Abstract
BackgroundRefuse collectors are at a high risk for fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents. This is more intensified in developing countries, like Ethiopia, due to physically demanding nature of the job. However, information on occupational injuries and related factors are almost non-existent in Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of occupational injuries and its associated factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among municipal solid waste collectors in four zones of Amhara region from February to May 2015. Computer generated simple random sampling technique was used to select the samples. Interviewer administrated questionnaires were used for the data collection process. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between outcome variables and explanatory variables.ResultsIn this study, the annual prevalence of at least one occupational injury among solid waste workers was 34.3 % (95 % CI: 29.52, 39.10). Of these, 50.7 % of them were visited health facility to receive health care. The independent predictors of at least one occupational injury were shorter service years, low monthly salary, history of job related stress, and sleeping disturbance related to the job. Being illiterate, having lower monthly income, and those who reported sleeping disturbance were significantly and positively associated with severe occupational injuries of solid waste collectors.ConclusionThe magnitude of occupational injuries among municipal solid waste collectors is lower than other similar studies conducted in Ethiopia. Based on the finding of this and other studies, job rotation among work components, improvement of employees’ income, job specific guideline regarding maximum production limits, and replacement of bags and bins with wheeled containers are an interventions expected to cope with the problem. There is also a need of specific periodic health surveillance (PHS) for refuse collectors to detect early signs of work related complaints and to monitor work ability.
Highlights
Refuse collectors are at a high risk for fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents
Study design A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the prevalence of occupational injuries and its associated factors among municipal solid waste collectors in four zones of Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia
From all variables entered in the final multivariable model fitted for severe occupational injuries, sleeping disturbance related to the job, monthly salary, and literacy level were remained significant after adjusting for other independent factors
Summary
Refuse collectors are at a high risk for fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents This is more intensified in developing countries, like Ethiopia, due to physically demanding nature of the job. Occupational injury is any physical injury conditions sustained on a worker in connection with the performance of his or her work [1] It poses a major public health problem and are a source of substantial human and economic cost in both developed and developing countries [2, 3]. Despite waste collection has been contributing greatly to human health by reducing the risk of several infectious diseases, workers are at a high risk for fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents [8]. The collection system is labor-intensive, workers have less protection, most waste is not safely contained in readily lift able load sizes, recycling are conducted from mixed waste, many waste pickers are children or women of child-bearing age, disposal is by open dumping, disposal equipment operators are not in closed air conditioned cabs [12, 16, 17]
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