Occupational hazards among sewage treatment plant workers in Bangalore: A cross-sectional study

Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, primarily household sewage and produce environmentally safe treated effluent which is done at the sewage treatment plants. International labor organization (ILO) classifies hazards among sewage treatment plant (STP) workers as accidental, physical, chemical, biological, ergonomical, and psychological. Current study was conducted to assess the occupational hazards and the various factors influencing it among the sewage treatment plant workers.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 sewage treatment plant workers working at 3 sewage treatment plants, in Bangalore, for a period of 2 months from May to June 2017. The data were collected from the subjects after obtaining informed consent using a pretested semistructured questionnaire by interview technique. The results were expressed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

In this study, majority, i.e., 82.0%, of the study subjects were men and the mean age was 36.39 ± 10.81 years. The most common hazards among the STP workers were musculoskeletal injuries (44.6%), lifting of heavy weights (36.6%), awkward working postures, discomfort to bad smells (35.7%), excessive noise (34.8%), and cuts and pricks by sharp tools (20.5%). Among the various factors assessed, work experience was significantly associated with occupational hazard (P < 0.05).

Most common occupational hazard among the STP workers was ergonomic related, i.e., musculoskeletal injuries (44.6%), and less work experience was significantly associated with it. Hazards can be reduced using ergonomically designed tools and proper training of the workers.