| BackgroundBenzene is one kind of organic solvent. It is widely used in industrial manufacture. As an occupational hazard factor in production environment, benzene can be distributed in the air rapidly after exposure. It can induce acute or chronic poisoning, which is absorbed by skin or respiratory tract. Accelerating industrialization have made the incidence of occupational benzene poisoning high, which cause great health damage of occupational population. The occupational issue of benzene poisoning has already become essential safety and health problem of public health.Benzene is main raw material of petroleum refining. The hazard of benzene is expanding as the scales of petrochemical enterprise enlarge. So it is urgent to control the exposure to benzene in petrochemical enterprise. This petrochemical enterprise we surveyed is one of super petrochemical complex. It is equipped 150 set of equipment. The quantity of crude oil refining is 10 million ton. It has many kinds of production equipment which can produce gasoline, diesel, paraffin wax, kerosene and lubricating oil. This petrochemical enterprise is typical. To provide the scientific basis for protection of safety and health of occupational population who expose to benzene, it is necessary to research the hazard of benzene exposure and to analyze the relationship between benzene exposure and health damage in this enterprise.ObjectiveThe objective is to survey the status of benzene exposure and the health status of working staff, to analyze the data, and to offer theoretical foundation for the improvement of occupational health level.MethodsBy occupational field survey and occupational health examination, to sampling according to "Specifications of air sampling for hazardous substances monitoring in the workplace" (GBZ159-2004), to analyze samples according to "Methods for determination of aromatic hydrocarbons in the air of workplace" (GBZ/T 160.42-2007), to assess the results according to "Occupational exposure limits for hazardous agents in the workplace-Chemical hazardous agents" (GBZ2.1-2007), to judge whether acute benzene poisoning or chronic poisoning according to "Diagnosis of occupational benzene poisoning" (GBZ68-2013), and to evaluate benzene exposure level of working staff and occupational health level.Results1 fundamental stateSeven factories have been surveyed. It has eleven sets of production or auxiliary equipment and eight types of work, including 653 male (account for 47.8%) and 712 female (account for 52.2%). All the occupational population exposed to benzene work as four classes of two operations.There are 60 workers in the extraction station in the second refinery,34 workers in the reforming station in the second refinery,59 workers in the ethylene unit station in the first chemical plant,142 workers in the phenol unit station in the third chemical plant,88 workers in the benzene unit station in the 7th chemical plant,93 workers in the arene tank station in the first storage and transportation plant,185 workers in the benzene tank station in the second storage and transportation plant,182 workers in the station of the first analysis unit,276 workers in the station of the third analysis unit,143 workers in the station of the forth analysis unit and 103 workers in the station of crude oil unit. The max age is 59 years old, the minimum age is 22 years old, and the average age is 40.7 years old. The max working age is 41 years, the minimum working age is 1 year, and the average working age is 21.4 years.2 state of exposure to benzene528 fixed-points samples have been detected in the 44 detection points.252 individual samples have been detected in the 28 positions. There is one (=11.5 mg/m3) of 12 fixed-points samples out of limit (>10 mg/m3) in the storage and transportation factory. Others (the max value is 8.3 mg/m3) are below permissible concentration-short term exposure limit (PC-STEL). The over-limit ratio is 2.3%. All the individual samples are below permissible concentration-time weighted average (PC-TWA).3 state of occupational health examination1365 of 3713 workers expose to benzene and 2348 workers don’t expose to benzene. All the factories conduct occupational health examination for their workers in 2014.49 workers’leukocytes have descended (<4.0×109/L), which account for 3.59%.6 workers’leukocytes were still low after reexamination three times, which account for 0.4%.50 workers’s hemoglobins have descended, which’ account for 3.66%; 149 workers’alanine aminotransferase (ALT) have risen, which account for 10.9%; 73 workers’urine routine have been abnormal, which account for 5.35%; 218 workers’electrocardiogram have been abnormal, which account for 16.0%; 350 workers’B-mode ultrasonography have been abnormal, which account for 25.6%; 6 workers have been splenauxe, which account for 0.44%.The 6 workers included one person in the third analysis unit (working age:4 years; the max individual detection concentration:1.72mg/m3), one person in the 4th analysis unit (working age:18 years; the max individual detection concentration: 2.04mg/m3), two people in the second storage and transportation plant (1. working age:25 years; the max individual detection concentration:4.02mg/m3.2. working age:15 years; the max individual detection concentration:3.74mg/m3), one person in the 7th chemical plant (working age:22 years; the max individual detection concentration:1.26mg/m3) and one person in the third chemical plant (working age:26 years; the max individual detection concentration:1.63mg/m3). So they are reassigned. There is no acute or chronic benzene poisoning in all the factories.4 state of safeguardVentilator, fuming cupboard? alarm apparatus are equipped in production equipment of factories. The equipment is incomplete to different degree. Gas mask, goggles are equipped for workers exposed to benzene. The kind and quantity of equipment meet the demands of workers. In addition, emergency supplies (such as air respirator resuscitator, medicine cabinet) are equipped in all the factories.Conclusion1. All the fixed-points samples have reached PC-STEL except one sample in the storage and transportation factory. All the individual samples have reached PC-TWA.2. Leukocytes, hemoglobins, ALT, urine routine, electrocardiogram, B-mode ultrasonography of workers who expose to beneze have been damaged in occupational health examination.6 workers’ leukocytes have descended, which is recognized as occupational contraindication. There is no acute or chronic benzene poisoning in all the factories.3. Industrial design, safeguard for occupational disease and daily health care can protect effectively occupational health of workers. |
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