Identification of thermal burns as work-related injury in welders

Cross-sectional study conducted with 161 welders in the formation process. A model of clinic judgment and decision was used and adapted to the public health nursing. For data collection, a questionnaire was administered before and after communicative clinical action.

Results

For welders who did not report burns during the welding activity, a statistically significant difference (p=0.02) was observed in relation to the spark-caused eye burn variable.

Conclusion

Communicative clinical actions can modify individuals’ knowledge about occurrence of burns as [being] work-related injuries.

Burns; Metalmechanic industry; Occupational health nursing; Public health nursing; Occupational risks

Burns (types)		Subgroup I (n=29)			Subgroup II (n=57)
Burns (types)		Mean (SD)	Mean rank*	p-value*	Mean (SD)	Mean rank*	p-value*
Reaction between skin and metal (chemical)	Before	0.86 (1.12)	7.75	0.16	0.47 (0.81)	7.71	0.72
Reaction between skin and metal (chemical)	After	1.21 (0.95)	7.40	0.16	0.56 (0.88)	8.25	0.72
Contact of the skin with hot objects (thermal)	Before	1.31 (1.00)	6.80	0.23	0.75 (0.87)	11.25	0.16
Contact of the skin with hot objects (thermal)	After	1.57 (0.87)	7.89	0.23	0.90 (0.94)	14.17	0.16
UV radiation on the skin (thermal)	Before	0.38 (0.90)	5.20	0.87	0.35 (0.75)	6.64	0.21
UV radiation on the skin (thermal)	After	0.39 (0.83)	5.80	0.87	0.24 (0.55)	4.88	0.21
UV radiation on the eye (thermal)	Before	0.79 (0.94)	6.80	0.09	0.25 (0.60)	5.67	0.88
UV radiation on the eye (thermal)	After	0.54 (0.69)	7.67	0.09	0.24 (0.62)	3.80	0.88
Spark on the eye (thermal and chemical)	Before	0.76 (0.83)	6.36	0.66	0.21 (0.53)	5.00	0.02
Spark on the eye (thermal and chemical)	After	0.71 (1.08)	6.70	0.66	0.41 (0.75)	7.60	0.02

Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de São Paulo R. Napoleão de Barros, 754, 04024-002 São Paulo - SP/Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 5576 4430 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: actapaulista@unifesp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Marta Regina Cezar-Vaz. General Osório street, unnumbered,. Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.. Zip Code: 96200-190. cezarvaz@vetorial.net