Knowledge of Respiratory Disorders among Petrol Pump Workers in Erbil City

Objectives: Exposure to gases and vapors of volatile organic compounds is one of the factors affecting the health of workers in the oil industry. This study was conducted to determine the level of awareness of respiratory disorders in gas station workers in the city of Erbil, Iraq.Methods: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive design. This study was conducted in all (146) gas stations under the management of the Ministry of Natural Resources in Erbil city. To collect data were used a checklist made by the researcher was used, which includes three sections Socio-demographical characteristics, a Questionnaire to assess the knowledge of workers regarding respiratory morbidities, and Peak Flow Metry to assess Peak Flow Rate.Result: This study shows that almost all pump worker stations have moderate knowledge. Inhaling pollutants, overcrowding, oil fumes, continuous exposure to pollutants, respiratory problems. Bronchial asthma was named the most common respiratory disease. Cough and wheezing were mentioned as the first symptoms. People believe that changing the workplace of employees is an advantage of timely diagnosis and treatment, and long-term exposure to these pollutants causes lung diseases. There were highly significant differences between the mean of Peak Flow Metry with Marital Status and having covid-19 before (p<0.0001).Conclusion: It was proved that the awareness of respiratory disorders among fuel-filling workers in gas stations are influenced by many factors including demographic and environmental variables. It was also proven that workers used poor protective measures despite their knowledge of the adverse health effects of gasoline.