scholarly journals Occupational risk factors associated with respiratory symptoms among tannery workers in Mojo town, Southeast Ethiopia, 2018: a comparative cross-sectional study

Author(s):  
Innawu Dalju ◽  
Awrajaw Dessie ◽  
Laekemariame Bogale ◽  
Tesfaye Hambisa Mekonnen

Introduction: Work-related respiratory diseases (WRDs) account for 10–20% of all chronic respiratory illnesses affecting hundreds of millions of people of all ages. Tannery industries are often associated with hazardous working conditions favourable for respiratory conditions. However, information about the prevalence and occupational factors that predispose to respiratory symptoms is meagre in Ethiopia. This study aimed to investigate the magnitude and risk factors associated with work-related respiratory symptoms among tannery industry workers in Mojo town, Ethiopia. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2018. A total of 602 (299 exposed to tannery factories) and 303 unexposed (civil servants) were included using the stratified sampling method. The British Medical Research Council (BMRC) questionnaire was pretested and interviewer-administered for data collection. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with respiratory symptoms. The significance of associations was ascertained at a < 0.05 p and adjusted odds ratio with a 95% CI was computed to evaluate the strength of associations. Results: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among exposed workers was 27.1% [95% CI (21.7, 32.1)] and 8.3% [95% CI (5.3, 11.6)] among unexposed workers in the previous 12 months and the prevalence was significantly different (X2 = 36.82; p < 0. 00001). The odds of developing respiratory symptoms was 3.37 times higher among tannery workers than unexposed workers [AOR: 3.37; 95% CI (1.71, 6.46)]. Female sex [AOR:1.80; 95% CI (1.24, 3.34)], temporarily workers [AOR = 3.43; 95% CI (2.63, 7.95)], working in a poorly ventilated working unit [AOR = 1.88; 95% CI (1.22, 3.98)], absence of occupational health and safety training [AOR = 2.37; 95% CI (1.14, 4.92)], and not using personal protective equipment [AOR = 2.30; 95% CI (1.25, 3.46)] were significant factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was higher among exposed workers compared to unexposed ones. Sex, employment status, ventilation of working units, absence of occupational health and safety training, and not using personal protective equipment were the factors associated with occupational-related respiratory symptoms. Strategies targeting health and safety training, creating awareness on the use of personal protective equipment, and improving workplace conditions, like the provision of adequate ventilation are useful means for assuaging the condition.

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-159
Author(s):  
Anup Ghimire ◽  
Shyam Sundar Budhathoki ◽  
Surya Raj Niraula ◽  
Abha Shrestha ◽  
Paras K Pokharel

Background: Injuries are a problem worldwide in all occupations. Welders are exposed to many hazards at work resulting in a variety of health problems including injuries at work. This study was conducted to find out the prevalence and factors associated with injuries among welders in Dharan city of eastern Nepal.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 86 welders in Dharan city. Occurrence of injury in past 2 weeks and past 12 months were recorded. Data regarding sociodemographic along with occupational characteristics was collected using semi structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17.Results: All the welders in this study were male with almost half of the welders under the age of 25 years and about a fifth (21.1%) of the welders having received some form of welding training. In the past 12 months, 21.1% of the welders suffered from work related injuries. More than 95% welders used at least one personal protective equipment in this study. More injuries were seen among welders with age ≥35 years, working experience ≥ 5 years, not received training and not using of PPE at work. However, these factors were not found to be statistically significant.Conclusions: Work related injuries are high among welders of Dharan. Further research is required to explore the relationship between age, literacy, training and use of personal protective equipment with the occurrence of injuries among the welders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Karl Kafui Kwaku Tetteh ◽  
Richard Owusu ◽  
Wisdom Kudzo Axame

Background. Eye injuries are one of the most common work-related injuries among certain occupations, including welders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors influencing eye injuries among welders in Accra, Ghana. Methods. In a cross-sectional study, we recruited 382 welders in Accra from two welding sites. Systematic sampling was used to select participants. A pretested semistructured questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, history of eye injuries, ownership, and use of eye protective equipment and workplace characteristics. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions at 5% level of significance were used to determine factors influencing eye injuries. Data were entered into Microsoft excel and exported to Stata 16/MP for analysis. Results. We found 59.7% of welders engaged in electric/arc welding and 40.3% in gas welding. Overall prevalence of eye injuries was 47.9%, higher among electric/arc welders (73.7%) compared to gas welders (9.7%). Factors associated with eye injuries were engaging in gas welding [AOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.04–0.16], higher monthly income [AOR = 5.26; 95% CI: 1.72–16.09], nonuse of eye PPE while working [AOR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.02–3.43], and no training on the use of eye personal protective equipment [AOR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.07–4.38]. Conclusion. There is high prevalence of welding-related eye injuries among electric welders. Gas welding, high monthly income, nonuse of eye protective equipment, and inadequate training on the use of eye protective equipment were significantly associated with eye injuries. Health policies should be implemented to ensure all welders use eye personal protective equipment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
Friska Ayu ◽  
Muslikha Nourma R ◽  
Merry Sunaryo

