Sponge iron plant workers are exposed to excessive dust at raw material handling section, fumes emitted during the burning process, and to the noise generated throughout till the formation of final product poured in moulds to form sponge iron.

Objective The study was done to compare the respiratory, auditory and visual impairment among the workers exposed to the dust, fumes and noise with those less likely to be exposed to these hazards in the same work place.

Methods The present study was carried out among all the 578 workers in a sponge iron plant in Goa. The spirometry, audiometry and the near and far vision findings were obtained from the routine annual medical examination records for the year 2019. Data was analyzed to compare the morbidity among the exposed group (n=359) i.e., the workers directly exposed to dust, fumes and noise with those less likely to be exposed (n=219) i.e., the executives and the office staff working in closed air-conditioned offices segregated from the site of hazards.

Results Respiratory impairment among those exposed to dust and fumes was 1.6 times higher than the unexposed. The hearing impairment among those exposed to noise was 1.8 times higher than the unexposed. The impairment in near vision in the exposed was 1.3 times higher than the non-exposed whereas the impairment in far vision was 1.3 times higher among the non-exposed as compared to the exposed.

Conclusions The impairment in respiration and hearing which is higher among the workers exposed to dust, fumes and noise at the workplace shows a need for future research to study if all safety measures are strictly adhered to. The impairment in near vision which was higher among the exposed workers needs detailed investigations into the cause and association with the working environment, if any.