Personal protective equipment (PPE) use and its relation to accidents among construction workers
Main Article Content
Keywords
Accidents; Construction; PPE; Safety
Abstract
Background: The construction industry is characterized by a high prevalence of accidents and injuries. Inadequate risk management measures, including failure to use or incorrect use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may significantly increase the risk of accidents. Objectives: The main objectives of the current study were to measure the prevalence of PPE use and accidents and their associated factors among construction workers. Methods: A cross-sectional field study with an analytic component was carried out on 384 workers from different sites in Port-Said, Egypt, using an interview administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic and occupational data, practice of PPE use and accident analysis. Results: About 60% of workers use PPE during work. Main reasons for non-use are discomfort, lack of knowledge on how to use it and poor fit. Occupational accidents in the last 12 months were reported by 64.3% of workers. The main accident types were: being hit by falling objects, falls from height, and tool related accidents. Safety training was the significant independent predictor of PPE use (AOR=2.0). However, age, marital status, smoking, safety training, and PPE use were also significant independent predictors of accidents (AOR=2.4, 3.1, 0.5, 0.5, and 0.2; respectively). Discussion: Among construction workers, PPE utilization is low with significant relation to safety training while occupational accidents are common and significantly related to safety training and PPE use. Therefore, safety training should be provided, and PPE use should be enforced at construction sites.
References
Abbas RA, Mohamed MZ, Ghareeb NS: Non-fatal occupational injuries and safety climate: a cross-sectional study of construction building workers in Mit-Ghamr city, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. Open J Saf Sci Technol 2013; 3: 69-79. doi:10.4236/ojsst.2013.34009
Adane MM, Gelaye KA, Beyera GK, Sharma HR: Occupational injuries among building construction workers in Gondar City, Ethiopia. Occup Med Health Aff 2013; 1: 125. doi:10.4172/2329-6879.1000125.
Åkerstedt T, Knutsson A, Westerholm P, et al: Work organisation and unintentional sleep: results from the WOLF study. Occup Environ Med 2002; 59: 595-600
Alizadeh SS, Mortazavi SB, Sepehri MM: Analysis of occupational accident fatalities and injuries among male group in Iran between 2008 and 2012. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2015; 17:e18976. doi:10.5812/ircmj.18976
Amiri M, Safi M, Moshtaq M, Eshaqzai H: Investigation of using personal protective equipment at construction sites in Herat Province. In: 7th International Civil Engineering Congress (ICEC-2015) “Sustainable Development Through Advancements in Civil Engineering”. Karachi, Pakistan 2015:77-84
Amiri M, Ardeshir A, Hossein M, et al: Pattern extraction for high-risk accidents in the construction industry: a data-mining approach. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2016; 23: 264-276. doi:10.1080/17457300.2015.1032979
Bonnefond A, Tassi P, Roge J, Muzet A: A critical review of techniques aiming at enhancing and sustaining worker’s alertness during the night shift. Ind Health 2004; 42: 1-14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14964612
Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS)-Arab Republic of Egypt (2017): Annual report for construction industry statistics for general sectors companies 2015/2016. Available online at: http://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&Year=23312 (last accessed 28-2-2020)
Chau N, Mur JM, Benamghar L, et al: Relationships between certain individual characteristics and occupational injuries for various jobs in the construction industry: a case-control study. Am J Ind Med 2004; 45: 84-92. doi:10.1002/ajim.10319
Chepkener AC: Knowledge, attitude and practice of eye safety among Jua Kali industry workers in Nairobi, Kenya [thesis]. Nairobi, Kenya: Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi 2013
Dong XS, Wang X, Largay JA: Occupational and non-occupational factors associated with work-related injuries among construction workers in the USA. Int J Occup Environ Health 2015; 21 :142-50. doi:10.1179/2049396714y.0000000107
ElSafty A, ElSafty A, Malek M: Construction safety and occupational health education in Egypt, the EU, and US firms. Open J. Civil Eng 2012 Sep 1; 2(3): 174. doi:10.4236/ojce.2012.23023
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EASHW): Facts: Accident prevention in the construction sector. Belgium: European Commission Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee 2003
Farooqui R, Ahmed S, Panthi K, Azhar S: Addressing the issue of compliance with personal protective equipment on construction worksites: a workers’ perspective. In: International Proceedings of the 45th Annual Conference. Hattiesburg, Mississippi: Associated Schools of Construction 2009. Available online at: http://ascpro0.ascweb.org/archives/cd/2009/paper/CPRT176002009.pdf (last accessed 28-2-2020).
Halvani G, Ibrahemzadih M: Epidemiological study and estimating of accidents distribution in construction industry workers in Yazd city by appling time series until 2011. Int J Occup Saf Heal 2012; 2: 26-30. doi:10.3126/ijosh.v2i1.5917
Hatami SE, Ravandi MRG, Hatami ST, Khanjani N: Epidemiology of work-related injuries among insured construction workers in Iran. Electron Physician 2017;9:5841-47. doi:10.19082/5841
Holt A: Fundamentals. In Holt A (ed): Principles of Construction Safety. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2008: 4-7. doi:10.1002/9780470690529.ch1
International Labour Organization (ILO): Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases. An ILO code of practice. Geneva, International Labour Office 1996. Available online at: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---safework/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_107800.pdf (last accessed 28-2-2020)
International Labour Organization (ILO): Facts on Safety at Work. Geneva: International Labour Office 2002. Available online at: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_067574.pdf (last accessed 28-2-2020)
Izudi J, Ninsiima V, Alege JB: Use of personal protective equipment among building construction workers in Kampala, Uganda. J Environ Public Health 2017; 2017: 1-5. doi:10.1155/2017/7930589
Jazari MD, Jahangiri M, Khaleghi H, et al: Prevalence of self-reported work-related illness and injuries among building construction workers, Shiraz, Iran. EXCLI J 2018; 17: 724-33. doi:10.17179/excli2018-1459
Kähkönen E: Hazard control. In Guidotti TL (ed): Global Occupational Health. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011: 2015-237
Khashaba E, El-Helaly M, El-Gilany AH, et al: Risk factors for non-fatal occupational injuries among construction workers: a case–control study. Toxicol Ind Health 2018; 34: 83-90. doi:10.1177/0748233717733853
Khodabandeh F, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Kahani M: Factors associated with the severity of fatal accidents in construction workers. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2016; 30: 469
Kwarteng AN: Assessment of knowledge and use of personal protective equipment on site among building construction workers [dissertation]. Legon, Ghana: College Of Health Sciences, University Of Ghana 2015
Lette A, Ambelu A, Getahun T, Mekonen S: A survey of work-related injuries among building construction workers in southwestern Ethiopia. Int J Ind Ergon 2018; 68: 57-64. doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2018.06.010
Lette A, Kumbi M, Hussen A, Nuriye S: Determinants of occupational injury among building construction employees in southeastern Ethiopia. Int J Trop Dis Health 2018; 34: 1-11. doi:10.9734/ijtdh/2018/v34i430103
Li RYM, Poon SW: A literature review on the causes of construction accidents. In Proske D (ed): Construction Safety. Risk Engineering. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 2013:1-11. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-35046-7
Lombardi DA, Verma SK, Brennan MJ, Perry MJ: Factors influencing worker use of personal protective eyewear. Accid Anal Prev 2009; 41: 755-62. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2009.03.017
Mersha H, Mereta ST, Dube L: Prevalence of occupational injuries and associated factors among construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. J. Public Health Epidemiol. 2017; 9(1): 1-8. doi:10.5897/jphe2016.0883
Mohamed HA: Occupational hazards and their relation with health problems among construction building workers at El Sherouk City. Am J Nurs Res 2017; 5(3): 96-103. doi:10.12691/AJNR-5-3-4
Muema LM: Evaluation of personal protective equipment utilization among construction workers in Mombasa County, Kenya [thesis]. Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology 2016
Nghitanwa EM, Lindiwe Z: Occupational accidents and injuries among workers in the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia. Int J Heal 2017; 5: 55-59. doi:10.14419/ijh.v5i1.7303
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): OSHA Quick Card. Protect yourself, construction personal protective equipment (PPE). OSHA 3289; 2005. Available online at https://www.osha.gov/Publications/construction_ppe.html. (last accessed 28-2-2020)
Ogundipe KE, Owolabi JD, Olanipekun AE, et al: Factors affecting effective use of safety wears among construction site operatives: lessons from indigenous firms in south western Nigeria. IJAER 2018; 13: 4314-25
Siu OL, Phillips DR, Leung TW: Age differences in safety attitudes and safety performance in Hong Kong construction workers. J Safety Res 2003; 34: 199-205. doi:10.1016/S0022-4375(02)00072-5
Tadesse S, Israel D: Occupational injuries among building construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. J Occup Med Toxicol 2016; 11: 1-6. doi:10.1186/s12995-016-0107-8
Takahashi M, Tanigawa T, Tachibana N, et al: Modifying effects of perceived adaptation to shift work on health, wellbeing, and alertness on the job among nuclear power plant operators. Ind Health 2006; 43: 171-78. doi:10.2486/indhealth.43.171
Vitharana V, De Silva G, De Silva S: Health hazards, risk and safety practices in construction sites- a review study. Engineer 2015; 48: 35-44. doi:10.4038/engineer.v48i3.6840
Zerguine H, Tamrin S, Jalaludin J: D6-3 Evaluation of safety behavior and work-related injuries among foreign construction workers in Malaysia [supplement]. Jpn. J. Ergon. 2017; 53: S580-S83. doi:10.5100/jje.53.s580
Zerguine H, Tamrin SBM, Jalaludin J: Prevalence, source and severity of work-related injuries among “foreign” construction workers in a large Malaysian organisation: a cross-sectional study. Ind Health 2018; 56: 264-73. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2017-0205
Adane MM, Gelaye KA, Beyera GK, Sharma HR: Occupational injuries among building construction workers in Gondar City, Ethiopia. Occup Med Health Aff 2013; 1: 125. doi:10.4172/2329-6879.1000125.
