PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OCCUPATIONAL

INJURIES AMONG MECHANICS IN AUTOMOBILE GARAGES IN

NDEEBA TRADING CENTRE, KAMPALA

BY

KAMYA ANDREW

19/U/7063/PS

SUPERVISOR

MS. RUTH MUBEEZI

A RESEARCH DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH SCIENCE

MAY, 2022
 DECLARATION

I KAMYA ANDREW hereby declare that the information presented in this research
done in Ndeeba trading center Kampala is my original work and to the best of my
knowledge has never been submitted to any university or institution of higher learning.

All the information in this dissertation was based on my observations and deductions
from the research. I therefore present it to School of Public Health for this Award.

Signature: …… …

Date:………………………………………….

This research project is to be submitted and approved by my supervisor.

Name: Mrs. Ruth Mubeezi Neebye

Signature: ………………………………

ii
 DEDICATION

I sincerely dedicate this dissertation to my relatives Mr. Birikuye Steven and Mrs. Nankya
Beatrice who contributed tirelessly to my studies. However, above all, I also dedicate it to
God Almighty who has given me good health which has enabled me to complete my
research.

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my supervisor MS. RUTH

MUBEEZI for putting in the time to make sure that I archive the best out of this project
by providing enough support and advice.

I also want to acknowledge the entire Health Department of Rubaga division, Kampala
district for allowing the student to carry out this research in their area.

Lastly my classmates who provided support in terms of information through discussions on

how to handle various areas of this research.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL

iv
Table of Contents

DECLARATION.........................................................................................................................ii

DEDICATION............................................................................................................................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................iv

LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................................11

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS..................................................................12

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS..............................................................................................13

Abstract......................................................................................................................................xiv

CHAPTER ONE..........................................................................................................................1

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND...........................................................................1

1.1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1

1.2 BACKGROUND...........................................................................................................3

CHAPTER TWO:........................................................................................................................5

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................................5

Introduction..................................................................................................................................5

a. Burden of disease due to occupational injuries....................................................................5

b. Prevalence of occupational hazards among the mechanics in garages.................................5

d. Engineering factors associated with occupational hazards in garages.................................9

CHAPTER THREE:..................................................................................................................12

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT, JUSTIFICATION, CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND

RESEARCH QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................12

3.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT..............................................................................................12

e. JUSTIFICATION...............................................................................................................13

vi
3.3. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OCCURRENCE OF
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG MECHANICS IN GARAGES IN NDEEBA
TRADING CENTRE.................................................................................................................14

3.3.1 NARRATIVE..............................................................................................................15

f. RESEARCH QUESTIONS................................................................................................16

3 CHAPTER FOUR: OBJECTIVES.....................................................................................17

a. BROAD OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................17

b. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES...................................................................................................17

CHAPTER FIVE:......................................................................................................................18

5.0 METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................18

a STUDY AREA........................................................................................................................18

c. b STUDY DESIGN............................................................................................................18

cSTUDY POPULATION..........................................................................................................18

d. SAMPLE SIZE...................................................................................................................18

e. SAMPLING PROCEDURES.............................................................................................20

f. SELECTION CRITERIA...................................................................................................20

g Inclusion criteria.....................................................................................................................21

h Exclusion criteria....................................................................................................................21

i. Variables.................................................................................................................................21

5.7.1 Dependent variable......................................................................................................21

5.7.2 Independent variable...................................................................................................21

k DATA COLLECTION TOOLS.............................................................................................21

5.8.1 Quantitative data collection tool..................................................................................21

5.8.2 Qualitative data collection tool....................................................................................21

5.9 Data collection procedure....................................................................................................22

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5.9.1 Qualitative data............................................................................................................22

5.9.2 Quantitative data..........................................................................................................22

g. DATA MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS...............................................................................22

h. DATA QUALITY CONTROL...........................................................................................22

i. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................................23

j. DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS.....................................................................................23

CHAPTER SIX..........................................................................................................................24

6.0 RESULTS............................................................................................................................24

6.1 Social demographic factors..................................................................................................24

6.2 Prevalence of injuries...........................................................................................................25

6.3 Organizational factors..........................................................................................................27

CHAPTER SEVEN:..................................................................................................................31

7.0 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................31

7.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................31

7.1 Social demographic factors..................................................................................................32

7.2 Prevalence of occupational injuries.....................................................................................33

7.3 Organizational factors..........................................................................................................34

8 CHAPTER EIGHT:................................................................................................................34

8.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION...................................................................34

8.2 RECOMMENDATION.......................................................................................................35

REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................36

Appendices.................................................................................................................................41

Appendix A................................................................................................................................41

Appendix B................................................................................................................................42

viii
SECTION TWO - PREVALENCE OF INJURIES...................................................................43

APPENDIX C............................................................................................................................47

ix
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Conceptual framework...................................................................................................24
Figure 2: Chart showing types of injuries......................................................................................36
Figure 3: showing the available PPE at the garages......................................................................39
LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Social demographic factors..............................................................................................33

Table 2: Prevalence of injuries among the automobile mechanics................................................35

Table 3: Organizational factors......................................................................................................37
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ILO: International Labor Organization

NTC: Ndeeba Trading Centre
OHS: Occupational Health and Safety
WHO: World Health Organization
GDP: Gross domestic product
SSIs: Small Scale Industries
PPE: Personal protective Equipment
 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

Attitude: The manner one thinks or feels towards something in this case towards
occupational hazards and safety.
Automobile mechanic: A worker who repairs and overhauls cars and other automotive
vehicles, or their systems and parts.

Employee: A person employed to work in a garage and whose activity involves

working with automotive vehicles.

Fatal injuries: Occupational injuries leading to death, It can also be death due to any
personal injury or disease resulting from an occupational accident in the garages.

Garage: Building or part of the building used to keep, repair and maintain vehicles.

Knowledge: Information, facts, familiarity, skills, awareness of occupational hazards and

safety that can be obtained through education or experience.

Non-fatal injuries: Occupational injuries that do not result to death but may cause
incapacity at work and loss of working time.

Occupational hazard: Is any workplace condition that causes a risk to employee health. In this
case, these will be risks associated with working in garages

Organizational factors: These are factors which depend on the management of the
employers. In this study, these will be the workplace related and service delivery factors at the
automobile garages.

Vehicle repair: Restore the proper operating condition of the vehicle.

Vehicle servicing: Series of maintenance procedures carried out at a set time interval or
after the vehicle has travelled a certain distance
 Abstract

Introduction: Occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the
workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards; occupational hazards
are exposures at workplaces that may adversely affect the health. Occupational injuries are a
public health and economic problem globally with about 5-7%of all fatalities in industrial
countries attributed to work related injuries. The occupational health of mechanics is
considered as a great environmental health concern since the occupational hazards increase
the incidence of work- related accidents and diseases, high mortality, increased work
absenteeism and work inefficiency.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries
among mechanics in Ndeeba Trading centre, Rubaga Division Kampala, order to generate
information that will be used to guide planning of more effective safety measures to combat
and protect the mechanics.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Ndeeba trading centre,

Rubaga Division Kampala automobile garages. The study was conducted among 191
automobile garages where interviews and observations methods were applied for data
collection. A total of 10 key informant interviews were conducted among the local authority
practitioners and the mechanics heads leaders. Quantitative data was entered and cleaned in
EPI DATA 3.0 software then analyzed in STATA 13 software. Qualitative data was
transcribed and analyzed thematically. Findings were presented in text and tables. Data
collection commenced after getting ethical clearance from Makerere University School of
Public Health and from local leaders within Ndeeba trading center.

