Utilization of personal protective equipment and associated factors among building construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019

Physical and Psychosocial Correlates of Occupational Physical Injury in the Global Construction Industry: A Scoping Review

Purpose

The construction industry is a diverse sector with exposure to multiple psychosocial and environmental workplace hazards that increase the risk of injury. This scoping review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the physical and psychosocial determinants influencing the risk of occupational physical injuries among construction workers globally.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension checklist guided. Literature searches were performed between June and October 2023 in electronic academic databases.

Results

A total of 77 studies were identified, encompassing various geographical regions, including North America (n = 29), Africa (n = 18), Europe (n = 12), Asia (n = 9), the Middle East (n = 5), and Oceania (n = 4). The review identified physical and psychosocial factors in 3 domains influencing occupational physical injuries: workplace physical environment (eg, exposure to physical hazards, availability and utilization of personal protective equipment, company size, and job type), workplace culture (eg, psychosocial stressors, gender-related barriers, migrant and ethnic disparities, educational background), and physical wellbeing, health and aging (eg, age, obesity, sleep quality, marital stats, and physical health status). Notably, workers from social minority groups (eg, women, ethnic and migrant workers) of young (<25 years old) or older ages (45-55 years old) employed in smaller construction companies are vulnerable to increased injury risk and exposure to physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

Conclusion

The review emphasizes a global paucity of research examining the implications of physical and psychosocial factors on injury risk within the construction industry. Future research should prioritize investigating the impact of psychosocial hazards on younger and older workers to detect age-related differences in injury rate, treatment access, and work-related health outcomes.

Neurotrauma from fall accidents in Ethiopia

Background

Ethiopia is a fast-growing economy with rapid urbanization and poor occupational safety measures. Fall injuries are common and frequently result in traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods

We prospectively included fall victims who were hospital-treated for neurotrauma or forensically examined in 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We registered sociodemographic factors, fall types, injuries, treatment, and outcome.

Results

We included 117 treated and 51 deceased patients (median age 27 vs. 40 years). Most patients were injured at construction sites (39.9%) and only one in three used protective equipment. TBI (64.7%) and SCI (27.5%) were the most common causes of death among the deceased patients, of which most died at the accident site (90.2%). Many patients suffered significant prehospital time delays (median 24 h). Among treated patients, SCI was more frequent than TBI (50.4% vs. 39.3%), and 10.3% of the patients had both SCI and TBI. Most SCIs were complete (49.3%), whereas most TBIs were mild (55.2%). Less than half of TBI patients and less than one in five SCI patients were operated. There were twice as many deaths among TBI patients as SCI patients. Among those discharged alive, at a median of 33 weeks, 50% of TBI patients had a good recovery whereas 35.5% of SCI patients had complete injuries.

Conclusion

Falls at construction sites with inadequate safety measures were common causes of SCI and TBI resulting in severe disability and death. These results support further development of prevention strategies and neurotrauma care in Ethiopia.

Prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among building construction workers in the Gambia

BACKGROUND

Although occupational injuries among building construction workers are a major public health concern, limited studies have focused on the prevalence and factors associated with injuries among building construction workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, this study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among building construction workers in the Gambia.

METHOD

Using a cross-sectional design, 504 building construction workers with more than 12 months of work experience in the construction industry and aged ≥18 years were recruited from 22 registered companies in the Kanifing Municipality of the Gambia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist.

RESULTS

More than 56% of the building construction workers reported sustaining work-related injuries in the past 12 months. Majority of injuries reported were abrasions/lacerations (28.2%), followed by cuts (26.6%), backaches (23.8%) and piercing/punctured wounds (22.8%). Results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being male worker (adjusted OR (aOR), 3.06; 95% CI 1.31 to 7.19), had <8 hours of work daily (aOR 3.46, 95% CI 1.44 to 7.78), smoke tobacco (aOR 1.97; 95% CI 1.36 to 2.85) and consume alcohol (aOR 0.27; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.95) were significantly associated with injuries from building construction work.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that injuries among building construction workers are prevalent in the Gambia. Male gender, work hours, tobacco use and alcohol consumption were associated with occupational injuries in building construction. Introducing and enforcing workplace safety policies in the building construction industry may help reduce occupational injury among construction workers in the Gambia.

