Welding poses significant ocular hazards in Nepal’s industrial settings; however, data on trauma prevalence and protective barriers remain limited. This cross-sectional study conducted in 2024 assessed the burden of ocular trauma, personal protective equipment (PPE) practices, and associated risk factors among 111 welders in Hetauda, Nepal. Comprehensive eye examinations and structured interviews revealed a high ocular trauma prevalence of 62.16%, primarily caused by metal chips (60.87%) and flames (37.84%). Although 78.39% of welders reported using PPE, 72.97% relied on non-certified sunglasses, and only 1.80% used certified protective goggles. Key barriers to appropriate PPE use included the absence of workplace mandates (62.50%) and a belief that protection was unnecessary (64.52%). Significant risk factors for trauma included male gender, lack of safety training (43.48%), and age between 46 and 60 years. Common ocular morbidities were corneal opacity (20.72%) and conjunctival congestion (10.36%), with only 8.11% of welders using prescription safety eyewear. Despite reported PPE usage, the continued high rate of ocular trauma highlights deficiencies in equipment quality and training. Mandating certified eye protection (e.g., shade-10 filters), enforcing workplace safety policies, and integrating occupational health education are critical steps for preventing eye injuries in Nepal’s industrial sector.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was funded by Everest Parenterals, Nepal (https://everest-hcg.com/). Author ST (Sunil Thakali) received this funding. The funder had no role in study design,data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (IRC) of Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (Ref. No. 07/2024) on April 22, 2024. All participants were informed about the study, and informed consent was obtained. The study adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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