Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria

Even though accident rates in cement industry tend to be higher than in other manufacturing sectors and significantly contribute to overall worker disabilities and illnesses, they are reported poorly. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to assess occupational injuries and associated factors amo...

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Main Authors: Djaballah Said, Merouchi Fatima, Mosetfai Nahla, Belahcene Abdelhak, Hechifa Abdelmoumene
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2025-03-01
Series:Arhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2025-76-3929
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author Djaballah Said
Merouchi Fatima
Mosetfai Nahla
Belahcene Abdelhak
Hechifa Abdelmoumene
author_facet Djaballah Said
Merouchi Fatima
Mosetfai Nahla
Belahcene Abdelhak
Hechifa Abdelmoumene
author_sort Djaballah Said
collection DOAJ
description Even though accident rates in cement industry tend to be higher than in other manufacturing sectors and significantly contribute to overall worker disabilities and illnesses, they are reported poorly. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to assess occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria using a questionnaire distributed to 200 workers who agreed to participate in the study. We found that 53 participants working in a cement mill (26.5 %) reported having 64 occupational injuries, which mostly affected their hands (44 %) and feet (38 %). Machinery accounted for 39 % of all injuries, while falls accounted for 27 %. Multivariate analysis revealed that work in a quarry, lower education, and longer working years were significantly associated with higher injury rates. Long-term exposure to risks, rather than just inexperience, highlights the need for a reassessment of ongoing safety training and monitoring for experienced workers. Future research should also explore how organisational factors such as workload, work hours, job stress, and the state of machinery contribute to the risk of occupational injuries. An approach combining quantitative and qualitative data from workers and management across cement plants in Algeria and the region could provide an even more comprehensive view of occupational risks and safety practices and help contextualise these findings for policy improvements.
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spelling doaj-art-5a196a5973b64338821291336fb072bd2025-08-20T02:17:13ZengSciendoArhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju1848-63122025-03-01761313610.2478/aiht-2025-76-3929Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, AlgeriaDjaballah Said0Merouchi Fatima1Mosetfai Nahla2Belahcene Abdelhak3Hechifa Abdelmoumene4University of Chlef Faculty of Technology , Department of Mechanical Engineering , Chlef , AlgeriaUniversity of Chlef Faculty of Technology , Department of Mechanical Engineering , Chlef , AlgeriaUniversity of Chlef Faculty of Technology , Department of Mechanical Engineering , Chlef , AlgeriaUniversity of Chlef Faculty of Technology , Department of Mechanical Engineering , Chlef , AlgeriaUniversity of Skikda Faculty of Technology , Department of Mechanical Engineering , Skikda , AlgeriaEven though accident rates in cement industry tend to be higher than in other manufacturing sectors and significantly contribute to overall worker disabilities and illnesses, they are reported poorly. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to assess occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria using a questionnaire distributed to 200 workers who agreed to participate in the study. We found that 53 participants working in a cement mill (26.5 %) reported having 64 occupational injuries, which mostly affected their hands (44 %) and feet (38 %). Machinery accounted for 39 % of all injuries, while falls accounted for 27 %. Multivariate analysis revealed that work in a quarry, lower education, and longer working years were significantly associated with higher injury rates. Long-term exposure to risks, rather than just inexperience, highlights the need for a reassessment of ongoing safety training and monitoring for experienced workers. Future research should also explore how organisational factors such as workload, work hours, job stress, and the state of machinery contribute to the risk of occupational injuries. An approach combining quantitative and qualitative data from workers and management across cement plants in Algeria and the region could provide an even more comprehensive view of occupational risks and safety practices and help contextualise these findings for policy improvements.https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2025-76-3929cement millcross-sectional studyfallshandsfeetmachineryosh trainingpersonal protective equipmentsafety practicesworkplace accidentscementaranezgodenogeosobna zaštitna opremapadovipresječno istraživanjerukestrojevizaštita na radu
spellingShingle Djaballah Said
Merouchi Fatima
Mosetfai Nahla
Belahcene Abdelhak
Hechifa Abdelmoumene
Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria
Arhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju
cement mill
cross-sectional study
falls
hands
feet
machinery
osh training
personal protective equipment
safety practices
workplace accidents
cementara
nezgode
noge
osobna zaštitna oprema
padovi
presječno istraživanje
ruke
strojevi
zaštita na radu
title Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria
title_full Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria
title_fullStr Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria
title_full_unstemmed Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria
title_short Occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of Chlef, Algeria
title_sort occupational injuries and associated factors among cement factory workers in the city of chlef algeria
topic cement mill
cross-sectional study
falls
hands
feet
machinery
osh training
personal protective equipment
safety practices
workplace accidents
cementara
nezgode
noge
osobna zaštitna oprema
padovi
presječno istraživanje
ruke
strojevi
zaštita na radu
url https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2025-76-3929
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