Prevalence Of Occupational Injuries Research Articles

Occupational injury prevalence and predictors among small-scale sawmill workers in the Sokoban Wood Village, Kumasi, Ghana.

Sawmill workers are at increased risk of occupational injuries due to their exposure to workplace hazards. However, little is known about the burden of occupational injuries among them in Ghana. Understanding its prevalence and associated factors is necessary to design appropriate interventions to improve workers' health and safety. This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among small-scale sawmill workers at Sokoban Wood Village, Kumasi. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 small-scale sawmill workers from December 2020 to January 2021. Data was collected on demographic and work-related characteristics including age, sex, personal protective equipment (PPE), workspace design, and lighting. The primary outcome was the prevalence of occupational injuries in the 12 months preceding the survey. Logistic regression method was used to assess for independent predictors of occupational injuries, and associations were deemed statistically significant at p < 0.05. Approximately 66.7% of the workers experienced occupational injuries within the 12 months preceding the study. Cuts (69.6%) were the most commonly reported injuries. Injuries were mainly caused by machine parts/sharp objects (47.8%) and being hit by logs/objects (46.8%). Only 40.7% of the workers reported always using PPE while legs (38.0%) and hands (37.0%) were the most common body parts injured. The worker's monthly income, poor workspace design and poor lighting had increased odds of occupational injuries while an increase in age was associated with a 5% decreased odds of occupational injuries. The prevalence of occupational injuries among the sawmill workers at the Sokoban Wood Village was high, and this calls for prioritization of health and safety at the workplace. Essential measures required include improvements in the safety of machine tools, workspace design and lighting.

Prevalence and associated factors of occupational injuries in an industrial city in Ghana.

Workers are exposed to workplace hazards which increase their risk of occupational injury. Data on occupational injuries and associated factors are important for planning and informing national policy regarding workplace health and safety. This study sought to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among workers in an industrial city in Ghana. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 459 workers in the Tema industrial enclave in Ghana from 22nd December 2020 to 27th February 2021. Participants were recruited using a two-stage sampling technique. Eight communities were randomly selected from twenty-five communities in the first stage while households in each community were randomly selected in the second stage. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, occupational health and safety and occupational injuries were collected. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between occupational injuries and associated factors. The mean age of the workers was 33.9 (±6.8) years with a range of 21-53 while over 18.1% of them were working at the Port and Harbour. The prevalence of occupational injury among the workers in the preceding twelve months was 64.7%. The mechanism of injury was mainly the use of working tools (45.8%) and hot surfaces, substances or chemicals (14.1%). Being a casual staff (AOR: 2.26, 95%CI: 1.04-4.92), working at Port and Harbour (AOR: 3.77, 95%CI: 1.70-8.39), no health and safety training (AOR: 2.18, 95%CI: 1.08-4.39), dissatisfaction with health and safety measures (AOR: 4.31, 95%CI: 2.12-8.78) and tertiary education (AOR: 0.03, 95%CI: 0.01-0.10) were significantly associated with occupational injuries. The prevalence of occupational injuries in this study was high. Promoting machine tools' safety, health and safety training, and satisfaction with health and safety measures through rewarding workers who do not sustain injuries could be key to employees' health and safety.

Occupational Injury and Factors Associated among Employees in Heineken Brewery Share Company, Harar Brewery Share Company, and Awash Wine Share Company, Ethiopia

Occupational injury is a serious global public health issue that causes morbidity, disability, and fatality at work. The food and beverage processing business has the most significant rate of occupational injuries, making it the most dangerous occupation among industrial industries. Various labor hazards have been reported to beverage workers. Against this background, the objective of the research was to assess the magnitude and predictors of occupational injury among employees in the beverage industry in Harar and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at a beverage factory, with 675 respondents chosen randomly. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with key informants. The data was analyzed using Epi-Data statistical software and SPSS. Multiple logistic analysis, descriptive analysis, binary logistic, and crude logistic regression analysis were used. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The occupational injury rate is 20.9%, with fingers and hands being the most common type of trauma. Sleeping difficulties, contract employment status, and technical field work are associated with injuries. 28-34-year-olds are 55% less likely, and one year of experience is 85% less likely. Challenges include inconsistent safety measures and a lack of organizational commitment, especially for contract workers. The prevalence of occupational injuries among beverage industry employees was high. Technical departments, contract employment, and the prevalence of sleeping problems were revealed to be risk factors for occupational injuries. At the same time, one year of experience and the age range of 28–34 were found to be protective. Among the study participants, difficulties such as poor use of personal protective equipment and a lack of a consistent supply of personal protective equipment were noticed. As a result, firms must increase occupational safety measures, such as providing and replenishing personal protective equipment, focusing on contract employees.

