Effect of health education intervention on the awareness and use of personal protective equipment among small scale electric arc welders in Ilorin, Nigeria.
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Date
2014
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Abstract
Introduction: Welding is associated with workplace
hazards that can affect the health of those who engaged
in it as they are exposed to harmful dust. Subjects and
Methods: This was a health education intervention
study carried out among self-employed electric arc
welder. Data were collected using an interviewer
administered questionnaire and health education
intervention was carried out between the preintervention
and postintervention stages. Epi-info version 3.5.1
software package was used for data analysis and
Chi-square analysis was used to determine the statistical
signifi cance of observed differences between the study
and control groups before the intervention and after
intervention. Level of signifi cance was set at a P < 0.05.
Results: At the preintervention phase, 285 respondents
were interviewed in each of the study and control groups,
while 280 study respondents and 275 control respondents
were available for the postintervention phase of the study.
Before the intervention, 279 (97.9%) of the respondents in
the study group were aware of eye goggles as a means
of protection, 20 (7%) were aware of welding helmet,
206 (72.3%) were aware of hand gloves and 4 (1.4%)
were aware of face mask. All showed a significant
increase in awareness postintervention (P < 0.05) while
there was no signifi cant increase in awareness in the
control group. Conclusion: Health education brought
about a signifi cant increase in awareness and use of
personal protective equipment among the welders. There
is a need for proper education of welders on workplace
hazards, the types and use of different protective devices
in other to safeguard their health.