<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The small-scale industries are considered a major sector of economic investment in the world. Small-scale industries typically suffer from problems such as poor management systems, poor safety training, difficulties in complying with legislation, and absence of safety performance. This study aimed to measure the levels of heat stress and noise and assess the safety performance in small-scale industries. Twenty industrial workshops were selected representing four different types of small-scale industries (foundries, automotive repair, metal processing, and aluminium processing) in Alexandria, Egypt. Inside each selected workshop, both levels of heat stress and noise were measured by calibrated instruments. A pre-designed checklist evaluated the adequacy of the safety performance. Noise levels ranged between 86.4 ± 2.0 and 89.7 ± 2.7 dB exceeding the recommended value (85 dB). In the most studied workshops, the levels of heat stress were relatively high, especially in the foundries. Besides, the safety practices at all these workshops were poor or very poor. The most obvious safety problems included poor housekeeping, lack of PPEs, inadequate illumination, absence of emergency exits, and insufficient fire extinguishers. The results emphasize the responsibility of the local authorities to give more attention and interest to this type of industry.</p>
</abstract>

The small-scale industries are considered a major sector of economic investment in the world. Small-scale industries typically suffer from problems such as poor management systems, poor safety training, difficulties in complying with legislation, and absence of safety performance. This study aimed to measure the levels of heat stress and noise and assess the safety performance in small-scale industries. Twenty industrial workshops were selected representing four different types of small-scale industries (foundries, automotive repair, metal processing, and aluminium processing) in Alexandria, Egypt. Inside each selected workshop, both levels of heat stress and noise were measured by calibrated instruments. A pre-designed checklist evaluated the adequacy of the safety performance. Noise levels ranged between 86.4 ± 2.0 and 89.7 ± 2.7 dB exceeding the recommended value (85 dB). In the most studied workshops, the levels of heat stress were relatively high, especially in the foundries. Besides, the safety practices at all these workshops were poor or very poor. The most obvious safety problems included poor housekeeping, lack of PPEs, inadequate illumination, absence of emergency exits, and insufficient fire extinguishers. The results emphasize the responsibility of the local authorities to give more attention and interest to this type of industry.

Workplace hazards and safety practices in the small-scale industries

Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health

Production Engineering Archives

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Workplace hazards and safety practices in the small-scale industries"}

The small-scale industries are considered a major sector of economic investment in the world. Small-scale industries typically suffer from problems such as...

Workplace hazards and safety practices in the small-scale industries

Published Online: May 26, 2024

Page range: 241 - 250

Received: Feb 28, 2024

Accepted: Apr 15, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30657/pea.2024.30.23

Keywords
Small-scale industries, occupational noise, heat stress, safety performance, Threshold Limit Values

© 2024 Mahmoud Fathy ElSharkawy, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Workplace hazards and safety practices in the small-scale industries

Published Online: May 26, 2024

Page range: 241 - 250

Received: Feb 28, 2024

Accepted: Apr 15, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30657/pea.2024.30.23

KeywordsSmall-scale industries, occupational noise, heat stress, safety performance, Threshold Limit Values

© 2024 Mahmoud Fathy ElSharkawy, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Small-scale industries, occupational noise, heat stress, safety performance, Threshold Limit Values