Poor Knowledge About Asbestos Hazard and Bad Work Behaviors Among Indonesian Asbestos-Exposed Workers

Introduction: Asbestos has been used worldwide but it is currently banned in some countries due to its carcinogenic effects. Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) are still produced in Indonesia, therefore asbestos becomes a potential occupational hazard for Indonesian workers handling ACMs. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated workers’ knowledge about asbestos hazard and observed workers’ behaviour on handling the ACMs. The subjects were acquired from two asbestos factories; 34 male-workers from PT. A and 56 maleworkers from PT. B. Data were collected using questionnaires to assess workers’ knowledge and an observation sheet to identify workers’ behaviour. The score of knowledge in each groups were compared using t-test, while the proportion of knowledge level and the result of work-behaviour observation were elaborated descriptively. Results: Most PT.A workers had poor knowledge about asbestos hazard, whereas only few PT.B workers had it (52.9% vs. 25%). We found there was no statistically significant difference on respondents’ score of knowledge between these groups (p 0.45). Surprisingly, the workers’ behavior in both groups were identically bad; none workers in both groups wore appropriate masks and particular uniforms. Moreover, smoking habit—An attributable risk to health damage caused by asbestos exposure, was found among respondents (64.7% of PT.A workers and 41.1% of PT.B workers). Conclusion: Indonesian workers had poor knowledge about asbestos hazard resulting in bad work-behaviours on handling ACMs. It is necessary to develop activities to increase the asbestos hazard awareness among workers so that they can apply good work-behaviour on handling ACMs.