Changes in work practice after a respiratory health survey among welders in New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
To assess changes in work practice among eight New Zealand engineering sites, following a study of occupational respiratory symptoms in welders two years previously.


METHODS
In 1996, we found that an acute decrease in lung function was more common in welders working without local exhaust ventilation. Findings were reported back to management, study participants and the media. Two years later we re-visited the eight welding sites.


RESULTS
Of the eight engineering sites, two had local exhaust ventilation present in both Study 1 and Study 2, one site had installed local exhaust ventilation in part of the site since Study 1 and one site had moved to larger premises. The remaining four sites had no exhaust ventilation or change to the workplace between studies. Five welders (12.8%) used respiratory protection in both Study 1 and Study 2, seven welders (18%) used respiratory protection in Study 1 but not Study 2, four welders (10.3%) did not have respiratory protection in Study 1 but did in Study 2 and nine welders (23.1%) did not use respiratory protection at all in Study 1 or Study 2.


CONCLUSIONS
Further effort is required to ensure that such studies lead to significant improvements in the work environment.
Slater
T
T
Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine. tania@wnmeds.ac.nz
Erkinjuntti-Pekkanen
R
R
Fishwick
D
D
Bradshaw
L
L
Pearce
N
N
Cheng
S
S
Armstrong
H
H
McLean
D
D
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005540:Forced Expiratory Flow Rates; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013147:Spirometry; D014691:Ventilation / Q000379:methods; D014896:Welding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational