Factors of inefficient use of personal protective equipment: A survey of construction workers at Arusha urban in Tanzania

Abstract

Inefficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is generally seen by many construction industries around the world as a catalyst for increasing accidents, diseases, illness and fatalities at workplaces. The study investigates on the factors inhibiting efficient use of PPE among construction workers at Arusha urban. Data used in this study was derived from both primary and secondary sources. Secondary data was collected from a detailed review of relevant literature to the theme investigated. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire aimed at 60 respondents (engineers, technicians and artisans) who have knowledge and experience of construction activities. And 42 questionnaire forms were received constituting 70 per cent response rate which was considered adequate for data analysis. The rated variables were ranked with regard to their importance and occurrence. Findings revealed that business as usual and violations of work ethics were issues of concern related to factors of inefficient use of PPE. The critical factors included lack of awareness on OHS issues, inappropriate use of PPE and negligence to provide PPE respectively. It was also found that poor supervision on the use of PPE could be significant factor inhibiting efficient use of PPE. Though thermal discomfort was ranked the lowest with regard to inefficient use of PPE, it could be significant to some parts of the country with high temperature. The study suggests that there should be routine revision of OHS governing rules to respond to emerging challenges related to health and safety in the construction industry.

Personal Protective Equipment Utilization and Associated Factors among Industry Park Construction Workers in Northwest Ethiopia

“…3 Reports show PPE use is minimal in Africa. [16][17][18][19] Due to the low usage of personal protective equipment (PPEs), workers are exposed to a variety of physical, chemical, and incidental hazards. 20…”

Building Construction Artisans’ Level of Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the Perceived Barriers and Motivating Factors of Adherence to Its Use

“…Indeed, construction site supervisors in several studies on OHS in Ghana have admitted to incessant complaints about uncomfortable feelings associated with wearing their PPE in the hot sun [ 16 – 18 , 29 ]. Thermal discomfort in the use of PPE by construction workers has also been reported in Tanzania [ 34 ], Sri Lanka [ 31 , 32 ], and Egypt [ 6 ].…”

“…Studies (e.g., [ 6 , 9 , 31 – 36 ]) have identified that even when the most appropriate PPE is available, most workers still refuse to use it. Negligence in wearing PPE is a leading cause of workplace injuries among construction workers [ 18 , 19 , 31 – 34 , 51 ]. On this basis, it is relevant to investigate the reasons behind the nonusage of the PPE by workers to improve health and safety on construction sites.…”

Lean TRIZ method to prevent safety related problems in the construction industry

“…However, there are still some concerns about the prevention of safety-related hazards and accidents. For example, Mhando [33] mentions that inefficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the major causes of work-related accidents. In addition, Çelik et al [34] emphasize that the use of safety nets is an effective protective measure for high-rise construction, but there are still problems in testing and labeling safety nets in developing countries such as Turkey and Iran.…”