[Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbighshire County Council.

  • Denbighshire (Wales). County Council. no2004062613.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbighshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    69/88 (page 69)
    Masks of different patterns were available, but evidently these were too iinct)iTifortable for men performing- such heavy \\-ork. The conditions in this p.it were conducive to pneumoconiosis, but undoubtedly the measures taken for dust suppression will result in a considerable reduction in incidence. The introduction of mechanisation docs tend to counteract the dust suppression measures introduced, but evidently, from dust counts rec(jrded, the standards Ti practically every area of the pit is at or very near to the level of safety. Research is being conducted l)y the Coal l>oard at this and other pits to establish the part ])laycd b)- varimis kinds and quantities of dust in causing pneumoconiosis, to deter- mine safe levels of dustiness and to find the prevalence of this disease in specified pits. The Industrial Injuries Act, 1946, provides that following the diagnosis of this disease the Pneumoconiosis Medical I’oard assesses the degree of disability. The number of such cases in- vestigated has declined sharply since 1950, but it is evident that as this disease tabes many years to develop, cases will arise due to conditions that existed in the pit before the introduction of dust suppression methods. Deaths from or associated with pneumoconiosis in Denbigh- shire during 1950 were eleven, during 1951 and 1952, three. So the problem is not such an overwhelming one as in some other coal- fields. Tuberculosis is often associated with this disease, but the incidence of respiratory tuberculosis in districts where these miners live shows no significant difference from other localities. Plowever, to derive full benefit from the industrial medical super- vision of miners a similar interest should be takeu in the family and home environment, or otherwise the home conditions may counteract the benefits derived from scientific improvements at the pits.