Assessment of the Occupational Health and Safety System at Sennar Sugar Factory, Sudan

الملخص

Background: Occupational health and safety (OSH) is critical in high-risk industries such as
sugar manufacturing, where workers face substantial environmental and operational hazards.
This study assessed the OSH system at Sennar Sugar Factory, Sudan, in 2023.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2023, covering all
149 workers of the production department through total-coverage sampling. Data were
collected using a validated questionnaire, direct field measurements of environmental hazards
(noise, lighting, temperature, humidity, and gases), and an observational checklist. Data were
analysed in SPSS v27 using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test, with significance
set at P < 0.05.
Results: The system showed major preventive gaps: 45.6% of workers had no pre-
employment medical examination and 60.4% received no periodic check-ups. Effective
personal protective equipment (PPE) was unavailable to 62.4% of workers, and most reported
no OSH awareness programme. The most frequent health complaints were hearing problems
(13.4%) and musculoskeletal disorders (13.4%). Noise in the milling and turbine section
reached 105 dBA, exceeding the NIOSH limit of 85 dBA; a statistically significant association
was found between high-noise exposure and hearing problems (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The OSH system at Sennar Sugar Factory is markedly deficient in both its
preventive and operational dimensions. Immediate engineering noise control,
strengthened preventive healthcare, the provision of quality PPE, and a structured OSH
awareness programme are recommended