Compliance with Standard Occupational Health and Safety Measures and Associated Factors Among Small-Scale Metal Industry Workers in Central Ethiopia.

Compliance with workplace health and safety measures can result in considerable reduction in workplace injuries and fatalities and attributed economic costs. However, majority of studies conducted in small-scale industries in numerous countries, including Ethiopia focused on the prevalence of occupational injuries and there is a paucity of evidence on level of employees' adherence to safety measures and the associated factors. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess workers' compliance and factors associated with occupational health and safety practices in small-scale metal industries in Central Ethiopia. This study was conducted in Central Ethiopia. A total of 415 small-scale metal workers were included in this study. Study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The collected data were entered using EPI Info version 7.2 and exported to IBM-SPSS Version 22 for further cleaning and analysis. Bivariate and multivariate Binary Logistic Regression were conducted to determine association and during the multivariable regression variables with a p-value <0.05 were considered significantly associated factors. The study found a 39.3% (95% CI: 34.7, 44.1) prevalence of good compliance with safety and health measures among small-scale metal workers. Temporary employed workers were less likely to adhere [AOR=0.43, 95% CI (0.21, 0.93)] and workers who received training were more likely to adhere [AOR=5.75, 95% CI (2.56, 12.9)] to safety precautions. Other significantly associated variables included work experience, working at night, and satisfaction with the current salary. This study sheds light on small-scale metal workers' commitment to workplace safety and health procedures, indicating a compliance rate of 39.3%, which is low. Temporary employees and less experienced workers are less likely to follow health and safety precautions. Workplace health and safety training are associated with increased safety precautions.

Prevalence of occupational injuries among construction workers in Karachi, Pakistan

Prevalence of occupational injuries among construction workers in Karachi, Pakistan

Occupational injuries and risk assessment among stone crushing industry workers: a cross-sectional study.

The prevalence of occupational injuries among blue-collar workers is higher in the stone-crushing industries due to high-risk and iterant nature of the work. These occupational injuries, in turn, caused workers' ill health, as well as death, which eventually diminish the gross domestic product. We aimed at assessing the attributes of occupational injuries and the risk associated with the hazards in the stone-crushing industry. This study utilized a questionnaire base cross-sectional survey that was conducted from September 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected from 32 stone-crushing factories of Eastern Bangladesh and analyzed to show their relationship with different variables. The risk levels associated with the frequent hazardous events were measured using a Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment Matrix. Most of the injuries were found to occur between 12:00 and 16:00h. Nearly a fifth of the injuries were serious or critical in nature, caused the workers to be absent at least a week. Exposure to excessive dust, working without personal protective equipment (PPE), and improper lifting and handling techniques caused one-third of injuries. Wrist and hand/fingers, back and lower back, feet/toe, eye, knee, arm, neck and head, and ankle were found as most injured body parts. The primary cause of most injuries was the workers' failure to use PPE. All major hazardous events were found to possess a high-risk level. Our finding suggests that stone crushing is one of the most hazardous industries and the practitioners must consider the findings when implementing a risk avoidance policy.

Prevalence and determinants of occupational injuries among emergency medical technicians in Northern Ghana.

