Objective To describe the epidemiologic and clinical profile of construction workers within the framework of the tracking of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Subjects and methods We led a descriptive study of transverse type near 210 employees belonging at public and private institutions in the construction sector of Sidi Bel-Abbès city on a six month period from November 1st 2015 to April 30th 2016.

The support of the investigation is an anonymous standardised questionnaire (ATS – DLD.78.A): (American Thoracic Society – Division off Lung Disease.1978.Adults) includes several components: socio-demographic data, practices of life, respiratory „family history, personal medical history, respiratory symptoms and occupational history. The seizure and the data analysis were carried out by the Spss 22.0 software.

Results The Middle Age of the employees was of 38.94±11.92 years, the smokers represented 50.4%, ex smokers 17.1% and the nonsmokers 32.5%. 56.4% of workers lived in an urban area against 43.6% in an rural area. The most counted workstations were: manoeuvre 40.2%, scrap merchant 17.1% and mason 8.5%. The family history of respiratory diseases (asthma) accounted for 8.5%. Clinically, cough and expectoration were found in 6,8% against 4.3% of chronic bronchitis (cough during three months in two consecutive years).

The mini spirometry was carried out at 29.9% of the population at risk of which:

• Tobacco ≥ 20 packages/year some is the age: 10.3%

• Old ≥ 40 years and tobacco ≥ 10 packages/year: 10.3%

• Symptomatic subject: 5.1%

• The results of the VEMS/VEM6 were the following:

• Not detected patients (>80): 24.8%

• Patients at risk (70–80): 1.7%

• Detected patients (<70): 3.4%

Conclusion The building sector and public works is associated at the proven risk of COPD, the impact of this disease on the health of the workers invites to detect the patients at the risk to act at an early stage.