BACKGROUND: Welders in the unorganized occupational sector in the economically developing world are exposed to respiratory, skin, eye, ear, and neurological problems exacerbated by non-usage of personal protective equipment (PPE). OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency of health problems and the usage of PPE among welders in unorganized welding units in Vellore, India. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 150 welders to determine the frequency of skin, ear, eye, and respiratory morbidity and the usage of PPE. A group of 150 non-welders were chosen for comparison. RESULTS: Significant differences in the frequency of skin burns, redness, hyper pigmentation, itching, eye injuries, and sensorineural deafness were observed among the welders and non-welders (P < 0.001). Hypertension was noted in 12.6% of the welders as compared to 0.7% among the non-welders. None of the welders used appropriate PPE. For welders, low educational attainment was associated with an increased risk of eye injury (P < 0.05, OR = 0.29). There was also a significant difference between sensorineural deafness and a welder having less than 10 years of welding work experience (P < 0.001, OR = 18.18) which could probably be accounted for by the healthy worker effect. CONCLUSION: Welders in this sample experienced a significant skin, eye, and ear morbidity accentuated by the non-usage of PPE. All worked without formal training and were unaware of the safe working guidelines that exist, but are not implemented for the welders in India.
BACKGROUND: Welders in the unorganized occupational sector in the economically developing world are exposed to respiratory, skin, eye, ear, and neurological problems exacerbated by non-usage of personal protective equipment (PPE). OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency of health problems and the usage of PPE among welders in unorganized welding units in Vellore, India. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 150 welders to determine the frequency of skin, ear, eye, and respiratory morbidity and the usage of PPE. A group of 150 non-welders were chosen for comparison. RESULTS: Significant differences in the frequency of skin burns, redness, hyper pigmentation, itching, eye injuries, and sensorineural deafness were observed among the welders and non-welders (P < 0.001). Hypertension was noted in 12.6% of the welders as compared to 0.7% among the non-welders. None of the welders used appropriate PPE. For welders, low educational attainment was associated with an increased risk of eye injury (P < 0.05, OR = 0.29). There was also a significant difference between sensorineural deafness and a welder having less than 10 years of welding work experience (P < 0.001, OR = 18.18) which could probably be accounted for by the healthy worker effect. CONCLUSION: Welders in this sample experienced a significant skin, eye, and ear morbidity accentuated by the non-usage of PPE. All worked without formal training and were unaware of the safe working guidelines that exist, but are not implemented for the welders in India.
Authors: Tomasz Wittczak; Wojciech Dudek; Jolanta Walusiak-Skorupa; Dominika Świerczyńska-Machura; Wojciech Cader; Monika Kowalczyk; Cezary Pałczyński Journal: Int J Occup Med Environ Health Date: 2012-06-22 Impact factor: 1.843
Authors: Benjamin Kendzia; Thomas Behrens; Karl-Heinz Jöckel; Jack Siemiatycki; Hans Kromhout; Roel Vermeulen; Susan Peters; Rainer Van Gelder; Ann Olsson; Irene Brüske; H-Erich Wichmann; Isabelle Stücker; Florence Guida; Adonina Tardón; Franco Merletti; Dario Mirabelli; Lorenzo Richiardi; Hermann Pohlabeln; Wolfgang Ahrens; Maria Teresa Landi; Neil Caporaso; Dario Consonni; David Zaridze; Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska; Jolanta Lissowska; Per Gustavsson; Michael Marcus; Eleonora Fabianova; Andrea 't Mannetje; Neil Pearce; Lap Ah Tse; Ignatius Tak-Sun Yu; Peter Rudnai; Vladimir Bencko; Vladimir Janout; Dana Mates; Lenka Foretova; Francesco Forastiere; John McLaughlin; Paul Demers; Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita; Paolo Boffetta; Joachim Schüz; Kurt Straif; Beate Pesch; Thomas Brüning Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2013-09-19 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Kayode R Adewoye; Ademola O Awoyemi; Oluwole A Babatunde; Oladele A Atoyebi; Sarafadeen K Salami; Funsho Y Issa Journal: Indian J Occup Environ Med Date: 2014-01
Authors: Aisha Nalugya; Juliet Kiguli; Solomon T Wafula; Rebecca Nuwematsiko; Richard K Mugambe; Patience Oputan; Arnold Tigaiza; John Bosco Isunju; Tonny Ssekamatte Journal: Health Psychol Behav Med Date: 2022-08-05