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The effect of organizational and individual factors on health and safety practices: results from a cross-sectional study among manufacturing industrial workers

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Abstract

Background

Manufacturing industries are one of the leading industries, where a large work force is employed and most accidents occurred. Unsafe safety practices are the primary cause for most workplace injuries and illnesses. However, in Ethiopia there is inadequate, limited, and narrow research attention with regard to the health and safety practices among manufacturing industrial workers. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of organizational and individual factors on health and safety practices.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2017. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 403 study participants from within the manufacturing industries. In addition to a structured questionnaire, an observational checklist was used to assess the working conditions. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 20. Significance level was obtained at 95% CI and p value ≤ 0.05. Odds ratio was used to determine the strength of association.

Result

The overall percentage of good health and safety practices among workers in manufacturing industries was 57.5% (95% CI: 52.4, 62). Work experience > 5 years (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.44, 5.29) and a level of education of diploma and above (AOR = 6.49, 95% CI: 1.31, 31.86) were important predictors of good health and safety practices. Moreover, working hours ≤ 48 h per week (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.78), safety training (AOR = 3.95, 95% CI: 2.20, 7.12), and management support (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.13, 3.15) were significantly associated organizational factors for good health and safety practices.

Conclusion

This study highlights the need for ongoing health and safety training, management commitment to health and safety of employees, and provision of appropriate personal protective equipment to enhance health and safety practices of workers.

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Availability of data and materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article. The data that support the findings of this study are also available from the corresponding and primary authors upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

AOR:

Adjusted odds ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

PPE:

Personal protective equipment

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bahirdar City Administration Health Bureau, Bahirdar, Ethiopia

    Getnet Abat Tafere

  2. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, 196, Gondar, Ethiopia

    Getahun Kebede Beyera & Sintayehu Daba Wami

Authors
  1. Getnet Abat Tafere
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  2. Getahun Kebede Beyera
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  3. Sintayehu Daba Wami
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Contributions

GAT contributed to the study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretations of the results, and manuscript write-up. SDW and GKB contributed to the study design, data analysis, interpretations of the results, and manuscript write-up and review. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sintayehu Daba Wami.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical clearance was obtained from Ethical Review Committee of Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar. Permission letter was also obtained from each manufacturing industry manager. Those workers in the manufacturing industries in Bahir dar city, who were selected to participate, were informed about the purpose of the study, the importance of their participation and withdraw at any time.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study prior to quantitative data collection.

Consent for publication

Privacy and confidentiality of information given by each respondent was kept properly and personal identifiers were removed.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Tafere, G.A., Beyera, G.K. & Wami, S.D. The effect of organizational and individual factors on health and safety practices: results from a cross-sectional study among manufacturing industrial workers. J Public Health (Berl.) 28, 173–179 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01050-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01050-y

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