PERCIEVED HEALTH IMPACT OF WELDING FUMES AMONG WORKERS IN THE FABRICATION FACILITIES IN PORT HARCOURT

Abstract This study examined the perceived health impact of welding fumes among workers in the fabrication facilities in Port Harcourt. The objectives were to; examine the prevalence of workplace-related injuries associated with welding fume exposure among welders in a fabrication facility in Port Harcourt, examines prevailing safety practices and investigate preventive actions and control measures that should be taken to reduce the effects of these fumes on welder. Using cross-sectional descriptive survey design, structured questionnaire was administered to 300 welders selected from the sampled fabrication facilities. Descriptive statistics methods such as frequencies and percentages were used for data analysis. The results revealed that 66.7% (156) of the welders in the fabrication facility reported experiencing workplace injuries associated with welding fumes such that burns (139, 59.6%) and eye injuries (117, 50%) are the most common. Respiratory issues were reported by 34.6% (80) of the welders, while cuts and lacerations affected 29.5% (69) workers. Use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) (96, 41.5%), ventilation systems (159, 68, 29.1%) and regular safety training (86, 36.8%) are safety practices adopted to prevent exposure to fumes while provision of PPEs (178, 76.1%) regular health check-ups (112, 47.9%) and use of local exhaust ventilation (156, 66.7%) are most common control measures adopted by fabrication facilities to reduce the effects of welding fumes. These findings highlight the high prevalence of work-related problems linked to welding fumes and the need to enforce occupational health and safety regulations aimed at reducing welding fume exposure, as well as encouragement and enforcement of the use of PPE, ventilation systems and proper safety training to mitigate the injuries among welders in fabrication industries in Port Harcourt. Keywords: Health Impact, Welding Fumes, Fabrication Facilities, Port Harcourt