PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTS UTILIZATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG TEXTILE FACTORY WORKERS IN HAWASSA TOWN, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Use of personal protective equipments is often the only line of defense against occupational hazards in developing countries. However, there is a dearth of studies clarifying the condition. The present study has determined the magnitude of personal protective equipments utilization and identified associated factors among textile factory workers in Hawassa Town, southern Ethiopia. Methods and materials: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among textile factory workers in Hawassa town, southern Ethiopia from January to March 2014. Stratified sampling followed by simple random sampling techniques was used to select the study participants. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire and observational check list were used to collect data. Bivariate and Multivariate analyses were employed to see the effect of each explanatory variable on dependent variable. Results: The magnitude of personal protective equipments utilization was 82.4% [95%CI: (79.5, 85.3)]. Service duration of >10 years [AOR: 0.20, 95%CI: (0.07, 0.50)], availability of personal protective equipments [AOR: 21.47, 95%CI: (8.61, 53.5)], shift work [AOR: 2.23, 95%CI: (1.09, 4.55)], drink alcohol [AOR: 0.25, 95%CI: (0.10, 0.65)], smoke cigarette [AOR: 0.20, 95%CI: (0.05, 0.78)] were factors significantly associated with utilization of personal protective equipments.