Workplace hazard faced by vulnerable migrant workers working in the informal sector at Lucknow city

Poonam Verma,Shalini Agarwal

doi:10.18311/jeoh/2021/26481

Abstract

Context: Workplace hazard is usually defined as working conditions that have potential to cause injury and/or illness to workers. Examples of hazards are exposed to hazardous substances; working with dangerous tools and equipment or performing potentially injurious task, such as repetitive movement and heavy lifting. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of workplace hazard face of vulnerable migrant workers. Setting and Design: The study was carried out on eighty migrant workers comprising of male and female. The purposive sampling technique was adopted in the study. Data were collected using a 9 question survey tool developed by S. Peter et.al, Institute for work and health, Canada, in 2016. Materials and Methods: A self-structured and standardized interview schedule scale (OHS) devised by institute for work and health, Canada, in 2016 used for the purpose of the gathering information and measurement workplace hazard in different variables of the respondents. The study adopted survey research design and interviewed respondents personally. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were coded and analyzed using IBM SPSS20.0 Version. The level of workplace hazard in different segments was analyzed in the form of frequencies, mean, standard deviation and the significance was tested using ANOVA. Result : The study clearly showed that the maximum hazard in the workplace by migrant workers is to repeatedly repeat the same movement with hands or wrists, exposure to chemical, gas, and flammable substance, standing hours in the same posture and working for 2 meters. The hazard was felt in stand and working in greater heights. Conclusion: In the present study it has been found that the issue of occupational health among workers needs more attention. There was a risk of musculoskeletal problems and breathing problems and slipping while working in their stations. Measures are needed to improve the work environment of workplace safety staff that ensures the availability of personal protective equipment, good living condition and hygiene at the sites. In addition, the protection of workers’ health is the responsibility to the community as well as local government and businessmen.

Highlights

Migrant workers in the informal sector are usually daily wage laborers, whose day-to-day survival depends on their ability to work on that day
Because they are exposed to potentially hazardous working conditions and their health suffers due to overwork and exhaustion; they are often forced to take leave and on days that they take leave, they earn nothing
The entire Lucknow city is divided into five zones – east, west, north, south and central from these zones, randomly two zones were selected Aurangabad and Krishna Nagar from south and west zones, respectively were selected from the slums of migrant workers are majorly concentrated using purposive sampling from each area comprising of a total of eighty sampling

Summary

Introduction

Migrant workers in the informal sector are usually daily wage laborers, whose day-to-day survival depends on their ability to work on that day. Because they are exposed to potentially hazardous working conditions and their health suffers due to overwork and exhaustion; they are often forced to take leave and on days that they take leave, they earn nothing. Over 60% of workers in most groups said that they take more than 5 days of leave in a month Added to this is the issue of non-payment of overtime wages in sectors like construction work. 50% of construction workers surveyed, who worked overtime were not paid overtime wages[1]

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Conclusion