Imam Syeda Tasnova, Rafizul Islam M
SCIP Plastics Project, Department of Civil Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh.
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh.
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2025 May;266:114543. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114543. Epub 2025 Mar 5.
Informal waste workers play vital yet largely unrecognized role in waste management in developing countries by recovering recyclable materials from disposal sites. This study investigates the occupational health and safety risks faced by informal waste workers engaged in waste sorting and collection activities at Rajbandh open dump, the sole disposal site in Khulna, Bangladesh. The vulnerabilities of the informal waste workers stem from inadequate protective equipment, poor sanitation, limited healthcare access, and a lack of training. Through structured questionnaires and observational checklists, data were collected from informal waste workers between May and June 2023, achieving a 100% response rate. Descriptive analysis using SPSS 23.0 revealed that all respondents reported health issues, while none owned safety gear-exacerbating exposure to hazardous waste, airborne pollutants, and unsafe working conditions. Alarmingly, all informal waste collectors reported health symptoms, with 0% ownership of safety gear, significantly contributing to these hazards and underscoring the urgent need for intervention. Rajbandh has a high frequency of occupational injuries as no specific rules and regulations have been established for informal waste workers by the Khulna City Corporation (KCC). Despite the high incidence of occupational injuries, KCC has yet to establish regulations to protect these workers. This study addresses a critical research gap by providing empirical evidence on the vulnerabilities of informal waste workers. The findings emphasize the urgent need for policy interventions, including occupational health programs, provision of safety equipment, and regulatory frameworks to safeguard their well-being.
在发展中国家，非正规垃圾处理工人通过从垃圾处理场回收可回收材料，在垃圾管理中发挥着至关重要但 largely unrecognized 的作用。本研究调查了在孟加拉国库尔纳唯一的垃圾处理场——拉杰班德露天垃圾场从事垃圾分类和收集活动的非正规垃圾处理工人所面临的职业健康和安全风险。非正规垃圾处理工人的脆弱性源于防护设备不足、卫生条件差、医疗保健机会有限以及缺乏培训。通过结构化问卷和观察清单，于2023年5月至6月间从非正规垃圾处理工人那里收集了数据，回复率达到100%。使用SPSS 23.0进行的描述性分析显示，所有受访者都报告了健康问题，而没有人拥有安全装备，这加剧了他们接触危险废物、空气传播污染物和不安全工作条件的风险。令人担忧的是，所有非正规垃圾收集者都报告了健康症状，且安全装备拥有率为0%，这极大地加剧了这些危害，并凸显了进行干预的迫切需求。由于库尔纳市市政当局（KCC）尚未为非正规垃圾处理工人制定具体的规章制度，拉杰班德的职业伤害发生率很高。尽管职业伤害发生率很高，但KCC尚未制定保护这些工人的法规。本研究通过提供关于非正规垃圾处理工人脆弱性的实证证据，填补了一个关键的研究空白。研究结果强调了政策干预的迫切需求，包括职业健康计划、提供安全设备以及保障他们福祉的监管框架。