Results: One hundred ninety-one participants were included from 28 garages in Ndeeba
trading center. Almost all study participants from the garages were male 175(91.6%).
Majority 73(38.2%). Almost three quarters of respondents 136/191(71.2%) had suffered
from a major injury in the last 6 months. Majority of the injured respondents had suffered
from hand, leg, head and eye injuries, representing 44.9% (61/136), 33.8% (46/136),
16.9%(23/136) and 4.4% (06/136) respectively. Majority 127/191(66.5%) of the mechanics

xiv
had no training on health and safety at work and to those who received, most 46.9% (30/64)
of them received it after acquiring an injury at work.

Conclusion: The study concludes that prevalence of occupational injuries was high and differs
across employees in the automobile garages based on background characteristics, organizational,
and mechanical factors. The study concludes that there are significant associations between
prevalence of occupational injuries and one’s sex, age, and employment status.
Finally, the study concludes that health and safety issues are not tackled with enough seriousness
at automobile garages since there was no comprehensive policy document on it.

xv
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a
strong focus on primary prevention of hazards, occupational hazards are exposures at
workplaces that may adversely affect the health. occupational injuries are a public health and
economic problem globally with about 5-7%of all fatalities in industrial countries attributed to
work related injuries. (Amfo-Otu and Agyemang 2017).

Automobile mechanics are workers that repair and overhaul cars and other auto motive
vehicles, their work is riskier than other industries since they are 4-5times more likely to be
injured and killed by the hazards at the workshops. They work fulltime or part time for either
general vehicle repairs, motor engine mechanics, auto electricians or welders. The automobile
mechanics belonging to the informal sector of a developing country like Uganda and their
occupational health problems are not documented and taken as a minor priority, there are
various hazards in the occupational environment to which mechanics may be exposed like
work-related injuries, chronic illness, stress, and disability because of their low literacy rates,
following unsafe practices, unfamiliarity with work process and exposures, and inadequate
training.

Musculoskeletal trauma due to poor ergonomics at work places is also included. Exposure
to physical, mechanical and chemical hazards, and the performance of unsafe practices by
workers are the leading causes of work-related injuries (Thangaraj and Shireen ,2017).

The occupational health of mechanics is considered as a great environmental health concern

since the occupational hazards increase the incidence of work-related accidents and
diseases, high mortality, increased work absenteeism and work inefficiency. These have
drastically increased due to the advancement in technology were some are identified while
the others not yet. In order to reduce the occupational hazards, the workers must be
educated on the different hazards exposed to during their work and how they can be
eliminated and use of personal protective equipment to reduce the effects for example the

1
mechanics having rubber gloves, earmuff, overalls, gumboots and gaggles at all time while
at work.

According to the Occupational Health and safety Act ,2006 part XIII section 97 Labelling of
hazardous chemicals for example an employee shall ensure that the packages of a hazardous
chemical delivered to the workshop are labelled and that the appropriate chemical safety
data sheet for the chemical is delivered to the workplace. A copy of chemical safety data
sheets and of the list of safety data sheets shall be given to the workers concerned and shall
be availed to their representatives for consultation at any time. But due to laxity in
implementation of these rules, inadequate training of the auto mechanics and outdated laws
compared to the current needs of workplaces. Health and safety of employees in the
working environment is a major concern of not only government but also trade unions and
employers. For the past several years, numbers of affirmative actions have been taken to
address the issue of occupational health and safety. This is because the working
environment has become increasingly unendurable and more workers are constantly
exposed to all forms of hazards, which are dangerous to their health (Atusingwize,
Musinguzi et al;. 2019)

This research aimed at measuring the prevalence and the factors associated with
occupational injuries among the automobile mechanics within the garages.

2
 1.2 BACKGROUND

The knowledge, attitudes and practices among employees regarding occupational health
hazards is a constant struggle where workers are trained for their jobs but still fail to adhere to
the proper work guides. This increases their liability for work related diseases and injuries.
Several issues affect occupational health in Africa where most employed people in the
informal sector and there are high rates of unemployment. The risks that foster ill health
among workers are higher than in developed countries due to lack of knowledge, inadequate
training, low wages, high prevalence of endemic communicable diseases and inadequate
infrastructure and human resources to diagnose, treat, prevent and control.

Globally, the International Labor Organization (ILO) states that occupational diseases kill 6
times as many people, accidents attract greater attention. Of the estimated 2.34 million annual
work-related deaths, the vast majority approximately 2.02 million are due to work-related
diseases. This represents a daily average of 5,500 deaths. The ILO also estimates that 160
million cases of non-fatal work-related diseases and 317 million non-fatal occupational
accidents occur annually. This means that, one in every 151 workers dies with a work-related
accident. (Thangaraj and Shireen 2017)

The increasing economic prosperity within Africa has opened opportunities for Africans to
own automobile vehicles with consequent increase in the demand for more mechanics who
repair these vehicles. These repairs are performed by automobile mechanics within garages
or workshops where they may fall from elevated platforms, ladders and trip on wet greasy
floors. They may be injured by faulty equipment such as jacks or lifts, by moving vehicles in
the workshops or from the roadside, by heavy parts falling on their feet or by bursting tires.
Vehicle parts such as fan belts could loosen and become projectiles causing injury to any
parts of the body. In addition, since they often handle heavy vehicle parts and work in
awkward postures, this may lead to musculoskeletal injuries such as hernia, disabling back
aches, joints pain and bruise or cuts to the limbs. (Sambo, Idris et al. 2012)
Ndeeba trading center with a high number of garages and mechanics that specialize inspecting
vehicle engine, mechanical and electrical components to diagnose issues accurately, repair,
maintain and upgrade. Conducting routine maintenance work aiming to vehicle functionality and

3
longevity. Occupational health hazards of these mechanics increase the incidence of work-
related accidents and diseases, high mortality, increased work absenteeism and work
inefficiency. These have drastically increased due to the advancement in technology were
some are identified while the others not yet.

According to section 13 of Uganda’s occupational safety and health act, 2006 it is the
obligation of an employer to ensure health, safety and welfare of the person at workplaces.
Therefore, employers and employees should ensure sage practices are put in place to prevent
getting of accidents which leads to loss of work time.
In order to reduce the occupational hazards, the workers must be educated on the different
hazards exposed to during their work and how they can be eliminated and use of personal
protective equipment to reduce the effects for example the mechanics having rubber
gloves, earmuff, overalls, gumboots and gaggles and this will help to reduce the
occupational injuries and fatal accidents during amongst all the workers

4
 CHAPTER TWO:

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This chapter consists of reviewed existing literature on occupational injuries among

employed mechanics within the garages. Information highlights prevalence of occupational
injuries in garages and associated factors, worldwide. It also shows need for awareness and
enforcement of occupational health and safety policies and practices in Uganda.

a. Burden of disease due to occupational injuries

The International Labor organization states that every day, people die as a result of
occupational accidents or work-related diseases. Each year, at least 1.9 million people died
and 90 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were estimated to be attributable to
exposure to 19 major occupational risk factors. Additionally, there’s some 360 million non-
fatal occupational accidents each year (WHO/ILO 2022). In a study conducted in Nigeria, the
automobile service industry had a large group with many being in the unorganized and
informal sector. They were involved in numerous activities which exposed them to many
physical, chemical, biological and chemical agents that were be hazardous to their health.
These workers were also prone to workplace accidents and injuries that are preventable
(Oche, Nneka et al.2020).

b. Prevalence of occupational hazards among the mechanics in garages

A study conducted on occupational health hazards and use of the personal protective
Equipment among automobile mechanics in Kathmandu metropolitan city, Occupational
hazard contributed to severe health problem among the garage workers due to unhealthy
condition and lack of safety. Nearly half of the workers (44.3%) were using personal
protective equipment, which indicated low PPE use and awareness on the occupational hazard.
The study also indicated that, it was important to use safety measures to prevent or reduce a
variety of health hazards (Khadka, Pandey et al. 2021).

