Hazard perception and occupational injuries in the welders and lathe machine operators of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of occupational injuries in the welders and lathe machine operators and their hazard perception.


METHODS
This study was conducted in the welders and lathe machine operators working in the welding and metal working shops in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted by two trained health interviewers using uniform questionnaire with both close and open-ended questions.


RESULTS
Two hundred and eight welders and 104 lathe machine operators were interviewed. Thirty nine (18.7%) welders and 27 (26%) lathe machine operators reported an injury in the past three months, while 63 (30.3%) welders and 76 (73.8%) lathe machine operators reported sustaining an injury in the past twelve months. However, only half of the welders and 31 (29.8%) lathe machine operators believed that their occupation was hazardous for health.


CONCLUSIONS
For effective public health policy there is a need preventive education and enforcement of safety regulations for the informal occupational sector in Pakistan.
Shaikh
M A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014896:Welding; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*