Analysis of Factors Associated with Occupational Accidents among Miners Scuba Divers: An Analytical Study in the Mining Centers of Banalia in the Province of Tshopo

Abstract

Introduction: Mining, regardless of its scale, poses health risks to workers. We conducted this study to determine the factors associated with occupational accidents among miners in the Banalia region of Tshopo province. Methods: A cross-sectional study with an analytical aim was conducted among 422 people living in 2 mining households in the territory of Banalia, selected by the systematic sampling technique, during the period from March 18 to June 14, 2024. The analysis of the factors associated with occupational accidents was done using OR with confidence interval of 0.05. Results: The average age of the respondents was 38.2 ± 6.9 years; secondary education level (65%), married marital status (46%) and seniority of 10 years or more (81%) were dominant. The most observed diseases differently from others were malaria (83%) and STIs (67%) and the dominant health problems were low back pain (74%) and chest pain (73%). 74% of subjects had already experienced an occupational accident and 24% did not have good quality personal protective equipment (PPE). Poor quality PPE doubled the risk of accidents in the aquatic mining site (OR = 2.21 CI95: 1.4 - 3.8) and respecting the maximum duration of 2 hours in the water reduced the risk of accidents (OR = 0.32 CI95: 0.2 - 0.5). Conclusion: The quality of PPE and the regulation of diving duration must be followed to reduce the risk of accidents in mining areas.