Prevalence of Falls and Associated Factors among Construction Workers in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Falls at construction sites are common occurrences with some resulting in fatalities. This study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of falls at construction sites in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria. Materials and Methods:This descriptive cross-sectional study sampled 340 construction workers from the two Local Government Areas of Port Harcourt Metropolis. A structured, close-ended, interviewer-administered questionnaire and Walk through Survey were the research instruments. Ethical approval was gotten from the Research and Ethics Committee of University of Port Harcourt and informed consent was gotten from each of the respondents prior to commencement of the study. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: Of the 340 respondents in the study, 124 had experienced falls giving a prevalence of 36.5%. On the pattern of falls, trips/slips from short distance accounted for 23.4% while falls from ladder was 17.7%, scaffolds 15.3% and roof tops accounted for 12.9%. The commonest cause of the falls was failure to use Personal Protective Equipment PPE (17.7%). Furthermore, 63.2% of the respondents had good knowledge of safety precautions while 57.4% had good safety practice. Knowledge of safety precautions was significantly associated with age, education, experience and safety training (p = 0.000). Ngwu et al.; AJMAH, 14(1): 1-16, 2019; Article no.AJMAH.46662 2 Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of falls at construction sites in Port Harcourt mainly from trips/slips, ladders and scaffolds. Majority of the workers had good knowledge and practice of safety precautions. It is recommended that health education, periodic safety training and enforcement of safety practices among construction workers be instituted, intensified and sustained. Original Research Article

Utilization of personal protective equipment and associated factors among building construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019

“…Workers who have not taken safety training were less likely to utilize PPE. This was supported by previous studies [8,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Similarly, those who had not been trained on PPE utilization were less likely to utilize PPE in line with the previous studies [32,36].…”

“…On the other hand, inadequate or lack of training on PPE usage shows low PPE utilization [37]. This might be due to the reason training workers on safety and proper PPE use promotes [34,38]. It has paramount advantages on appropriate utilization of PPE [39] which is intended to prevent the risk of worksite injuries [40,41].…”

Determining The Level Of Knowledge About First Aid Of Turkey's Construction Sector Employees

“…Meanwhile, in China, construction accidents and the associated fatalities were deemed excessively high according to data from 2004, but subsequent safety policies have resulted in a decline in such incidents (Zhang, Zhang, Xu, and Chen, 2019). A study conducted in Nigeria revealed a significant prevalence of accidents, particularly falls from heights, within construction sites (Ngwu, Alabere, and Douglas, 2019). The United States recorded a fatal accident rate of 11.4 per 100,000 individuals during construction activities in 2003, whereas Spain reported a rate of 20.1 per 100,000 individuals in the same year (López, Ritzel, Fontaneda, and Alcantara, 2008).…”

Smart Helmet and Insole Sensors for Near Fall Incidence Recognition during Descent of Stairs

“…Stair falls are the leading cause of job-related injuries and even workers' deaths on construction sites [4]. Falls often occur when a heavy load is placed on the back, balance is lost, the rails are slippery or there is no stair rail, or simply due to stumbles when descending [5][6][7].…”