Respiratory symptoms associated with chemical hazards in operational personnel of the footwear companies at San Miguel neighborhood of Cúcuta, North of Santander

Health during working life is often affected by different risk factors that cause damage to the body, such as chemical substances used in different jobs during their execution. In the footwear companies, it is very common for them to be used, so health problems for those who are continuously exposed are frequent, since workers must handle these substances on a daily basis, which leads them to inhale toxic vapors and be exposed throughout the work day, causing alterations in the airway, increasing the degree of risk due to the concentration of substances such as solvents and adhesives, exposure, and worker susceptibility, which can cause from allergic irritation to carcinogenic damage. The objective of the research was to find out the causes that generate respiratory symptoms produced by chemical substances in operational workers in the footwear companies at San Miguel neighborhood in Cúcuta, North of Santander. The study population consisted of 100 workers and, using the web-validated sample calculation method, a sample of 80 operational workers from the footwear companies at San Miguel neighborhood of Cúcuta, North of Santander was obtained. A methodology based on a mixed approach was used, which allowed investigating footwear factories to obtain detailed information on respiratory symptoms associated with chemical hazards in operational personnel. As a result, workers in the footwear companies at San Miguel neighborhood of Cúcuta, North of Santander are exposed to chemical substances that represent an unacceptable level of risk. Among the identified hazards are gases and vapors, particulate matter, and the handling of chemical liquids, each with different levels of probability and acceptability of risk according to the assessment carried out. In addition, the lack of information, training and awareness of workers to identify the danger and correct handling of chemical substances, the importance of using PPE (personal protection elements), increase the risks of suffering health problems.