5
The study which was carried out in Sekyere East District of Ghana at assessing occupational
health and safety practices among informal sector auto mechanics revealed that, most of the
apprentices had basic primary education 85.7% and were engaged in the vocation through verbal
negotiation with the master of the garage or shop. The workers were found to be exposed to
physical hazards such as heat and burns, chemical hazards such as exposure to asbestos and fumes,
biological hazards such as insect bites, and psycho-social hazards such as working under pressure. Most
of the auto mechanics (74%) who got injured on the job did not enjoy any compensation and there
seemed to be no regulatory body responsible for their health and safety. This study concluded that,
despite the numerous hazards identified in the informal auto mechanic industry, occupational health and
safety strategies in the country did not address the sector needs. However, this study was male dominated
and young people between the ages of 17-35 constituted the majority. (Amfo-Otu and Agyemang 2017)

In a study conducted in central region of Ghana in 2016, the results indicated a combination of
factors such as poor working conditions, longer hours at work and inadequate or poor safety
precautions can lead to increased rates of ocular trauma and diseases in developing countries.
Mechanics, particularly welders were at high risk for eye injuries as they were exposed to a
number of sources of energy. Some of the hazards in the job settings of these workers included
dust, sun radiations, metal part crusting, and chemicals. Injuries and other disorders resulting
from these hazards may lead to reduced vision and ultimately blindness. However, most of the
eye disorders which mechanics suffered in the course of work were prevented using proper
eye protection such as safety goggles, face shields and helmet (Abu, Boadi-Kusi et al. 2016).

Another cross-sectional study which aimed assessing the extent of work-related injuries and
illnesses, access to first aid, use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fire safety measures
and hand hygiene practices among vehicle repair artisans in the urban area in Ghana showed
that, Close to two-thirds (64%) of the vehicle repair artisans had sustained work-related
injuries mostly resulted from cuts and burns. Respondents’ marital status and the type of work
were found to be significantly associated with the incidence of physical injury, in contrast to
their level of education and work experience seventy-eight per cent of the artisans lacked
training in fire safety and besides, basic firefighting equipment are non-existent in the
workshops visited.
Further, due to the physical exertions required by their work, most artisans experienced
musculoskeletal disorders. Vehicle repair workers needed to be educated on the dangers

6
associated with their work and the best practices to be adopted to curb or forestall these
risks (Monney, Bismark et al. 2014).

7
In conclusion, Occupational injuries in Uganda are on a rise not only in informal sectors but
also among every profession (Ndejjo, Musinguzi et al. 2015) however, particularly for
automobile mechanics in garages within Ndeeba trading centre, there is limited information
on the prevalence of occupational health hazards. This has been attributed to a number of
factors such as limited resources for occupational health and safety, especially for the
informal sector.

c. Organizational factors associated with occupational hazards in garages.

Organizational factors such as cultural safety, communication, empowerment, leadership,
organizational learning and reward system play an important role in occupational health
and safety of workplaces. A study which was conducted by Hadikusumo explained why
management’s commitment towards accident and injury prevention must be accorded
primary importance in any safety system implemented in garages to ensure that the work
environment related accidents are minimized (Hadikusumo, Jitwasinkul et al. 2017).

Common organizational risk factors for work related injuries among young workers are
more common due to careless management and staff attitudes toward workplace violence
prevention, inadequate security procedures and protocols, lack of staff training and
preparedness, cumbersome or non-existent policies for reporting and managing crises, low
staffing levels, extended shifts, overtime requirements (CDC 2020).

A study on occupational health and safety among workers in processing industries of

manure in Zimbabwe showed that occupational health, safety and hygiene were not
perceived as an urgent priority. Therefore, management owners of the processing industries
did not provide adequate finances for maintenance as well as the purchase of protective
clothing. As a result, little attention was given to the safety of processing machines,
equipment tools as well as their link to health requirements. Employees were only provided
the barest of protective clothing they needed and without any instruction of how to use it
(Jerie 2012).

8
Another study in Nigeria showed that employees in small and medium enterprises were
shown to be more prone to work-related hazards and risks and they were reported not to
know much about such hazards and to have little or no training on workplace safety and that
control of occupational hazards decreases the incidence of accidents and work-related
diseases, improving health and general morale of labour force. Roadside automobile
mechanics belonged to the informal sector of the economy and the occupational problems
and health needs of these workers were not well documented. Therefore, their coverage by
occupational health services were negligent and they are exposed to precarious conditions in
the workplace (Oche, Nneka et al.2020)

A study conducted among welders from Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal showed that
majority (90%) of workers were aware of occupational hazards and PPE and that slightly
half of them were using PPE. Another study conducted among industrial workers in
Nawalparasi reported 87% workers used any kind of PPE while working at worksite. There
was an information gap on occupational hazards and its awareness among automobile
repair artisans in Nepal (Marahatta, Gautam et al. 2018).

However, in Uganda, Organisational factors among automobile mechanics have not been
assessed. Most garages in Uganda do not have any formal organisational health and safety
policies. This leaves the automobile mechanics employers in charge of their own
organisational guidelines that are usually financially oriented, subjecting the employees’
health and safety considerations. In this study we hope that the information to be provided
will influence positively employers’ health and safety considerations.

d. Engineering factors associated with occupational hazards in garages.

Mechanical factors that are directly attributed to the car parts, machines used and
equipment failure or breakdown. Despite the possible injuries from the following; jacks or
lifts, moving vehicles in the workshops or from the roadside, by heavy parts falling on their
feet or 5-6 by bursting tires, fan belts could loosen and become projectiles causing 6
injuries to any parts of the body.

A cross-sectional survey which was conducted among automobile workers in Dhaka in

2016, Bangladesh on Musculoskeletal symptoms and physical risk factors showed a

9
significant association at least one regional pain in last 12 months for developing
musculoskeletal symptoms and physical risk factors such as awkward posture, repetitive
movement, force exertion, lifting and vibration as shown in other study. This study
continued to reveal that there was a significant association between some socio-
demographic factors and musculoskeletal symptoms and that there was an

association between musculoskeletal symptoms and age, employment duration (Akter

et al., 2016).

In a structural approach on the analysis of challenges for automobile service garages in

India identified nine challenges, namely proliferation of new models and variants;
technological advancements in automobile systems; demand of better service quality; space
and ambience requirements; labour requirements; requirement of modern support
equipment, tools and spares; safety requirements and prevention of occupational hazards;
environmental norms and concerns; proper documentation requirements (James et al.,
2020).

In a cross sectional descriptive which was carried out to identify the pattern of occupational
health hazard, knowledge and practice of safety measures amongst roadside automobile
mechanics in Zaria, North Nigeria, results showed that Less than three quarters of the work
place had inadequate equipment in that fire extinguishers were absent in about three
quarters of workshops and first aid box was absent in almost all the workshops assessed.
Surrounding cleanliness was inadequate in more than a half the mechanic workshops
assessed while it was adequate in 35% of workshops (Sambo et al., 2012).
A study which was conducted in Nigeria year? showed that majority 89.4% of the
mechanics were involved in general vehicle repairs, less than a half were motor engine
mechanics, 15% were auto electricians and 9% were welders. The commonest injuries were
mostly burns , bruises , crushed digits and least were the cuts . Forty-nine per cent had
experienced low backaches, 15% had joint pains, and 7% had hernia. Majority were aware
of protective devices. The commonest known safety devices were overalls ( boots ) and
rubber gloves while the least known type of safety device was earmuff and barrier cream
(3.5%). More than three quarters of the mechanics were trained via apprenticeship and only

10
28% trained for more than 6 years. Majority worked 6– 11 hours daily (Sambo, Idris et al.
2012).

