Perceptions of Health and Safety among Workers in the Automotive Repair Industry in Dubai (United Arab Emirates): A Cross-sectional Exploratory Study

Abstract

Background: Protection of workers against work-related injuries and illnesses is a growing public health concern. The increasing number of expatriate workers in Dubai has highlighted the need for greater emphasis on occupational health and safety, particularly since unintentional injuries were reported to be the second most common cause of death in the United Arab Emirates. Objectives: This cross-sectional study explores safety practices and health perceptions of workers in the automotive repair industry, in the light of the Health Belief Model. Materials and Methods: The study included 35 automotive repair industry workers, selected by convenience sampling from an automotive workshop in Dubai. Primary data was collected though a structured interview and walk-through survey. Results: Only 10% of the workers had received occupational health and safety training from employers. Though the highest perceived hazardous exposure was to carbon monoxide fumes (62.9%), but the majority did not consider the severity of this exposure high enough to be of concern. This discrepancy in perceived vulnerability despite perceived exposure reflects the lack of awareness on severity of exposure to physical and chemical hazards in the car repair shop. A significant relation was seen between cumulative perceptions to exposure to hazards and marital status of the workers, with married workers perceiving greater exposure to hazards at the workplace. Protective equipment was considered important by 83% of the participants but only 54.5% reported using them. Conclusion: There is a dire need for targeted occupational health awareness training and enforcement of safety regulations to ensure the safety of workers in the automotive repair industry.