Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference

Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life

Towards Safe, Health, and Productive Community

Work Factor Relationship with Welders Flash

Complaint On Worker at Electric Welding Workshop
in Sidosermo at Surabaya City

Friska Ayu*/Muslikha Nourma*

*Departement of Public Health Science, Faculty of Health
Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya University
 BACKGROUND
Any workplace has variety of potential
hazards that may affected the health of the
workforce , one type of work that has the
potential for the occurrence of occupational
diseases is the welding work.
The Bureau of Labor Statistic and The
International Classifocation of External
Causes of Injury from WHO (2014) in its case
study at US found Trauma occurrence due to
work, which occupies the first position is the
eye trauma, especially in the welding
industry that is 70.4% while 47.3% in non-
welding industry, and 21.2% in the
construction sector.
Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference
Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive Community
The welding process is one of the sources
of artificial ultraviolet light. Optical
radiation physicist Lyon conducted a
research that during welding activities
there are electromagnetic rays that have a
relationship with the eye and one of them
is ultraviolet light.
After 4-10 hours of ultraviolet exposure, a
welding worker will feel the complaints of
eye pain, eyes feel like sandy, and other eye
complaints. Diseases that can arise due to
ultraviolet light from the welding process
include welder's flash or photokeratitis,
ultraviolet keratitis, flash burn.
 PURPOSE

This research purpose to find out the

relationship between work factors with welder's
flash complaint on workshop worker

*Work Factors: Work periode, duration of work, welding location, welding

process, electric current welding and diameter of welding wire

Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference

Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive
Community
 METHODS
Analytic survey with Cross Sectional
Research Design
Study Design

Quantitative (real time observation)

Data Collection Data was obtained then analyzed using
and Analysis SPSS program using chi square test.

This research was conducted in electric

Location and welding workshop Sidosermo area with
Participants total population of 20 workers.

Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference

Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive
Community
 Tabel 1
RESULT
Characteristics of n % Tabel 1 showed that the characteristics of
Respondents welding workers in electric welding
> 35 year 15 75.0 workshop Sidosermo area which became
respondents in this study most of
Age 26-35 year 3 15.0 educational background is high school as
many as 11 people (55%).
25 year 2 10.0
The welding workers are mostly over the
SD 6 30.0 age of 35 years as many as 15 people
(75%) and 2 respondents are aged less
Education SMP 3 15.0 than 25 years with an average working
SMA 11 55.0 period of more than 3 years as many as
10 people (50%).
Having Personal Yes 13 65.0 Although as many as 13 people have
Protective personal protective equipment, especially
No 7 35.0
Equipment the eye protective equipment but most
There are 14 70.0 workers complained of having eye
Welders Flash complaint disorders after welding that is as many as
Complaint No complaint 6 30.0 14 people (70%) because only 5 workers
always use personal protective equipment
Total 20 100.0 during welding.
Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference
Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive
Community
 Tabel 2
RESULT
Characteristics of Job n % Tabel 2 showed that the distribution of
SMAW 13 65.0 respondents based on job characteristics.
Welding Process Average working period of more than 3
GTAW 7 35.0
years ie as many as 10 people (50%) and
80 ampere 13 65.0 work duration on average more than 8
Electric current welding
< 80 ampere 7 35.0 hours and only 8 people (40%) working
3,2 mm 15 75.0 less than 8 hours.
Diameter Welding
Most workers use the welding process
Wire 2,6 mm 5 25.0
with SMAW method that is as many as 13
8 hour/day 8 40.0 people (65%) from the total respondents
Duration Of Work
>8 hour/day 12 60.0 20 people and the rest using GTAW
> 3 year 10 50.0 method.
For electric current welding most worker
Work periode 1-3 year 5 25.0
using more than 80 amperes as many as
< 1 year 5 25.0 13 people (65%) with diameter welding
Indoor 9 45.0 wire which ussually used is 3,2 mm as
Semi 6 30.0 may as 15 people (75%).
Welding Location
For welding location as many as 9 people
Outdoor 5 25.0
(45%) do welding process at indoor
Jumlah 20 100.0 location.
Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference
Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive
Community
 RESULT
Welders Flash Complaint
Work Factor
(Dependent Variabel)
(Independent Variabel) Conclusion
Probability Value Nilai Koefisien Value
(P-value) Correlation (r)
Work periode 0.017 0.636 Significant
Duration Of Work 0.010 0.579 Significant
Welding Location 0.018 0.632 Significant
Welding Process 0.260 0.252 Un Significant
Electric current welding 0.024 0.504 Significant
Diameter Welding Wire 0.010 0.579 Significant

There were 6 characteristics component work factor as independent variable, based on statistical test result
using chi square analysis between work factor with welders flash complaint on worker at electrical welding
workshop Sidosermo area showed there were 5 component have relationship with welders flash complaint
like work periode (0.017), duration of work(0.010), welding location (0.018), electric current welding (0.024)
and diameter welding wire (0.010).
Welder's Flash is an inflammatory state of corneal tissue due to sunlight (natural) or other artificial UV light
sources such as in welding activities. Based on the interviews with respondents related to welder's flash
complaints,14 people feel pain complaints on the eyes. The complaints of eye disorders are felt by most
respondents in the form Blurred vision and eyes feel gritty, other complaints felt by the worker in the eyes
was glare and eyes burned, eyes feel sore and a lot of tears.

Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference

Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive
Community
 RESULT
All of respondent have working period more than 3 years old, some workers who have long
worked period as welding said that they are get used to welding so it is not too disturbed, but
different case with workers who have working period less than 1 year. All workers complained
that the eyes were gritty and blurred, moreover doing welding continously.

Duration of work is length of time which workers use doing welding in a day, most of the
respondents in this research have duration of work more than 8 hour/day. The effect the eyes of
these workers exposed to UV light with continuous frequency while for restore cornea function
at least the eye should rest for 24-48 hours without contact with welding equipment and direct
sunlight source.

There is relationship between welding location with welders flash complain, because most of
the workers do welding at indoor workshop so the perceived UV radiation are really sourced
from the welding process, so UV radiation ray from welding process is the one of hazard
potential which may cause welders flash complaint.

Electric current and diameter of welding wire have relationship with welders flash complaint
because sparks will continue to increased along with the increase in electric current. Increased
electric current strength will effect decline the worker's safe time with no personal protective
equipment, especially the eye-protective equipment, will also affect the visibility of the worker
to the sparks
Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference
Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and Productive
Community
 CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATION

1. Most of the welding workers were complaint have problem on their

eyes, which of the complaint is a symptom of a welders flash complaint.
2. Extend working periods of a welder workers will increase the symptoms
of complaints welder's flash perceived, because working periode was
related with duration of work and the exposure UV radiation rays from
visible light on welding process while to restore corneal function at least
the eye should rest for 24-48 hours without contact with welding
process.
3. Electric current and diameter of welding wire have relationship with
welders flash complaint because sparks will continue to increased along
with the increase in electric current.
4. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last protection for workers, it
can be protect workers from the adverse effects of radiation exposure
UV generated from the welding process.
5. For the owner of electric welding workshop must provide the personal
protective equipment (PPE) was appropriate to all workers

Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference

Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards Safe, Health, and
Productive Community
 Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Public Health Conference
Improving Occupational Health and Safety to Increase the Quality of Life Towards
Safe, Health, and Productive Community

Thank You