Another study which was carried out to assess welders’ Knowledge of Personal Protective
Equipment Usage and Occupational Hazards Awareness in the Ghanaian Informal Auto-
mechanic Industrial Sector established that the informal auto-mechanic welders generally
lacked knowledge on significant PPE requirement associated with the welding activities
and that they also lacked awareness on occupational hazards associated with physical
elements of the welding activities, even though they showed semblance of awareness in
relation to others that are

chemical-oriented the study however didn’t reach the target number which was to be
covered (Sanda and Nugble, 2019).

In a descriptive cross- sectional study which was conducted amongst the automobile
workers/respondents in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria showed that, Fifty percent of those
who believed they had the knowledge on the effects of the chemical components could not
mention a particular effect while less than a half of them believed that they could result to
cough. None of the respondents had any knowledge about aromatic solvents. Most of the
respondents of which 96% were spray painters and 93% admitted that they regularly inhale
chemical while working while all respondents admitted regular chemical contact of their
skin with effect on emission of paint onto the skin and outer clothing (Abiodun et al.,
2018).

11
 CHAPTER THREE:

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT, JUSTIFICATION, CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

3.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Workers represent 50% of the world’s population and contribute significantly to socio-
economic development. Their health is largely determined by the standard of occupational
health services available to them at their place of work (Jilcha and Kitaw, 2017). The
overall research problem that is to be addressed in this study is that despite an increase in
the effort to bring about a healthy working environment, most garages fall short of this
primary responsibility. Lack of health and safety policies and guidelines for the employees
in these sectors leaves them exposed to high-risk work hazards resulting in injuries which
affect morale towards work, levels of teamwork spirit, and consequently, employee
commitment towards work which has devastated and this manifest itself in form of lack of
initiative and existence of counter.

Occupational injuries are a public health and economic problem globally with about 5–7%
of all fatalities in industrial countries attributable to work-related injuries. In low-income
countries, non-occupational health problems pose a bigger burden, but work-related
injuries also pose a substantial burden. The International Labour Organization (ILO)
estimates that 860,000 injuries occur among workers and that every year, 350,000 deaths
are due to fatal occupational injuries; but 270 million serious non-fatal injuries also occur
(ILO, 2014).

Different measures have been taken to overcome the occupational injuries and other
difficulties which the employees (the garage workers) face at their work place which
include the workers’ compensation Act, National Employment policy for Uganda,
occupation health and safety Act and many others and also. According to OSHA (2006),
workers are expected to be trained on safe work practices for identification and control of
occupational hazards. However, occupational injuries still occur at the work place such as
automobile garages and many mechanics end up hospitalized and lose their time at work
due to such injuries.

12
Therefore, this study will help to generate information on occupational health and safety
among the mechanics which information will then be used by the policy formulators on
the proper way to combat such injuries within Ndeeba Trading centre garages and Uganda
at large.

e. JUSTIFICATION

Despite the increasing policies and regulations on occupational hazards among automobile
mechanics in Uganda, data on occupational injuries among the mechanics in Ndeeba
trading centre, Rubaga division Kampala remains limited. This study is expected to thereby
generate more information to the already existing body of knowledge in the area of
occupational health hazards among the mechanics research findings will guide the policy
makers, researchers and the automobile mechanics understand the gaps existing in the
occupational health and its hazards at the automobile garages. The findings will help in
drafting the appropriate policies and programs that will empower the employed mechanics
and make them aware of the dangers of poor use of the safety measures within the garage
work.

The automobile mechanics in NTC aim at giving the customers the best service with in the
limited time. During their work they are exposed to various hazards which could potentially
lead to decreased productivity and their death The occupational safety and Health Act
(2006) and related subsidiary legislation state that it is the employer’s obligation to provide
safe working environment for the workers. These regulations further clarify that it is the
duty of the employer to disclose accident statistics and to keep appropriate records. The
mechanic workers should be informed of the dangers that are imminent in their work. There
is need for workplace improvement in terms of occupational safety and health for the
benefit of the automobile mechanics in order to increase productivity. It is important that
these problems are examined to come up with control measures, which should include the
mechanics participation and investment in occupational safety and health programs to
protect the lives of the automobile mechanics in garages. Development and implementation
of the mechanic’s safety and health management and training is a critical need in the face of
an increase in the rate of occupational hazards and illnesses in various garages.

13
3.3. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH
OCCURRENCE OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG MECHANICS IN
GARAGES IN NDEEBA TRADING CENTRE.

A conceptual frame to show knowledge, attitudes and practices of occupational health

hazards of the automobile mechanics within NTC

Social demographic
factors.

1. Age
2. Sex
3. Education
level
Organizatio
nal factors

Duration at work
Training of
the mechanics Prevalence
on OSH of occupational injuries Occupational
Design of Health
garages Hazards
Figure 1:
Provision ofConceptual framework
PPE
Provision of
first aid care to
workers
OUTCOMES
Engineering
factors 1. Injuries
2. Illnesses
3. Disability
4. Death

14
 3.3.1 NARRATIVE

The occupational framework shows the relationship between the dependent and the
independent variables. social demographic factors such as age, sex of the mechanics at the
garages can influence the occurrence of occupational health hazards for instance the
workers below 20 years may be inexperienced and can be more vulnerable to the
occupational hazards and this may be the same case to the side of the females compared to
the males. Individual factors such as knowledge, attitude, practices and experiences as a
mechanic influences their safety practices for example PPE use, handling of the machines
and other works in general in turn influence the occurrence of the occupational health
injuries among the mechanics. Organization factors like first aid given in case of an
accident, improvising PPE and the necessary equipment and machinery ensures work
environment is safe to protect the health of the automobile mechanics. The organizational
and individual factors have an influence on each other for example providing PPE does not
guarantee their utilization; it sometimes depends on the mechanics knowledge and attitude.
Policies, rules, regulations and funding of occupational health and safety (OHS) activities,
monitoring and evaluation such as setting out rules and regulations at the garages can be aided by
the Uganda Occupational Health and Safety Act 2006.
 f. RESEARCH QUESTIONS.

1. What is the prevalence of occupational injuries among mechanics of automobile garages

in Ndeeba, Rubaga division Kampala?
2. What are the organizational factors associated with occupational injuries in automobile
garages in Ndeeba, Kampala?
3. What are the engineering factors associated among mechanics in in Ndeeba, Kampala?
 3 CHAPTER FOUR: OBJECTIVES

a. BROAD OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence and factors associated with occupational injuries among mechanics
within automobile garages in Ndeeba Trading Centre, Rubaga Division Kampala so as to inform
government and other stakeholders on mechanisms to reduce the burden of disease due to
occupational injuries.

b. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

 To determine the prevalence of occupational injuries among mechanics of automobile

garages in Ndeeba Trading Centre, Rubaga division Kampala.
 To find out the organization factors associated with occupational injuries in automobile
garages in Ndeeba Trading Centre, Rubaga division Kampala.
 To establish the engineering factors associated with occupational injuries among
mechanics in automobile garages in Ndeeba Trading Centre, Rubaga division Kampala.
 5.0 CHAPTER FIVE: METHODOLOGY

a STUDY AREA

The study will be carried out in Ndeeba Trading center (NTC) located in Lubaga Division,
Kampala. Ndeeba lies on the southern edge of the city. The coordinates of Ndeeba are:
0017’24.0” N, 32033’54.0” E (latitude:0.2900; longtitude:32.5650) (Google maps, 2018).
The distance between Kampala’s central business district and Ndeeba is approximately 5
kilometers, over the years Ndeeba is morphed into a busy area with small scale business
such as garages, retail shops, carpentry and timber industries, farmers markets. The trading
centre is highly populated to the high number of people who work within the small centre.
Along the roadside are various arcades that sell car spare parts and operate vehicle repairs
with a high number of youths involved and employed as skilled and unskilled mechanics.

c. b STUDY DESIGN
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in garages of Ndeeba trading centre.
Both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected using semi-structured
questionnaires.

