Notifiable occupational diseases in India and how to catch them early

The diseases that dominate Indian industry

India's occupational disease burden is concentrated in dust, noise, chemical and heat exposure.

• Silicosis — stone crushing, foundries, glass, ceramics, quartz grinding and tunnelling
• Noise-induced hearing loss — forging, pressing, compressors, textile weaving, gensets
• Byssinosis — cotton ginning, spinning and weaving
• Occupational asthma and chemical pneumonitis — pharma, dyes, paints and pesticide manufacture
• Lead, manganese, chromium and mercury poisoning — battery, welding, tannery and chlor-alkali work
• Occupational dermatitis — solvents, cutting oils, cement and chrome
• Heat stress and heat stroke — foundries, glass, boiler rooms and outdoor construction

Detecting disease before it becomes disability

A surveillance programme catches disease early when it compares each worker against their own baseline rather than against a population range. A 10 dB shift at 4 kHz is normal on a single audiogram but significant against a personal baseline.

• Baseline audiogram and spirogram at joining; annual comparison charts thereafter
• Standardised chest radiography reading for dust-exposed cohorts
• Biological monitoring aligned to the chemical inventory
• Exposure records linked to each worker's job history and shop movement

Reporting duties

Once diagnosed or suspected, notifiable diseases must be reported by the factory manager and the attending medical practitioner in the prescribed form to the Chief Inspector of Factories. Failure to notify is a distinct offence, separate from the underlying exposure violation.

Controls that actually reduce incidence

Health surveillance detects; engineering controls prevent. Local exhaust ventilation, wet suppression, enclosure of noisy equipment, substitution of hazardous solvents, and job rotation for heat exposure move incidence far more than PPE alone.

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