Along with the rapid development of industry encourages the increasing use of machinery, work equipment in the process of produsi with accompanied the application of techniques and technology from various levels in all sector. This means that there maybe a high risk of accidents due to work and also an increase in the amount of intensity of hazard sources in the workplace. Using of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the final stage of hazard control, although the use of PPE will be maximized if other controls such as elimination, substitution, enginee was already applied. This research was conducted at PT.XYZ which is one of the companies engaged in the delivery of goods through sea lanes located in Tanjung Perak, Surabaya by using analytical observational method with a cross sectional study design with a total sample of 38 people. The characteristics of the respondents and the level of compliance with the use of PPE were obtained from interviews with mechanicalworkers in the workshop area. From the results of interviews conducted, as many as 24 mechanical workers obedient in using PPE and 14 others are not obedient in using PPE. The result of statistical test using chi square test shows that there is correlation between knowledge level (p = 0,002) with level of compliance of PPE usage on mechanical worker in workshop area. Advisable for workers to further improve compliance and self-awareness in using personal protective equipment (APD) whileworking or while in the work environment because its relates to the personal health and safety of workers. For the company should be more firm in supervising the worker in this case about the habit of using personal protective equipment in accordance with the policy set.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Izudi ◽  
Viola Ninsiima ◽  
John Bosco Alege

Background. 270 million workplace accidents occur annually. In Uganda, Kampala district has the highest workplace injury and fatality rates. However, information on personal protective equipment (PPE)—hand gloves, hardhats, overalls, safety boots, earplugs, safety harness with lanyard, and face shields—utilization among building construction workers remains scarce. We assessed PPE utilization and determinants among building construction workers in Kampala, Uganda. Methods. This cross-sectional study involved 385 respondents. Data collected by structured questionnaire was double-entered in EpiData and analyzed in STATA at 5% significance level. Independent determinants of PPE use were established by a stepwise backward logistic regression analysis. Results. 305 (79.2%) respondents were males, 290 (75.3%) were 18–30 years, 285 (74.0%) completed secondary education, and 197 (51.2%) were temporary employees. 60 (15.6%) respondents used PPE. Female sex (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.64; 95% CI: 1.55–28.46; P=0.011), temporary (AOR = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01–0.27; P<0.001) and casual (AOR = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.001–0.071; P<0.001) employment, and previous knowledge of safety measures (AOR = 100.72; 95% CI: 26.00–390.16; P<0.001) were associated with PPE use. Conclusion. PPE use was low in Kampala, Uganda. Building construction companies should implement measures of the Uganda Occupational Health and Safety Act.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-23
Author(s):  
Bibeka Shrestha ◽  
Naresh Manandhar ◽  
Sunil Kumar Joshi

Background: Fabrication work is one of the hazardous occupations in which workers are exposed to different occupational hazards and injuries. But the workers lack proper knowledge about protecting themselves from those hazards. This study was conducted, to assess knowledge about occupational health hazards among fabrication workers and to find out the practice of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in fabrication works. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 394 fabricator workers of Kathmandu District by using a multi-stage sampling technique. Participants were interviewed with a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: All the participants were male, and their age ranged from 19-60 years with the mean age of 32.3 years. 71.3% of participants had work-related health complains, among which arc eye (85.76%) was the most common. Among them, 87.1% had at least used one PPE. There was a significant association between awareness about occupational hazards and work experience of fabrication workers (p=0.001), and the practice of PPE with religion (p<0.01). Conclusions: This study found that fabrication workers were aware of occupational hazards and the use of PPE during the fabrication work. But the practice of PPE was not enough to protect them from the occupational hazards.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
Friska Ayu ◽  
Muslikha Nourma R ◽  
Merry Sunaryo