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the primary providers of prehospital emergency medical services. The operations of EMTs increase their risks of being exposed to occupational injuries. However, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence of occupational injuries among EMTs in sub-Saharan Africa. This study, therefore, sought to estimate the prevalence and determinants of occupational injuries among EMTs in the northern part of Ghana. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 154 randomly recruited EMTs in the northern part of Ghana. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' demographic characteristics, facility-related factors, personal protective equipment use, and occupational injuries. Binary and multivariate logistic regression analyses with a backward stepwise approach were used to examine the determinants of occupational injuries among EMTs. In the 12 months preceding data collection, the prevalence of occupational injuries among EMTs was 38.6%. Bruises (51.8%), and sprains/strains (14.3%) were the major types of injuries reported among the EMTs. The key determinants of occupational injury among EMTs were male sex (AOR: 3.39, 95%CI: 1.41-8.17), an absence of a health and safety committee at the workplace (AOR: 3.92, 95%CI: 1.63-9.43), absence of health and safety policy at the workplace (AOR: 2.76, 95%CI: 1.26-6.04) and dissatisfaction with health and safety measures at the workplace (AOR: 2.51, 95%CI: 1.10-5.71). In the twelve months before to the data collection for this study, the prevalence of occupational injuries among EMTs of the Ghana National Ambulance Service was high. The creation of health and safety committees, the creation of health and safety rules, and the strengthening of current health and safety procedures for EMTs are all possible ways to lessen this.

Prevalence of Occupational Injuries in selected Coir Industries in Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: The coir industry processes fibers from coconuts and is important for a high number of people in Sri Lanka. Coir workers handle several dangerous machines. This project has studied occupational injuries among coir workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in six medium-sized coir industries in Sri Lanka, each with 15-100 employees. The workers who were present at work on the two days the researchers visited the respective industries (128 of total 214 workers) were interviewed on socio-demographics, work tasks they normally perform and occupational injuries they had experienced in the last three months. Independent T-tests and Chi-square tests were used to analyze for differences between groups. Results: The mean age of the 128 interviewed workers was 45 years and 53.9% were male. Totally 34 (26.6%) of the workers had experienced at least one injury each during the past three months. Women reported significantly more injuries than men (38.9% vs 15.9%). The workers operating machines reported significantly more injuries than workers who performed other types of work (42.3% vs 22.0%). Slipped, tripped, and fall (64%) were the most common events of injury seen among the injured workers followed by cuts by sharp objects or machines (20%). The most common type of injury among the workers reporting injuries were cuts and bruises (50%). Conclusion: More than one-fourth of the workers reported to have been injured in the last three months, indicating a high injury risk. This raises concerns and highlights the need for preventative measures to minimize risks.

Occupational injuries and contributing factors among industry park construction workers in Northwest Ethiopia.

Construction business is currently the second greatest source of injuries in Ethiopia after automotive accidents, with a risk of fatality that is five times higher than that of other industrial sectors. To establish measures for injury prevention, it is crucial to assess the severity of occupational injuries and identify the variables that contribute to them. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and factors associated with occupational injuries among Bure Industrial Park construction workers, Northwest Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 372 construction workers at Bure Industrial Park. The study participants were selected using a simple random sampling method. The data were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and work environment observation using structured checklist. In the descriptive statistic, frequencies, proportion, and mean were calculated and the results of the analysis were presented in text and tables. The bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify independent factors having associations with the occurrence of occupational injury. The overall prevalence of occupational injuries among Bure industrial park construction workers was 39.4%, 95%C.I (34.4%-44.4%). Factors such as sex (being male) [AOR = 1.74, 95%CI (1.02-2.97)], being married [AOR = 2.79, 95%CI (1.50-5.17)], no use of personal protective equipment [AOR = 1.67, 95%CI (1.12-2.85)], no training on occupational safety [AOR = 1.45, 95%CI (1.06-2.98)], and not satisfied with the job [AOR = 5.97, 95%CI (3.48-10.2)] were the factors associated with occupational injuries. The finding shows the public health importance of occupational injury among construction workers in the study area. Numerous factors have been linked to workplace injuries, including sex, marital status, the usage of personal protection equipment, training in occupational safety, and job satisfaction. As a result, in order to lower the rate of occupational injury, employers should prioritize offering safety training, encouraging the use of personal protective equipment while working, conducting routine workplace inspections, and ensuring that their staff members are happy at work by providing comfortable workspaces.

