Abstract :
Background: Microenterprises contribute in employment generation and are often the main source
of income in urban slums. The main challenges in microenterprise workers include occupational
hazards and inadequate safety and health standards. Still there is very limited data on occupational
exposure and health problems in this informal sector.
Objectives: 1.To assess occupational hazards and health problems in microenterprise workers. 2. To
assess the knowledge and practices regarding health problems and personal protective equipment’s
(PPEs) among them.
Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among all the available and
consenting microenterprise workers who met the inclusion criteria. Data was collected using a
questionnaire containing items to assess the occupational hazards and health problems. It also
included items to assess their knowledge and practices regarding occupational health.
Results: 1306 workers were interviewed. All the workers were exposed to at least one occupational
hazard. The most common exposure was dust/smoke (61.7%) followed by noise (45%). Other
exposures include chemical/metal, fumes/vapours, heat, radiation and vibration. There was a high
level of self-reported occupational health problems (87.6%). Musculoskeletal symptoms (76%) were
the most predominant symptom followed by ocular complaints (41.6%). Majority of the workers
were aware of the health problems associated with their occupation and 7.8% were aware of PPEs.
However, only 3.2% were using PPEs.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that workers have exposure to multiple health hazards and that use
of PPE is poor. Musculoskeletal symptom was the most common health problem. There is a need for
improved occupational health and safety provision.
Keyword :
Microenterprises, Occupational hazard, Personal protective equipments