Along with the rapid development of industry encourages the increasing use of machinery, work equipment in the process of produsi with accompanied the application of techniques and technology from various levels in all sector. This means that there maybe a high risk of accidents due to work and also an increase in the amount of intensity of hazard sources in the workplace. Using of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the final stage of hazard control, although the use of PPE will be maximized if other controls such as elimination, substitution, enginee was already applied. This research was conducted at PT.XYZ which is one of the companies engaged in the delivery of goods through sea lanes located in Tanjung Perak, Surabaya by using analytical observational method with a cross sectional study design with a total sample of 38 people. The characteristics of the respondents and the level of compliance with the use of PPE were obtained from interviews with mechanical workers in the workshop area. From the results of interviews conducted, as many as 24 mechanical workers obedient in using PPE and 14 others are not obedient in using PPE. The result of statistical test using chi square test shows that there is correlation between knowledge level (p = 0,002) with level of compliance of PPE usage on mechanical worker in workshop area. Advisable for workers to further improve compliance and self-awareness in using personal protective equipment (APD) while working or while in the work environment because its relates to the personal health and safety of workers. For the company should be more firm in supervising the worker in this case about the habit of using personal protective equipment in accordance with the policy set.


Author(s):  
Abate Lette ◽  
Musa Kumbi ◽  
Abduljewad Hussen ◽  
Shemsu Nuriye

Introduction: An occupational injury is the primary cause of workplace absenteeism, disability, retirement, mutilation, and mortality. Therefore, injuries in the workplace pose major public health and developmental problems especially in developing countries. Therefore, the present study identified the prevalence of injury and its determinants among building construction employees in Robe town, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among building construction employees in Robe town from March 01-25/2017. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The data was entered into EPiData 3.1and analysed by using SPSS version 20 software. Face to face interview was conducted on 402 respondents using structured and pretested questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the effect of explanatory variables on injuries. Results: The overall prevalence of injury among building construction employees was 39.2% [95 % CI: (34.4, 44.2)] in the past one year. The three leading causes of injuries were falls from the same level (38.5%), followed by injuries caused by movable or falling object (23.1%), and falls from elevation (13.4%). Being male, use of personal protective equipment, health and safety training, regular supervision and job satisfaction were factors significantly associated with injury. Conclusion: This study reported a relatively higher prevalence of injury among building construction workers compared to other studies. Factors such as being male, working without using personal protective equipment, absence of health and safety trainings, lack of regular supervision and job dissatisfaction were associated with significantly higher levels of occupational injury among construction workers. Therefore, employers should focus on providing safety training, promoting use of personal protective equipment during work, regular workplace supervision, and satisfying their employees by creating good work environments and working situations to reduce the rate of occupational injury.


2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (suppl 2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela de Mendonça Figueirêdo Coelho ◽  
Viviane Mamede Vasconcelos Cavalcante ◽  
Juliano Teixeira Moraes ◽  
Luciana Catunda Gomes de Menezes ◽  
Sarah Vieira Figueirêdo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the prevalence and factors associated with pressure injuries related to the use of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted using an instrument made available in social networks with 1,106 health professionals. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared, considering pvalue < 0.05. Results: There was a prevalence of 69.4% for pressure injuries related to the use of personal protective equipment, with an average of 2.4 injuries per professional. The significant factors were: under 35 years of age, working and wearing personal protective equipment for more than six hours a day, in hospital units, and without the use of inputs for protection. Conclusion: Pressure injuries related to the use of medical devices showed a high prevalence in this population. The recognition of the damage in these professionals makes it possible to advance in prevention strategies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 499-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hloni Nkomo ◽  
Ivan Niranjan ◽  
Poovendhree Reddy

Forestry work is generally characterized by a combination of personal and environmental risks in health and safety. Employers need to ensure intensive and continuous safety training to mitigate these risks; however, the efficacy of this training is seldom evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of health and safety training in reducing injuries and improving knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward safety among forestry workers in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 harvesting contract workers employed at a forestry company in KZN. A questionnaire to assess the efficiency of health and safety training was administered. In addition, a retrospective review of the injury register and medical records of employees who sustained work-related injuries from 2009 to 2013 was completed. The company injury data for harvesting contractors reported 68 lost-time injuries during postcommencement of training. Slip, trip, and fall injuries were the most reported cause of injuries, particularly among manual harvesters. Respondents who were male, younger in age, and with less experience had an increased risk of occupational injury. Most participants displayed adequate knowledge of safety and were able to translate training into practice. The health and safety training initiative was successful in reducing injuries and increasing workers’ awareness of, and responsibility for, health and safety issues.


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