A survey of work-related injuries among building construction workers in southwestern Ethiopia

Construction sites are known to be one of the most dangerous areas for human health and safety. In developing countries, enforcement of safety rules are often negligible to minimize occupational injuries and illnesses. As the result, work related injuries are very rampant. Currently, Ethiopia is one of the developing countries where strong growth of construction industries are observed. However the prevalence of injuries in these industries could vary from place to place and even by company. The present study assessed the prevalence of injury and associated factors among building construction workers in southwestern Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among workers of construction industries located in Jimma town. A stratified multi-stage sampling followed by simple random sampling was used to select the study participants. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Physical examination of the study subjects was done to complement self-reported information of occupational injury. Bivariate logistic regression analyses followed by multivariate analyses were employed to identify main causes of injury. The overall prevalence of work-related injuries in the preceding one year was 41.4% [95% CI: (37.8, 49.4)]. The top five injuries were injured by object (36.9%), followed by lower back pain (35.6%), falling injury (23.5%), skin disorder (20.1%), and eye problem (18.2%). Working without personal protective equipment (PPE), absence of vocational training, khat chewing, and working overtime were significantly raised the odds of having work-related injuries among construction workers. The finding revealed that provision of safety equipment and promoting its utilization, avoiding work overload, and controlling khat use in workplace could help to minimize work-related injuries and occupational diseases to ensure construction site safety.