they are suffering in tuberculosis. The young lawyer took workers to a private clinic and a report confirmed that they were suffering from silicosis.

These deaths can be compared to the Lal Kuan case in India. The factory workers in stone-crushing factories were dying of silicosis in 2001. The public dispensaries in India committed the same mistake and treated them for tuberculosis. The members of the People’s Rights and Social Research Centre of India investigated the issue and found that the deaths are caused by silicosis. Fortunately, India had formulated laws for silicosis in 1999.

The decision made by the Supreme Court in this regard is a good initiative but we need law formulation for the safety of the workers who are exposed to the sand dust. However, there are chances that if the laws are formed to protect the worker, they will still be working in the hazardous work conditions.

One main reason of working in hazardous conditions for labourers is that they are vulnerable to financial exploitation. If the minimum wage law is implemented properly, the chances of workers’ exploitation will be minimised. Ensuring minimum wages for the workers can reduce the chances of taking up jobs for labourers compromising on their health. Hopefully, after the report of the Environment Protection Agency, the Supreme Court will issue orders for the formulation of laws for work safety at stone-crushing factories.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2014.