ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION HAZARD AWARENESS

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ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION HAZARD AWARENESS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Radiation is all around us, it is naturally present in our environment and has been since the birth of this planet. Radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There two classes of radiation, ionizing and non ionizing radiation. Ionizing Radiation is defined as a radiation having sufficient energy to ionize an atom in the medium through which it passes. As a matter of convention, ionizing radiation is classified as photons(X rays and gamma rays) or particles (electrons, protons, neutrons, alpha particles and beta particles). When ionizing radiation passes through matter, it may interact with whole atom electrons, nuclei or nucleons.

This interaction process in general is often described as collision. In this case of practical interest, the interaction results in the full transfer of energy of the incident radiation to electrons or nuclei of the constituent atoms or to charged particle products of nuclear reactions. The major sources of ionizing radiation that were available until 1930s were naturally occurring radioactive substance and low energy X-ray. But today, ionizing radiation can be produced from particle accelerations (Shalak and Chien, 1986) and is present in the environment, it is invisible and not directly detectable by human senses, so instrument such as Geiger counters are usually required to detect its presence.

According to World Health Organization, there are about 250 million cases of work-related injuries per year worldwide.1 One of the jobs that contribute to these occupational injuries is non-industrial welding, especially in developing countries including Nigeria. Primary school teachers cut and join metal parts using flame, electric arc or other sources of heat. There are three main classes of welding, namely, arc, oxyacetylenefuel

and robotic welding. Some of the hazards of this occupation include ultraviolet (UV) and infrared radiation (IR) exposure, fumes and particulate generation, thermal burns, occupational heat stress, exposure to electromagnetic fields, and electrocution.2 Similarly, the excessive lighting (glare) and exposure to UV radiation may lead to `arc eye’ or `flash burn’ injuries to the cornea, photokeratosis and double vision and consequent retinal damage.2,3 Primary school teachers are also exposed to noxious metal fumes

containing a cocktail of metals like zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, chromium, platinum, and their oxides leading to various respiratory dysfunctions and influenza-like condition called metal fume fever.

Employment of safety measures and practices among primary school teachers are important ways of preventing or reducing the levels of health hazards associated with the occupation. While adherence to these precautions is nearly universal in the developed world, little is known about the situation in developing world including Nigeria.

In metropolitan Kaduna, the former administrative capital of northern Nigeria, primary school teachers are usually located around mechanic workshops, motor spare-parts markets and along major highways where they establish privately owned small-scale workshops. This group has no organized occupational health service and their adherence to safety measures is unknown. We, therefore assessed the level of awareness of these hazards among primary school teachers in Kaduna metropolis and the safety measures and practices they adopt to safeguard their health, with a view to making recommendations on ways of ameliorating the effect of the hazards.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Primary school teachers are often exposed to potential workplace hazards that can be injurious to their health especially when exposure is on a regular and cumulative basis. The excessive high temperature generated by the hot oxyacetylene flame or the electric current may lead to burns and electric shocks2.

Injuries such as lacerations and cuts by sharp or pointed metal panes, from high velocity particles and occasional explosions of the oxyacetylene gas tanks may also occur2. The excessive lighting (glare) and exposure to ultra violet radiation may lead to ‘arc eye’ or ‘flash burn’ injuries to the cornea, photokeratosis and double vision and consequent retinal damage. Hearing impairment may result from exposure to high noise level produced by the welding machine. Primary school teachers are also exposed to noxious metal fumes containing a cocktail of metals like zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, chromium, platinum, and their oxides leading to various respiratory dysfunctions and to the influenza-like condition known as metal fume feve. There have been reports of carcinogenic and mutagenic effects due to chronic exposure to welding fumes in animals

that may be extrapolated to man.8-10. Other organs, which may be affected by welding fumes, include the kidneys and the reproductive organs leading to reduction in sperm count and fecundity.

Welding offers employment to various individuals in Benin City, Nigeria. The primary school teachers are usually located around mechanic workshops, motor spare-parts markets and along major highways where they establish privately owned small-scale workshops with about primary school teachers per workshop. They have no form of organised occupational health service.

Employment of safety measures and practices among primary school teachers are important ways of preventing or reducing the levels of health hazards associated with the occupation. It is therefore pertinent to assess the level of awareness of these hazards among primary school teachers and the safety measures and practices they adopt to safeguard their health, with a view

to making recommendations on ways of ameliorating the effect of the hazards.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To find out how much, the primary school teachers knew about radiation hazard.

2. To know if they actually practice radiation protection.

3. To identify the basic principle of radiation protection.

4. To assess the knowledge and awareness of radiation among primary school teachers in Nigeria.

5. To examine the extent of eye protection practices and symptoms among primary school teachers in the Nigeria.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. How much does primary school teachers knew about radiation hazard?

2. Does primary school teachers actually practice radiation protection?

3. What are the basic principle of radiation protection?

4. Do welder in Nigeria have full knowledge and awareness of radiation practice?