Predominant ocular challenges and protective eyewear compliance among welders in Port Harcourt mechanic and steel villages, Rivers State, Nigeria

Purpose: Welding is associated with several ocular and systemic hazards especially where adequate protective measures are not observed resulting in occupational eye challenges which constitutes an appreciable proportion of ocular morbidity, The purpose of this study was to ascertain the pattern of major ocular challenges (symptoms and signs) among welders in the Port Harcourt Mechanic and Steel Villages Rivers State, Nigeria and the level of compliance to the use of protective eye wear during work... Methodology: The study which took place at the work sites of the participants adopted a combination of physical eye examination and a survey to find out history of previous ocular injuries and predominant symptoms experienced. A total of 103 welders sampled from two study sites located in two local government areas LGAs of Rivers State participated in the study which involved the use of a well structured interviewer-administered pre-tested and validated questionnaire to ascertain frequently experienced ocular complaints and previous work related ocular injuries, followed by detailed external examination of the eyes and surrounding structures for signs of ocular surface abnormalities resulting from welding related activities. Data generated from the study were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results were presented descriptively using tables and charts while Chi Square statistics was employed to test for statistically significant association at an alpha level of 0.05 (p< 0.05). Results: 88.3% of the welders involved in the study were aware that welding could cause harm to their eyes which could be prevented by the use of protective eyewear, 7.8% disagreed, while 3.9% had no idea Only 5.8% of welders complied regularly, 60.2% complied occasionally, 28.2% complied sparingly while 5.8% have never used a protective eyewear before. All (100%) of the welders who have never complied fall within the youngest age group (16 - 25 years). There was no statistically significant association between the age of welders and compliance to protective eyewear(p< 0.05) While 22.3% of welders have no remarkable eye complaint, the most frequent eye symptoms among welders in order of decreasing proportion were sandy sensation (30.1%), cloudy vision (22.3%), painful red eyes (18.5%), watery eyes (3.9%) and itchy eyes (2.9%). The distribution of ocular surface abnormalities in order of decreasing proportion include Pinguecula (31.1%), Pterygium (21.4%), Conjunctiva discoloration (14.6%) and Corneal opacity (3.9%). Also, there is a statistically significant association between age of welders and eye symptoms experienced and predominant ocular surface abnormalities observed. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practices: Findings from this study can be used by government agencies, employers, vocational training institutions and other stakeholders to formulate policies and guide for welders and other artisans to inculcate better work ethics in order to enjoy the benefits of regular compliance to the appropriate protective eyewear and prevent the negative effects of poor compliance. The study findings also reemphasized the need for a well articulated health insurance policy for workers in the informal sector employment to safeguard their ocular and general health. The urgent need for a subsidy regime on the price of quality protective devices and incentives for local production of quality protective eyewear should be looked into... Lastly, welders and eye care practitioners can tap from the findings to fine-tune their policies and practices to ensure ocular safety and better management/ care for welding related eye challenges.