Abstract
It is well-known that informal workers in developing countries run a high risk of Occupational Safety and Health Problems (OSH problems). However, little is known about their perception of the preventability of these problems. This study explores how informal automobile artisans in Nigeria perceive the preventability of OSH problems and possible barriers to prevention. 43 artisans were purposively interviewed. Only one third of the participants perceived OSH problems as preventable while a majority perceived OSH problems as not preventable. Their perception of the causes of OSH problems and cost considerations strongly influenced their perceptions of the preventability of OSH problems. The major perceived barrier to prevention is economic insecurity and, as a consequence, non-availability of modern equipment. The study concluded that availability of accessible loans and regular training of the artisans may be helpful in preventing and reducing OSH problems in the informal sector.
Highlights
Hazards in the workplace are a huge but underexposed problem worldwide, but in developing countries
The interviews revealed that artisans diverged in their views of what causes work-related Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) problems
All the artisans recognized that various aspects of their job could cause OSH problems
Summary
Hazards in the workplace are a huge but underexposed problem worldwide, but in developing countries. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), globally each year, 2.78 million workers die from work-related accidents or diseases, while 374 million suffer from non-fatal work-related accidents (ILO, 2019; Nuwayhid, 2004). Hamalainen et al, (2017) estimated that lost workdays gulp about 4 percent of global GDP. Data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are limited and of varying quality, the available reports point to much higher rates of work-related mortality in LMICs than in high-income countries (Hamalainen et al, 2017). Work-related mortality and morbidity cause a colossal social and economic burden for enterprises and countries, and large human and financial losses for workers and their families (Wang et al, 2018)
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