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RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND PULMONARY FUNCTIONS AMONG AUTOMOBILE REPAIR WORKERS

Introduction: Car repair technicians use chemicals during their work. These chemicalsbecome airborne during its application and can be easily inhaled and cause harm to therespiratory system. Aim of work: The current study aims to describe the magnitudeof respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function disorders among automobile repairworkers. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performedon 121 automobile repair workers. The workers completed a predesigned questionnaireto collect socio-demographic data, including occupational history, special habits, andrespiratory complaints. The pulmonary function tests were carried out utilizing Spirolab-III from MIR Company with Winspiro Pro software, a calibrated spirometer with abuilt-in computer program. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume inone second (FEV1), and the ratio of these variables (FEV1/FVC) was measured as apercentage of normal predicted levels according to age, gender, weight, and height.Results: Dry cough and chest tightness were the most common respiratory symptoms(33.9% and 23.1%, respectively); however, only 4% of the automobile repair workersused respiratory protective equipment. More than one-third (38.8%) of the subjectshad pulmonary function (PF) disorders (19% with obstructive patterns and 19.8% withrestrictive patterns). Pulmonary function disorders were common among the older (>30  
years), compared to the younger age group (≤30 years) (48.1% vs. 22.7%, respectively)and workers who are exposed to brake fluid. Smoking, obesity, and a long duration ofemployment had no significant associations with PF disorders. Conclusion: The currentstudy showed that two out of five car mechanics exhibited changes in pulmonary functionsthat were equally distributed between obstructive and restrictive impairments. Pulmonaryfunction disorders were common among the older age group, regardless of smoking or along employment duration. The promotion of workplace safety and the periodic spirometryexamination of individuals is required to detect any respiratory changes.