Science Journal of Public Health

2022; 10(1): 1-9

http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/sjph
doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20221001.11
ISSN: 2328-7942 (Print); ISSN: 2328-7950 (Online)

Occupational Physical Injuries and Associated Factors

Among Workers of Bishoftu Automotive Industry, Bishoftu,
Ethiopia
Naol Hunduma Tolera1, *, Dufera Rikitu Terefa2
1
Department of Public Health, Adama Hospital Medical College, Adama, Ethiopia
2
Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia

Email address:
*
Corresponding author

To cite this article:

Naol Hunduma Tolera, Dufera Rikitu Terefa. Occupational Physical Injuries and Associated Factors Among Workers of Bishoftu Automotive
Industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health. Vol. 10, No. 1, 2022, pp. 1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20221001.11

Received: December 5, 2021; Accepted: December 23, 2021; Published: January 17, 2022

Abstract: Background: Occupational injury is an unintentional personal physical injury resulting from occupational
accidents. It is a major public health problem resulting in serious social and economic consequences that could potentially be
prevented. However, evidence on occupational physical injury among automotive industry workers in the country; particularly
in the study area was scanty. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational physical injuries and
associated factors among workers of the Bishoftu automotive industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Methods: Institutional-based cross-
sectional study design was employed to assess the prevalence of occupational physical injury among workers of the Bishoftu
automotive industry from December 15 to 30, 2019. Data was collected from 477 randomly selected participants and analyzed
using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Multi-variable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify
predictors of occupational injuries and all variables with P-value at<0.05 and an Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% CI
were used to declare the predictors of the outcome variable. Results: The prevalence of occupational physical injury among
Bishoftu automotive industry workers within the last 12 months was 29.4% (95% CI: 25.2, 33.9). Abrasion 50 (39%), cut 34
(26.6%) and puncture 19 (14.8%) were the most common types of injuries; and of which hands 54 (42.2%), head 22 (17.2%),
legs 20 (15.6%) and eyes 19 (14.8%) were the most commonly affected body parts. Workers with low monthly income [AOR:
3.03, 95% CI (1.25, 7.36)], sleeping disorders during working time [AOR: 5.40, 95% CI (2.30 – 9.40)], without Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) during working time [AOR: 14, 95% CI (7.71, 25.63)] and working greater than forty-eight hours
per week [AOR: 2.40, 95% CI (1.40, 7.14)] were factors significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion: Low
monthly income, sleeping disorders, not using PPE and engaging in work for greater than forty-eight hours were major
predictors of occupational injury. Hence, decision makers, policy designers, implementers, and managers of an industry should
have to give due attention toward effective implementation of injury prevention policies, regulations and strategies; provision
of adequate and quality PPEs and effective utilization of PPE is needed.
Keywords: Automotive Industry, Occupational Injury, Physical Injury, Ethiopia

externalities (negative externalities) for the workers in the

1. Introduction industry [2]. Of these, occupational injury is one of its
The automotive industry is currently the major industrial externalities for the workers.
and economic forces across several economies in the world. Occupational injury is an unintentional personal physical
It originated in Germany and France and recently, China has injury resulting from an occupational accident. It is also an
become a leader in the industry [1]. Also, currently industries unexpected and unplanned occurrence, including acts of
are expanding in Ethiopia for the achievement of the Agenda different violence, which arise out of or in the course of work
of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but it has its own in which workers are injured while an occupational disease is
2 Naol Hunduma Tolera and Dufera Rikitu Terefa: Occupational Physical Injuries and Associated Factors
Among Workers of Bishoftu Automotive Industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia

a disease contracted as a result of exposure over a period of However, as far as the knowledge of the researchers is
time to risk factors arising from work activities [3, 4]. concerned, there was no study conducted on occupational
Ethiopia had favorable policy and regulatory frameworks physical injury among automotive industry workers in the
regarding Occupational Safety and Health and had even country, particularly in the study area, Bishoftu, Oromia
ratified several, around 20, International Labor Organization region. So, the study aimed to assess the prevalence of
(ILO) conventions in 1981 (No. 155). The ministry of Labor occupational physical injury and associated factors among
and Social Affairs of Ethiopian is the government body workers in the Bishoftu automotive industry.
responsible for supervising the labor administration, working Therefore, these findings will help policy makers and
conditions, occupational safety and health according to Labor program planners of occupational health and safety in order
Proclamation No. 377/2003 [5]. However, it’s monitoring to inform, plan, implement and evaluate health policies and
systems and laboratory investigations were inadequate. strategies which are vital for preventing an occupational
Occupational safety and health service at the workplace is injury in the industrial areas of the countries.
to provide preventive measures and advisory roles for
assisting employers, workers and their representatives in 2. Materials and Methods
establishing and maintaining a safe and healthy working
environment [6]. Although a lot of attempts have been made 2.1. Study Area and Period
to reduce occupation-related morbidities and mortalities, still
now it is one of the leading major public health problems in The study was conducted in Bishoftu town, Oromia
developed and developing countries globally [7], particularly regional state, Ethiopia from December 15 to 31, 2019. The
in Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries of which Ethiopia is town was located 50 km in the west direction of the big zonal
among them [8]. town, Adama, and 47 km in the south-east direction of the
Working in the industry is associated with potential risks capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.
and hazards which are categorized under occupational, Bishoftu automotive industry is one of the manufacturing
environmental and public health. Every day, thousands and industries found in the town and which was established in
hundreds of thousands of workers were died and suffered 1999. It was incorporated in the metals and engineering
from permanently disabling injuries respectively due to corporation in 2010. The total number of employee in the
work-related accidents around the globe [3]. industry at the time of the study was 2252, of which 1850
According to international labor organization (ILO) and were directly engaged in the production process and 402 of
World Health organization (WHO), report, around 2.3 them were not directly engaged in the productions process.
million, 317 million and 160 million work-related deaths, The main productions of the industry were assembling city
work-related accidents or injuries and non-fatal work-related buses, tractors, dumb trucks, assembling pick-ups, cross-
diseases occurred each year. Of the deaths that occurred, over country buses, and Super Urban Vehicles (SUVS), and the
2 million and 350,000 deaths were due to fatal work-related main services given were overhauling of tanks and armored
diseases and accidents respectively. This estimate also personnel carriers. The industry has six different factories:
implies that every day nearly 860,000 and 6,400 people were Vehicle system production factory, commercial bus
injured at work and died respectively [9, 10]. The risk of production factory, light pickup production factory, engine
having work-related injury was almost 20 times higher in and power production factory, vehicle body and frame
developing countries including Ethiopia than that of production factory, light military vehicles and heavy duty
developed countries [7, 8, 11]. truck production factory. The industry has one health center
Also, in the country, only about 5-10% of workforces had [16].
access to occupational health services and lack safe working 2.2. Study Design and Population
conditions. Due to this, a majority of them faced work-
related occupational injuries [12]. 2.2.1. Study Design
In Ethiopia, different studies have been conducted to The institutional-based cross-sectional study design was
assess the prevalence of occupational injury and associated conducted among workers of the Bishoftu automotive
factors on different industries work forces. Particularly; in industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 2019.
Addis Ababa on large-scale metal manufacturing industries
[13] and among construction workers [14]; in southern region 2.2.2. Population
on small scale industries [11] and Etab soap and detergent All workers of the Bishoftu automotive industry who were
factory [12] and in the Northern parts of the country on engaged in the production process were the source population
textile share company [15] workers. In the studies; and those randomly selected participants from those who
employment patterns, job satisfactions, alcohol consumption, were directly engaged in the production process were the
smoking, sleep disorders, utilization of personal protective study population for this study.
equipment, working hours per week, work safety trainings, All workers who were directly engaged in the productions
work experiences, work schedules, daily supervisions, process in the industry in the last one year and more were
pollution and occupational safety were the most important included in the study. Administrative and supportive staffs or
factors being assessed for the existence of an injury [8]. workers; workers who were from other industry for a short
 Science Journal of Public Health 2022; 10(1): 1-9 3

