Pneumoconiosis ranks first in occupational diseases in Nanjing

“Doctor, I’ve been cutting steel on a construction site for months. Even when I haven’t worked, my ears have been buzzing,” said Liu Daben from Huai’an, who rushed to the Andemen labor market yesterday. At the occupational disease prevention and treatment clinic, staff asked him questions. The hospital’s representative told the reporter that pneumoconiosis and occupational chemical poisoning are two of the most common occupational diseases in the city. With rising urban noise pollution, the number of cases related to occupational ENT (ear, nose, and throat) diseases has also increased significantly.

According to reports, occupational diseases refer to illnesses caused by workers’ exposure to dust, radioactive materials, or other harmful substances during their work. As China continues to develop economically and socially, the variety and complexity of hazardous factors have grown. At the end of last year, the National Health and Family Planning Commission, along with other departments, revised the list of occupational diseases, which now includes 10 categories. This update added 18 new diseases, including AIDS—though it is only recognized for medical staff and police officers. The top 10 include: pneumoconiosis, occupational radiation diseases, occupational accidents, diseases caused by physical factors, biological agents, skin diseases, eye diseases, ENT diseases, occupational tumors, and others.

Yesterday, the reporter observed many people working with computers rushing to the event, asking, “I've had severe cervical spondylosis from sitting in front of the computer for long hours—can this be considered an occupational disease?” Chen Ying raised this question, and Pang Yan responded that cervical spondylosis is not listed as an official occupational disease. It may be classified as an occupation-related condition but does not qualify as an actual occupational disease under current regulations.

“Pneumoconiosis still remains one of the top occupational diseases in our city,” said Pang Yan, director of the Medical Service Department at the Municipal Vocational and Technical Hospital. He mentioned that nearly 30 cases were diagnosed last year, an increase of about 10 compared to the previous year. Occupational chemical poisoning follows closely behind. Most of the affected individuals come from industries such as building materials, non-ferrous metals, and mechanical processing. “In our survey, we found that these workers are not only unaware of the potential hazards at their workplaces but also lack sufficient understanding of the importance of occupational protection during production,” he explained.

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