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3.7 Tackling work-related health hazards: Working Out of Poverty

Written by: International Labour Organization

Article Overview: Most workers living in poverty lack basic health and welfare services and work in an unhealthy and unsafe working environment. For many, their home and workplace are one and the same place. Vulnerability to disease and poor health thus result from a combination of poor living and working conditions. Most workers in the informal economy work in precarious and unsafe conditions, without sanitary facilities, potable water or proper waste disposal. Every year, more than 2 million people die of work-related accidents and diseases. In many developing countries, death rates among workers are five to six times those in industrialized countries. More than 160 million workers fall ill each year as a result of workplace hazards. The poorest and least protected – often women, children and migrants – are among the most affected.

3.7 Tackling work-related health hazards: Working Out of Poverty

Most workers living in poverty lack basic health and welfare services
and work in an unhealthy and unsafe working environment. For many, their
home and workplace are one and the same place. Vulnerability to disease
and poor health thus result from a combination of poor living and working
conditions. Most workers in the informal economy work in precarious and
unsafe conditions, without sanitary facilities, potable water or proper waste
disposal. Every year, more than 2 million people die of work-related accidents
and diseases. In many developing countries, death rates among workers
are five to six times those in industrialized countries. More than
160 million workers fall ill each year as a result of workplace hazards. The
poorest and least protected – often women, children and migrants – are
among the most affected.

According to surveys carried out by the ILO in Nigeria, the Philippines,
Senegal and the United Republic of Tanzania, while hazards varied according
to occupation, some of the most prevalent problems in micro and small
informal enterprises were poor lighting, lack of ventilation, excessive heat,
poor housekeeping, inadequate work space and working tools, lack of protective
equipment, exposure to hazardous chemicals and dusts and long
hours of work. The most prevalent health impairments were musculoskeletal
disorders and lower back pain, allergic reactions and other respiratory disorders,
physical strain, fatigue and stress. Injuries with tools were also frequent.
High production demands, poor work organization and inadequate
tools and equipment used for lifting and transporting materials are amongst
the most common causes of health problems. This, combined with repetitive
movements, carrying of heavy loads and awkward postures, adds up to a
physical workload which may reach unacceptable levels, causing unnecessary
strain and fatigue, and contributing to injuries. Hazardous working conditions
not only harm workers’ health but also diminish productivity and
therefore income. Yet many of these risks can be reduced by low-cost investments
that also yield improved productivity.

The ILO is working with governments and the social partners to create
worldwide awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related
accidents, injuries and diseases and to stimulate and support practical action. Documenting and publicizing the human suffering and the cost to
society, as well as the potential benefits of protection, such as enhanced productivity,
quality and cost savings, is the starting point. Such research leads
to recognition of the importance of prevention as an efficient and cost-effective
way of providing safety and health protection to all workers. The priorities
are work in especially hazardous sectors, such as agriculture, mining and
construction and the informal economy as a whole, and protection of those
who are exposed to abuse and exploitation at work, such as women, children
and migrants.

The ILO draws on its extensive experience in the development of
standards, codes of practice and technical guides to help countries set objectives
and targets for the protection of workers in hazardous conditions, giving
particular attention to strengthening the advisory and enforcement capacity
of labour inspectorates. Extending the scope of existing legislation and other
protective measures to the large majority of workers whose conditions are
most in need of improvement is essential, and is especially effective when coupled with specific programmes to promote the capacity of enterprises
and workers to act to reduce and eliminate hazards.

A basic element of such an approach is developing practical safety and
health training programmes and tools for small and medium-sized enterprises
and strengthening the effectiveness, efficiency and coverage of labour
inspection systems. Important aspects of this work are the development and
use of guidelines for the extension of labour protection to rural and urban
informal economy workers and partnerships with community organizations
and others to develop and implement approaches for reaching out to hardto-
reach groups of workers.

Work by the ILO to address hazards in the ship-breaking industry illustrates
the way in which international action linked to work on the ground
with communities in developing countries can address the grave hazards
faced by workers and their communities. Approximately 1,500 large ships
and 2,500 smaller ones are broken down each year in dangerous and backbreaking
working conditions. Most of the work is done by poorly paid contract
labourers who tear ships apart with gas torches and their bare hands on
beaches, mainly in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Safety goggles and other
protective equipment are rare. Workers are routinely exposed to extreme
heat, flammable gases and dangerous chemicals. Most ships contain asbestos,
lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other organic pollutants,
dioxin and sulphuric fumes. In addition, the majority of sites in
developing countries have no waste management systems or other facilities
to prevent pollution. As a result, pollutants find their way into both the air
and the groundwater, causing severe long-term health and environmental
damage. The ILO has initiated programmes in South Asia which include
working with governments to improve occupational safety and health regulations
and inspection services, training workers and employers on good
workplace health and safety practices, and upgrading technical facilities. A
UNDP-funded project is being launched in Bangladesh as a first step towards
this goal. In addition, the ILO is working with the International Maritime
Organization (IMO), the secretariat of the Basel Convention, the
World Bank and others to address the international dimensions of the occupational
and environmental challenges posed by ship-breaking.

Related Articles
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  1.13 Working safely out of poverty: Working Out of Poverty
  6.3 Come Together: Enterprise solutions to poverty
  2.0 Introduction: Enterprise solutions to poverty
  6.0 Propositions and conclusion: Enterprise solutions to poverty

Article Tags: awkward postures, economy work, harm workers, hazardous chemicals, hazardous working conditions, health impairments, lower back pain, physical strain, physical workload, poor housekeeping, poor lighting, prevalent problems, proper waste disposal, repetitive movements, stress injuries, united republic of tanzania, unnecessary strain, welfare services, work organization, workplace hazards



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