Occupational Injuries and Associated Factors Among Municipal Solid Waste Collectors in Harar Town, Eastern Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study.

Background:Municipal solid waste collection is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world since it exposes the workers involved to occupational hazards and predisposes them to certain occupation-related morbidities. Occupational injuries among municipal solid waste collectors have not been adequately addressed or reported in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational injuries and associated factors among municipal solid waste collectors in Harar Town, Ethiopia.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia from May 25, 2021 to June 25, 2021. Three hundred eighty-nine (389) municipal solid waste collectors were selected using a simple random sampling method. A self-administered structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to collect the data. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the association between independent variables and the outcome variable. A P-value of <.05 was considered as a cut-off point for statistical significance.Results:The current study found that about 60.4% of municipal solid waste collectors were exposed to occupational injuries. Furthermore, the study found a statistically significant association between the prevalence of occupational injuries and having a primary education [AOR = 0.10, 95% CI (0.03-0.38)], a secondary education [AOR = 0.04, 95% CI (0.03-0.45)], work experience [AOR = 5.975, (95% CI (2.01-17.75)], the use of personal protective equipment [AOR = 0.09, (95% CI: 0.02-0.46)], and training [AOR = 0.10, 95% CI (0.03-0.30)].Conclusions:The current study found that more than three-fifth of municipal solid waste collectors were exposed to occupational injury. Furthermore, the current study found that there was an statistical relationship between the prevalence of occupational injuries and having a primary education, a secondary education, work experience, the use of personal protective equipment, and training. Before and after hiring solid waste collectors, employers should provide personal protective equipment and tailored training on safety measures.

Occupational Injuries and Associated Factors Among Small-Scale Woodwork Industry Workers in Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background:Occupational injuries are still a major public health problem and one of the leading causes of disability, morbidity, and mortality. This study aimed to assess occupational injuries and associated factors among workers in the small-scale woodworking industry in Hawassa city, southern Ethiopia.Materials and Methods:An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 418 randomly selected small-scale woodworking industry workers. Questionnaires and an observational checklist were used to collect data. The data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with 95% CI and P < .05 was used to identify factors associated with occupational injury.Results:The prevalence of at least one occupational injury in the previous 12 months among small-scale woodworking industry workers was 41.6% [95% CI: 36.9-46.4]. Work experience 1 to 2 years [AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.49-5.2], working more than 48 hours per week [AOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.41-3.49], lack of occupational safety and health (OSH) training [AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.35-4.75], and non-use of personal protective equipment (PPE) [AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.85-5.83] were factors significantly associated with occupational injury.Conclusions:In this study, the prevalence of occupational injuries among workers in the small-scale woodworking industry was high. Lack of OSH training, non-use of PPE, work experience of 1 to 2 years, and working more than 48 hours per week were all factors that contributed to occupational injuries. Therefore, workers in the small-scale woodworking industry should receive ongoing occupational safety and health (OSH) training, and personal protective equipment (PPE) should be provided and monitored.

Prevalence and Determinants of Occupational Injuries among Solid Waste Collectors of Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

Background Globally, occupational injuries account for 15% of the mortalities associated with occupational accidents. The work of the solid waste collectors exposes them to numerous occupational hazards, which results in injuries. Increasing rates of occupational injuries from 43.7% to 63.9% among solid waste collectors in sub-Saharan Africa opens room for more research to be done. The study assessed the magnitude of occupational injuries and associated factors among solid waste collectors of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the Accra Metropolis. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out among the solid waste collectors. The occupational injuries and their associated factors among the solid waste collectors were assessed using questionnaires. Multistage sampling approach was used to select study respondents. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaires. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between the dependent and independent variables. Results In this study, 21.79% (78/358) with 95% CI (0.1749, 0.2608) among the solid waste collectors reported having at least one work-related injury in the last 6 months. The factors that were significantly associated with at least one occupational injury among the solid waste collectors in the Accra Metropolis were work duty (collection and transportation), the zone of assignment for respondents, and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). Conclusion This study showed that the prevalence of occupational injuries among municipal solid waste collectors in the Accra Metropolis was lower as compared to similar research conducted in Ethiopia, Egypt, and India. Working in the collection and transportation category and lack of PPE for use at work were significantly and positively associated with occupational injury among the solid waste collectors. Again, working in the La Dade Kotopon zone had reduced odds of sustaining injuries as compared to those in the Ablekuma South zone. The result of the study demonstrated that cuts/puncture was the injury that was mostly sustained by the municipal solid waste workers, while the leg was the body part that was mostly injured followed by the hands. Public health education in the municipality should target solid waste collectors with the aim of improving their health-seeking behaviour.