Personal Protective Equipment Utilization and Associated Factors among Industry Park Construction Workers in Northwest Ethiopia

Introduction

Equipment that safeguards the user from the risk of accidents or harmful health effects is known as personal protective equipment. Reports show personal protective equipment utilization is low in Africa. Workers are exposed to a wide range of physical, chemical, and incidental hazards because of low utilization of personal protective equipment. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and factors associated with personal protective equipment utilization among Bure Industrial Park construction workers, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study involving 368 construction workers was carried out. The questionnaire was prepared to collect data on sociodemographic, work-related, and behavioral characteristics. Personal protective equipment usage was assessed by observation. Descriptive statistics' frequencies, proportions, and means were computed, and the analysis results were presented in text and tables. To find independent variables associated with personal protective equipment utilization, bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

The proportion of workers at the Bure Industrial Park who utilized personal protective equipment was 47.8%, 95% CI (47.7-47.9). After adjusting employment type as a confounding factor; not being a substance user [AOR = 9.52, 95% CI (5.07-17.8)], regular workplace supervision [AOR = 4.09, 95% CI (1.26-5.48)], having occupational safety training [AOR = 6.01, 95% CI (2.05-17.6)], and provision of personal protective equipment at workplace [AOR = 7.36, 95% CI (3.97-13.6)] were the factors associated with personal protective equipment utilization.

Conclusion and recommendation

Nearly 1 in 2 workers wear PPE at work. Lack of PPE utilization is a public health problem in the study area. According to the study, personal protective equipment utilization was influenced by behavioral and occupational factors. To increase the utilization of personal protective equipment, training in safety procedures and regular workplace supervision must be considered.

Factors associated with the level of Knowledge and self-reported Practice toward safety precautions among Factory Workers in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

Background

According to the International Labor Organization, occupational accidents and diseases kill millions of workers every year.

Objective

To assess factors associated with the level of knowledge and self-reported practice toward safety precautions among factory workers in the East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021.

Methods

An institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 randomly selected factory workers. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires and an observation checklist. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistical method and using bivariate binary and multivariable logistic regression models. Variables with a p-value <0.05 with a 95% confidence interval were considered to have statistical significance.

Results

The study had a response rate of 99.0%, with a total of 416 respondents. 53.4% of respondents were aware of safety precautions, and 56.0% of them rated the use of personal protective equipment as an indicator of the practice of safety precautions. Factory workers' educational status (adjusted odds ratio: 4.3, 95% confidence interval: 2.4, 7.8), job satisfaction (adjusted odds ratio: 4.7, 95% confidence interval: 2.1, 10.4), and having training on safety issues (adjusted odds ratio: 12.8, 95% confidence interval: 6.3, 26.1) were determinant factors of knowledge regarding safety precautions, while the type of factory (adjusted odds ratio: 16.0, 95% confidence interval: 5.8, 44.1), the presence of regular supervision (adjusted odds ratio: 3.8, 95% confidence interval: 2.1, 6.8), and overall knowledge about safety precautions (adjusted odds ratio: 7.2, 95% confidence interval: 3.9, 13.2) were the independent determinants of the practice of safety precautions.

Conclusions

Workers' knowledge and practice regarding safety precautions were low as compared to studies in developing countries. Interventions targeted at the provision of training, promotion, and enforcement of issues regarding safety precautions should be in place. Employers, the government, and employees should work together to address these workplace safety issues.

Association between urine cobalt and prevalence of kidney stones in Americans aged ≥ 20 years old

To determine whether urine cobalt (Co) is associated with the prevalence of kidney stones, we conducted a cross-sectional study of participants (≥ 20 years) involved in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2018. The urine Co level was divided into four groups: 0.02-0.22, 0.22-0.36, 0.36-0.58, and 0.58-37.40 μg/L. The independent correlation between urine Co and prevalence of kidney stones was determined by logistic regression analyses. A total of 10,744 participants aged over 20 years that were not pregnant were eligible. Among them, 1041 participants reported ever having developed kidney stones. Patients with kidney stones developed significantly higher urine Co than the non-stone participants. The kidney stone patients were more likely to have been smoking ≥ 100 cigarettes in life; have hypertension, diabetes, and cancer; and engage in heavy activity. Multivariate logistic regression indicated a significantly positive relationship between the urine Co level and occurrence of kidney stones (OR 1.059, 95% CI 1.018-1.102, P = 0.00430). Moreover, the outcome remained unchanged after some sophisticated factors were adjusted (OR 1.059, 95% CI 1.001-1.120, P = 0.04635), and kidney stones were significantly related to a higher level of Co (OR (95% CI) = 0.22-0.36 μg/L: 1.111 (0.869, 1.421); 0.36-0.58 μg/L: 1.392 (1.095, 1.770); 0.58-37.40 μg/L: 1.712 (1.351, 2.170), and P for trend < 0.00001). So, urine Co concentration is positively associated with the prevalence of kidney stones. However, more high-quality prospective studies are needed to elucidate the causal correlation between Co level and kidney stones.

