Comparison of Occupational Health and Safety Practices in Small-Scale Furniture Industries and Sawmills in Tanzania

Occupational health and safety (OHS) remains a major concern in small-scale wood processing industries, where workers are exposed to multiple hazards and preventive measures are often inadequate. This study assessed and compared OHS practices in small-scale sawmills and furniture industries in Tanzania. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used in Mafinga Town, Iringa Region, and Morogoro Municipality, Morogoro Region. A quantitative cross-sectional study involving 244 workers from 122 enterprises was conducted using questionnaires and field observations. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square tests. Furniture industry workers reported significantly higher use of dust masks, work shoes, and goggles than sawmill workers, while hearing protection was rarely used in both groups. The main barriers to personal protective equipment (PPE) use were inadequate availability, limited awareness or training, and discomfort. Furniture industries more frequently had machine guards, warning signs, accident-prevention practices, and fire extinguishers, whereas sawmills more often had adequate machine spacing and dust removal systems. Lighting-source distributions did not differ significantly between the two enterprise types. Overall, both enterprise types exhibited important OHS deficiencies, highlighting the need for improved PPE provision, worker training, machine safety, emergency preparedness, and engineering controls for dust and noise exposure. Future studies should include multiple locations, objective measurements of wood dust, noise, and illumination, and clinically verified health outcomes.