Occupational Health Hazard Among Waste Collectors of Bhopal City

Abstract

Background: The manpower which collects waste from urban localities to dumping or disposal site is exposed to a number of health hazards which are of physical chemical and biological nature. The waste collectors have the seventh most dangerous job in the world. The working conditions of waste collectors are very poor and are violation of human rights. Objectives: 1. To Identify health problems in solid waste collectors of Zone-2 (old city) of Bhopal 2. To Educate them about their occupational hazards and measures to prevent them 3. To sensitize the municipal authorities about their problems and the need for provision of safety devices and measures 4. To assess the increase in the use of safety devices and measures Material and Methods: All workers of zone-2 Bhopal were called for health checkup and health education at the Urban Health and Training Centre of the Department of Community Medicine, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. Health check up was done to access their health problems. Data regarding their knowledge, attitude and practices about occupational health hazards was using a semi-structured questionnaire. Thereafter, they were given health education about the hazards of their occupation and measures to prevent them. The results of the study were communicated to the municipal authorities for appropriate action. Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 35 years. All of them denied using protective devices like boots and gloves during waste collection. The morbidities observed were injuries, injuries with sharp (41%), dermatological problems (15%), Arthritis (10%), abdominal pain and loose motions (8%) snake bite (1.6%), others such as high BP, diabetes (13%) and none (11%). The knowledge and attitude of the workers regarding their health problems was poor. Conclusion: Injuries were the most common morbidity among waste collectors. None of them were provided with any protective devices. The knowledge and attitude of workers about prevention of occupational health hazards was poor. There is a need to raise awareness about their problems among the municipal authorities and the public.