Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

Morbidity patterns among the welders of eastern Nepal: a cross-sectional study: Shyam Sundar Budhathoki, Suman Bahadur Singh, Surya Raj Niraula, Paras K. Pokharel; Ann Occup Environ Med 2016;28:62. Published online November 15, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-016-0151-y

Background

Welding process has many hazards that the welders are exposed to resulting in numbers of health effects and diseases. Safety measures and practices among welders are important ways of preventing or reducing the health hazards associated with this occupation. We conducted this study to find out the morbidity patterns among the welders working in eastern Nepal.

Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted among 300 welders using semi structured questionnaire. Morbidity categories were classified based on symptoms experienced in past 6 months.

Results

All the welders learned welding by apprenticeship, without any formal health and safety training. Injury was the most common problem at work followed by skin problems and eye symptoms. Age of the welders, duration of employment & welding hours per day were associated with the morbidities among the welders.

Conclusions

There is a need for occupational health services for welders in Nepal. While further research may be required to make policy recommendations, the current study provides a baseline morbidity burden among these welders to look for interventions to promote health and safety at work for this neglected group of workers in Nepal.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Prevalence of ocular morbidity among industrial workers of Eastern Nepal
Pradeep Kumar Patel, Sanjay Kumar Sah, Pankaj Ray Adhikari, Rajiv Ranjan Karn
IHOPE Journal of Ophthalmology.2024; 3: 10. CrossRef
Prevalence of visual impairment and associated factors among welders in West Shewa Zone Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Kassahun Rikita Bifessa, Fikadu Seyoum, Mihret Getnet, Kefyalew Naniye, Wabi Temesgen
Qeios.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
The Morbidity Patterns among Industrial Workers in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan-Region: A Cross-sectional Study
Blend Barzan Ameen, Sanaa Hassan Abdulsahibb
Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences.2023; 11(E): 354. CrossRef
Prevalence of visual impairment and associated factors among welders in West Shewa Zone Oromia Region
Kassahun Rikita Bifessa, Fikadu Seyoum, Mihret Getnet, Kefyalew Naniye, Wabi Temesgen
Qeios.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Occupational and geographical differentials in financial protection against healthcare out-of-pocket payments in Nepal: Evidence for universal health coverage
Vishnu Prasad Sapkota, Umesh Prasad Bhusal, Govinda Prasad Adhikari, Kuo-Cherh Huang
PLOS ONE.2023; 18(1): e0280840. CrossRef
Occupational Ocular Injuries and Utilization of Eye Protective Devices among Sawmill Workers in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria
Ngozika E. Ezinne, Kingsley K. Ekemiri, Maryann A. Nwanali Daniel
Vision.2021; 5(4): 60. CrossRef
Discoid lupus erythematosus in a welder
Yuka Hanami, Toshiyuki Yamamoto
Dermatologica Sinica.2020; 38(1): 65. CrossRef
Personal protective eyewear usage among industrial workers in small-scale enterprises
Tahra AlMahmoud, Ismail Elkonaisi, Michal Grivna, Fikri M. Abu-Zidan
Injury Epidemiology.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Catastrophic health expenditure among industrial workers in a large-scale industry in Nepal, 2017: a cross-sectional study
Prajjwal Pyakurel, Jaya Prasad Tripathy, Myo Minn Oo, Bijay Acharya, Ujjwal Pyakurel, Suman Bahadur Singh, Laxmi Subedi, Kamlesh Prasad Yadav, Mukesh Poudel, Dipesh Raj Pandey, Shyam Sundar Budhathoki, Guna Raj Lohani, Nilambar Jha
BMJ Open.2018; 8(11): e022002. CrossRef

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Original Article

An Evaluation of the Ventilatory Function in Shipyard Welders Using the Lifetime Cumulative Exposure to Welding Fumes: Chun Hwa Jung, Hyeon Woo Yim, Jung Wan Koo, Chung Yill Park; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002;14(4):364-376. Published online December 31, 2002; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2002.14.4.364