period of time for training, practices, transferring technology assessment or laboratory tests and doctoral examination. It
and those who were on sick, annual, maternity, and family was measured by the close-ended question as “Have you
leaves during the data collection period were excluded from been physically injured in the last one year at least once?”
the study. (Yes/No). Those participants who have encountered an injury
answered as “Yes” and those who have not encountered an
2.3. Sample Size and Sampling Techniques injury answered as “No” to the question [4].
2.3.1. Sample Size Personal Protective Equipment’s (PPEs): Utilization of the
The sample size was determined by using a single worker-specialized clothing or equipment worn by
population proportion formula with prevalence of 68.3% [17]; employees for protection against health and safety hazards at
by considering 95% degree of confidence level (Zα⁄2=1.96), the time of interview and were checked by observation.
4% margin of error (d), 10% non-response rate and since the Personal protective equipment was designed to protect many
source population (N=1850) were less than ten thousand, parts of the body, that include eyes, head, face, hands, feet,
finite correction formula was used. Finally, the calculated and ears [15].
sample size yielded 447 respondents. The calculated sample Work Place Supervision: Regular supervision made on
size was proportionally allocated to each production factory occupational health and safety by responsible bodies from
based on the number of workers engaged in each production external or internal in the factory.
factory in the industry. Job Satisfaction: It is any combination of psychological,
physiological, and environmental circumstances that cause a
2.3.2. Sampling Techniques person to truthfully say “I am satisfied with my job”. It is a
From the beginning, lists of workers who were engaged in subjectively perceived response of the study participant to
the production process in each of the production factories their job [15].
(departments) were obtained from human resource personnel Khat Chewing: An employee chewing khat (a mild
of the industry. Then, the sample size was proportionally psychoactive substance) three times a week for at least one
allocated to each production factory based on the number of year.
workers engaged in each production factory in the industry. Cigarette Smoking: An employee who has smoked at least
Following these procedures, number of respondents and one cigarette per a day for at least six months.
sample size allocated for each production factory were Sleeping Disorders: The presence of sleeping problems
indicated as follows: PF1 (N=323, n=78), PF2 (N=315, (due to difficulty in initiating sleeping at night, sleeping
n=76), PF3 (N=336, n=81), PF4 (N=379, n=92), PF5 (N=289, poorly at night, sleep insufficiency, and insomnia symptoms)
n=70), PF6 (N=208, n=50). Where PF, N and n were referred which disturb them when workers were at their work place in
to production factories, source population and sample size, the industry [15].
respectively.
Finally, study subjects were selected by a simple random 2.6. Data Collection and Procedures
sampling technique based on the allocated sample size from A semi-structured interviewer administered a pre-tested
each factory. Every selected respondent was approached and questionnaire by face-to-face interviewing of the respondents
interviewed after obtaining consents. When the recruited and was employed from December 15 to 30, 2019. The
participants were not available, the next participants from the questionnaire was adapted by a review of different literature
list were selected. [12, 14, 18]. Prior to the actual data collection, the
2.4. Measurement and Variables questionnaire was pre-tested in the Dejen aviation industry
on 5% (23) of the total sample, then after the results were
Occupational injury among workers of Bishoftu discussed, and some modification and correction have been
automotive industry was the dependent variable, whereas made accordingly. Data was collected by two experienced
various variables described in three main sections such as; health professionals who had a college diploma and were
socio-demographic and economic factors (age, sex, religion, proficient in both languages (Afan Oromo and Amharic).
marital status, educational status, working experiences, Both data collectors and supervisor were trained for two days
employment condition and monthly salary), working on the data collection questionnaires, study procedures, and
environmental factors (availability of PPE, health and safety research ethics.
trainings, hours worked per week, health and safety The data collection processes were implemented in such a
supervision) and behavioral factors (smoking, alcohol, use of way that data collectors approached every respondent after
PPE, job satisfaction) were the independent variables. obtaining consent. The overall data collection processes were
monitored and supervised by one health professional who
2.5. Operational Definition had a qualification of Bachelor of Science degree in
Occupational Injury: Any physical injury condition occupational health and who was proficient in both languages.
experienced by the workers in connection with the 2.7. Data Processing and Analysis
performance of his/ her work in the last one-year period but
does not include work-related diseases that need exposure Collected data were checked for completeness and
4 Naol Hunduma Tolera and Dufera Rikitu Terefa: Occupational Physical Injuries and Associated Factors
Among Workers of Bishoftu Automotive Industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia

