Akeza Awealom: Researching dust exposure among wood factory workers

Awealom has been teaching occupational health and safety in different universities in Ethiopia.

AS part of his teaching engagement, he had the opportunity to visit various factories and have a closer look at the level of exposure of workers to hazardous dusts in his homeland.  

Upon joining CIH’s PhD program at the University of Bergen, Akeza decided to work on a measurment of wood dust exposure and its respiratory health consequences on workers in wood manufacturing industries in Ethiopia. His study also tries to look in to the knowledge, attitude and practice of the workers towards the different occupational hazardous that come as result of their exposure to dust. Two particleboard manufacturing factories situated in two different geographical locations of Ethiopia are targeted for the study. 

In order to measure the level of endotoxin and formaldehyde exposure of workers, the study conducts air sampling in the breathing zone of the workers.  The study’s finding is believed to enable factories take evidence based measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of workers in similar situations.

On top of his studies at CIH, Akeza works as a mentor in Massive Open Online Course in Occupational Health in Developing Countries. 

Akeza Awealom has secured his BSc and MSc degrees from Hawassa and Jimma Universities in Environmental Health in Ethiopia, respectively.