Assessment of occupational injury among industrial workers in the Bahir Dar city of northwest Ethiopia: Institution-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background. Ethiopia is one of the economically fastest growing countries in the world. Industries in Ethiopia are booming, and Bahir Dar is one of the industrial zones in the country. The city administration is planning to recruit the majority of the workforce in these industries. However, injuries related to occupations in the industries are not that much studied yet. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational injury and its associated factors among industrial workers in the Bahir Dar city of Northwest Ethiopia. Methods and Materials. Institution-based cross-sectional study design was used. Multistage stratified random sampling technique was employed to select 846 study participants from each stratum (small-, medium-, and large-scale industries). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21. Binary logistic regression was employed to determine the existence of an association between dependent and independent variables. Result. A total of 803 participants were included in the study with a response rate of 95%. The mean age of respondents was 28.9 years (SD ± 8 years). Five hundred nine (63.4%) were occupationally injured in the last 12 months. Sex (AOR = 3.66, 95% CI = (2.53–5.29)), employment status (AOR = 7.33, 95% CI = (3.31–16.22)), regular health and safety supervision (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI= (1.79–3.96)), training prior to entry to actual work (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI= (2.14–4.74)), and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI= (1.74–3.56)) were significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion. The prevalence of occupational injury in this research is found to be very high. It is advisable to provide sustainable training and regular occupational health and safety supervision for industrial workers in the city. Moreover, research has to be conducted to know the reasons for the difference in the prevalence of occupational injury between large-, medium-, and small-scale industries.