Assessment of Respiratory Health among Selected Leather Manufacturing Workers of Urban Puducherry

Abstract

Globally, industrial workers are exposed to various chemicals and particulate pollutions frequently, which act as causative agent for chronic respiratory diseases. In the developing, chronic lung diseases are mostly related to occupations. Leather industries are significant contributions to the nation’s economy but they are potentially hazardous to the environment and to the workers, which causes health problems including chronic respiratory disease. Puducherry has small scale and medium scaled leather manufacturing units particularly in the urban zones yet there is lack of data of data on respiratory health conditions among leather workers in the region. Therefore, this study aims to assess the respiratory health implications among selected leather manufacturing workers in urban Puducherry. The findings will contribute to improving occupational health practices and promoting safer work environments in the local leather manufacturing sector related lung diseases. A cross sectional study was conducted after getting clearance from Scientific Research Committee and Institutional Human Ethics Committee in the Selected Leather Industry, where a total of 700 workers were employed. A face-to-face interview was conducted using pre-designed (pre-validated) questionnaire. A pre-calibrated portable spirometer enabled with Bluetooth connectivity was used to record the Spirometry measurements of the participants. The current study shows 64% of leather manufacturing workers in urban Puducherry showed abnormal pulmonary function, with 25% having moderate, 19% moderately severe, and 5% severe impairment. Only 4% reported using personal protective equipment, despite 49.2% having over 20 years of occupational exposure suggesting that age, along with the exposure at the workplace and BMI may cause increase in impaired pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms among leather factory workers. Medical examinations of the workers are recommended for screening and preventing function impairments. So, this kind of kind of will be help in early detection of the disease and further follow up will help prevention of diseases.