C STUDY POPULATION
The study involved all the automobile mechanics of the garages in NTC, Kampala

d. SAMPLE SIZE
The sample was determined according to the formula developed by Kish and
Leslie (1965) as below.

N=Z2PQ/d2

Were;
N=sample size
Z= reliability coefficient at confidence interval (standard value of 1.96)
P= proportion of the population of mechanics in garages who face the occupational

injuries. q=1-p =proportion of the population of mechanics who face occupational

injuries.
 d=degree of precision at 5% given the number of mechanics in the garages is
small, approximately 500 mechanics in Ndeeba trading centre.

If p= the prevalence of occupational hazards among the mechanics small scale

workers in Ndeeba Trading centre which is 58.2%. This p-value is got from a study
was conducted amongst carpenters and welders in Urban district in Uganda
(Nalugya et al., 2022)

N= (1.96)2x0.582x0.418/ (0.07)2

= 0.9346/0.0049

=190.7347

N= 191 automobile mechanics in garages.

e. SAMPLING PROCEDURES

Following the registration of garages by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau for the
garages within Ndeeba Trading centre, A simple purposive sampling technique was applied
and this is because of the predicted difficult to find the sampling frame for the mechanics
with in the garages in NTC. Within the garages all the automobile mechanics will be
eligible to participate in this study. In case the recruited participant is not willing to consent,
the next participant willing to consent within the same garage was included in the study.

Key informants will be selected purposively depending on to their knowledge and

positions in relation to occupational hazards and these included leaders at specified
garages, committee members within NTC, garage managers and the head mechanics.

f. SELECTION CRITERIA

Target population was automobile mechanics within the garages that repair and maintain
the vehicles in NTC, Kampala. These consisted of automobile mechanic who inspect
vehicle mechanics, mechanical and electronic components, diagnosis, and regular
maintenance work.
g Inclusion criteria
This study included automobile mechanic who work in a particular garage for not less
than six weeks and were present at work on the day of interview. The six weeks were
selected because most of the mechanics are temporarily employed. Only mechanics that
consented were involved in the study.

h Exclusion criteria
The study excluded automobile mechanic who have other jobs outside the garage works.
However, for this study there was no one who was excluded since all the respondents were
only involved in vehicle works.

i. Variables
5.7.1Dependent variable
✓ Occupational Injuries.

5.7.2Independent variable
✓ Social demographic/individual factors; age, sex, educational level, practices of
the automobile mechanics, duration at work, level of experience at work.
Organization factors; duration of work, design of work environment, PPE use,
training, first aid care.

k DATA COLLECTION TOOLS

5.8.1Quantitative data collection tool

A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on background
characteristics, prevalence of occupational injuries, organizational factors and mechanical
factors and mechanical factors associated with occupational injuries.

An observational checklist was used to determine the mechanical factors and

some organizational factors associated with injuries among employees in
garages.

5.8.2Qualitative data collection tool

Key Informant Interview Guide were used to obtain qualitative data on organizational factors associated
with occupational injuries. This data was used to supplement the quantitative findings so as enrich the
study
5.9 Data collection procedure
5.9.1Qualitative data

Data was collected by the researcher through a face-to-face interview with the help of a key
informant interview Guide. At each garage, a rapport was made to identify knowledgeable
supervisor. Then the consent form was read to the supervisor and he/she signed to show that
he/she consented. The guide was then administered to the comfort and privacy to the key
informant. The interview lasted for about 20 minutes per participant.

5.9.2Quantitative data

Data was collected by trained research assistant through face-to-face interviews. At each
garage, a rapport was made to identify an eligible automobile mechanic to interview. The
consent form was read to the eligible participant and he/she was asked to sign the form
which showed that he/she consented. After which the participant was interviewed for about
20 minutes.

g. DATA MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS

The data collected was revised, entered, coded, tabulated in a computer using Epi-data version
3.02. Analysis using Stata version 14. Univariate analysis was mostly conducted and
the results were summarized into tables and graphs. Qualitative data was analysed
and presented thematically.

h. DATA QUALITY CONTROL

To ensure reliability, validity and quality of the research, the following measures was taken,

Pre-testing data collection tools before the start of the study; the mechanics in garages who
met the criteria but not of the study area were selected to pre-test the tools on. This was
because they had similar characteristics and working environment as those of NTC.

Research assistants were of a tertiary level of education. They were trained in the proper
administration of the tools including research technique such as probing, filling of research
tools, communication and documentation. There was field editing of collected data to identify
and deal with data inconsistencies and completeness of questionnaires or any other issues that
raised during the data collection. The data collection process was conducted under the close
supervision of the principal investigator(me)
The study tools were translated to and administered in the local languages (Luganda) because it
was the mostly spoken and understood language in Ndeeba. Therefore, only research assistants
who knew the local language were used.

i. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Approval was sought from Makerere University school of Public Health (MUSPH).
Permission was also obtained from the Local Authorities of Ndeeba Trading centre (NTC). A
detailed explanation of the study was given to each respondent before consent. Participation
in the study was voluntary and respondents. All responses from the respondents interviewed
were kept with confidentiality. Risks and benefits to be involved in the study were told to the
participants. Research participants were informed of their full roles in the study.

j. DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS

Study findings with appropriate recommendations were disseminated to NTC mechanics in

the garages and ministry of Gender, Labour and social development Uganda to inform their
interviews on the matters. Results were also disseminated to Makerere university school of
Public Health in a dissertation.
 CHAPTER SIX

6.0 RESULTS

6.1 Social demographic factors

One hundred ninety one participants were included from 28 garages in Ndeeba trading center.
Almost all study participants from the garages were male 175(91.6%). Majority 73(38.2%) of the
mechanics were between an age 35-35 followed by those between 20-35 years 56(29.3%).
Furthermore, less than a third of the study participants had an educational level of either ordinary
59(30.9%) or primary level 53(27.8%) with least 18(9.4%) of them having a tertiary level of
education. Slightly greater than a half 98(51.3%) of the mechanics were married followed by
those who were single 73(38.2%). Majority 84(43.9%) of the participants were protestant in
religion. More than a half 98(51.1%) of the mechanics earned an average monthly income of
above three hundred shillings (300,000 Ugshs). Most 77(40.3%) of the mechanics’ working
experience was between 10-15 years with above a third 68(35.6%) of them carrying out
assembling and joinery as their main job. More so, above a third 75(39.3%) of the respondents
had gained skills on the kind of work they did from apprenticeship as shown in the table below;

Table 1: Social demographic factors

Variable Frequency Percentage (%)

(n=191)
Sex
Male 175 91.6
female 16 8.3
Age group
20 and below 36 18.8
20-35 56 29.3
35-45 73 38.2
45 and above 26 13.6
Level of education
Never went to school 24 12.5
Primary level 53 27.7
Ordinary level 59 30.8
Secondary level 37 19.3
Tertiary level 18 9.4
Marital status
Single 73 38.2
Married 98 51.3
Widowed 06 3.1
Separated/divorced 14 7.3
Religion
Catholic 42 21.9
Protestant 84 43.9
Moslem 39 20.4
SDA 10 5.2
Born again 16 8.4
Average income per month
Below 50,000 Ugshs 04 2.1
Between 50,000-150,000 Ugshs 18 9.4
Between 150,000-300,000 Ugshs 71 37.2
Above 300,000 Ugshs 98 51.3
Working experience
1-5 years 36 18.9
5-10 years 38 19.9
10-15 years 77 40.3
Above 15 years 40 20.9
Main job you do at the garage
Manual handling (lifting of machine) 31 16.2
Machining 63 32.9
Assembling and joinery 68 35.6
Finishing 29 15.2
How did you gain skills on the kind of job that you do
From technical institution 41 21.5
On job training by employer 47 24.6
Apprenticeship 75 39.3
Taught myself 28 14.7