Åkerstedt T, Knutsson A, Westerholm P, et al: Work organisation and unintentional sleep: results from the WOLF study. Occup Environ Med 2002; 59: 595-600
Alizadeh SS, Mortazavi SB, Sepehri MM: Analysis of occupational accident fatalities and injuries among male group in Iran between 2008 and 2012. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2015; 17:e18976. doi:10.5812/ircmj.18976
Amiri M, Safi M, Moshtaq M, Eshaqzai H: Investigation of using personal protective equipment at construction sites in Herat Province. In: 7th International Civil Engineering Congress (ICEC-2015) “Sustainable Development Through Advancements in Civil Engineering”. Karachi, Pakistan 2015:77-84
Amiri M, Ardeshir A, Hossein M, et al: Pattern extraction for high-risk accidents in the construction industry: a data-mining approach. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2016; 23: 264-276. doi:10.1080/17457300.2015.1032979
Bonnefond A, Tassi P, Roge J, Muzet A: A critical review of techniques aiming at enhancing and sustaining worker’s alertness during the night shift. Ind Health 2004; 42: 1-14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14964612
Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS)-Arab Republic of Egypt (2017): Annual report for construction industry statistics for general sectors companies 2015/2016. Available online at: http://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5104&Year=23312 (last accessed 28-2-2020)
Chau N, Mur JM, Benamghar L, et al: Relationships between certain individual characteristics and occupational injuries for various jobs in the construction industry: a case-control study. Am J Ind Med 2004; 45: 84-92. doi:10.1002/ajim.10319
Chepkener AC: Knowledge, attitude and practice of eye safety among Jua Kali industry workers in Nairobi, Kenya [thesis]. Nairobi, Kenya: Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi 2013
Dong XS, Wang X, Largay JA: Occupational and non-occupational factors associated with work-related injuries among construction workers in the USA. Int J Occup Environ Health 2015; 21 :142-50. doi:10.1179/2049396714y.0000000107
ElSafty A, ElSafty A, Malek M: Construction safety and occupational health education in Egypt, the EU, and US firms. Open J. Civil Eng 2012 Sep 1; 2(3): 174. doi:10.4236/ojce.2012.23023
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EASHW): Facts: Accident prevention in the construction sector. Belgium: European Commission Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee 2003
Farooqui R, Ahmed S, Panthi K, Azhar S: Addressing the issue of compliance with personal protective equipment on construction worksites: a workers’ perspective. In: International Proceedings of the 45th Annual Conference. Hattiesburg, Mississippi: Associated Schools of Construction 2009. Available online at: http://ascpro0.ascweb.org/archives/cd/2009/paper/CPRT176002009.pdf (last accessed 28-2-2020).
Halvani G, Ibrahemzadih M: Epidemiological study and estimating of accidents distribution in construction industry workers in Yazd city by appling time series until 2011. Int J Occup Saf Heal 2012; 2: 26-30. doi:10.3126/ijosh.v2i1.5917
Hatami SE, Ravandi MRG, Hatami ST, Khanjani N: Epidemiology of work-related injuries among insured construction workers in Iran. Electron Physician 2017;9:5841-47. doi:10.19082/5841
Holt A: Fundamentals. In Holt A (ed): Principles of Construction Safety. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2008: 4-7. doi:10.1002/9780470690529.ch1
International Labour Organization (ILO): Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases. An ILO code of practice. Geneva, International Labour Office 1996. Available online at: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---safework/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_107800.pdf (last accessed 28-2-2020)
International Labour Organization (ILO): Facts on Safety at Work. Geneva: International Labour Office 2002. Available online at: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_067574.pdf (last accessed 28-2-2020)
Izudi J, Ninsiima V, Alege JB: Use of personal protective equipment among building construction workers in Kampala, Uganda. J Environ Public Health 2017; 2017: 1-5. doi:10.1155/2017/7930589
Jazari MD, Jahangiri M, Khaleghi H, et al: Prevalence of self-reported work-related illness and injuries among building construction workers, Shiraz, Iran. EXCLI J 2018; 17: 724-33. doi:10.17179/excli2018-1459
Kähkönen E: Hazard control. In Guidotti TL (ed): Global Occupational Health. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011: 2015-237
Khashaba E, El-Helaly M, El-Gilany AH, et al: Risk factors for non-fatal occupational injuries among construction workers: a case–control study. Toxicol Ind Health 2018; 34: 83-90. doi:10.1177/0748233717733853
