Applied Study and Case Report
Effects of electric welding on hearing loss and respiratory damage
Su Yiwei, Li Yanhua, Wang Jianyu, Zhang Yan, Zhou Lipin, Wang Zhi
Published 2023-10-20
Cite as Chin Ind Hyg Occup Dis, 2023, 41(10): 832-837. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn121094-20221009-00477
Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the occupational health status of electric welding workers and explore the effects of electric welding on hearing loss and respiratory damage.
MethodsFrom August to December 2021, the cluster sampling method was used to select workers from an automobile manufacturer in Guangzhou City as research subjects: 636 welding workers in the welding workshop as the welding group, 757 assembly workers in the engine workshop and the final assembly workshop exposed to pure noise as the assembly group. Occupational disease hazard factors were detected for welding positions and assembly positions, and occupational health examination was carried out for research subjects. The occupational health status, the trends of hearing loss and respiratory abnormalities with working age were compared and analyzed between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between hearing loss and respiratory abnormalities in welding workers.
ResultsThe excess rates of welding fumes, manganese and its compounds in the welding position were both 9.68% (3/31). Its noise exposure intensity [ (85.36±2.68) dB (A) ] and excess rate [48.39% (15/31) ] were not significantly different from those in the assembly position [ (84.86±3.28) dB (A) and 43.24% (16/37) ] (P>0.05). The results of the occupational health examination showed that the detection rates of hearing loss, digital radiography (DR) chest X-ray abnormality, alanine aminotransferase abnormality, deazelaic aminotransferase abnormality and white blood cell count abnormality of workers in the welding group were higher than those in the assembly group (P<0.05). The detection rates of hearing loss, DR chest X-ray abnormality, pulmonary ventilation abnormality in the welding group and the detection rate of hearing loss in the assembly group increased with the working age of the workers (P<0.05). The hearing loss detection rate and DR chest X-ray abnormality detection rate of the workers with ≥9 years working age in the welding group were both higher than those in the assembly group workers with same working age (P<0.05). The binary logistic regression analysis showed that abnormal pulmonary ventilation and abnormal DR chest X-ray were the risk factors for hearing loss in welding workers (OR=10.83, 95%CI: 7.31-16.06; OR=16.59, 95%CI: 5.72-48.10; P<0.05) .
ConclusionHearing loss and respiratory damage are prominent problems among welding workers, and the detection rates of abnormality increase with the working age of the workers. Hearing loss in welding workers is associated with abnormal pulmonary ventilation and abnormal DR chest X-ray.
Key words:
Hearing loss; Respiratory system; Welding work; Welding fume; Manganese and its compounds
Contributor Information
Su Yiwei
Key Laboratory of Occupational Environment and Health, Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510620, China
Li Yanhua
Key Laboratory of Occupational Environment and Health, Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510620, China
Wang Jianyu
Key Laboratory of Occupational Environment and Health, Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510620, China
Zhang Yan
Key Laboratory of Occupational Environment and Health, Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510620, China
Zhou Lipin
Key Laboratory of Occupational Environment and Health, Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510620, China
Wang Zhi
Key Laboratory of Occupational Environment and Health, Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510620, China
