Need for Risk Management and Regular Occupational Health Safety Assessment Among Workers of Developing Countries

Abstract

Abstract Occupational health is a sensitive area in many developing countries where occupational exposure needs attention due to lack of awareness among industrialists as well as workers. Industries such as iron, textile, leather, and paper use a vast number of toxic chemicals during different industrial processes. Workers of these industries come in direct contact with these chemicals including dyes, solvents, and finishers, which are known to be mutagenic and genotoxic. In the absence of risk assessment programs, these chemicals pose serious health risks. Risk management is one of the key factors in health safety of the workers. Agencies of central, state, and local levels need to work harder in the field of occupational health and safety. These agencies should develop relevant risk assessment programs to minimize the exposure health impacts. In the present article, various exposure risks to workers of different industries including iron, textile, leather, and paper industry along with levels of risk management system and the need for regular health assessment programs have been discussed to put them into real practice.