Table 1.

Major risk factors and work-related diseases*

Industry	Hazards	Work-related disease
Tannery	Chromium, sodium sulfite and basic chromium sulfate including non-ionic wetting agents, bactericides, soda ash, CaO, ammonium sulpfide, ammonium chloride and enzymes. Others are sodium bisulfate, sodium chlorite, NaCl, H2SO4, formic acid, sodium formate, sodium bicarbonate, vegetable tannins, syntans, resins, polyurethane, dyes, fat emulsions, pigments, binders, waxes, lacquers and formaldehyde	Injury, contact-dermatitis, work-related asthma, reactive airway dysfunction syndrome due to acute inhalation of chemicals, acute and chronic effects of chemicals
Plastic recycling	Hydrogen chloride, formaldehyde, styrene, acrolein, acetone, phenol, butadiene, other alkanes and alkenes, bisphenol A, butane, cadmium, phthalates, mercury, lead dioxins, polyvinyl chloride, heat, electric shock	Injury, work-related asthma, acute and chronic effects of chemicals
Metal	Noise, aluminium, copper, lead, iron, heat, chromium, asbestos, electric shock, light, heat and ionising radiation	Injury, noise-induced hearing loss, corneal injury, blindness, metal fume fever, acute and chronic effects of metals
Garment	Cotton, noise, dyes and chemicals used in printing	Injury, byssinosis, noise-induced hearing loss, acute and chronic effects of chemicals

*Ergonomic factors due to cramped, dimly lit spaces, wet floors, absent ventilation, a lack of toilet and water, long hours of work and food contamination are common hazards to all the four categories of work listed in the table. Moreover, specific hazard depends on the type of raw material used in plastic recycling and metal scraps in metal work processes.