The relationship between health perception and personal protective equipment usage knowledge in workers working i̇n a textile factory

Activities carried out to protect the employees from risk factors arising in the work environment that may negatively affect their health; activities to ensure the continuity of the production and to increase the productivity are defined as occupational health and safety. There is a variety of circumstances regarding occupational health and safety in textile and apparel sector, which is labor intensive. Although safety measures are taken to a sufficient extent in terms of machinery, equipment and materials in the working environment, personal protective equipment is also required for the protection of people. There are many factors that affect the use of personal protective equipment by employees. One of them is thought to be the perception of health. In this study, it was aimed to determine the relationship between health perception and personal protective equipment usage knowledge in textile factory workers. Research data were collected from 410 workers working in a textile factory between 1 July 2022 and 30 September 2022 by face-to-face interview method, using a questionnaire. The 64-question questionnaire consists of the Health Perception Scale and 49 questions developed by the researcher. Descriptive statistics, chi-square trend test, Mann Whitney U test and Spearman correlation test were used in our research. A statistically significant difference was found in the scores of the workers in the health perception scale according to gender, chronic disease status and being happy at work. From the sociodemographic data of the workers; It was found that male gender and high level of education statistically significantly increased the knowledge of personal protective equipment use. From the data of the working life of the workers; It has been found that taking occupational health and safety training, taking precautions for the equipment used by the employee in the working environment, and being happy at the workplace statistically significantly increase the knowledge of personal protective equipment. There was a low positive and statistically significant correlation between the total score obtained from the health perception scale and the knowledge of personal protective equipment. In conclusion; There are many factors that affect the personal protective equipment knowledge of employees. In our study, it was tried to determine how much the perception of health affects the knowledge of personal protective equipment use. In the light of scientific research, the factors that increase the knowledge of personal protective equipment use should be determined, and necessary studies should be carried out in order to improve these factors and improve employee health and safety. Key words: Health perception, Employee health, Personal protective equipment