consistency. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and experience, 228 (52.3%) of the respondents had an
exported to SPSS version 25. Data cleaning was also experience of one to three years. Regarding their
conducted after data entry by running frequencies. employment patterns, 317 (72.7%) of the respondents
Duplicated records were removed from SPSS. Coding and were permanently employed and 119 (27.3%) were
recoding of variables were performed in the preparation for temporarily employed. Regarding their monthly salary,
analysis. almost half, 210 (48.2%) of the respondents were earned
Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages between 2501-4500 ETB (Table 1).
were utilized. Then, data were presented using tables and
graph. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to 3.2. Work Environment Related Factors and Utilization of
identify the potential predictors of occupational physical PPE
injury. All variables with P-value less than 0.25 in the bi- Concerning work environment-related factors; 345
variable logistic regression analysis were entered into a (79.1%) of the respondents were working less than or equal
multi-variable model and run by the backward stepwise to 48 hours per week while 91 (20.9%) were working
variable selection method with probability of removal of 0.10 greater than 48 hours per week. The majority, (73.6%) of
and a p-value of less than or equals to 0.05 and an Adjusted the respondents were not regularly supervised at their work
Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% CI were used to declare the place and 186 (42.7%) of the respondents had no training
predictors of the outcome variable. Finally, fitness of the on occupational safety. Regarding personal protective
model was checked by using Hosmer and Lemeshow's equipment, 327 (75%) of participants used personal
goodness-of-fit test. protective equipment all the time. Concerning the reason
2.8. Ethical Consideration not to use personal protective equipment, 42 (38.6%) of the
participants replied that PPE was not comfortable to use
The study was conducted after appropriate research ethical (Table 2).
clearance was obtained from the ethical review Board of
Adama Hospital Medical College. Study permission or 3.3. Behavioral Factors
support letters were also obtained from the Bishoftu Regarding the behavior of the respondents, 20 (4.6%), 31
automotive industry, which were written to each department (7.1%) and 96 (22.0%) of them were used to drink alcohol,
in the industry. This study was conducted in accordance with smoke cigarette and chew khat respectively. Thirty-nine
the Declaration of Helsinki. All study participants were well- (8.9%) of the respondents were challenged with sleeping
informed about the aim of the study, benefits and risks. during the working time and 258 (59.2%) of them were
Following this, informed written consent was secured from dissatisfied with their work (Table 3).
study participants. Study participants’ confidentiality was
maintained. No personal identifiers were used in the data 3.4. Prevalence of Occupational Injuries
collection tools and codes were used in place of it. Data were
kept in protected and safe locations. Of the study participants, 128 (29.4%) were experienced
Paper-based data were kept in a locked cabinet and occupational injuries in the last 12 months. From injured
computer-based data were password-secured. The recorded participants; the most commonly affected body parts were:
data were not accessed by a third person, except the research hand 54 (42.2%), head 22 (17.2%), leg 20 (15.6%) and eye
team. Data sharing was enacted based on the consent and 19 (14.8%). Of the study participants, 128 (29.4%) were
permission of research participants and the ethical and legal experienced occupational injuries in the last 12 months.
rules of data sharing. From injured participants; the most commonly affected
body parts were hand 54 (42.2%), head 22 (17.2%), leg 20
(15.6%) and eye 19 (14.8%). With regard to specific days
3. Results of injuries; majority of the respondents were injured on
Out of the total study participants (n=447), 436 Monday 50 (39%) followed by Tuesday 34 (26.6%) and
participated in the study with a response rate of 97.5%. most of them were injured in the afternoon 76 (59.4%). In
this study, the injury was caused by varied objects. Of these,
3.1. Socio-demographic and Economic Characteristics of 78 (60.9%), 15 (11.7%) and 13 (10.2%) of them were
the Participants majorly caused by machineries and hand tools, hit by
falling objects and acid and hot substances respectively
Of the study participants, three hundred three (69.5%) (Table 4).
were males. The mean age of the respondents was 26 With respect to the types of injuries; abrasions 50 (39%),
years (SD=5.8 years) and with the majority of the cuts 34 (26.6%), punctures 19 (14.8%) and eye injuries 16
respondents age, three hundred five (70%) ranging from (12.5%) were the most common types of injuries reported by
21 to 30 years old. Majority of the respondents were participants (Figure 1).
Orthodox Christian religion followers (49.5%), single in
their marital status (60.8%) and graduated from vocational
and technical school (47.2%). Concerning their working
 Science Journal of Public Health 2022; 10(1): 1-9 5

