Occupational health and safety practices among vehicle repair artisans in an urban area in Ghana
Occupational health and safety practices among vehicle repair artisans in an urban area in Ghana
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Date
2014-05-28
Authors
Monney, Isaac
Dwumfour-Asare, Bismark
Owusu-Mensah, Isaac
Kuffour, Richard Amankwah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the extent of work-related injuries and illnesses, access to first aid,
use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fire safety measures and hand hygiene practices among vehicle
repair artisans. Materials and Methods: Study respondents were 100 vehicle repair artisans comprising of
28 Auto mechanics, 20 electricians, 26 welders, 18 sprayers, and 8 automobile interior designers selected
by simple random sampling. Semi-structured questionnaires, extensive field observations and key informant
interviews were used to collect primary data in 2013/2014 and analyzed with Minitab version 16 in 2014.
Results: Close to two-thirds (64%) of the artisans have sustained work-related injuries mostly resulting from
cuts and burns. Respondents’ marital status (P = 0.014) and the type of work (P = 0.037) were found to be
significantly associated with the incidence of physical injury, in contrast to their level of education (P = 0.874)
and work experience (P = 0.203). Seventy-eight percent of the artisans lack training in fire safety and besides,
basic firefighting equipment are non-existent in the workshops visited. Self-medication after injury (55%; N
= 64) and ignorance in first aid administration (92%) are common among the artisans. Further, due to the
physical exertions required by their work, most artisans (N = 57) experience musculoskeletal disorders. Use
of PPE (27%) and proper hand hygiene practices (28%; N = 98) are generally ignored by the artisans posing
possible health risks. Conclusions: Vehicle repair workers need to be educated on the dangers associated
with their work and the best practices to be adopted to curb or forestall these risks.
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Citation
Monney, I., Bismark, D. A., Isaac, O. M., & Kuffour, R. A. (2014). practices among vehicle repair artisans in an urban area in Ghana. J Environ Occup Sci, 3(3), 147.