Objective To examine the prevalence and risk level of major occupational diseases in Guangdong province for identifying industries, enterprises, and workers at high risk of the diseases.

Methods We collected and analyzed surveillance data (including hazards exposure, physical examination and disease report) of 2017 on major occupational diseases in enterprises and among workers in 121 counties of 21 municipalities of Guangdong province.

Results Totally 61 758 report forms for hazards related to 5 major occupational diseases were submitted and 1 521 464 person times of exposures to the hazards were reported during the year in the province. Higher levels of hazards than national standards were detected for 22.1% of all the samples collected at monitoring sites. For a total of 597 602 person-times of occupational health examination conducted among the workers exposed to risk factors of the 5 major occupational diseases, the detection rate of suspected occupational diseases was 0.51% and that of occupational contraindications was 2.62%. Of the workers exposed to silicon dust, 0.43% showed pneumoconiosis-like changes by chest radiography. For all the benzene-exposed workers, 1.81%, 1.93% and 0.14% were detected with the leukocyte count less than < 4 × 10⁹/L, the neutrophil count < 2 × 10⁹/L and the thrombocyte count < 80 × 10⁹/L. The detection rate of the high frequency average hearing threshold of greater than 40dB was 10.59% in noise-exposed workers. The proportion of high blood glucose was 5.99% among the high temperature-exposed workers. Decreased velocity of nerve conduction was detected among 3.00% of vibration-exposed workers. In the province during the year, the total number of occupational disease cases regiestered was 95 for occupational silicosis, 126 for benzene poisoning, 29 for benzene-related leukemia, 409 for hearing loss, 29 for heatstroke, and 70 for hand-arm vibration disease, respectively.

Conclusion Special attention should be paid to the prevention and control of occupational hearing loss, benzene poisoning, silicosis, hand-arm vibration disease among workers with related hazards exposure.