work environment and utilization of PPEs; use of PPEs and

working hours per week and from behavioral factors sleeping
disorder were the candidate variables on binary logistic
regression analysis for multivariable logistic regression.
When adjusted, the variables such as monthly salary, use of
PPEs, working hours per week and sleeping disorders were
statistically associated with occupational injuries in multiple
logistic regression analysis after controlling possible
confounders (Table 5).
According to this study finding, respondents whose their
monthly salary ranged from 2501-4500 were three times
more likely to encounter an injury when compared to those
whose their monthly salary were greater than 4500 birr [AOR:
3.03; 95% CI (1.25, 7.36)]. Likewise, respondents who had
sleeping disorders during working time were five times more
Figure 1. The commonest type of injuries among workers of the Bishoftu likely to encounter an injury than those without sleeping
automotive industry, Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia, December 2019 (n=128). disorder [AOR: 5.40; 95% CI (2.30, 9.40)]. Workers without
PPE during their working time were fourteen times more
3.5. Factors Associated with Occupational Injuries likely to encounter an injury than workers who used PPEs
In order to identify factors associated with occupational [AOR=14; 95% CI (7.71, 25.63)]. Participants who were
injury, bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression engaged to work greater than 48 hours per week were 2.4
analysis were conducted. From socio-demographic and times more likely to encounter injury compared to those who
economic variables; educational status and monthly salary; were engaged to work for less than or equals to 48 hours per
week [AOR: 2.40; 95% CI: (1.40, 7.14)] (Table 5).

Table 1. Socio-demographic and economic characteristic of the study participants among workers of Bishoftu automotive industry, Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia,
December 2019 (N=436).

Variables Frequency Percent

Sex Male 303 69.5
Female 133 30.5
Age in years
≤ 20 56 12.8
21-30 305 70
31-40 63 14.4
>41 12 2.8
Religion
Orthodox 216 49.5
Muslim 80 18.3
Protestant 126 29
Wakefata 11 2.5
Catholic 3 0.7
Education status
Can read and write 33 7.6
Primary school (1-8) 52 11.9
Secondary school (9-12) 104 23.9
Technical and vocational school graduated 206 47.2
Degree and above 41 9.4
Work experience
1-3 years 228 52.3
4-5 years 68 15.6
>6 years 140 32.1
Employment pattern
Permanent 317 72.7
Temporary 119 27.3
Monthly salary in birr
<1400 4 0.9
1401-2500 127 29.1
2501-4500 210 48.2
>4500 95 21.8
6 Naol Hunduma Tolera and Dufera Rikitu Terefa: Occupational Physical Injuries and Associated Factors
Among Workers of Bishoftu Automotive Industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia

Table 2. Work environment-related factors and utilization of PPE of the study participants among workers of Bishoftu automotive industry, Bishoftu Town,
Ethiopia, December 2019 (n=436).

Variables Frequency Percent

Working hours per week
<48 hours 345 79.1
>48 hours 91 20.9
Work place supervision
Yes 115 26.4
No 321 73.6
Safety training in the working area
Yes 250 57.3
No 186 42.7
Use of PPE all the time
Yes 327 75
No 109 25
Reason for not using PPE all the time (n=109)
Lack of PPE 32 29.4
Lack of awareness 35 32.1
Not comfortable to use 42 38.5

Table 3. Behavioral factors of the study participants among workers of the Bishoftu automotive industry, Ethiopia, 2019 (n=436).

Variables Frequency Percent

Drinking alcohol
Yes 20 4.6
No 416 95.4
Smoking cigarette
Yes 31 7.1
No 405 92.9
Chewing khat
Yes 96 22
No 340 78
Sleeping disorder
Yes 39 8.9
No 397 91.1
Job satisfaction
Yes 178 40.8
No 258 59.2

Table 4. Most commonly affected body parts of the study participants among workers of the Bishoftu automotive industry, Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia, December
2019 (n=128).

