title: Occupational safety of different industrial sectors in Khartoum State, Sudan. Part 1: Safety performance evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Safety performance evaluation enables decision makers improve safety acts. In Sudan, accident records, statistics, and safety performance were not evaluated before maintenance of accident records became mandatory in 2005.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed at evaluating and comparing safety performance by accident records among different cities and industrial sectors in Khartoum state, Sudan, during the period from 2005 to 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study, the sample in which represented all industrial enterprises in Khartoum state employing 50 workers or more. All industrial accident records of the Ministry of Manpower and Health and those of different enterprises during the period from 2005 to 2007 were reviewed. The safety performance indicators used within this study were the frequency-severity index (FSI) and fatal and disabling accident frequency rates (DAFR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Khartoum city, the FSI [0.10 (0.17)] was lower than that in Bahari [0.11 (0.21)] and Omdurman [0.84 (0.34)]. It was the maximum in the chemical sector [0.33 (0.64)] and minimum in the metallurgic sector [0.09 (0.19)]. The highest DAFR was observed in Omdurman [5.6 (3.5)] and in the chemical sector [2.5 (4.0)]. The fatal accident frequency rate in the mechanical and electrical engineering industry was the highest [0.0 (0.69)]. Male workers who were older, divorced, and had lower levels of education had the lowest safety performance indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The safety performance of the industrial enterprises in Khartoum city was the best. The safety performance in the chemical sector was the worst with regard to FSI and DAFR. The age, sex, and educational level of injured workers greatly affect safety performance.
authors.affiliation: aOccupational Hygiene and Air Pollution, Occupational Health and Air Pollution Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt bOccupational Safety and Health Department, Ministry of Health, Khartoum State, Sudan.
authors.forename: Gehan R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.forename: Fadia A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: El-Marakby
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: H Deign El-Nor
authors.forename: Faten H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nofal
authors.forename: Adel M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zakaria
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D016272:Occupational Health; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D013397:Sudan