Occupational Health Hazards in Welders of Palakkad District: An Appraisal

Abstract

Welding exposes welders to a variety of work-related hazards, which may be deleterious to their health. The awareness of these hazards and the attitude towards them are important factors in the prevention of these hazards among the welders. This study assessed the level of awareness of the hazards, the work-related health complaints and the safety measures employed by the welders in local as well as industrial centers in Palakkad District. The study was carried out at 31 local workshops and 1 industrial center surrounding Palakkad Town. The welders were interviewed using semistructured interviewer-administered questionnaires and the data obtained was analysed and presented as frequency tables and graph. The mean age of subjects was 32.68 ± 27.32 years. The literacy rate was 100%, of which, the school dropouts were 6.3% while, the subjects who completed technical education is only 3%. Despite the awareness of one or more occupational health hazards, the use of full protective devices by the subjects was generally low (10%) and the rate of health complaints was cent percent. The most prevalent health complaints were arc eye injuries (>90%) followed by burns (88%), skin problems (69%), tiredness, sleepiness and muscular weakness (45%), hearing impairment (35%) and respiratory ailments (22%); while the common personal protective equipment used were face shield (90%), helmet (77%), hand gloves (77%) and boots (29%). None of them used any form of ear or respiratory protection. The levels of awareness of occupational hazards and the work-related health problems among the welders though high was not commensurate with the use of safety and protective devices against the hazards. There is therefore need for health and safety education of these workers in order to promote positive health among them.