Variables Frequency Percent

Occupational injuries in the last 12 months
Yes 128 29.4
No 308 70.6
Affected body parts
Hand 54 42.2
Head 22 17.2
Eye 19 14.8
Leg 20 15.6
Other body parts* 13 10.2
Days of injuries
Monday 50 39
Tuesday 34 26.6
Wednesday 12 9.4
Thursday 21 16.4
Friday 6 4.7
Saturday 3 2.3
Sunday 2 1.6
Time of injuries
Morning 24 18.7
Afternoon 76 59.4
Evening 23 18
Mid night 5 3.9
Causes of injuries
Machinery and hand tool 78 60.9
Hit by falling objects 15 11.7
 Science Journal of Public Health 2022; 10(1): 1-9 7

Variables Frequency Percent

Acid and hot substance 13 10.2
Collusion with objects 10 7.8
Other ** 12 9.4
*
Back, chest, hip, ear and poly trauma; **electricity, vehicles

Table 5. Multi-variable analysis results of occupational injuries of the study participants among workers of Bishoftu automotive industry, Bishoftu Town,
Ethiopia, December 2019 (n=436).

Occupational injury OR [95% CI]

Variables
Yes (%) Yes (%) COR AOR
Educational status
Can read and write 5 (15.2) 28 (84.8) 0.89 (0.54, 1.47) 0.90 (0.47, 1.72)
Primary school (1-8) 16 (30.8) 36 (69.2) 0.35 (0.12, 0.99) 0.85 (0.23, 2.89)
Secondary school 35 (33.7) 69 (66.3) 0.48 (0.2, 1.14) 0.55 (0.17, 1.81)
Technikinacl and vocational 64 (31) 142 (69) 0.88 (0.43, 1.79) 0.66 (0.26, 1.70)
Degree and above 8 (19.5) 33 (80.5) 1 1
Monthly Salary
<1400 1 (25) 3 (75) 1.87 (1.04, 3.39) 2.05 (0.92, 4.60)
1400-2500 45 (35.4) 82 (64.6) 1.43 (0.14, 14.52) 0.75 (0.41, 13.89)
2501-4500 64 (30.5) 146 (69.5) 2.35 (1.25, 4.40) 3.03 (1.25, 7.36)**
>4500 18 (18.9) 77 (81.1) 1 1
Sleeping disorder
Yes 17 (43.6) 22 (56.4) 2.50 (1.26, 5.98) 5.40 (2.30 – 9.40)**
No 111 (28) 286 (72) 1 1
Use of PPE
Yes 55 (16.8) 272 (83.2) 1 1
No 73 (67) 36 (33) 10.03 (6.13, 16.42) 14 (7.71, 25.63)**
Working hours /week
<48 hours 70 (20.3) 275 (79.5) 1 1
>48 hours 58 (63.7) 33 (36.3) 6.91 (4.18, 11.40) 2.40 (1.40, 7.14)**

COR: Crude Odd Ratio, AOR: Adjusted Odd Ratio, **P-value<0.05, and 1=reference

different studies conducted in some regions of the country,

4. Discussion Ethiopia, like which was conducted on; large scale metal
manufacturing industries, 48.9% [13], large-scale metal
Globally, occupational injuries are not only public health manufacturing factories, 49.9% [18] and construction
challenges. It is also both public health burden and economic workers, 84.7% [14] of Addis Ababa city; Bahir Dar Textile
burden in both developed and developing countries [8, 13, 18]. Share Company, 42.7% [15] of Amhara Region; Etab soap
A variety of studies has been conducted among workers of and detergent factory, 38.1% [12] in Hawassa of South
different industries on occupational injury which verified the nation nationality and people’s Region; Ethiopian hotel
intensity was high in developing countries in which Ethiopia is industry, 37.9% [23] and systematic review and meta-
one among them [8]. However, nothing has been conducted on analysis conducted on occupational injury and its associated
occupational injuries among workers of the automotive factors in Ethiopia, with the pooled prevalence of 44.66% [8].
industries in our setup. Hence, this industry-based cross- The discrepancies might be due to the difference in nature of
sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of industries, health and safety regulations, utilization of
occupational injuries and identified associated factors as it is occupational safety procedures and effective injury
essential in the development of injury prevention strategy in prevention systems, working environment and worker’s
the industrial areas, automotive industry of Ethiopia. behavior.
Accordingly, the finding revealed that the overall With respect to the types of injuries; abrasions 50 (39%),
prevalence of occupational physical injuries in the last 12 cuts 34 (26.6%), punctures 19 (14.8%) and eye injuries 16
months was 128 (29.4%) (95 CI: 25.2, 33.9). This finding (12.5%) were the most common types of injuries reported by
was almost similar with a study done on occupational injuries, participants, which was supported by study done in Egypt
illness and fatalities to automotive service technicians in and some of the studies conducted in Ethiopia [12, 15]. From
Chicago, (34.9%) [19], and workers of the Federal injured participants; the most commonly affected body parts
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) metal and were hands 54 (42.2%), head 22 (17.2%), legs 20 (15.6%)
engineering corporation (METEC), 27% [20]. However, it and eyes 19 (14.8%). This finding was in line with different
was lower than the study conducted on that of the workers in studies conducted in developing countries [14, 15, 17, 18].
an Indian automobile repair workers, 63% [21]; Egyptian This might be due to the fact that, in most of the cases, they
construction building workers, 46.2% [17]; Ghana might have used manually operating tools.
automotive company workers, 64% [22] and also lower than According to this finding, workers with low monthly
8 Naol Hunduma Tolera and Dufera Rikitu Terefa: Occupational Physical Injuries and Associated Factors
Among Workers of Bishoftu Automotive Industry, Bishoftu, Ethiopia

