Occupational Hazards and Safety Practices of Refuse Collectors in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State

Practices of Occupational Health and Safety and Experience of Occupational Hazards Among Solid Waste Managers in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State

“…10,13,14 The limited use of PPE, on the other hand, can be attributed to a lack of assistance from the necessary authorities in terms of providing particular kits. 10…”

“…This high level of good practice and PPE usage among respondents might be attributed to governmental enforcement, effective worker education or pre-job training, and careful monitoring to ensure that particular laid-down criteria are followed. 10,13,14 The limited use of PPE, on the other hand, can be attributed to a lack of assistance from the necessary authorities in terms of providing particular kits. 10 In the current research, 61.5% of the SWCs said they had been exposed to work-related incidents such as cuts, punctures, and traffic accidents in the past 12 months while doing their duties.…”

“…10,13,14 The limited use of PPE, on the other hand, can be attributed to a lack of assistance from the necessary authorities in terms of providing particular kits. 10 In the current research, 61.5% of the SWCs said they had been exposed to work-related incidents such as cuts, punctures, and traffic accidents in the past 12 months while doing their duties. This is higher in comparison with the findings of Alshebli et al 22 where 56% of SWC were highly exposed to occupational accidents, while the studies of Marahatta et al 23 and Madian and El-Wahed 6 reported higher exposure of SWCs to work-related accidents (80% and 76% respectively), with needle stick injury, falls, fissure feet and contusions, puncture wounds and lacerations, fracture, animal bites, and chemical injuries reported as the most frequently occurring.…”

“…The needed minimum sample size (n) of 317 was calculated using the Cochran equations with p as the prevalence of occupational hazards among waste managers (76%), 10 5% margin of error, 95% confidence interval, and considering a 10% non-response rate. The respondents were recruited using a multi-staged sampling method…”

Roles and Barriers to Waste Management among Garbage Collectors in Port-Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria

“…According to Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) regulations, their high population density and ongoing development have led to an influx of solid waste and improper solid waste disposal throughout the local government [15]. The Rivers State Waste Management Authority collects and disposes of solid waste in the Port Harcourt metropolis through contractors who primarily use manual labour and garbage collectors to carry out their duties [16]. The authorities or their contractors are faced with challenges like; poor remuneration of workers, lack of training and retraining of workers, use of old vehicles/equipment, frequent breakdown of compactors on the road and lots more [12].…”