A study on morbidity among automobile service and repair workers in an urban area of South India

Abstract

Introduction:Service sector in Indian industrial growth has obtained significant numbers. Automobile service industry is one of the largest in the world with a majority of the workers in unorganized sector of the industry. This study was carried out among auto service industry workers in Vellore urban area to assess possible occupation related morbidity.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional observation study was carried out among 106 automobile repair shop workers.Results:Half (47%) suffered work related stress, 32 (30.2%) reported exposure to dust, 81 (76%) to heat, and 50 (17%) to hazardous chemicals and heavy metals. More than 90% reported over exposure to petroleum products. A third reported cough for more than 2 weeks, more than a quarter reported gastrointestinal symptoms associated with work. Half of them reported musculoskeletal complaints associated with work with a quarter reporting un-intentional work place injuries. A tenth of them were found to have reduced pulmonary function on testing and nearly half had impaired sensory functions in peripheries. Reduced pulmonary function was found to be significantly associated with heavy metal exposure (P = 0.001). Peripheral neuropathy was significantly associated with years of occupation (P = 0.001), exposure to petroleum products (P = 0.03) and exposure to heavy metals (P = 0.018).Discussion:Half of the workers were unaware of health problems associated with their occupational exposures and thereby the use of personal protection is abysmally low. A very high proportion of workers had symptoms of cough, breathlessness, abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort and muscle aches. Almost a quarter of the workers had un-intentional occupational injuries in the last 6 months. Though they work in a high-risk environment with chances of fire hazard, falls and chemical exposures, none of the workshops had fire-extinguishers, first aid kits or any such safety devices.

Perceptions of Health and Safety among Workers in the Automotive Repair Industry in Dubai (United Arab Emirates): A Cross-sectional Exploratory Study

“…Perceived exposure to dust was 76% compared to 40% in this study. Overall perception of exposure to chemicals and hazardous agents in this study ranged from 8.6%-62%, with highest perceived exposure reported for carbon monoxide, whereas Philip et al reported perceived exposure ranging from 50-90.6%, much higher than findings from this study 12 . The findings indicate that despite being a smallscale workplace, health and safety conditions had not been disregarded in this automotive workplace in UAE.…”

“…As the shift system was not applied in this private company, this finding merits further exploration. Skin rashes and breathing issues were mentioned under acute health issues, as have been observed in other studies 12 ; however, the percentage of complaints of rash was considerably lower than seen in a study on automotive repair shops in Egypt, but comparable to a study done in South India. On the other hand, breathing problems were reportedly higher in the study conducted in south India and Ghana 9,22 .…”

“…As mentioned in Philip et al's study on morbidity in automobile industry in south India and a study in Italy, that health and safety practices are not of utmost priority in small workplaces 12,13 . This study highlighted that safety training had never been provided to automotive workers at this particular workplace.…”

Determinants of occupational health hazards among roadside automobile mechanics in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria

“…Other studies in Nigeria and India even revealed that no respondents received any form of training on workplace safety. [ 1 16 ]…”

“…The automobile service industry has a large group of workers with many being in the unorganized sector. [ 1 ] They are involved in numerous activities which expose them to many physical, biological, and chemical agents that can be hazardous to their health. [ 2 ] These workers are also prone to workplace accidents and injuries, many of which are preventable.…”