6.2 Prevalence of injuries

Almost three quarters of respondents 136/191(71.2%) had suffered from a major injury in the
last 6 months. Majority of the injured respondents had suffered from hand, leg, head and eye
injuries, representing 44.9%(61/136), 33.8% (46/136), 16.9%(23/136) and 4.4% (06/136)
respectively. Majority of injured respondents 31.6% (43/136) attributed the injuries to bruises
and the main causes of injury were mechanical breakdown of machine 112(82.35), carelessness
96(70.6%) and slippery floor 91(66.9%). More than half 73(53.6%) of the injured respondents
had treated injuries worth above one hundred shillings (Ugshs 100,000). Below a third 30.4% of
the injured respondents never missed work because of injuries. Nearly two fifth of the
respondents 69/191(36.1%) reported that they may miss out work at least one day. Almost a half
of the respondents 94/191(49.2%) acquired injuries on a daily basis as shown below in the table;
Table 2: Prevalence of injuries among the automobile mechanics

Variable Frequency (n=191) Percentage (%)

Have been injured at work in the last previous 6 months?

Yes 136 71.2

No 55 28.8
Which type of injury/injuries did you get during the most recent accident? (n=136)

Bruises 43 31.6
Sprain 15 11.0
Laceration 09 6.6
Burns 04 2.9
Cuts 21 15.4
strain 11 8.1
All injuries 33 24.3
Which part of the body was injured?
(n=136)
Eyes 06 4.4
Head 23 16.9
Upper limb 61 44.9
Lower limb 46 33.8
What was the cause of the injury?

Power failure 84 61.8

Broken part/ damaged part of a 90 66.2
machine
Explosion 43 31.6
Carelessness 96 70.6
Slippery floor 91 66.9
Mechanical breakdown of machine 112 82.4
How much money did you spend on treatment of your injury? (n=136)
10,000-50,000 Ugshs 23 16.9
50,000-100,000 Ugshs 40 29.4
Above 100,000 Ugshs 73 53.6
According to you, what is the frequency of injuries in this automobile garage?
Daily 94 49.2
Weekly 72 37.7
Monthly 15 7.9
Quarterly 06 3.1
Rarely less than once a year 04 2.1
In which operation do you think most injuries occur?

Manual handling (lifting of machine) 112 58.6

Inspection and repairing vehicles 44 23.0
Assembling and joinery 10 5.2
Diagnosing problems with cars/trucks 25 13.1
How many days have you missed work in the past 6 months because of an injury
Never missed 58 30.4
At least one day 69 36.1
At least 3 days 10 5.2
More than 3 days 54 28.3

Majority of the mechanics reported to have acquired bruises 31.6%, cuts 21(15.4%), sprain
15(11%), strain 11(8.1%), 9(6.6%) and burns respectively as shown in the chart below;

Figure 2: Chart showing types of injuries

 6.3 Organizational factors

Majority 127/191(66.5%) of the mechanics had no training on health and safety at work and to
those who received, most 46.9% (30/64) of them received it after acquiring an injury at work.
Furthermore, more than a half 53.1% (34/64) of those who received the training got it from
institutions, health inspectors 34.45% (22/64) and the least from friends 4.7% (03/64). More than
a half 124(64.9%) of the respondents worked at night of which slightly more than a half of them
worked at night everyday 55.7% (69/124). As per supervision, majority 136(71.2%) of the
respondents were not supervised and to those who were supervised, at least a half 52.7% (29/55)
were supervised once a day. In case of an injury, majority 159(83.3%) of the study participants
reported that the employer doesn’t either take them to the health center or pays their medical bills
or compensates them accordingly.
“I don’t supervise the employees because I only need to see the finished work that our client has
ordered. Until the worker calls me to see the finished machine/ car/motorcycle, I cannot step in
that dusty area with spilled oil and dust (a supervisor in charge of a group of employees working
in assembling and joinery)”
Additionally, majority 91(47.6%) of the study participants were never provided with personal
protective equipment (PPE) and the majority 79(41.4%) agreed that refusal to use PPE poses
serious danger to one’s health and safety. Slightly below three quarters 129(67.5%) of the
respondents agreed to using first aid facilities as a measure to protect themselves from the
occurrence of injuries as show in the table below;

Table 3: Organizational factors

Variable Frequency Percentage (%)

(n=191)
Working hours
Less than 8 hours 10 5.2
8-12 hours 102 53.4
Above 12 hours 79 41.5
Have you ever had training in health and safety at work?
Yes 64 33.5
No 127 66.5
If so when? (n=64)
Before work 19 29.7
When working 15 23.4
After getting an injury 30 46.9
If so, by who? (n=64)
Health inspector 22 34.4
Owner of the garage 05 7.8
Institution 34 53.3
Friend 03 4.7
Do you work at night
Yes 124 64.9
No 67 35.1
If yes, how often do you work at night
Once a week 03 2.4
Everyday 69 55.7
Twice a week 10 8.1
Thrice a week 19 15.3
Four times a week 23 18.6
Are you supervised at work?
Yes 55 28.8
No 136 71.2
If yes, how often are you supervised? (n=55)
More than once a day 14 25.5
Once a day 29 52.7
Once a week 3 04
Once a month 08 14.6
Under what circumstance(s) do you communicate with your employer?
Death of a family member 11 5.8
Payment of salary 51 26.7
When have got an injury 29 15.2
When you are sick 37 19.4
All circumstances 63 32.9
How frequent do you communicate to your employer about your injuries?
At least once a day 32 16.8
At least once a week 54 28.3
At least once a month 20 10.3
Less frequently than once a year 14 7.3
Never 71 37.2
When you get an injury and miss work, what is usually done to you?
Employer takes me to health center 63 32.9
Employer pays the medical bills 54 28.3
Employer compensates me accordingly 44 23.0
None of the above 159 83.3
Are you provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) on the job?

Never 91 47.6
Sometimes 57 29.8
Rarely 22 11.5
Always 21 10.9
Which of these PPE are you provided with if any?
Nose mask
Yes 55 28.8
No 136 71.2
Gloves
Yes 94 49.2
No 97 50.7
Safety boots
Yes 29 15.2
No 162 84.8
Goggles
Yes 79 41.4
No 112 58.6
Safety overall
Yes 169 88.5
No 22 11.5
Do you agree that refusal to use PPE poses serious danger to one’s health and safety?
Strongly agree 09 4.7
Disagree 13 6.8
Not sure 12 6.3
Agree 79 41.4
Strongly disagree 78 40.8
What others measures do you use to protect yourselves from the occurrence of injuries?