Prevalence of occupational injury and determination of safety climate in small scale manufacturing industry: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundOccupational injuries are among the most important workplace issues. This study aims to determine the safety climate and prevalence of occupational injuries in the small-scale manufacturing industry. MethodsA cross-sectional study with ten small scale manufacturers participated accounting for a total of 300 respondents. Data were collected from July to August 2020 using the NOSACQ-50 questionnaire. ResultsThe prevalence of occupational injury for the past 12 months was at 18%. The most often injured body parts were hands and legs while among the most common injury types were open wound, burns and bleeding. The mean NOSACQ-50 scores for all dimensions are good. The associated factors are working hours per week, and compliance to SOP. There are differences in the mean scores of NOSACQ-50 between injured and non-injured workers across all dimensions. ConclusionThe safety climate among manufacturing industry employees is at a good level, while the prevalence of occupational injury is relatively low.

Environmental factors influencing Prevention and Control of Schistosomiasis Infection in Mwea, Kirinyaga County Kenya: A cross sectional study.

Background:Schistosomiasis remains a major public health problem in Kenya. Environmental factors are critical in creating a medium for growth and spread of schistosomiasis vectors. The study investigated the environmental factors influencing prevention and control of schistosomiasis infection in Mwea West Sub County, Kirinyaga County-Kenya.Methods:A multi stage sampling was used to identify four hundred and sixty-five (465) household. Analytical descriptive cross-sectional design that utilised quantitative data collection method was used. Data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and analysed using Chi square tests or Fisher's exact tests where applicable.Results:Study results indicated a significant association p<.001 between household level of education, members being affected by floods during the rainy season and schistosomiasis infection. The result further indicates level of significance (p<0.047) in the association between sources of water in a household and schistosomiasis infection. No level of significance was posted between having a temporary water body in the area p (=.072) and schistosomiasis infection. In addition, there was no significant association between proximity to the nearest water source, p=.074 and proximity to the nearest health facility p=0.356 with schistosomiasis infection.Conclusions:The study recommends carefully designing safe water sources in order to match the goal of effectively controlling and reversing the trends of schistosomiasis infections. The community should be made aware of the risk factors of schistosomiasis including water utilised in the household's alongside raising health seeking behaviours for diagnosis and treatment of schistosomiasis as a way of reducing the spread of infection.

The Prevalence of Occupational Injuries and Associated Risk Factors among Workers in Bahir Dar Textile Share Company, Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia.

Introduction Occupational injuries are occurrences arising out of, or in the course of, work which results in a fatal or nonfatal injury, e.g., a fall from a height or contact with moving machines. They pose psychological, behavioral, social, vocational, and economic problems. No previous studies have been conducted on the prevalence and associated risk factors of occupational injuries among workers in Bahir Dar Textile Share Company (SC). Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of occupational injury in Bahir Dar Textile SC, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among employees of Bahir Dar Textile SC in 2019. Three hundred (195 males and 105 females) employees were selected using proportional simple random sampling from the spinning, weaving, finishing, engineering, and administration sections. Results The one-year and the two-week occupational injury prevalences were 42.7% and 6.7%, respectively. The one-year report from all the respondents shows that abrasion (10.7%) and eye injury (7.7%) were the two top injuries, hands (12.7%) and eyes (7.7%) were the top injured body parts, and machines (22.7%) and falling/slipping (6.3%) caused most injuries. Statistically significant differences in injuries (p < 0.05) were observed due to variations in gender, job category, exposure to vibration, exposure to rays/welding sparks, and labor-intensive work. The weaving section was positively associated with occupational injuries at AOR = 4.497 and p=0.05. Conclusions Occupational injuries prevalence is high over the last year. The major causes of injuries were machines and falling/slipping, while the major injuries were abrasions, eye injuries, sprains, and burns. The factors significantly associated with occupational injuries were male gender, job category, use of vibrating tools, high intensive work, and rays/welding sparks. Occupational safety and health training, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and shifting employees from intensive works are recommended.

