Respiratory Health Assessment Among Wood Furniture Workers in Ondo State

Exposure to wood dust in furniture manufacturing is an established occupational risk factor for several respiratory conditions, including occupational asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and nasal cancer. This study assessed respiratory health status and associated risk factors among wood furniture workers in Akure, Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, 155 workers from registered furniture workshops were recruited through cluster sampling. Spirometric lung function tests were performed alongside administration of the British Medical Research Council Respiratory Questionnaire. Dust concentration levels were measured using a personal sampling pump and filter collection method. Results showed that 56.8 percent of respondents had spirometric abnormalities, predominantly a restrictive pattern, and 44.5 percent reported chronic respiratory symptoms including persistent cough, wheezing, and breathlessness on exertion. Dust concentrations exceeded the permissible exposure limit of 5 mg/m cubed in 68.4 percent of sampled workshops. Duration of employment, non-use of respiratory protection, and workshop ventilation status were the strongest predictors of lung function impairment. Respiratory protective equipment was used by only 21.3 percent of workers. The study concludes that wood dust exposure in Ondo State furniture workshops constitutes a significant occupational health risk requiring urgent dust control interventions, respiratory health surveillance, and enforcement of ventilation standards. Keywords: wood dust, respiratory health, spirometry, furniture workers, Ondo State.