Occupational Dust Exposure and Respiratory Protection of Migrant Interior Construction Workers in Two Chinese Cities

Migrant interior construction workers are increasing in China. Construction workers are at an increased risk of work-related illness (WRI) due to prolonged exposure to and inhalation of dust. Dust concentrations in the air can be reduced significantly with effective respiratory protection measures. We assessed the dust exposure and factors associated with respiratory protection of migrant interior construction workers. The total dust concentration in the workplace ranged from 0.07 to 335.27 mg/m³, with a total dust exceedance rate of 50.00%. The respiratory dust loading ranged from 0.03 to 220.27 mg/m³, with a respiratory dust exceedance rate of 71.42 %. The highest total dust concentration occurred when masons were polishing cement walls. We performed a questionnaire survey of 296 persons in two cities in China, in which 87.84% had no respiratory protection or only one protection measure. Gender, workplace, respiratory disease, and protective attitude all had an effect on the level of respiratory protection. The dust exposure in most jobs exceeds hygiene standards. The respiratory protection of migrant interior construction workers in China is inadequate.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Safe Working in Confined Space among Male Water Services Workers in the Central Region of Malaysia

Employee performance in terms of knowledge of job scope, safe working practices, and safety-related attitude at work are used to measure an organization’s success in managing employee welfare and safety to prevent workplace injury and death. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice on safe working in confined space among water services workers. A cross-sectional study involving a randomly selected 207 water services workers working in a confined space was performed in the central region of Malaysia. The assessment was performed using a validated Malay self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and Logistic regression were used for data analyses. The study’s participants were all men, with a mean (SD) age of 35.2 (8.83) years. The average working duration was 10.8 years. Overall, 67.1% of participants had good knowledge, while 65.7% had a positive attitude. The majority of the workers (60.4%) were found to follow safe working practices. Regression analysis revealed that significant predictors for knowledge were age [Adjusted odds ratio (Adj. OR) 2.793; 95% CI: 1.310, 5.955; p = 0.008] and attitude (Adj. OR 2.127; 95% CI: 1.011, 4.526; p = 0.048). Attitude was influenced by marital status (Adj. OR 4.126; 95% CI: 2.079, 8.186; p < 0.001) and knowledge level (Adj. OR 2.224; 95% CI: 1.025, 4.824; p = 0.043). A positive attitude was the sole predictor influencing the safe practice (Adj. OR; 1.878; 95% CI: 1.041, 3.388; p = 0.036). In conclusion, the workers’ levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices were relatively satisfactory. Extensive investment in workplace safety and health programs, appropriate training, growth opportunities, and effective employee performance evaluation methodologies may assist workers in performing at their best.

Utilization of Personal Protective Equipment and Its Associated Factors Among Large Scale Factory Workers in Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the safeguards to protect workers from occupational risks. The aim of this study was to assess the utilization of PPE and associated factors among large-scale factory workers in Debre Berhan city administration, Ethiopia.

METHODS

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted using stratified sampling among large-scale factory workers in the Debre Berhan city administration. Four hundred thirty-two employees were interviewed using a stratified sampling technique from 7 large-scale factories. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting the utilization of PPE. The strength of association between variables was measured using the odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals at a P-value of .05.

RESULTS

A total of 413 respondents were included in the study, with a response rate of 95.6%. Two hundred and eighty-two (68.3%) of the participants were males. The mean age of the respondents was 28.37 ± 7.33 years. The PPE utilization was 35.43% (95% CI: 0.31, 0.40). Accordingly on job training (AOR = 8.85; 95% CI: 5.52, 14.28), previous history of injury (AOR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.36), workplace supervision (AOR = 14.08; 95% CI: 7.87, 25.0), and availability of guideline (AOR = 4.62; 95% CI: 2.51, 8.49) were statistically significant with utilization of PPE among large scale factory workers at a P-value <.05.

CONCLUSION

Utilization of PPE is low. Previous history of injuries, on-the-job training, supervision, and the availability of guidelines were all independent predictors of PPE utilization. As a result, job training, workplace supervision, root-cause learning, and the availability of guidelines should all be considered.

Utilization of Personal Protective Equipment and Associated Factors among Large-Scale Factory Workers in Debre-Berhan Town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2021

Background

Personal protective equipment was designed to protect workers from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Use of personal protective equipment has been identified as an important hazard control strategy in work environments where it may not be practical to adopt other strategies.

Objective

To determine personal protective equipment utilization and its associated factors based on health belief model among large scale factory workers in Debre-Birhan, Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed in Debre-Birhan Town, North Shoa Ethiopia, from April 1 to May 1, 2021. The data were collected by using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. A total of 412 samples were selected by systematic random sampling method. The data were entered to EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS. All independent variables were fitted into the binary logistic regression model to evaluate the degree of association and variables with a p value of <0.2 that was fitted for multiple logistic regressions. Finally, variables with a p value of <0.05 was found to be statistically significant.

