Occupational Noise in Selected Tea Factories and Reported Health Effects on Workers in Kericho County
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Date
2022
Authors
Gitau, Patrick Martin
Iseme, Rosebella Alungata
Nyamari, Jackim M
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Full Length Research
Abstract
Noise is one of the most common physical
hazards experienced in workplaces.
Occupational noise is generally the factory
noise received by employees when they are
working within an industry. Employees
working in tea factories are exposed to the
health risks resulting from industrial noise.
This study was conducted in selected tea
factories in Kericho County to assess the
impact of occupational noise on employees'
health. The study adopted a cross-sectional
research design. The study targeted 259
employees in the production department
working for a minimum of eight hours from
the selected tea factories using a random
sampling technique. The noise level was
measured using an ND-9 Digital calibrated
sound level meter. The generation of output
in the study was achieved by using SPSS
version 25. A univariate Chi-square test of
independence was used to evaluate the
association of noise levels and reported
health effects among the workers in the
production department of selected tea
factories. The predictive ability of the study
relied on the binary logistic regression to
establish adjusted odds ratio (AOR) that
reported a 95% confidence interval.
Inferential statistics were presented using
charts and tables of percentages, statistical
means, and standard deviations. The study
considered a P value of below 0.05 as
significant. From the findings, most of the
respondents were exposed to occupational
noise for long hour sometimes for more
than 4 hours due to lack of shifts or enough
qualified personnel to relieve them at their
duty stations. This led to increased risk to
the effects of noise pollution on their health.
A Chi-square test to determine the
independence of health effects to
occupational noise was significant at
p<0.05 for noise levels (r=0.108, p<0.05),
and days worked in the same place
(r=0.109, p<0.05). Higher noise levels in a
tea factory and more days an employee
worked in the same work station were more
likely to develop negative health effects.
The correlation analysis was not significant
between negative health effects produced
from exposure to occupation noise and use
of PPEs (r=0.146, p<0.001). Understanding
the negative effects of occupational noise
motivates the use of PPE, reducing the
possibility of developing health effects
from noise exposure. Therefore, the study
concluded that exposure to occupational
noise occurs in tea factories because of
running machines with constant noise
levels. The study recommends that tea
factories administration and management
should implement a proactive process that
will provide guidelines for assessment and
management of occupational noise risks,
use of PPEs, and implementation of
ergonomic solutions like conducive
working conditions, initiate shifts in
different working areas, always involve the
workers in regular health check-ups, and
reduce working hours.
Description
Article
Keywords
Occupational noise, health effects, safety measures
Citation
Gitau, P. M., Iseme, R. A., & Nyamari, J. M. (2022). Occupational noise in selected tea factories and reported health effects on workers in Kericho County. International Academic Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing, 2(1), 261-278.