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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

Abstract Objective: To assess the level of awareness and reported complaints of occupational health hazards among the welders of Lahore. Methods: A 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. Results: All 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%). Conclusion: The findings suggest that welders had low level of awareness and reported many complaints of occupational health hazards. Preventive initiatives are recommended.