A Cross Sectional Study of Occupational Hazards among Petrol Pump Attendants of Panjim City in Goa

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational hazards are the risks to life or functioning of an individual that is inherently associated with his occupation or working environment which can have deleterious effect on the individual’s health and his working efficiency. Petrol pump attendants are one such category of workers who are constantly exposed to various hazards at their workplace. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted from November- December 2018 among 7 petrol pumps located in the Panjim city. Census method was used for sampling. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Data was collected using pre-designed semi structured questionnaire. Data was collected using Epicollect 5 mobile app and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Result: Musculoskeletal pain was the most common health problem perceived by the study participants (49.3%) followed by frequent headaches (26.7%), eye irritation (22.7%) and stuffy nose (18.7%). Fuel spillage over skin (68%), extreme weather conditions (37.3%), fuel spillage in the eyes (32%) were the common hazards reported by the participants. None of the study participant was seen wearing goggles, mask or gloves for their personal safety. 73% of the study participants felt that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be made available for their safety. 22.7% of the study participants had high blood pressure (>140/90mmHg) at the time of interview. Conclusion: This study highlights the most common illnesses experienced by the study subjects at their work place. Provision of PPE to every worker working on the petrol station with periodic medical checkups is required.