Public health and risks of welding smoke. Preventive strategies

• Vera Espinoza Yuridia University of Guayaquil Ecuador. PhD in Health Sciences
• Quintanilla Abril Jimmy Mgs. Hospital Emergencies

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8078171

Keywords: smoke, welding, fever, metal fumes, respiratory disease

Abstract

This research aims to characterize the signs of respiratory diseases related to exposure to welding gas in welding workers. It is a descriptive, correlatio- nal study with a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 37 welding workers from the Contecon Guayaquil S.A. Company. in the City of Guayaquil in Ecuador in the year 2018 for a period of one year until 2019, of which, with their consent, an instrument structured by the researcher was applied ba- sed on the interrogations and examination, comple- mented with their clinical information to know about your respiratory health. The group of welders in its entirety are male (100%), the age group between 30-39 years (49%) and between 6-10 years of ex- perience (41%) prevail. Regarding the signs of res- piratory disease, there was a predominance of fever (57%), chest pain (32%) and acute cough (22%). There was a significant association between expo- sure to welding fume and fever, chest pain, acute cough, and chronic cough. It is important to create an occupational health prevention plan to avoid irre- versible deterioration in the respiratory function and well-being of the welder.

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