OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS FACED BY AIRPORT GROUND HANDLING STAFF IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

This project presents a systematic literature review aimed at identifying, synthesizing, and critically appraising existing evidence on occupational health and safety (OHS) risks faced by airport ground handling staff in African countries. Airport ground handling workers are exposed to a wide range of occupational hazards, including ergonomic, physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial risks, yet evidence from African settings remains fragmented and limited. The review will follow established systematic review guidelines, including the PRISMA framework. Peer-reviewed original research articles will be identified through comprehensive searches of major academic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies will be screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria focusing on airport ground handling activities, worker populations, occupational hazards, and health and safety outcomes. Data extraction will capture study characteristics, country context, study design, types of occupational hazards, reported health outcomes, and recommended control measures. The methodological quality of included studies will be assessed using appropriate critical appraisal tools. Findings will be synthesized narratively and thematically to highlight common risk factors, gaps in the existing literature, and implications for occupational health practice and policy in African airport environments. This review aims to contribute evidence to support improved occupational health and safety management, inform policy development, and guide future research on airport ground handling operations in Africa.