An assessment of the level of awareness and reported complaints regarding occupational health hazards and the utilization of personal protective equipments among the welders of Lahore, Pakistan

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the level of awareness and reported complaints of occupational health hazards among the welders of Lahore.MethodsA 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.ResultsAll 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%).ConclusionThe findings suggest that welders had low level of awareness and reported many complaints of occupational health hazards. Preventive initiatives are recommended.