Investigation on occupational protection and influencing factors of noise-exposed workers in textile industries of Gaomi City

  Objective  To understand the occupational protection of noise-exposed workers in textile enterprises, and to provide basis for formulating appropriate intervention measures.

  Methods  From June to July 2021, 31 large, medium and small enterprises were selected by stratified sampling from 227 textile enterprises, and 1 052 noise-exposed workers were investigated with questionnaire.

  Results  Totally 86.88% workers reported their employer provide with ear plugs and/or other protective article, and among them 91.03% workers used these protective articles regularly. The reasons why the workers did not wear protective equipment were that uncomfortable while wearing(74.39% workers reported) and thinking unnecessary to wear (65.85% workers reported). The ways to acquire occupational protection knowledge, from high to low, were mobile phone and internet (56.56% workers reported), occupational health training organized by enterprises (49.52% workers reported), TV and newspaper (24.05% workers reported), health promotion board (16.44% workers reported), and other ways (6.56% workers reported). Multivariate analysis showed that large enterprises (OR = 1.582), college education or above (OR = 1.474) and supervision and inspection in workplaces (OR = 1.432) were contributing factors for workers to wear protective equipment (P < 0.05).

  Conclusions  To ensure the health of the employee, the textile enterprises should implement their main responsibility, organizing training on occupational health protection knowledge, carrying out supervision and inspection in workplaces, and increasing the utilization of protective equipment.