Nonfatal Occupational Injuries among Workers in Microscale and Small-Scale Woodworking Enterprise in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background Microscale and small-scale industries have been widely expanded in low-income countries, including Ethiopia, as a job opportunity for young workers, which makes workers vulnerable to injury. Woodworking is one of the high-risk jobs in this sector due to the use of hazardous tools and machineries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of injury and associated contributing factors of this sector. Methods A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 634 workers selected from 194 microscale and small-scale woodworking enterprises in Addis Ababa. Data were collected using a structured interview questionnaire and observation checklist from February to March 2016. Occupational injuries were documented according to the ILO operational definition. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analyses were used to characterize the data and to identify the factors associated with injury at a p value <0.05, respectively. Result A total of 625 (98.6%) workers were interviewed. The prevalence of occupational injury was 92 (14.7%) in the past 12 months. Workers with khat chewing behavior (AOR: 2.25, 95% CI (1.04, 4.85)), job dissatisfaction (AOR: 2.89, 95% CI (1.75, 4.76)), work-related stress (AOR: 4.79, 95% CI (1.69–13.58)), job categories (AOR: 3.52, 95% CI (1.08, 11.41)) and workplace characteristics such as unguarded machines (AOR: 3.32 (1.21, 9.11)), and inadequate work space (AOR: 3.85 (1.14, 13.04)) were significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion The prevalence of nonfatal occupational injuries among workers in this study was substantially high. Workers' behavior, psychosocial issues, and work-related characteristics played a causal role in the occurrence of occupational injury. Therefore, workers' safety protection and behavioral intervention should be initiated.

Determinants of occupational injuries among building construction workers in Kampala City, Uganda

BackgroundGlobally, about 1000 people die and close to 860,000 people sustain injury at work daily. Injury prevention and control require contextual evidence, although most studies in Uganda have focused on general causes. Factors associated with occupational injuries among building construction workers were assessed in this study.MethodsA cross-sectional study among building construction workers was conducted in Kampala, Uganda. A standardized semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Three hundred nineteen (319) participants were randomly and proportionately selected from 57 construction sites. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the variables while generalized linear modeling was used to estimate the crude/adjusted prevalence ratios.ResultsThe prevalence of occupational injuries was 32.4%. Most injuries, approximately 70% occurred among nightshift workers. Age of ≤24 years (APR: 2.09 CI: 1.20–3.65, P = 0.009); daily income in or above the second quartile−USD ≥3.2 (APR: 1.72, CI: 1.06–2.80, P = 0.028); job dissatisfaction (APR: 1.63, CI: 1.17–2.27, P = 0.004); job stress (APR: 1.72, CI: 1.22–2.41, P = 0.004); poor safety environment (APR: 1.51, CI: 1.10–2.05, P = 0.009); PPE provision (APR: 1.47, CI: 1.05–2.05, P = 0.02) and routine use of PPE (APR: 0.57, CI: 0.34–0.95, P = 0.03) were significantly associated with occupational injuries.ConclusionThere was a relatively high prevalence of injuries mostly resulting from cuts and mostly suffered on night duty. Upper and lower extremities were the most hurt parts of the body during injury leading to loss of a substantial number of productive days. This could affect the health and wellbeing of construction workers. Most of the factors significantly associated with occupational injuries are modifiable thus an opportunity to address the problem. Efforts towards integrating education for behaviour change, advocacy and training workers to demand for their rights to safe and protection at work and legislation enforcement can help reduce occupational injury occurrence.

