Ocular health and eye safety practices of the industrial welders in Nepal: A cross-sectional study

Background: Occupational eye health access remains as a far-fetched dream in developing countries where, still, primary health care is inaccessible to general public. Illiteracy, ignorance, and casual attitude contribute to the majority of occupational morbidities, which are otherwise preventable. The aim of the researcher was to investigate the burden of preventable ocular hazards in Nepalese professional welders and elucidate their knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the eye safety. Methods A comprehensive eye examination was conducted in 106 professional welders, which included assessment of several ocular and visual functions. The self-reported knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on potential health hazards and adherence to the safety measures were assessed in relation to the clinical observations. Results Possible radiation-induced DNA damages manifested in the form of corneal opacities (45%), and ambient light level effects in the form of several specific symptoms such as watery eyes (18%), sore eyes (20%), tired eyes (19%), and binocular double vision (4.7%) and after images (36.8%). Participants’ reported that their working site was fumy (60.4%) and dusty (59.4%) which presumably contributed to dry eyes (49%) and allergic conditions (2%).Other common ocular morbidities were lid disorders (57.5%), conjunctiva disorders (53%), cataract (16%) and posterior segment disorders (27%). Although, self-reported knowledge about the potential health hazards of welding was remarkable (84.6%), the safety practices were poor. With an increasing employment duration, however, welders became more careful with the safety practices(r=0.57). Conclusion A high prevalence of ocular and visual morbidity was observed along with a general tendency of avoiding the safety practices which are addressable by appropriate law enforcements, development of health insurance policies, and education.