Work Related To Hand-Arm Vibration Exposure And Associated Factors Among Fincha Sugar Industry Operation Workers In Horo Guduru Wollega, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted from a work process into workers hand and arm. People who use jackhammers, chainsaws, grinders and drills are at risk of contracting HAV. Long term excessive exposure to HAV through vibrating hand tools can induce hand arm vibration syndrome that lead to reduction in factory products. Objective: To assess work related to hand-arm vibration exposure and associated factors among Fincha sugar industry operation workers in Horo Guduru Wollega, Western Ethiopia, 2023. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was carried out among 374 sugar industry workers from April 1-30/2023 in Fincha sugar industry. Stratified random sampling technique with a lottery method of sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected through participant interview by using pre tested structured questionnaire and checklist. The cleaned data were entered in to Epi data version 4.6 then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Both descriptive and analytical statistics was done and displayed by text, tables and figures. Binary logistic regression analysis model was fitted. Odds ratio with their 95% CI were computed to state the strength of associations. Variables having a p-value < 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to declare statistically significant variables. Results: A total of 337 participants with a response rate of 90.1% were included in the final analysis, 136 (40.4%) of them have exposed hand arm vibration, working experience greater than 5 years, (AOR = 0.26; 95 % CI: 0.08-0.83); not wear available anti vibration device, (AOR = 2.80; 95 % CI: 1.38-5.69); lack of system of safety audit practice, (AOR = 2.29; 95 % CI: 1.01- 5.19); weekly working hours greater than 40 hours, (AOR = 2.13; 95 % CI: 1.04-4.33) were identified as the associated factors with hand arm vibration exposure. Conclusion and recommendation: This study showed that, the hand arm vibration exposure was found to be considerably higher. Work experience greater than 5 years, not wear available anti vibration device, lack of conducted safety audit, weekly working hours greater than 40 hours were significant factors associated with hand arm vibration exposure. Therefor it is better to focus the workers wear available anti vibration device, safety audit practice, reduce weakly working hours and not long hours stay on vibration device to reduce the extent of hand arm vibration exposure.