The occupational illness of slum dwellers across industries: A case study in West Bengal

Better livelihood of the slum dwellers necessitates analyzing the health status of the primary industrial earners upon whom the needs of the whole family rely. Studies concerned with the slum dwellers lack in addressing the occupational health of their primary earners who opt for various risky industrial occupations. The present study makes an empirical attempt in understanding the nature and extent of their occupational illness across the industries. The industries in the present study are categorized into four types, viz., civil and mechanical, textile, consumable items, and chemical. A multi-stage random sampling technique is used to collect the primary data from 320 industrial workers living in the slums of the Indian state West Bengal through face to face interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The determinants of the nature of occupational illness are analyzed with an ordered Logit model. The chronic illness like respiratory diseases are prevalent among the workers of jute textile industries, and musculoskeletal disorders are found mostly among the workers of small garment and consumable items industries. The prevalence of occupational injuries is common among the workers of the civil-mechanical and chemical industries. The difference in the Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure (OOPE) between doctor's consultation and consumption of Over the Counter (OTC) drugs of the industrial workers might prevent the workers from having a doctor's consultation in the long run. The provision and implementation of proper health scheme based on the exposure to health risks of the primary earners of slum household in the industries are suggested.

Prevalence of occupational injuries and knowledge of availability and utilization of post exposure prophylaxis among health care workers in Singida District Council, Singida Region, Tanzania.

BackgroundInfection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a serious public health problem that threatens the lives of many people including health care workers. Health care workers are frequently exposed to occupational hazards throughout their careers. Health care workers are at risk of being infected by the virus when caring for patients in health care facilities. Utilization of HIV Post-exposure Prophylaxis (HIV PEP) is very vital once an individual is exposed.AimThe aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of occupational exposure, knowledge of, availability and utilization of post exposure prophylaxis among health care workers in Singida District Council, Tanzania.MethodsA descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from April to May 2013. Health care workers actively treating patients were enrolled from 18 heath facilities in Singida District Council. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, and analysed using Stata version 12.ResultsOut of 239 participants, slightly more than half, 124 (52%) had inadequate overall knowledge of HIV PEP. Of the 239, 121(50.6%) participants experienced occupational exposure. Two leading types of exposure were blood splash 57(47.1%) and needle stick injuries 45 (37.2%),respectively. Among the 121 exposed participants, 83(68.6%) reported the exposure incident, 91(75.2%) had an HIV test, 32 (26.4%), started HIV PEP after testing, 28 (23.1%), completed HIV PEP, and 65 (53.7%) had a follow-up HIV test. About two thirds (159/239), of participants reported that HIV PEP services were available at the time the study was conducted, and 49 (20.5%), reported daily access to HIV PEP service.ConclusionThe prevalence of occupational exposure among health care workers is high with low utilization of HIV PEP. The majority of healthcare workers had inadequate knowledge of HIV PEP. The findings highlight the need to improve the level of knowledge of HIV PEP and utilization of PEP among this at-high-risk-group in Singida.

Emergency room visits for work-related injuries: characteristics and associated factors - capitals and the Federal District, Brazil, 2011.

Work-related injuries, often classified as occupational injuries (OI), stand out among visits due to external causes (accidents and violence) in health services. To describe the characteristics and factors associated with emergency room visits for OI, a cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Survey of Violence and Injuries in Emergency Services (VIVA Inquérito 2011) in 24 state capitals and the Federal District. The prevalence of treatment for OI and prevalence ratios (PR) with confidence intervals of 95% (95%CI) were calculated. There were 29,463 emergency room visits due to accidental injuries in the population above 18 years of age. The prevalence of OI was 33.4% and was positively and significantly associated with the male gender, age 30-59 years old, industrial workers, agricultural sector or repair and maintenance services. The occurrence of OI was significantly higher in attendance for objects falling on people (PR = 3.37, 95% CI 2.80 to 4.05) and injuries due to perforating object (PR = 3.01, 95% CI 2.50-3.65). The results support the surveillance of external causes and direct public policies to promote occupational health.