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PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN ARC-WELDERS IN ILE-IFE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the occupational effects of Arc-welding on small scale welders in
Modakeke, Ik-Ife, Nigeria.
Design: A community-based, cross-sectional study.
Setting: A semi-urban area Modakeke, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Populatian: A semi-urban area with a population of about 300,000 (three hundred thousand).
Shrdypopulation: Forty four Arc-welders in Modakeke, Ile-Ife and fifty age andsex-matched
controls working in the Maintenance Department of Obaferni Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,
Nigeria.
Intervention: Structured questionnaires adapted from the Medical Research Council, UK
respiratory questionnaire with some modifications were administered to all subjects and
controls. Physical examination and lung function tests were also carried out on all subjects
and controls.
Main outcome measures: Occupational-related symptoms of welders and controls were
compared. Ventilatory function of welders and controls were also compared using the
Student's %'-test. Chi-square was adopted to test the strength of relationship between
smoking and lung function abnormalities.
Results: The most frequent symptomsfound among the subjects wereeyeirritation (95.43%),
rhinitis (50.09%) and skin irritation (43.19%). The arc-welders were found to have
characteristically tower lung function parameters than controls (p<0.05). Ten (22.7 %)of the
subjects had obstructive lung disease compared to four (8%) of the controls; while 18
(40.9%) of the subjects had restrictive lung disease. Their lung abnormalities had no
relationship to their smoking history.
Conclusion: Workers exposed to arc-welding are at risk of occupational-related symptoms
and chronic lung disease. Adoption of protective devices and monitoring of welders'
breathing zones for toxic levels of gases and fumes are necessary to reduce the risk associated
with arc-welding.
Modakeke, Ik-Ife, Nigeria.
Design: A community-based, cross-sectional study.
Setting: A semi-urban area Modakeke, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Populatian: A semi-urban area with a population of about 300,000 (three hundred thousand).
Shrdypopulation: Forty four Arc-welders in Modakeke, Ile-Ife and fifty age andsex-matched
controls working in the Maintenance Department of Obaferni Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,
Nigeria.
Intervention: Structured questionnaires adapted from the Medical Research Council, UK
respiratory questionnaire with some modifications were administered to all subjects and
controls. Physical examination and lung function tests were also carried out on all subjects
and controls.
Main outcome measures: Occupational-related symptoms of welders and controls were
compared. Ventilatory function of welders and controls were also compared using the
Student's %'-test. Chi-square was adopted to test the strength of relationship between
smoking and lung function abnormalities.
Results: The most frequent symptomsfound among the subjects wereeyeirritation (95.43%),
rhinitis (50.09%) and skin irritation (43.19%). The arc-welders were found to have
characteristically tower lung function parameters than controls (p<0.05). Ten (22.7 %)of the
subjects had obstructive lung disease compared to four (8%) of the controls; while 18
(40.9%) of the subjects had restrictive lung disease. Their lung abnormalities had no
relationship to their smoking history.
Conclusion: Workers exposed to arc-welding are at risk of occupational-related symptoms
and chronic lung disease. Adoption of protective devices and monitoring of welders'
breathing zones for toxic levels of gases and fumes are necessary to reduce the risk associated
with arc-welding.
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