OBJECTIVE To assess the level of awareness and reported complaints of occupational health hazards among the welders of Lahore.
METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive study of 70 welders. An interview questionnaire was employed to assess awareness and complaints, the possession and utilization of protective personal equipment (PPE), and socio-demographic characteristics.
RESULTS All of the respondents were male with a mean age of 25.7 years. 54.3% of the respondents were aware of welding as a risk to their health. 98.6% possessed at least 1 PPE. There was an association between the level of education and the awareness of a health risk (χ2 = 6.885; p = 0.032). The most frequent complaint was foreign body in the eye (47.1%) followed by arc eye injury (45.7%), cuts and injuries (50.0%), and burns (48.6%).
CONCLUSION The findings suggest that welders had low level of awareness and reported many complaints of occupational health hazards. Preventive initiatives are recommended.
Language: en
Keywords
Lahore; Occupational health hazards; occupational medicine; welding; welding injuries