Assessment of Occupational Health Hazard of Street Sweepers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VIII, August 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705 Assessment of Occupational Health Hazard of Street Sweepers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria O.S Olafimihan, M.I Ogunruku, O.E. Odipe* Department of Environmental Health Science, School of Allied Health and Environmental Science, Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria *Corresponding Author Abstract— Street sweepers are behind the enhancing traffic by commuters and street users creates a negative visual safety for removing harmful pollutants. The job of street impression on visitors and indirectly affects the economy of sweepers is a vigorous task which exposes workers to many city government and city residents. dirty streets are great hazards and health problems. Street sweepers are exposed to a hindrances towards attracting businesses to towns and cities. variety of health risk factors on working environment such as Street sweepers play an important role in maintaining the dust volatile organic matter, bio-aerosols and mechanical stress, which caused them to develop certain occupational disease. health and hygiene in the communities [8]. The role of street Street cleaners are exposed to divers occupational health hazards sweepers therefore cannot be overemphasized. which can be; physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial and Street sweeping has now become a popular solid waste ergonomic hazards, signs if which may include; rash, sunburn, management strategy in Nigerian state capitals and major heat stress, headache, breathlessness, skin cancer and temporary loss of hearing or permanent hearing loss from exposure to noise. towns. Street sweepers and cleaners are employed to rid the This study, which is aimed at assessing the occupational health cities of all forms of dirt either in the drainages or on the hazards the street sweepers are exposed to, 100 street sweepers roads. Street sweeping is a set of activities concerning the working in 3major Local Government of Ilorin Metropolis, cleanliness of the street (pavements and adjoining edges of Kwara State, Nigeria were studied, the street sweepers work on roads and grassed and planted areas). It involves litter- the major road in these LGAs, the survey designed study makes picking, the removal of graffiti and fly-posting. This is done use of interview as well as the use of structured questionnaires in with the aim of creating healthy and aesthetically pleasing gathering the used data which were presented in tables. Major urban environments [14]. percentage of the street sweepers were female, (88%) while only 12% were male, with different age ranges, 3% were between the Street sweeping is an increasingly popular outdoor occupation age of 10 years to 20 years, 21 to 30 years makes up 25% of the in major cities of Nigeria and has contributed to creating jobs population, 49% of the population falls betweeen the age of 31 for the lower class citizens. Presently, street sweepers are a years and 40 years old and 23% are 41 years old and above. 73% common sight in many cities in Nigeria [8], including Ilorin in of the respondents has no training on waste handling while 27% claimed to have undergone training on waste handling, 41% of Kwara State. They play an important role in maintaining the the street sweepers said they have training on how to clean and health and hygiene of communities. 59% has no training. 77% of the respondents claimed to have Street sweepers play important roles in environmental health knowledge on the hazards associated to their occupation, while by maintaining the cleanliness of the streets; however, these 23% has no knowledge whatsoever on the hazards associated with their occupation. These and more were revealed about the individuals are exposed to many risks. street sweeping job in Ilorin Metropolis in relation the hazards Unfortunately, the socioeconomic status and educational associated with the job. Conclusions were made based on the levels of street sweepers are low, and less attention is paid to results future study recommendations were discussed as well. their health. Dust includes the most commonly found harmful Keywords: Street sweepers, occupational hazards, occupational particles in the atmosphere, and street sweepers are exposed to health, health challenge, Ilorin Metroplis. a combination of soil, sand and gravel dust particles, vehicle dust, bioaerosols and plant particles. During pulmonary I. INTRODUCTION ventilation, tiny particles are deposited in the lower parts of he beauty of any city environment is closely tied to its the respiratory [6]. good sanitary condition and as reflected by the T Due to the condition of their work environment, street appearance of the streets. The daily increase in both human sweepers and garbage collectors are exposed to a variety of and vehicular traffic arising from uncontrolled rural-urban risks or hazards that lead to notable morbidities. They are migration into cities has overwhelmed city streets with dirt, mainly exposed to dust, biodegradable trashes, bio-aerosols, pollution and accidents. Nigerian cities are reputed to be some volatile organic matters and mechanical stress, which make of the dirtiest in the world; one factor that contributed to the them susceptible to a wide range of occupational diseases. dirty state of the cities is the unwholesome conditions of Many reports showed that the commonly detected morbid major streets. The solid waste being deposited on the streets www.rsisinternational.org Page 18 International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VIII, August 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705 conditions in those workers include diseases of the respiratory descriptive study which exposes the lacking in the occupation system, eye problems, accidents, injuries, infections and skin as well as challenges faced by the street sweepers. problems [12]. The severity and onset of these health II. LITERATURE REVIEW challenges may differ based on duration of exposures. Dust includes the most commonly found harmful particles in However, the street sweeper work involves occupational the atmosphere, and street sweepers are exposed to a hazards for which they are exposed during the work process. combination of soil, sand and gravel dust particles, vehicle Thus occupational health of this working class, therefore the dust, bioaerosols and plant particles. In some studies, health/disease process, requires attention in respect of studies sneezing, coughing, eye irritation, lung tissue swelling, for public health interventions The interest in this topic stems asthma and throat infections were found to be more prevalent from concerns about the occupational risks to which street among individuals exposed to occupational dust. Moreover, sweepers are subject in the performance of their functions, the symptoms associated with impaired lung function may among which are the musculoskeletal disorders that can lead to occupational lung diseases. The long and continuous trigger long-term disabilities that may keep them from work inhalation of non-industrial dust by street sweepers has been indefinitely. At the same time, we realize that this labor reported to be one of the critical factors in the development of category needs special attention with a greater investment, in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, resulting in order to minimize and combat work-related diseases that are obstructive ventilator patterns. When compared with other clearly preventable if taken measures to these health problems health hazards, respiratory problems are more prevalent [2]. Unfortunately, this labour category is not given any among street sweepers. Moreover, the effects of occupational attention as regards their wellbeing by their employers both dust exposure on the reduction of pulmonary function has the private consulting firms and the government. been confirmed. The lung diseases seen in street sweepers are At present, in developing countries, unlike industrialized often due to the deposition of harmful dust particles that are countries, street sweepers manually collect generated wastes inhaled while sweeping [6]. with little or no protection, thus having direct contact with Most of the time, workers reported passenger fatigue, and injurious substances at the workplaces.6 These workers are gradually the symptoms become more intense and present chronically exposed to diverse occupational hazards leading to during the workday, tend to build conditions that may cause health problems. Occupational hazards among street sweepers the onset of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) due to are a cause for concern. Such occupational hazards could be imposition of physical exertion such as walking, running, physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial or ergonomic carry heavy loads, lowering and rising sharply associated with hazards [8]. poor posture and other. The interest in this topic stems from The problem associated with street sweeping occupation is concerns about the occupational risks to which cleaning rising in developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, due to agents are subject in the performance of their functions, several reasons, of which is rapid urbanization. In addition, among which are the musculoskeletal disorders that can occupational safety and health measures taken to prevent trigger long-term disabilities that may keep them from work sweeper’s morbidities are not applied in most developing indefinitely [2]. countries, which in turn predispose them to the development

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