First aid facilities 129 67.5

Fire preparedness plan 62 32.5

“ we rarely sensitize employees on occupational health and safety since we do not have enough
money to bring in experts to sensitize them , in addition the workers are always busy with their
work……but I think they practice safety practices based on their experiences with the
machines”( employer at one of the automobile garages, Ndeeba Trading Center)
On the availability of personal protective equipment, majority of the mechanics respondents
reported to have safety overall 169(88.5%), gloves 94(49.2%), goggles 79(41.4%), nose mask
55(28.8%) and safety boots 29(15.2%) respectively as shown in the chart below;
 Yes
/No

Figure 3: showing the available PPE at the garages

 CHAPTER SEVEN:

7.0 DISCUSSION

7.0 Introduction

The focus of this chapter is to discuss the results of the study in relation to the existing literature
about on knowledge, attitudes and practices among automobile mechanics in garages towards
occupational health hazards in Ndeeba trading center Lubaga division, Kampala district. The
discussion draws on studies conducted in similar settings, especially in resource-restricted
countries.
7.1 Social demographic factors

From the study, majority (91.6%) of study participants were male amongst which most of them
were between 35-45 years. This is inconsistent with a comparative study which was conducted
among garage workers in Ethiopia where hundred percent study participants were male and the
majority was as well between 18-53 years (Ataro et al., 2018). The difference is attributed to the
previous study whereby only thirty garage workers participated in the study. This implies that
there is an increase in the engagement of women in the mechanic works due to increased
institutional training of the works which entails the women as well.

In this same study, majority of the garage workers had a primary level of education and also a
half (51.3%) of them were married. This is slight consist with the results from the study which
was conducted among small scale automobile garages in Nairobi Kenya were more than half
64% of the respondents were married (Mwatu, 2011). More so, in this current study, most of the
respondents had an education level of both primary (27.8%) and ordinary level (30.9%). This is
consistent with the results from a study which was conducted in Ethiopia were about 54% of the
workers had an educational level of both primary and ordinary level (Ataro et al., 2018). Due to
the increased school dropouts mostly among the men, they find automobile mechanics as the
simplest job to do without much training and a job which can give them a living as well as their
families.

Furthermore, two fifth of the respondents had worked in the automobile garages for about 10-15
years of which majority (51.3%) earned an average monthly income above 300,000 Ugshs. This
is in line with the study which was conducted in Ndeeba trading center, Uganda where most of
the respondents 63.5% earned a monthly income above 300,000 Ugshs with a working but with a
working experience between 0-9 years (Lubega, 2018). This similarity is because both are/were
conducted in an urban setting which is Ndeeba trading center. Many mechanics were not
contented with what they earn because they cannot save on the small salaries they earn.

Most of the respondents who participated in this current study, gained their skills from
apprenticeship (39.3%) and on job training (24.6%). This is not steady with the results from the
cross-sectional study which was conducted among carpentry workers in Ndeeba trading center.
The difference could be in the study participants where by carpentry workers were included in
the previous study (Lubega, 2018). Furthermore, above one-third of the automobile mechanics at
the garages were doing assembling and joinery followed by those doing the machining works
32.98%. This is not stable with results from the study which was conducted among Roadside
Automobile Mechanics in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria showed that majority about half of the
participants were working as general engine repairers/vehicle mechanics (Oche et al., 2020). To a
large extent, many of the workers did not complete secondary level of education and no money for
the training and therefore, many joined mechanics just as helpers to the senior mechanics and that’s
how gained the experience in the work they do.

7.2 Prevalence of occupational injuries

Findings of this study showed that 71.2% of respondents reported having suffered injuries that
resulted from their work in last six months, which is a high prevalence of occupational injuries.
The largest proportion of injuries reported were physical injuries which included 24.3% cuts and
31.6% bruises. The most affected area was the upper limb especially fingers and hands. This
could be because most of the work at automobile garages revolves around the use of hands for
example for carrying of metals and handling of machines. Majority of the respondents attributed
the cause of injuries to carelessness at work; however, these injuries could have resulted from the
limited use of gloves since 5 out of 29 of the observed machinery operation areas had employees
using gloves.
Eye and head injuries sustained could be attributed to the fact that majority 58.6% of the
respondents reported not to have goggles and very few 71.2% masks. Backaches and chest pain
experienced by some respondents can be attributed to ergonomic hazards during manual lighting
of heavy metals. The high rate of injuries occurring at the workplace is attributable to a number
of facts such as low usage of PPE, limited supervision at work and limited knowledge on
occupational health and safety at work (Lund and Marriott, 2011).
Almost a half (49.2%) of the automobile mechanics registered injuries daily as well above one-
third (37.7%) of them registered injuries on a weekly basis. This is consistent with the study
which was conducted among Roadside Automobile Mechanics in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria in
that about 52% of the mechanics had acquired injuries on a daily basis frequency (Oche et al.,
2020). Above one-third of the participants missed work at least one day as reported in this current
study. This is attributed to their family background where by they couldn’t miss work for more
than one day in order to support and sustain their families.
7.3 Organizational factors

From the observational findings, this study shows that majority 65.7% of areas with machinery
had no machine guards in place. This can be attributed to the fact that majority (70 %) of these
machines were either not in good repair or had a mixed picture. A study done in Kumasi also
showed major risk factor easily noticeable in most of the mills, where the age factor of the
machine and equipment in use were obsolete with most of the safety guards removed or non-
functional (Kwankye, 2012). There is also use of untrained personnel to operate the machines
since less than half of the machinery areas practiced machine safety rules. All the 30 machinery
areas switched off electrical gargets when not in use. This explains why there were no fire
explosions at the carpentry workshops.
Additionally, above a half (53.4%) of the respondents in this current study worked above 8 hours
or 12 hours per day. This is related to the low salary earned by the mechanics in that they pushed
for more extra hours to earn a living. This is still consistent with the results from the study
conducted in Nigeria whereby 59.4% of the mechanics also worked for more than eight hours per
day (Oche et al., 2020).
Less than one-third (33.5%) of the respondents had received some training in health and safety at
work whereby most 34.4% of them are being trained by the health inspectors and majorly
(46.9%) after getting injured. This is not consistent with the study which was conducted on
musculoskeletal disorders in Dhaka, Bangladesh whereby above half 52.4% had received
training on occupational health and safety at their work place (Akter et al., 2016). This implies
that, the mechanics only receive training after getting injured and that they don’t take their
occupational health and safety as something critical and important for their health as well as that
of there families.

8 CHAPTER EIGHT:

8.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

8.1 CONCLUSION

The study concludes that prevalence of occupational injuries was high and differs across
employees in the automobile garages based on background characteristics, organizational, and
mechanical factors. The study concludes that there are significant associations between
prevalence of occupational injuries and one’s sex, age, and employment status.
Furthermore, one concludes, based on the findings of the study, that compliance to occupational
health and safety measures is dependent on the availability of organizational factors such as
adequate health and safety equipment, close supervision, occupational health and safety training.
It is also concluded that shallow cuts were very common and were attributed to carelessness.
However, from the analysis, injuries were minor cases involving bruises, burns and
strains/sprains except 21% of deep cuts. Finally, the study concludes that health and safety issues
are not tackled with enough seriousness at automobile garages since there was no comprehensive
policy document on it.

8.2 RECOMMENDATION

To employers of carpentry workshops

 Ensure that supervisors are empowered to discipline immediately their subordinates and
guide them into safe practices at work. This can be done by imposing penalties to
whoever does his work without any protective gear.
 Display safety procedures and equipment (first aid kits and fire extinguishers) in
conspicuous places so that they are easily assessed and followed by mechanics.
 Provide first aid kit and their components
 Strict measures should be put in place whereby no mechanic should be allowed any
operation area without his or her PPE
  Occupational health and safety training should also be organized at the work place for
both new recruits and regular workers. This should be done by the employer or make an
appointment with the occupational health and safety officer in place.

