Hazards associated with the boat building industry in New Zealand: an OSH audit.

Aim: To randomly audit the boat building industry in New Zealand to assess the occupational health status and level of knowledge of employees.

Methods: A survey was conducted using a nurse and inspector administered questionnaire. 151 workers from 120 randomly selected firms participated in the survey.

Results: 31.5% respondents thought they had had some sort of work related health problem since working in that job. 22% reported wheezing during the last twelve months. 14-16% met criteria for occupational causation, and 4% met a measure of severe wheezing related to work. 25.6% of workers had dermatitis. Only a quarter of these met criteria for occupational causation. No respondents reported symptoms suggestive of chronic solvent neurotoxicity. Solvents and epoxy resins comprised the majority of chemicals with which there was contact. Observation suggested little use of Material Safety Data Sheets as a source of knowledge about toxicity of the chemicals used. Although 94.3% reported wearing gloves, this did not correlate with numbers reporting dermatitis suggesting non-compliance or glove failure.

Conclusion: New Zealand boat builders and their employees remain at risk for occupational health problems by virtue of their employment.