Prevalence of occupational injuries among workers in the iron and steel industries in Tanzania.

Background

In Tanzania, iron and steel manufacturing industries are based on manual work with minor automation, as workers segregate scrap metals and add them to furnaces for melting. The workers here are exposed to hazardous conditions, posing a risk to their health.

Objective

To determine the prevalence of occupational injuries and possible predictors for injuries among workers in the iron and steel industries in Tanzania.

Methods

The cross‑sectional study was conducted in 2022 in Tanzania. Workers from the production lines in four iron and steel factories participated in the study. The data were collected by interviews, using a structured questionnaire modified from the International Labour Organization (ILO) manual on occupational injury statistics from household surveys and establishment surveys. Chi‑squared tests and regression analyses were used.

Results

Out of 381 invited workers, 321 participated in the study (response rate: 84). Of the respondents, 209 had experienced at least one injury that restricted them from work at least one day in the past year, giving an overall prevalence of occupational injuries of 65.1% per year. Out of the injured respondents, 135 (64.6%) reported being hospitalized or lying on the bed at home due to the injury. Working years, working hours per day, working 12‑hour shifts, and their section at the workplace (rolling mill or furnace) were factors significantly associated with occupational injuries in univariate regression analyses. Working hours of more than 10 hours per day, adjusted for all other factors, gave an odds ratio of 2.54 for experiencing injuries at work, with a 95% confidence interval (1.46-4.41), while no other factors showed significant association with injuries after adjustment.

Conclusion

The prevalence of occupational injuries in the Tanzanian iron and steel industries was 65.1%. Working for more than 10 hours per day was a significant predictor of occupational injuries.