Blood Lead Levels among Automobile Mechanics in a Megacity, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed blood lead and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) levels among automobile mechanics in Agidingbi, Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 37 consented automobile mechanics at a mechanic village in the study setting. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire while blood samples were collected through antecubital fossa. Respondents' mean age was 29 ± 11 years, 64.9% were single while 37.8% were operating as a master of the facility. Some 48.6% occasionally experienced headaches while 35.1% and 29.7% experienced tiredness and abdominal pain, respectively. Most (97.3%) have not heard about lead poisoning, 91.9% did not wear any personal protective equipment (PPE) and 89.2% did not wear apron during practice. The mean blood lead level and PCV% were 4.4±2and 38.7±3.8 respectively. PCV and years of professional practice significantly reflected in blood lead level (R 2 =0.679, p<0.001) while years of professional experience independently predicted blood lead level (R 2 adjusted=0.656, p<0.001) when adjusted for age and level of operation. Although, the blood lead level was relatively low to warrant public health concerns, but the use of PPE was poor. Regular use of PPE is encouraged to prevent exposure to lead among automobile mechanics.

Occupational Risk Perception and the Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): A Study Among Informal Automobile Artisans in Osun State, Nigeria

“…In providing their services, these workers carry out tasks like draining fuel or handling dangerous substances that regularly expose them to dust, lead, used auto lubricants, exhaust fumes, or petroleum products (Adejumo et al, 2017;Ndugboe et al, 2014). Several studies among car repair workers demonstrated that the exposure to these hazardous substances was associated with an increased prevalence of health problems, such as cardiovascular, urinary, brain, respiratory, and skin diseases (Adejumo et al, 2017;Ndugboe et al, 2014). Many studies have shown that personal protective equipment (PPE) can protect workers against occupational health problems (Elewon, 2018;Johnson & Motilewa, 2016).…”

“…The use of PPE is not very wide spread among informal automobile artisans in Nigeria. For example, Adejumo et al (2017) reported that 91.9% of the automobile mechanics in a Lagos metropolis did not use PPE while carrying out repairs. Likewise, Ojo et al (2017) reported that only 3% of the car painting workshops in Ile-Ife possessed a respirator with a filter.…”

“…Likewise, Ojo et al (2017) reported that only 3% of the car painting workshops in Ile-Ife possessed a respirator with a filter. As compared to car repair artisans who use PPEs, those who do not have been found to report more health problems such as headaches, tiredness (Adejumo et al, 2017), burns, dizziness (Elewon, 2018), hearing impairment, eye injuries, and cuts (Sabitu et al, 2009). Previous studies have shown that PPE usage among informal workers is affected by factors such as length of service, having received preservice training for work and awareness of hazards at work (Marahatta et al, 2018).…”

Physical work conditions and perceived health problems among informal automobile artisans

“…Previous studies have established a high prevalence of injuries and illnesses, such as burns, bruises, crushed digits [13], cuts, hand dermatitis, and low back pain [14], in this population [13][14][15][16]. A few studies have evaluated the impact of PWC and worker's health [13][14][15][16][17]; however, these studies did not indicate which of the various PWCs has the largest negative impact on worker's health. Moreover, there has been no evaluation of whether different components of PWC have a similar effect on both illnesses and injuries.…”

Workplace Health and Safety in the Informal Sector: A Case Study of Nigeria Informal Entrepreneurs

“…Several factors have been found to be responsible for these health problems which include exposure to lead46 ; manual lifting of automobile components parts, and awkward postures commonly adopted at work47 ; non compliance and non-usage of personal protective equipment48 ; working for long hours From the foregoing, it is evident that the informal workers earn their livelihood under dangerous and insecure conditions because jobs created under this sector often failed to meet the criteria of decent work. One may argue that the decent work deficit in the informal sector mirrors the state of OHS in Nigeria which some scholars refer to as poor because of under…”