Towards an Inclusive Occupational Health and Safety For Informal Workers

Abstract

Large numbers of workers worldwide work informally. Yet the discipline and practice of occupational health and safety covers largely only formal workers, in formal work places. A comprehensive approach would have to take into account specific hazards faced by those in different occupations, working in "atypical" work places. Local authorities exert significant influence in the provision of infrastructure that impacts on health and safety, such as water and sanitation. Examples from Brazil and Ghana show that positive interventions are possible so long as informal workers are recognized as contributing to the economy. A more inclusive occupational health and safety is most likely to happen in contexts where informal workers have an organized voice and where there are responsive health and safety personnel who understand that the world of work has changed. Some policy interventions that impact on healthy and safe work will need to involve multiple stakeholders and institutions.

Informal workplaces and their comparative effects on the health of street vendors and home-based garment workers in Yangon, Myanmar: a qualitative study

“…First, place of work determines the degree of exposure to certain occupational and income risks which may in turn translate into varying levels of vulnerability to specific health outcomes. Second, informal subgroups have different levels of control and autonomy over their workplaces and are subject to different regulations [18] which demands tailored interventions. Third, weak labour institutions in LMICs mean that designing a comprehensive labour protection scheme for all workers including informal workers can be a challenge in practice.…”

“…For instance, while a family business owner who works at home and a street vendor can both be working informally, their work experiences and exposure to OHS risks are likely to differ. However, research investigating how place of work is linked to health for informal workers is limited, except for one study which highlights how place of work contributes to differential exposure to OHS risks among informal workers in Brazil and Ghana [18]. This study explores ways in which the physical work environment affects health and well-being of street vendors (SVs) and home-based garment workers (HBGWs), two informal occupational groups in Yangon, Myanmar.…”

Factors Associated with Smoking and Alcohol Consumption among Street Vendors in the Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga, Colombia

“…In our study at the beginning of the multivariate analysis, we contemplated the hypothesis that those workers without health coverage could be more at risk of being harmful consumers of alcohol and cigarettes, however this relationship was not proven, this assumption was derived from some studies that offer information on the vulnerability of these workers in terms of access to health services. (Daovisan, Promphakping, & Chamaratana, 2018) (Lund, Alfers, & Santana, 2016). Moreover, it is highlighted that this situation was going to be reflected in the future as unhealthy people with bad quality of life (Mendizabal & Tufiño, 2014;Muñoz & Chois, 2013).…”

Factors Influencing Non-compliance to Occupational Safety and Health Practices in the Informal Non-food Manufacturing Sector in Kampala City, Uganda

“…Despite the risks involved, due to its unconventional nature and location, informal workers in most African countries are not protected by the institutions that are mandated to protect them. Conventional OSH institutions have been designed to protect formal workers in the formal sector environments [4,5] state that informal workers operate in a typical and non-standard workplaces that are excluded by definition, from occupational safety and health protection measures.…”