Abstract
BACKGROUND: The iron and steel industries are among the most dangerous workplaces in the world compared to other manufacturing industries. Workers are exposed to multiple occupational hazards, which predispose them to high risks of both fatal and non-fatal injuries. Currently, the data on the global prevalence and associated risk factors for occupational injuries in the iron and steel industries is fragmented and incomplete. This study was undertaken to address this issue by pooling data relating to the prevalence of occupational injuries and its associated factors among workers in iron and steel industries studies around the world. METHODS: The search was conducted systematically using PubMed, HINARI, EMBASE and Google Scholar for published studies in English that reported on occupational injuries and associated risk factors among workers in iron and steel industries. MetaXL version 5.3 software was used in the meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of occupational injuries and associated risk factors among workers in the iron and steel industries. The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42022344258. RESULTS: Of the 447 articles identified, 15 studies from 9 countries met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence estimate of occupational injury was 0.55 (95% CI: 0.15, 0.93). The pooled results indicated that the odds of having an occupational injury were 4.06 times higher among workers who did not use personal protective equipment compared to those who used such equipment. Likewise the odds of occupational injuries was increased by 1.65 among night shift workers compared to the counterpart. CONCLUSIONS: The global prevalence of occupational injuries in iron and steel industries was 55%. The results indicate that night work shift and the lack of use of personal protective equipment has a higher impact than other factors in the occurrence of occupational injuries in the iron and steel industries.