Days away from work injury and associated factors among waste collectors in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: In most cities of low-income countries, waste management is a labour intensive task, which exposes workers to numerous occupational hazards. This study was aimed to investigate the magnitude of days away from work-related injury and associated factors among organized waste collectors in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia. METHOD: A pre-tested questionnaire and observation checklist based cross-sectional study design was employed from June 1 to 30, 2017. Data was analysed using SPSS for windows 20.0. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression methods were used to describe the study population and assess the association between dependent and independent variables, respectively. RESULT: From the total of 279 waste collectors involved as a study participant, 10% of them reported at least one day away from work injury during the last twelve months. Being married is 87% less likely to be injured as compared to be a single. The odds of injury were 4.5 times higher among personal protective equipment users as compared to their counterparts. Waste collectors, who had less than 1000 Birr per month income, were 3 times more likely to be injured than those with income greater than 1,001 Birr. CONCLUSIONS: Days away from work injury among waste collectors is a public health problem and has an impact on the economic and social well-being of workers. Therefore, strengthening the provision of personal protective devices and ensuring its utilization is highly recommended.