The above will ensure that employers are committed towards health and safety in automobile
garages.
To the local and national OSH authorities ( e.g. EHOs, DHO, OHSO among others)
 Should develop and disseminate a policy or regulations regarding the implementation of
occupational health management system for the prevention of occupational accidents and
injuries.
 Should do regular inspection of automobile garages and check of the occupation health
and safety practices that are promoted in these garages.
 Should conduct continuous monitoring and surveillance of operation in automobile
garages.
 Should put more focus in terms of education and financial support should be provided to
both employers and employees since they play a vital role in developing the country’s
economy.
 Should guide on subsided priced PPE, so that they are affordable to both employers and
employees.
 Should ensure that qualified safety personnel are in place to administer safety talks and
education to workers
 More research regarding occupational health and safety should be done to fully exhaust
the factors associated with occupational injuries.
 REFERENCES

AKTER, S., RAHMAN, M. M., MANDAL, S. & NAHAR, N. 2016. Musculoskeletal symptoms
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 Appendices
Appendix A

RESPONDENT CONSENT FORM CONSENT FORM

My name is Kamya Andrew a student from Makerere University School of Public Health,
Kampala. I am carrying out a study on knowledge, attitudes and practices among automobile
mechanics in garages Ndeeba Trading Centre, Kampala

Reason for the study: The study will provide an opportunity to obtain a comprehensive
picture on the occurrence occupational injuries among employees of automobile garages.

Benefits of the study: The information provided will inform government on mechanisms to
reduce the burden of disease due to occupational injuries among employees in garages of
Ndeeba Trading Centre.

Risks of the study: The study will not cause any physical, social, economic, legal harm to
you and there is no risk associated with it. Please be assured that this discussion is strictly
confidential and names will not be recorded. The findings will be generalized and not
linked to an individual.

Participation: Participation in this study is voluntary, if you do not want to answer a

particular question that is ok. There is no wrong answer to the questions that I will ask.
Please feel free to answer the questions exactly how you feel. You are free to withdraw from
the interview at any point you want without need to justify your decision

For more information on the study contact my Research supervisors:

I would like to seek for your consent before I proceed. Are you willing to allow me to
continue with the interview?

i. Yes 2. No

Date …………………………. Signature …………………………………

Appendix B

PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES

AMONG AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS IN GARAGES IN NDEEBA TRADING
CENTER LUBAGA DIVISION, KAMPALA DISTRICT.

Name of garage: ……………………………………….

Location of garage: …………………………………………..

Respondents code/ serial no…………………. Date………………….

SECTION ONE – BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS:

1. Sex

1. Male 2. Female

2. What is your age (in complete years?)

1. 18 and below 2. 18-30

3. 31-43 4. 44-56

5. above 57
3. What is your highest level of education?

1. Never went to school 2. Primary school

3. Ordinary level 4. Secondary level

5. Tertiary level

4. What is your marital status?

1. Single 2. Married

3. widowed 4. Separated/divorced

5. What is your tribe? ………………………………………………………

6. What is your religion?

 1. Catholic 2 Protestan
2.
3.
. 3. Moslem 4. Others specify on?

7. What is your average income per month?

1. Below 50,000 Ugshs 2. Between 50,000 - 150,000

Ugshs 3. Between 150,000- 300,000 Ugshs 4. Above 300,000 Ugshs

8. Date when were you employed in your current job? ............... /……………./…………..

9. How long have you worked in the automobile garage? Year……… Months…………..

10. What is your employment status?

1.Permanent 2. Temporary

3. Contract

11. What is the main job you do at the automobile garage?

1. Manual handling (lifting of machines) 2. Machining

3. Assembling and joinery 4.Finishing

5. If any, other mention……………………………………

12. How did you gain skills on the kind of job that you do in the automobile garage?

1. From a technical intuition 2. On job training by employer

3. Apprenticeship 4. I taught myself

5. None of the above, Mention? ………………………………………………………….

SECTION TWO - PREVALENCE OF INJURIES

13. Have been injured at work in the last previous 6 months?

1. Yes 2. No If no skip to 19
 14. How many times have you been injured at work in the previous 6 months? ........................

15. Which type of injury/injuries did you get during the most recent accident?
1. Bruises 2. Sprain
3. Lacerations

5. Cuts
4. Burns

6. Strain

5. If any others, specify? ………………………………………………………………….

16. Which part of the body was injured?

1. Eye 2. Head

3. Upper limb 4. Lower limb

5. If any other specify?................................................................................

17. What was the cause of the injury?

1. Power failure 2. Broken part / damaged part of machine

2. Explosion 3. Carelessness

4. Slippery floor 5. Mechanical breakdown of machine

6. If any other, specify……………………………………………………………………..

18. How much money did you spend on treatment of your

injury?.................................................

19. According to you, what is the frequency of injuries in this automobile garage?

1. Daily 2.weekly

3. Monthly 4. Quarterly

5. Yearly less than once a year

20. In which operation do you think most injuries occur?

1. Manual handling (lifting of machinery) 2. Inspecting and repairing vehicles

 3. Assembling and joinery 4. Diagnosing problems with cars/ trucks

5. If any, other mention……………………………………

21. How many days have you missed work in the past 6 months because of an injury?

1. Never missed 2. At least one day

3. At least 3 days 4. More than 3 days

SECTION THREE - ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS

22. For how many hours do you work per day? ..................................................................

23. Have you had training in health and safety at work?

1. Yes 2. No if No skip to 26

24. If so, when?

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

25. If so, by who?

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

26. Do you work at night?

1. Yes 2. No if No skip to 28

27. If yes, how often do you work at night?

1. Once a week 2. Every day

3. Twice a week 4. Thrice a week

5. Four times a week 29. How often do they supervise you at work?

28. Are you supervised at work? 1. More than once a day

1. Yes 3. Once a week

 2. Once day
2. No. If no skip to 30.
4. Once a month

30. Under what circumstance(s) do you communicate with your employer?

1. Death of a family member 2. Payment of salary

3. When you have gotten an injury 4. When you are sick

5. If any other, mention……………………………………………………………

31. How frequent do you communicate to your employer about your injuries?

2. At least once day 2. At least once a week

3. At least once a month 4. Less frequently than once a year

4. Never

31. When you get an injury and miss work, what is usually done to you?( tick all that apply?)

1. Employer takes me to a health centre 2. Employer pays the medical bills

3. Employer compensates me accordingly 4. None of the above

33. Are you provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) on the job?

1. Never 2. Sometimes

3. Rarely 4. Always

34. Which of these PPE are you provided with if any?

1. Nose masks 1. Yes No

2. Gloves 1. Yes No

3. Safety boot 1. Yes No

4. Goggles 1.Yes No
 5. Safety overall 1.Yes No

6.Others,specify: ……………………………………………………………………………

35. Do you agree that refusal to use PPE poses serious danger to one’s health and safety?

1.Strongly disagree 2. Disagree

3. Not sure 4. Agree

5. Strongly agree

36. What others measures do you use to protect yourselves from the occurrence of injuries?

1. First aid Facilities 2. Fire preparedness plan

If any other mention? ………………………………………………………………………..

APPENDIX C

KEY INFORMANT GUIDE

Name of automobile garage …………………………………............

Location ……………………………………………..

Date……………………………………………..

Time………………………………………………

Rapport:

I would like to know your expectations from this interview? OR

There have been several complaints of injuries in automobile garages. In your own opinion,
what can you tell me about the occurrence of these injuries?

1. Is there a policy on health and safety in this automobile garage?

2. If any, a) What are the core provisions of the policy?

b) Who enforces the policy?

3. How do ensure that the employees practice health and safety at work?

4. What is the main type of injuries among the automobile workers?

5. How are injury cases in automobile garages handled?

6. How are injury cases handled in your automobile garage?

7. What role does top management play in ensuring health and safety in the automobile
garage?

8. What disciplinary measures await violators of the health and safety code in the
automobile garage?