Environmental Risk Assessment and Occupational Health and Safety of Steel Re-rolling Mill Located in Rawat Industrial Estate, Rawalpindi

Abstract

The Steel Re-Rolling Mills (SRRMs) are a major source of air pollutants in the environment. In present research, risk assessment was conducted to assess the impacts of these air pollutants on the environment and health of workers through field surveys. A standard checklist and questionnaire was prepared to conduct Risk Assessment and Occupational Health and Safety. Identification of risks and hazards through checklist is the first step in risk assessment. After the identification of potential hazards, monitoring of pre-selected environmental variables was accomplished to assess the severity and extent of these hazards. The criterion for Risk Assessment was developed in consistency with the Australian Standards on Risk Management (AS4360). Air (SOx, NOx, CO and PM), noise, soil and water monitoring was also done to evaluate the environmental impacts of SRRM located in Rawat Industrial Estate, Rawalpindi. Air and noise was monitored onsite while two samples of soil and water each were collected and monitored in the lab. The results were compared with “Punjab Environmental Quality Standards – PEQs” and “World Health Organization – WHO”. Results indicated that concentrations of air pollutants with SOx and NOx were dominantly higher in comparison to WHO at three monitoring sites near main gate, near generators and near production hall. Carbon monoxide was lower than the PEQs and higher than WHO at two monitoring sites near main gate and near generators. In soil and water monitoring, salts and heavy metals were detected within the standard limits. Some workers were suffering from chronic diseases like allergies and breathing. Some workers were suffering from musculoskeletal problems due to manual lifting of heavy loads. In the SRRM, safety measures were not being used for electrical equipment, MSDS were not displayed and housekeeping was very poor. High noise level at some areas of the SRRM and unhygienic supply of water were also some serious issues in the Mill. Many workers were unaware of OHS policy and they were not using PPEs during their work activities. The health and safety of the workers and the environmental quality in the SRRM can be improved by upgrading workstation’s environment and installing air pollution controlling devices.