Assessment of Occupational Health and Safety in Motor Vehicle Repair Workshops in Jeddah

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study aims to examine the occupational health and safety (OHS) status in motor vehicle repair workshops (MVRW) industry in the city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). An inspection tool composed of 10 OHS components and 69 items was employed through observations, interviews, walk through survey and focused group discussions. The data was collected from local workshops (LWs, N=62) and multinational companies’ workshops (CWs, N=11). The mean positive response for OHS components among surveyed LWs and CWs was as follow; personal protective equipment’s (PPEs) (28% and 61%), fire protection and emergency management (52% and 91%), provision of facilities (69% and 94%), electric safety (44% and 82%), general workshop safety (43% and 82%), housekeeping (18% and 84%), chemical exposure (16% and 69%), maintenance and services (54% and 86%), manual handling (84% and 100%) and tool safety (58% and 91%), respectively. The overall OHS mean positive response, complying best practices and regulations, of all OHS elements in LWs was 47% which was much lower than 84% positive response for CWs. The impact of OHS on workers’ health was also discussed together with recommendations given for further improvement.