Khodabandeh F, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Kahani M: Factors associated with the severity of fatal accidents in construction workers. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2016; 30: 469
Kwarteng AN: Assessment of knowledge and use of personal protective equipment on site among building construction workers [dissertation]. Legon, Ghana: College Of Health Sciences, University Of Ghana 2015
Lette A, Ambelu A, Getahun T, Mekonen S: A survey of work-related injuries among building construction workers in southwestern Ethiopia. Int J Ind Ergon 2018; 68: 57-64. doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2018.06.010
Lette A, Kumbi M, Hussen A, Nuriye S: Determinants of occupational injury among building construction employees in southeastern Ethiopia. Int J Trop Dis Health 2018; 34: 1-11. doi:10.9734/ijtdh/2018/v34i430103
Li RYM, Poon SW: A literature review on the causes of construction accidents. In Proske D (ed): Construction Safety. Risk Engineering. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 2013:1-11. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-35046-7
Lombardi DA, Verma SK, Brennan MJ, Perry MJ: Factors influencing worker use of personal protective eyewear. Accid Anal Prev 2009; 41: 755-62. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2009.03.017
Mersha H, Mereta ST, Dube L: Prevalence of occupational injuries and associated factors among construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. J. Public Health Epidemiol. 2017; 9(1): 1-8. doi:10.5897/jphe2016.0883
Mohamed HA: Occupational hazards and their relation with health problems among construction building workers at El Sherouk City. Am J Nurs Res 2017; 5(3): 96-103. doi:10.12691/AJNR-5-3-4
Muema LM: Evaluation of personal protective equipment utilization among construction workers in Mombasa County, Kenya [thesis]. Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology 2016
Nghitanwa EM, Lindiwe Z: Occupational accidents and injuries among workers in the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia. Int J Heal 2017; 5: 55-59. doi:10.14419/ijh.v5i1.7303
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): OSHA Quick Card. Protect yourself, construction personal protective equipment (PPE). OSHA 3289; 2005. Available online at https://www.osha.gov/Publications/construction_ppe.html. (last accessed 28-2-2020)
Ogundipe KE, Owolabi JD, Olanipekun AE, et al: Factors affecting effective use of safety wears among construction site operatives: lessons from indigenous firms in south western Nigeria. IJAER 2018; 13: 4314-25
Siu OL, Phillips DR, Leung TW: Age differences in safety attitudes and safety performance in Hong Kong construction workers. J Safety Res 2003; 34: 199-205. doi:10.1016/S0022-4375(02)00072-5
Tadesse S, Israel D: Occupational injuries among building construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. J Occup Med Toxicol 2016; 11: 1-6. doi:10.1186/s12995-016-0107-8
Takahashi M, Tanigawa T, Tachibana N, et al: Modifying effects of perceived adaptation to shift work on health, wellbeing, and alertness on the job among nuclear power plant operators. Ind Health 2006; 43: 171-78. doi:10.2486/indhealth.43.171
Vitharana V, De Silva G, De Silva S: Health hazards, risk and safety practices in construction sites- a review study. Engineer 2015; 48: 35-44. doi:10.4038/engineer.v48i3.6840
Zerguine H, Tamrin S, Jalaludin J: D6-3 Evaluation of safety behavior and work-related injuries among foreign construction workers in Malaysia [supplement]. Jpn. J. Ergon. 2017; 53: S580-S83. doi:10.5100/jje.53.s580
Zerguine H, Tamrin SBM, Jalaludin J: Prevalence, source and severity of work-related injuries among “foreign” construction workers in a large Malaysian organisation: a cross-sectional study. Ind Health 2018; 56: 264-73. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2017-0205
Article Sidebar
Published
Aug 31, 2020
Article Details
How to Cite
1.
Sehsah R, El-Gilany A-H, Ibrahim AM. Personal protective equipment (PPE) use and its relation to accidents among construction workers. Med Lav [Internet]. 2020 Aug. 31 [cited 2024 Nov. 18];111(4):285-9. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/lamedicinadellavoro/article/view/9398
Issue
Section
Original articles
All Journal's articles are Open Access papers distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Reproductions with commercial intent will require written permission and payment of royalties.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Sehsah R, El-Gilany A-H, Ibrahim AM. Personal protective equipment (PPE) use and its relation to accidents among construction workers. Med Lav [Internet]. 2020 Aug. 31 [cited 2024 Nov. 18];111(4):285-9. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/lamedicinadellavoro/article/view/9398
