Waste-pickers’ knowledge of occupational hazards and utilisation of personal protective equipment: A case study of Bauchi City, Nigeria

Abstract

Waste picking plays an important role through resource recovery and also impoverished individuals to cope with poverty especially in less developed countries. The working condition of the waste pickers is a cause for concern as, in most cases; work without safety protectives equipment while being exposed to numerous occupational hazards. To address these health and safety challenges, adequate understanding of the pickers’ knowledge of the hazards associated with the occupation and their safety protection practices is required. This is the root upon which this study was conducted. It assessed the level of knowledge of waste pickers on occupational health and safety hazards and their safety practices in Bauchi city, northeastern Nigeria. A total of 322 waste pickers were selected from 80 dealers’ depots across the study area for questionnaire administration and interview. The findings revealed that up to 74% of the pickers are aware of the health and safety risks associated with the occupation, and 52% are knowledgeable of the measures required to protect their health and safety. However, only a small fraction of the waste pickers was found to be using safety protective equipment regularly, such as boots 8.9%, gloves 3.8%, and nose masks 1.9%. These highlight the high degree of vulnerability to occupational hazards that waste pickers are exposed to. Provision of social interventions, regular medical check-ups, waste segregation from source and enforcement of employer and employee rights by law, between the waste scavengers and their masters were among the recommendations made towards pursuing better occupational health and safety conditions of the waste pickers.

Prevalence of Injuries Among Waste Pickers. A Case Study in Nigeria

“…As a result of the environment in which they work, waste pick-ers are also prone to other physical injuries, including cuts from sharp objects, such as pieces of glass, razor blades, scrap metal and pricks from piercing items like needles and nails. This eventually becomes the entry points for infection and exposure to bacteria (Yusuf et al, 2021).…”

“…Taking into consideration that most of those waste pickers are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Almajiri children, who rely considerably on waste picking as a means of livelihood. Almajiri refers to under-aged children that leave their hometowns and travel to other towns or cities in the pursuit of Islamic education particularly in northern Nigeria and some parts of West Africa (Yusuf et al, 2021).…”

The Socio-Economic and Environmental Benefits of Waste Scavenging in Maiduguri, Borno State

“…Despite the contributions of this informal sector, research on waste management in the study area has not focused on their activities and its impact on the environment. It is also important to note that least investigation has been conducted in the Northern part of Nigeria in regard to waste scavenging, the few available research were, however, focused primarily on the socio-economic wellbeing (Nzeadibe, 2009;Lambu, 2016;Adama 2014;Dankani, 2010), and the occupational health of waste scavengers, (Uthman, et al, 2017;Ohajinwa, et al, 2018;Yusuf, et al, 2021;Ali and Yusuf, 2021;Nuhu et al, 2022). However, much is not reported on the factors influencing the income of scavengers and the environmental benefits of waste scavenging.…”