Result

A total of 412 workers were study participants with 100% response rate. The mean age was 29 (±7.3) years. Most workers, 367 (89%) knew that PPE can prevent work-related injury and illness. Overall, 172 (41.7%) of the workers were considered to have good personal protective equipment utilization. Perceived susceptibility (AOR = 1.2, 95%, CI (1.076–1.38)), perceived severity (AOR = 1.1, 95%, CI (1.088–1.163)), perceived self-efficacy (AOR = 1.2, 95%, CI (1.082–1.349)), and perceived barrier (AOR = 0.87, 95%, CI (0.800–0.956)) were found to be significant predictors of good personal protective equipment utilization.

Conclusion

The study revealed that good personal protective equipment utilization in large-scale factory workers. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barrier, and perceived self-efficacy were found to be predictors of PPE utilization. It is recommended that, during delivery of health education special emphasis should be given to severity, susceptibility, barrier, and self-efficacy of occupational disease.

On-site personal protective equipment signage and use by road construction workers in Ghana: a comparative study of foreign- and locally-owned companies

Background

Road construction work has specific risks and safety issues which have not been adequately addressed in most low- and middle-income countries, especially Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of personal protective equipment (PPE) use during road construction activities by workers in foreign- owned against locally-owned road construction companies in Ghana.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken during January – March, 2020 to study 389 road construction workers who were actively working on site. They were unobtrusively observed to capture whether or not they wore the appropriate PPE at the time of the survey. The PPE of interest were: hard hat, goggles, shoes, nose masks, hearing protection, gloves and reflective vests/apparel. On-site posted PPE signage was also checked.

Results

Majority of workers were males (96.9%) and labourers (53.5%). Similar numbers of workers in locally-owned (195) and foreign-owned (194) companies were studied. Use of PPE varied considerably by type: shoes (78.7%), reflective vest (44.5%), gloves (30.6%), hard hat (27.0%), nose mask (17.2%), goggles (11.3%) and hearing protection (10.8%). For all types of PPE, use was higher for workers in foreign-owned companies compared with locally-owned companies: goggles (Odds ratio [OR] 55.2), hearing protection (OR 52.0), gloves (OR 23.7), hard hat (OR 20.2), nose mask (OR 17.8), reflective vest (OR 5.3) and shoes (OR 4.1), (p<0.001 for all ORs). No site had any signage to promote PPE use.

Conclusions

Majority of workers used shoes. Less than half of workers used other types of PPE and use of some types (goggles and hearing protection) was minimal. Workers in foreign-owned companies were significantly more likely to use all the seven types of PPE than locally-owned companies. Although there is still room for improvement in foreign-owned companies, locally-owned companies should be able to attain similar PPE use to that in foreign-owned companies. Necessary PPE should be provided and site supervisors should encourage workers to wear PPE when on site.

Awareness and usage of personal protective equipment among construction workers and their hearing assessment by pure tone audiometry; A cross-sectional study in South India

CONTEXT

Occupational hazards at the building construction workplace are enormous. Good compliance to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) alongside other safety measures is critical in reducing the hazards. Occupational hearing loss is one such occupational hazard among construction workers.

AIMS

This study was conducted for determining the awareness of the benefits of PPE and its usage among construction workers along with hearing assessment.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted among construction workers in a building project in Mangaluru city in Dakshina Kannada district in South India.

METHODS AND MATERIAL

After obtaining informed written consent, 110 construction workers were recruited by simple random sampling method. Basic information, awareness, and use of PPE were collected using a semistructured questionnaire through personal interviews. Hearing assessment was done by pure tone audiometry.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Data collected was analyzed. Chi-square test and Fischer's exact probability test were used to test the association between variables.

RESULTS

Majority (85.5%) of the construction workers are working for duration of 15 years or less. Difficulty in hearing was reported by 9.6% of them. Awareness regarding benefits of using personal protective devices like helmets, masks, and earplugs/muffs were 58.2%, 56.4%, and 14.5%, respectively. The utilization of at least one PPE among them was 58.1%. The presence of sensory neural hearing loss (SNHL) in both/either ears was detected among 14.5% of the workers. There was a statistically significant association of SNHL among workers and their duration of construction work.

CONCLUSION

The current study highlights that awareness and usage of PPE was low and a proportion of them had a hearing impairment. Occupational health and safety training along with a periodic examination of construction workers need to be focused so as to detect and manage occupational health hazards early.