Health Hazards and Some Correlates among Oil Refinery workers

Introduction: Oil is a naturally occurring liquid found in rock formations. It
consists of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights
plus other organic compounds. The workers in Aden (Yemen) Petroleum
Refinery are exposed to a wide variety of hazards that may affect their health
which can be broadly classified as; physical, chemical, biological, mechanical/
ergonomics and psychological hazards. Aim of work: To identify the
prevalence of work-related morbidities among Aden refinery workers and to
study some associated correlates. Materials and methods: A cross sectional
study was conducted in Aden Refinery Company (ARC), Alburigah district,
Aden governorate, Republic of Yemen and included 398 workers. Data was
collected by using semi structured questionnaire which included demographic
data, detailed occupational history of the current and previous jobs, and history
of work related illness. Results: The mean age of the studied workers was
42.91 ± 7.89 years. The study showed that allergy (e.g. occupational asthma,
allergic rhinitis, skin allergy etc) is the most frequently recorded illness
among the study participants (55.5%). Hypertension (42.2%) is the second
common illness among them. Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases were
statistically significant higher among smokers and those with work duration
of ≥ 30 years. About one third (32.7%) of the studied sample had medical
history of post-employment hearing defects which was statistically significant
among those with work duration of ≥ 30 years, those who had history of
noise exposure (37.5%) and those who were smokers. The current study
also revealed that 8 cancer cases (2%) among the studied participants were diagnosed post-employment. We also found that 10% of the workers were
suffering from symptoms (fatigue, headache, nasal irritation and difficulty of
breathing) during the working hours. Conclusion: Petroleum refinery workers
are exposed to hazards that affect their health especially allergic diseases.
These health effects were higher among smokers and those with long work
duration (≥ 30 years).