income, sleeping disorders, those who did not use PPEs personal protective equipment's a very important factor for
during working times and worked more than 48 hours per the prevention of occupational injuries in the automotive
week were factors significantly associated with occupational industries of Ethiopia, the Bishoftu automotive industry in
injury. These findings revealed that employees with low particular. Concerning the reason not to use personal
monthly income were more likely to be injured compared to protective equipment, almost four out of ten workers replied
workers earning a high monthly salary per month. This that PPEs were not comfortable to use. This could be due to
finding was in line with the study conducted in America [24]. the lack of adequate induction, orientation and on-job
The reason might be explained as higher payment is related trainings regarding its advantage and mental readiness during
to high experience and higher educational status, which recruitment and selection of workers.
might have an impact on effective utilization of different Regarding working environment-related factors, workers
injury prevention strategies or mechanisms among skilled or who were engaged to work 48 hours or more per week were
experienced workers unlike to that of unskilled individuals in two times more likely to be injured than workers who spend
the industries. Also, similar to the study conducted in their time at the work place for 48 hours and less. This finding
Ethiopia, among construction workers in Addis Ababa [14]. was consistent with a study conducted on occupational health
This might be due to similarity in socio-economic status. and safety among vehicle repair workers in Ghana [22] and
Regarding sleep disturbances, the study showed that construction building workers in Addis Ababa [17]. Also, this
workers who have sleep disturbances such as difficulty in finding was supported by different studies conducted on varies
initiating sleeping at night, sleeping poorly at night, sleep industries in Ethiopia [8, 13, 14]. This might be due to
insufficiency, and insomnia symptoms were five times more excessive tiredness connected to such a relatively long work
likely to encounter an injury than workers without sleeping hours as a result of working for additional payments after they
disorders. This result has shown similarity with a study done have finished their daily quotas.
by different scholars among textile factory workers in Amhara This study had its own limitations. Firstly, we have used a
regional state, Ethiopia [6], Kombolcha Textile Factory, and cross-sectional study design using questionnaire-based
Ethiopian hotel industry [23]. This might be due to the fact that interview to assess the prevalence of injury in the last year
sleeping disorder might affect healthy life, healthy thinking period, which could prevent identification of causal factors
and mental problems which in turn could affect the ability to for work-related injury or illness and the ability to determine
maintain wakefulness, concentration, ability to focus in whether reported health conditions existed before or resulted
focusing in the work environment and working conditions and from work-related injury or illness. Secondly, as responses
performing activities safely. Whereas, the current study finding were self-reported, the findings might also be subject to
was in contrast to the study done among construction building recall and social desirability biases, which could result in
workers in Egypt [17]. This might be due to the difference in differential recall of more severe or recent events. Thirdly,
behavior of the study participants. those on leave due to injury were excluded from the sample.
Respondents who did not use Personal Protective Thirdly, people might be hesitant to disclose truth for some
Equipment (PPE) were more likely to encounter an injury responses in face-to-face interviews (like non availability of
than workers who used PPE during working time. This PPE from the management) even though confidentiality was
finding was different from a study done on construction assured and excluding people not completed one year service
building workers in Egypt [17] and occupational health risks from the sample could be a source of bias in estimating
and hazards among the Fisherfolk in Kenya [22]. This might injury prevalence if newly recruited are more likely to be
be explained by the fact that there is a difference in the injured due to less-trainings. These might have
characteristics of the study participants and nature of the underestimated or overestimated the findings.
industries on which the study has been conducted with regard
to utilization of PPEs. 5. Conclusion
However, the study finding was consistent with different
studies conducted by different scholars on different industries The study finding showed that the overall annual
at different time in Ethiopia’s different regions, such as the prevalence of occupational physical injury in the last 12
study conducted on: large-scale metal manufacturing months among workers of the Bishoftu automotive industry
industries [13], construction workers in Addis Ababa [14], was high. Abrasions, cuts and punctures were the most
large-scale metal manufacturing factories in Addis Ababa common types of injuries; and of which hands, head and legs
[18], Etab soap and detergent factory Hawassa [12] and also were the most commonly affected body parts. Machinery and
supported by a systematic review and meta-analysis hand tools were the two major causes of these injuries.
conducted on occupational injury and its associated factors in Workers with low monthly income, sleeping disorders, those
Ethiopia [8]. This might be explained by the fact that the who did not use PPEs during working times and worked
proper utilization of PPEs reduces the occurrence of more than 48 hours per week were significantly associated
unexpected occupational injuries in different factories, and with occupational injuries.
this could be the same for workers in automotive industries Therefore, our finding calls up decision makers, policy
even if there were no similar studies to make comparisons designers, implementers, and managers of an industry to pay
boldly in our set up. Due to these reasons, utilization of due attention toward effective implementation of injury
 Science Journal of Public Health 2022; 10(1): 1-9 9