Abstract PDF: Objectives
This study was conducted to evaluate the ventilatory function in shipyard welders using the lifetime cumulative exposure to welding fumes.
METHODS
Ventilatory function tests were performed on 241 male welders at one large shipyard,exposed to welding fumes for over five years,and was compared to 80 male control subjects. Ventilatory function indices, such as forced vital capacity(FVC), one-second forced expiratory volume(FEV 1), ratio of FEV 1 to FVC(FEV 1%), maximal mid-expiratory flow(MMF), peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR)and maximal expiratory flow at 50 and 75% of expired FVC(FEF50 and FEF75), were obtained by analyzing forced expiratory spirograms and maximal expiratory flow-volume curves that were simultaneously measured by an Impulse ocillometry(IOS)program in the standing position.
RESULTS
FEF50 and FEF75 expressed as a percentage of the predicted values were significantly lower in the exposure group than in the controls, and the MMF tended to decrease.The means of all the ventilatory indices,expressed as percentage of the predicted values, were not significantly increased at the current exposure levels. The MMF, FEF50 and FEF75, expressed as a percentage of the predicted values, were significantly decreased with an increase in exposure duration.Only the FEF75 , expressed as a percentage of the predicted value, was significantly decreased with an increase in the cumulativeexposure to welding fumes(C1). The FEF75, expressed as a percentage of the predicted value, was significantly decreased with an increase in the cumulative exposure to welding fumes(C2). The above parameters were calculated to consider the current exposure level, exposure duration, application of the ventilatory system, production rate, personal protection evice, electrode and welding wire. The MMF and FEF50, expressed as a percentage of the predicted value, tended to decrease. The proportion of workers with abnormal MMF, FEF50 and FEF75 were significantly increased with an increase in the cumulative exposure to welding fumes(C2).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggested that the MMF, FEF50 and FEF75 are sensitive and practical indices for the evaluation of the ventilatory function of workers exposed to welding fumes, when the lifetime cumulative exposure(C2) is considered as a factor affecting exposure.

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Case Report

Nasal Septum Perforation of Welders: Choong Ryeol Lee, Cheol In Ryu, Ji Ho Lee, Jeong Hak Kang, Seong Kyu Kang, Jung Sun Yang, Yong Cheol Shin; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1998;10(3):404-411. Published online August 31, 1998; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1998.10.3.404

Abstract PDF

Six cases of nasal septum perforation were found among welders during periodic physical checkup in 1997. Considering the size, shape and margin, the perforations were assumed to have been occurred several years before of which the diameter were 8~15 mm. To investigate the cause of perforation, we reviewed the past history of preemployment, the results of annual working environment survey and the material safety data sheets of welding rods and steels with which they have dealt, and analyzed the concentration of several metals of welding fume and the concentration of blood and urinary chromium. In the result, we presupposed that the nasal septum perforations of welders were due to chronic exposure to low level hexavalent chromium and/or nickel, and report these cases with literatures review.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Changes of Glycoconjugate Expression in Nasal Respiratory Mucosa of Rats Exposed to Welding Fumes
Gil Nam Jeong, Un Bock Jo, Il Je Yu
Inhalation Toxicology.2007; 19(12): 987. CrossRef
Effects of repeated welding fumes exposure on the histological structure and mucins of nasal respiratory mucosa in rats
Gil Nam Jeong, Gi Jin Jo, Un Bock Jo, Il Je Yu
Toxicology Letters.2006; 167(1): 19. CrossRef

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Original Article

Plasma Malondialdehyde, alpha-tocopherol and Erythrocyte Superoxide Dismutase Activity with Blood Level of Heavy Metals in Welders: Won Jin Lee, Cheon Hyun Hwang, Soung Hoon Chang, Byung Chul Chun, Hae Joon Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1998;10(2):240-250. Published online May 31, 1998; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1998.10.2.240

Abstract PDF: We investigated the association between the oxidative stress and the concentration of heavy metals in blood among welders. The study subjects were male manual CO2 welders(N=127) exposed to several heavy metals. The age distribution was from 20 to 63 (GM=33.7) and the geometric mean(GM) of work duration was 4.2 years. We analyze the level of blood lead, cadmium, managese and chromium which was related with the oxidative stress in the animal studies. Blood selenuim, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma alpha-tocopheol and orythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) were analyzed as biological markers of the oxidative stress. The results of univariate analysis showed that the plasma MDA was significantly correlated with D-tocopherol (r=0.327) and blood selenium (r=0.313) concentration. But we could not find out any relationship between the erythrocyte SOD activities and those metal concentrations. Neither smoking nor alcohol consumption was related to the level of heavy metals and the oxidative stress biomarkers. As the results of multiple regression analysis with stepwise selection method, 1) the change of MDA level were dependant with the level of alpha-tocopherol and blood selenium concentration (R2=19.7), 2) the plasma alpha-tocopherol level was dependant with MDA and blood chromium concentration (R2=15.6), 3) in case of erythrocyte SOD activity, only the duration of work was significantly selected.

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