Abstract:
Back ground:Throughout the world, occupational exposure to cement dust and noise
continue to cause serious public health problems and are leading cause of disability and
disease among workers. There are 2 million work-related deaths annually worldwide. Studies
done in Ethiopia on textile factory, Iron and steel factory and among small and medium scale
industries, occupational injury is the cause for hospitalization, disability and death of workers.
There is no study done on the prevalence and associated factors of occupational injury in Dire
Dawa National Cement Share Company.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of occupational injuries and
associated factors among cement factory workers in Dire Dawa national cement share
company, eastern Ethiopia from Jan, 20 to Feb,30,2025.
Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted on 351 workers from Jan,
20 to Feb,30,2025. Data was collected by face to face interviews using structured
Questionnaire, coded and double entered into EPI Data version 3.1 and then exported into
SPSS version 20 for analysis. The descriptive statistics was computed using frequency mean
and standard deviations. Factors associated with the occupational injury were determined by
using Bi-variate and Multivariate logistic regression. A p-value of less than 0.25 and 0.05
was considered statistically significant.
Results: The prevalence of occupational injuries among cement share company workers was
found to be 71 (20.8%. The multivariable model found that illiteracy (AOR = 5.09, 95% CI:
1.32–19.65), having five and under five years of work experience (AOR =9.77, 95% CI:3.15
30.32) and those heavly consumed alchohol (AOR = 6.69, 95% CI: 1.67–28.82) were more
likely to be significantly associated with odds of occupational injury. In contrast, receving
occupational safety and health training (AOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05–0.92) and the use of
personal protective equipment (PPE) (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05–0.27) demonstrated a
protective effect, significantly reducing the likelihood of occupational injuries.
Conclusion : The study found that one-fifth of factory workers experienced occupational
injuries, highlighting a significant safety concern. To address this, Dire Dawa National
Cement Share Company, the Dire Dawa Administration Office, and relevant sectors must
strengthen supervision, enforce PPE usage, provide safety training, and tackle behavioral risk
factors to enhance workplace safety and reduce injuries.