prevention policies, regulations and strategies; provision of [8] Alamneh YM, Wondifraw AZ, Negesse A, Ketema DB. The
adequate and quality PPEs and promotion of utilization of prevalence of occupational injury and its associated factors in
Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2020; 15
PPEs are needed. (14): 1–11.
Also, inductions, orientations, on and off-job trainings on
occupational health and safety as well as practicing work [9] Day W, Safety FOR, Work HAT. Global Trends On
shifts or rotations in order to reduce consecutively prolonged Occupational Accidents and Diseases. 2015; (April): 1–7.
duration of working hours and minimization of sleeping [10] ILO. Safety and health at work: A Vision for Sustainable
disturbances are recommended. Prevention. 2014. 1–48 p.
Beside this, further studies needed to be conducted to
[11] Industries S, Minch A, At T, Tessema F, Gk J. Prevalence of
determine the economic burden of occupational injury. Occupational Injuries and Associated Factors among Small-
Scale Industries Workers in Arba Minch Town, Southern
Author Contributions Ethiopia, 2016. 2018; 3 (2): 1–8.
[12] Kibret H, Kassahun Y, Gemechu L, Geleta D. Prevalence and
All authors made substantial contributions to conception associated factors with work related injuries among workers in
and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation Etab soap and detergent factory Hawassa, Ethiopia. 2018; 7
of data; took part in drafting the article or revising it critically (4): 180–7.
for important intellectual content; gave final approval of the
[13] Habtu Y, Kumie A, Tefera W. Magnitude and Factors of
version to be published; and agree to be accountable for all Occupational Injury among Workers in Large Scale Metal
aspects of the work. Manufacturing Industries in Ethiopia. 2014; 1 (e1087): 1–10.

[14] Mersha H, Mereta ST. Prevalence of occupational injuries and

Disclosure associated factors among construction workers in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia. 2017; 9 (1): 1–9.
All the authors do not have any possible conflicts of
interest. [15] Damtie D. The Prevalence of Occupational Injuries and
Associated Risk Factors among Workers in Bahir Dar Textile
Share Company, Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia. 2020;
Acknowledgements 1–9.

Researchers would like to acknowledge all participants of [16] Abera G, Assefa E. Bishoftu town residents ’ perception about
the study and administrative structures at different hierarchy economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts of urban
tourism. 2020; 11 (2): 21–39.
of the study setting for their due cooperation and
involvement. [17] City M, Governorate D, Abbas RA, Zalat MM, Salah N,
Ghareeb E. Non-Fatal Occupational Injuries and Safety
Climate: A Cross-Sectional Study of Construction Building
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