The Environmental Risks of Causing Lung Cancer in Construction Sites and the Workers’ Behaviors on Taking Protective Measures

Foreign researches on occupational cancer found that construction industry led to the most cases of occupational cancer. According to statistics from Ministry of Health and Welfare, cancer is the leading cause of death for Taiwanese labors. And the majority are because of liver cancer, lung cancer and oral cancer, which are all high-ranking cancer deaths in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the carcinogens within construction sites. Next, learn the risks of working exposure of labors and their health awareness. Then, investigate the status of operating environment and lung diseases in construction industry, and provide suggestions for improvement. Literature research method is used to investigate the hazard factors within working environment, and interview with senior management personnel is used to discuss the working situations in construction sites. Both results give some advice about designing the questionnaire in order to understand labors’ working situations and personal health awareness. From the literature review, major substances that cause lung diseases in construction industry are: asbestos, silica, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (including diesel engine exhaust, coal tar and pitches etc.), and secondhand smoke. These things are still present in the working environment except asbestos products which are strictly con-trolled by the government, so exposure opportunities would decrease. According to questionnaire, the carcinogen that labors are exposed to most frequently is secondhand smoke, followed by material dust and diesel engine exhaust, and they are exposed to coal tar and pitches the least frequently. Based on the regression results, as their exercise frequency increases, their valuing the state of health would also increases. On the other hand, as their working environment exposure, drinking frequency, or work pres-sure reaction increases, their valuing of the state of health would decreases. When it comes to operating environment and lung disease in construction industry. Only 8.5% of interviewees say that at least one of their (previous) partners suffered from lung disease, and 2 out of 6 experts believe that construction workers suffered from lung disease severer than other people. Although those lung diseases could not completely be attributed to occupational causes, it is hard to rule out this possibility directly. And exposure to multiple hazardous substances would have an additive or synergistic effect. Those construction labors be interviewed showed common cognition of protection during work, and more than half of them believe that their working environment could lead to lung disease. However, there is still room for improving masks usage. For practical recommendation, more occupational training of personal protective equipment is needed in order to make the labors better understand lung cancer carcinogens in their working environment and risks of exposure to those materials. In that way they would enhance their health and safety awareness of themselves. Then, increase protection awareness and willingness. Eventually, usage of personal protective equipment would be increased. Furthermore, study on the inconvenient factors when labors wear masks at work, then try to reduce them (like choose a more comfortable mask),or make the labors get used to wear masks in order to avoid personal willingness that makes labors reduce or give up protecting themselves. Also, the company should have their employees understand the meaning behind the regulation of wearing masks, otherwise protection behaviors would not significantly increased. In addition, in spite of smoking area located at construction sites, secondhand smoke exposure is high though. It’s necessary to go over on how to reduce secondhand smoke exposure within working sites.