Air Quality in Welding Workshops and Its Health Implication on Welders in Port Harcourt

Volume 2 - Issue 3

Chukwu Okeah GO¹*, Igwe A², Mmom PC³ and Eze A³

Received: March 19, 2018;   Published: March 28, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/AOICS.2018.02.000138

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Abstract

The study was carried out in Port Harcourt to ascertain the air quality status of air in welding workshops and the health implication on welders in Port Harcourt. Five objectives alongside five research questions were set to guide in the achievement of the aim of the study. The experimental and the cross sectional research design were adopted in carrying out this study. A total of 217 welders were sampled for the study out of a total of 496 registered welders in Port Harcourt. The probability sampling technique was used in determining the sample population for the study. Descriptive statistics was used in the analysis of the data collected from the respondents. The findings of the study revealed that the air quality in the welders shop does not meet internationally accepted standards, the use of personal protective equipments is still not in its full state hence endangering lives of the welders and that large number of welders have suffered from catarrh, cough, Heart ache, waist pain skin rashes and breathing difficulty. The study recommended that health is wealth; therefore if welders must be in optimal health conditions, occupational based illness must be reduced. On the basis of this health checks for every worker must be done quarterly to verify the health status of every welder as to reduce their health risk. It also recommended that there is need for quarterly air quality assessment to be done to assess the air quality status of the welder’s worksite and then identify generators/sources of pollutants, so as to reduce their occurrence.

Keywords: Air quality; Welders; Welding workshop; Health

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