Penelitian dilakukan pada seorang pekerja las di pabrik semen PT. X Jawa Barat yang dirasakan kurang mendapat perhatian khusus untuk kesehatan dan keselamatan kerjanya karena jumlahnya yang sedikit. Tujuan penelitian untuk mendapatkan informasi mengenai pajanan spesifik pada tenaga kerja pengelas, keluhan dan faktor lain yang turut berpengaruh pada terjadinya gangguan saluran napas pada seorang pekerja las. Penelitian menggunakan desain studi kasus dan data dikumpulkan dari analisis status, pemeriksaan fisik,penunjang dan lingkungan. Hasil penelitian didapatkan kasus tenaga kerja, masa kerja 22 tahun dengan keluhan saluran napas yang mendapat pajanan secara kronik oleh gas dan debu/uap logam hasil proses pengelasan. Konsentrasi gas CO, N02 akibat proses pengelasan di bawah NAB, debuluap logam konsentrasinya 3-8 kali di atas NAB, fisik dan radiologis talc ada kelainan, gangguan fungsi paru campuran obstruksi sedang dan restriksi sedang. Faktor lain yang turut berpengaruh, minimalnya ventilasi di lokasi kerja, kepatuhan penggunaan alat pelindung diri dan kebiasaan merokok. Diagnosis akhir penelitian yaitu bronkitis kronik akibat kerja yang disertai asma yang masih reversibel akibat pajanan debu logam.

---

Disorder of the Respiratory Tract of Welding Labor, a Case Study at PT X, a Cement Plant in West Java, 1997Research was conducted on a welder at the cement plant of PT X, West Jawa, a company which is felt to lack the special attention required on work health and work safety, because of the small number of welding workers. The objective of the study is to obtain information on specific exposure on welding labor, complaints and other factors that seem to contribute to the occurrence of disorder in the respiratory tract of a welder. The research uses the design of a case study approach and the data had been collected from analysis of status, physical examination, supporting methods and the environment.

Result of the research concerns the study of a worker with 22 years of work period, with complaints in the respiratory tract who is chronically exposed to gas and metal dust/fume from the welding process. The concentration of CO, N02 due to the welding process is below NAB, metal dust/fume concentration 3 to 8 times above NAB, physically and radiologically no disorder; disorder of the mixed lung function moderate obstruction and restriction also moderate.

Other factors that contribute to the effect are minimal ventilation at work place, discipline in the use of self protection devices and smoking habit. The final diagnosis indicates chronic bronchitis due to work, which is accompanied by asthma that is still reversible due to the metal dust exposure.