If the air you breathe contains an excessive amount of dust, fumes, smoke, gases, vapors or mists, you may be at risk for a lung disease. People who smoke are at a much greater risk of  lung disease if they are exposed to substances in the workplace that can cause lung disease. Poor ventilation, closed-in areas and heat increase the risk of disease. Outside air pollution can also increase the risk of lung disease in people who work in jobs or at hobbies that expose them to substances that can cause lung disease.

Many substances found in the workplace, hobby area or workshop can cause breathing problems or lung damage. Some of them are as follows:

• Dusts from such things as wood, cotton, coal, asbestos, silica and talc. Dust from cereal grains, coffee, pesticides, drug or enzyme powders, metals and fiberglass can also hurt your lungs.
• Fumes such as from metals that are heated and cooled quickly. This process results in fine, solid particles being carried in the air. Examples of jobs that involve exposure to fumes from metals and other substances that are heated and cooled quickly include welding, smelting, furnace work, pottery making, plastics manufacture and rubber operations.
• Smoke from burning organic materials. Smoke can contain a variety of dusts, gases and vapors, depending on what is burning. Firefighters are at special risk.
• Gases such as formaldehyde, ammonia, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, ozone and nitrogen oxides. These gases can be found in jobs where chemical reactions occur and in jobs with high heat operations, such as welding, brazing, smelting, oven drying and furnace work.
• Vapors, which are a form of gas given off by all liquids. Vapors, such as those given off by solvents, usually irritate the nose and throat first, before they affect the lungs.
• Mists or sprays from paints, lacquers (for example, varnishes), hair spray, pesticides, cleaning products, acids, oils and solvents (such as turpentine). 

How can I keep from having my lungs damaged by something I'm exposed to at work?

If you smoke, stop. This is the most important thing you can do for your overall health, regardless of your work area risks. Smokers have a greater risk of developing some work-related lung diseases than nonsmokers.

Use a respirator. A respirator is a device you wear over your mouth and nose that cleans the air before it enters your body. You must be properly fitted and trained to use a respirator. Over time you should be refitted and retrained in how to use it. The respirator must be carefully cleaned after each use and it should be checked to ensure that it works properly. Use a respirator as a temporary measure until you are no longer exposed to the damaging substance.

Adequate ventilation is must when there is exposure to damaging substances. Ventilation systems can remove pollutants and toxins from the air to reduce exposure and prevent buildup. Local exhaust ventilation can be used to remove polluted air at the point where it is generated by a hazardous process or machine. 

Disposable Respirators

Half Mask

Full Face

Supplied Air

PAPR's

SCBA's

An estimated 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces throughout the United States. Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, other diseases, or death. Compliance with the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard could avert hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses annually.