Occupational hazards and health problems among butchers in Uyo, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction:Butchers are exposed to various types of hazards in the course of their work, which could lead to health problems of varying severity. The aim of this study was to identify the occupational hazards and health problems of butchers in Uyo and also assess the physical conditions of their slaughter facilities.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 157 butchers in Uyo using a semi-structured questionnaire for data collection. Facility assessment was made using a checklist. Analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Level of significance was set at 0.05.Results:The mean age of respondents was 33 ± 9.94 years. Most respondents were males (83.4%). The most commonly reported workplace hazards were knife (93.6%), bones (57.3%), and slippery floor (24.8%). The most common health problems were knife cuts (87.3%), cuts from bones (50.3%), and neck pain (36.9%). Having injuries from live animals and back pain were significantly associated with working with cows (P < 0.05). The most common de-furring method was burning with firewood (61.1%). The slaughter facilities lacked many expected amenities of a standard abattoir.Conclusion:Identified hazards and health problems of butchers were numerous. The slaughter facilities lacked appropriate equipment that promotes workers’ health and safety. It is recommended that slaughter facilities be upgraded to meet the standard abattoir practice. Regular training of butchers should be organized by their association to encourage safer practice, including the use of appropriate protective wears. Use of the chemical method of de-furring should also be encouraged to limit exposure to harmful gases.

Meat Singeing Practices and Knowledge of Its Effects on Health and Environment among Butchers in Uyo, Nigeria

“…None of the butchers was observed to use any personal protective equipment like googles, gloves, foot wears, aprons or mask. Similar studies in India and Nigeria in 2019 however, reported the use of some personal protective devices by a few of their participants [24,27]. Use of PPDs prevent meat contamination and also protect butchers from meat borne diseases [24].…”

“…Butchers who refused to give consent and those not present on duty on the dates of visitations were excluded from the study. A minimum sample size of 39 was determined using the formula for estimating single proportion for cross-sectional studies with a prevalence of 0.026 being the prevalence of use of tyre in defurring cows in a previous study [27], z of 1.96 and sampling error of 0.05. The sample size was, however, increased to 42 after adding 10% attrition rate.…”

“…This study confirmed the use of firewood in singeing goat and cattle meat. Other studies in Ghana and Nigeria equally reported the use of firewood as the traditional method of singeing meat products [1,27]. However, its scarcity in many African countries for several reasons has warranted the use of other materials [31].…”

Antibiotics Resistance Pattern of Coliform Bacteria Isolated from Slaughterhouse Wastewater in Jega Town, Kebbi State, Nigeria

“…Nigeria are mostly handled by people who are unaware of the slaughterhouse and environmental safety policies (Johnson & Etokidem, 2019), especially regarding possible microbial contaminations during meat processing (Egesi et al, 2019). Wastewater from…”

Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms and Risk Factors Among Street Sweepers in Gondar City Northwest, Ethiopia, 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Respiratory symptom among street sweepers were reported in different regions of the world including Tanzania, 3 Iran, 6 India, 7 Nigeria, 47.3% of participants, 8 and in different parts of Ethiopia, such as Dessie and Kombolcha, 45.4%, with the prevalence of cough, 16.54%, phlegm, 15.4%, wheezing, 32.3%, breathlessness, 21.3%, and chest pain, 14.3%, 9 and Addis Ababa, in 2017, 68.9%, 10 and 2018, 70.3%. 11…”