Occupational Health Risk of Waste Pickers: A Case Study of Northern Region of South Africa

Uhunamure, Solomon Eghosa; Edokpayi, Joshua N.; Shale, Karabo

doi:10.1155/2021/5530064

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Moreover, health problems like hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, chronic ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, hemorrhoids, mono-neuropathy of the upper extremities, damage of the knee joint, back pain, synovitis and tenosynovitis, and other diseases of tendons and shoulder lesions were observed among street and SWCs ( 64 ). The other study conducted on waste collectors showed that dermatology or skin problems (10.53%), gastro-intestinal problems (7%), respiratory conditions (14.04%), musculoskeletal disorders (14.04%), eye problems (12.28%), and mental (21.05%) ( 65 ). Moreover, the prevalence of occupational injuries was 72.0%; musculoskeletal disorders (59.7%), respiratory symptoms (23.4%), head, eyes, and ears (7.8%), skin (5.2%), and gastrointestinal (3.9%) were common among waste collectors ( 62 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global systematic review of occupational health and safety outcomes among sanitation and hygiene workers

Tolera,

Temesgen,

Mulat Endalew

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionSanitary workers are exposed to a variety of occupational hazards in a variety of working environments, which can result in occupational-related outcomes. As a result, the goal of this review was to identify occupational health and safety outcomes among sanitary workers worldwide.MethodsPRISMA was used as flow diagram and PICOS was used review questions. The studies published in English were searched from databases and others methods ranging from 2000 to 2022. Boolean logic (AND, OR), MeSH, and keywords used: (Occupation *OR Job *OR Work) AND (Occupational related respiratory Symptoms *OR Disease) AND [Solid waste collectors (SWCs) *OR Street sweepers (SS) *OR Sewage workers and waste treatment (STWs)] AND (Countries).ResultsA total of 228 studies were identified from 23 countries across the world. Studies were found via PubMed (n = 40), Medline (n = 25), Embase (n = 11) and Global Health (n = 66) and Google scholar (n = 63) and from previous (n = 23). From 8,962 of eligible sanitary workers, about 4,742 (54%), 1714 (19%) and 1,441 (16%) were sewage, sweepers and solid waste workers, respectively. A total study (n = 51) were eligible for occupational health and safety outcomes. Of these, respiratory problems accounted 27 (52%) and Gastroenteritis 14 (27%).ConclusionDespite a large number of studies to date provides sanitary employees all over the world face occupational-related risks, hence more research is needed to enhance and quantify illness burden among sanitary workers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global systematic review of occupational health and safety outcomes among sanitation and hygiene workers

Tolera,

Temesgen,

Mulat Endalew

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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“…Two third of the study participants are waste collectors and the remaining one third is street sweepers. The other the study conducted on waste collectors showed that Dermatology or skin problems (10.53%), Gastro intestinal problems (7%), Respiratory conditions (14.04%) and musculoskeletal disorders ((14.04%), eye problems (12.28%) and mental ((21.05%) (Uhunamure et al, 2021). Moreover, the prevalence of occupational injuries was 72.0%; musculoskeletal disorders (59.7%), respiratory symptoms (23.4%), head, eyes, and ears (7.8%), skin (5.2%) and Gastro Intestine (3.9%) were common among waste collectors (Sangkham et al, 2021).…”

Section: Multiple Occupational Related Studied Problemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Occupational Diseases among Sanitary Workers in Worldwide: Systematic Review

Tolera

2023

Preprint

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Background: Sanitary workers are exposing with different occupational hazards in these setting, that leading occupational disabilities or disease. Thus, quantification of these problems among these group will be significant for further attention in both scientific scholars and government to withstand sanitary workers. Methods: Reviewed data were searched from databases, namely PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Lilacs for eligible studies from 2000 to 2022. Waste collectors and emptier, street sweepers, sewage workers, health care facilities cleaners were eligible populations. Gastro intestinal conditions, respiratory problems, skin problems and other psychosocial problems. Risk of bias was assessed using an adopted from Liverpool Quality Assessment Tool. Results: A total of 168 studies were identified from the databases and other reports. Finally, 50 studies were included. About 15/23(65%) developed countries were included but 28/50 (56%) of the studies obtained from developing countries. More than 91% of the studies were used cross sectional study design and 50% used type of logistic regression and multivariate regression. Majority of the study obtained from India 15 (30%) and followed by Egypt 5(10%). From 7, 711 sanitary workers, majority of them 48 %( 3682) were sewage workers and followed by street sweepers 1441(19%). The remaining were 1317(17%), 828(11%), 275(3%) and 168(2%) were waste water workers, solid waste collectors, waste collectors with sewage workers and street sweeper with waste collectors, respectively. From reviewed of occupational related outcomes (50), occupational respiratory diseases studies were accounted about 26 (52%) studies and followed by gastro-enteritis disease 14 (28%) related studies. The remaining studies were focused on both gastroenteritis and respiratory conditions 4 (8%); multiple health problem 3 (6%); gastroenteritis, Respiratory, and mental and Socials conditions 2(4%); and one study was focused on Mental health conditions of sanitary workers Conclusion: Despite a large number of studies, there is limited evidence to date of the occupational health diseases faced by sanitation workers. Nevertheless, the research to date provides suggestive evidence of elevated occupational related risk among sanitation workers. More research is needed to improve the current bodies of evidence for all included health outcomes to be able to quantify disease burden among sanitary workers.

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“…Many studies on the health impacts of waste picking focus on waste pickers who operate in landfills and dumpsites [ 13 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. These offer important insights into occupational hazards and how to mitigate them.…”

Section: The Broader Context Of Waste Picking Health and Occupational...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Against the backdrop of these risks, however, waste pickers have low health-seeking behaviour [ 25 , 40 ]. All informal workers suffer from a ‘no work no pay’ situation, and this can make waste pickers reluctant to seek medical attention for work-related injuries.…”

Section: Occupational Hazards In the Inner Citymentioning

confidence: 99%

Working with Waste: Hazards and Mitigation Strategies Used by Waste Pickers in the Inner City of Durban

Mlotshwa

Dayaram

Khanyile

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Informal waste pickers in cities across the Global South divert significant amounts of tonnage from landfills. This diversion contributes towards a sustainable environment and better public health practices. Informal workers globally derive livelihoods from collecting, sorting, and selling recyclable waste. In South Africa, there is growing recognition of the valuable work that waste pickers carry out. Despite this, however, these informal workers remain largely unrecognised, are often stigmatised, and suffer from a lack of social protection linked to their work. This lack of recognition and protection creates specific occupational hazards for waste pickers. Using an ethnographic method, this study explores the physical and socio-psychological hazards that emerge from waste picking on the streets of the inner city of Durban, in South Africa. We found that the waste pickers, the majority of whom were women, developed mitigation strategies against these risks. A better understanding of how the occupational hazards of waste picking are shaped by the local context of working on the street enables the recognition of the knowledge waste pickers already hold regarding mitigation strategies. Insight into occupational hazards are important to consider if the municipal integration of waste pickers is to happen in a way that ensures access to social protections for these informal workers.

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Occupational Health Risk of Waste Pickers: A Case Study of Northern Region of South Africa

Cited by 9 publications

References 42 publications

Global systematic review of occupational health and safety outcomes among sanitation and hygiene workers

Global systematic review of occupational health and safety outcomes among sanitation and hygiene workers

Occupational Diseases among Sanitary Workers in Worldwide: Systematic Review

Working with Waste: Hazards and Mitigation Strategies Used by Waste Pickers in the Inner City of Durban

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