Street vending and waste picking in developing countries: a long-standing hazardous occupational activity of the urban poor

Global, regional and national burdens of occupational injuries, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

OBJECTIVES

Occupational injuries pose a significant challenge to global health and development. This study aimed to quantify the international and regional burdens of occupational injuries from 1990 to 2019, stratified by specific causes.

METHODS

We analysed global trends in deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) and age-standardised DALY rates (ASDR) related to occupational injuries. Specific injuries, including animal contact, drowning, mechanical forces, falls, fire, heat, hot substances, foreign bodies, poisoning and road injuries, were evaluated. Age-stratified and regional analyses were also performed.

RESULTS

Globally, the number of deaths, DALYs, ASMR and ASDR related to occupational injuries declined from 1990 to 2019. The middle Socio-demographic Index (SDI) region exhibited the highest burden, whereas the high SDI region showed the least burden. China and India had the highest occupational injury-related death rates in 2019. Males, particularly those aged 25-44 years, were found to be more vulnerable. Road injuries were the leading cause of death in all age groups. Compared with 1990, mortality numbers and rates decreased significantly by 2019, with the highest burdens experienced in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

CONCLUSION

The global decline in occupational injuries is promising; however, certain regions and demographics remain disproportionately affected. Targeted interventions in high-burden areas are crucial to further reduce the impact of occupational injuries.

Health impact assessment of Delhi's outdoor workers exposed to air pollution and extreme weather events: an integrated epidemiology approach

This study is an assessment of the effects of outdoor air pollution and extreme weather events on the health of outdoor workers in Delhi, including auto rickshaw drivers, street vendors, and sweepers. To carry it out, a cross-sectional and perception-based epidemiological research design was used, and the primary tool used for data collection was a questionnaire. Two hundred twenty-eight people participated in the survey, and a pulmonary function test (PFT) was performed on 63 participants. Most of the respondents from different occupational groups complained about headaches/giddiness, nausea, and muscular cramps during extreme heat events due to the physically demanding nature of their jobs in the outdoor environment. Furthermore, autorickshaw drivers reported the highest prevalence of ophthalmic symptoms, such as eye redness (44%) and eye irritation (36%). In comparison, vendors reported a higher prevalence of headaches (43%) and eye redness (40%) due to increased exposure to vehicular emissions. Among sweepers, musculoskeletal problems like joint pain (40%), backache (38%), and shoulder pain (35%) were most prevalent due to occupation-related ergonomic factors. In addition, the majority of autorickshaw drivers (47%), vendors (47%), and sweepers (48%) considered that air quality had a severe impact on their health. PFT results showed that most respondents had restricted lung function. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that lung function impairment had a significant association with smoking (p = 0.023) and age (0.019). The odds ratio for smoking, which was around 4, indicated that respondents who smoked had a nearly four times greater risk of developing lung impairment. The study also highlighted the need for using personal protective equipment and developing guidelines to reduce their exposure level.

Urinary level of heavy metals in people working in smoking cafés

Previous researches have reported significant levels of heavy metals in indoor air of smoking cafés. The current research aimed to evaluate the potential exposure of smoking cafés workers to heavy metals through quantifying amounts of these pollutants in urine samples. To this end, 35 waterpipe/cigarette cafés workers were selected as the exposed population, 35 employees from non-smoking cafe' as the control group 1 (CG1) and 25 cases of the normal citizens as the control group 2 (CG2); and their urine samples were taken. Samples were then prepared by acid digestion approach and measured by the ICP in order to determine amount of heavy metals in them. The findings of the current work show the significant difference among urinary levels of metals in the exposed and both CG1 and CG2 (P value < 0.05). Furthermore, urinary metal levels in samples collected from smoking café workers after the exposure were considerably higher than those were collected before the exposure (P-value <0.05). According to the findings, "tobacco type" could be considered as a leading factor for heavy metal exposure in studied smokers. Additionally, a positive and significant association was found between urinary metals and urinary levels of 8-OHdG (a markers of DNA degradation through oxidative stress). Therefore, workers in waterpipe/cigarette café can be classified as high risk people in terms of DNA oxidative damage.

Occupational Health Risk of Waste Pickers: A Case Study of Northern Region of South Africa

In South Africa, waste pickers play a significant role in the management of waste at landfill sites. Waste picking is an income-generating venture for most people with low-income base. The activity of sorting waste at landfill sites is, however, associated with occupational health risks to waste pickers which this study has examined. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey with a convenience sampling method which was conducted among 114 waste pickers in three landfill sites in Limpopo Province of South Africa. A validated questionnaire was used in eliciting responses from the participants. The statistical technique employed includes the ANOVA, simple, and multiple regression. The results indicated that, in the last one year, waste pickers exposed to landfill sites were 1.7 times more likely to develop a common health disorder (AOR: 1.733; 95% CI: 1.069, 2.755; P value: 0.041). There was statistical significance between the number of days worked at the landfill and the health conditions of the waste pickers (P ≤ 0.001). The cofounders were adjusted for age and years worked, and the result revealed that days worked by the waste pickers' increased their chances of occupational health risks by 1.4 times. It is unlikely that waste pickers will have a risk-free environment, but supportive policies such as provision of adequate personal protective equipment and more awareness programmes on the health risks related to such enterprises will aid in abating the associated risks.

Toward street vending in post COVID-19 China: Social networking services information overload and switching intention

With the progress of epidemic containment, the Chinese government has relaxed its regulatory policies on street vending, hoping to help people who have lost their livelihoods and to assist in the restoration of social and economic order. In response, Chinese people poured into the stall economy, especially individual peddlers, with great expectations for street vending. Street vending has become a hot topic on Chinese social network sites (SNSs). Based on the push-pull-mooring framework, SNS information overload theory was introduced and combined with the actual situations of street vending in China, and a structural equation model was established to study factors affecting individual Chinese peddlers' intention to engage in street vending and the effects of SNS information overload on these factors. Results revealed that perceived policy benefits, subjective norms, and switching cost perceptions of individual peddlers were positive factors affecting their intention to engage in street vending. SNS information overload positively affected individual peddlers' dissatisfaction with their original business model, anxieties over their livings, perception of policy benefits, and subjective norms but negatively affected individual peddlers' perception of switching costs.

A systematic review on informal waste picking: Occupational hazards and health outcomes

Informal waste picking is a common way for people to earn an income, especially in low-income countries; unfortunately, there are various occupational hazards and health outcomes associated with waste picking. This study focused on comprehensively identifying and exploring occupational hazards and health outcomes associated with informal waste picking. A systematic review of available relevant and peer-reviewed literature was completed to exhaustively analyze the full scope of these hazards and outcomes associated with informal waste picking; 58 papers were included. The results from this study provided insight and information related to the most common occupational hazards and negative health outcomes associated with informal waste pickers outlined in available literature. The most common reported occupational hazards were physical (77.6%), social (70.7%), biological (65.5%), chemical and safety (53.4%), ergonomic (34.5%) and mechanic (25.9%). Health outcomes appeared to include epidermal (50.0%), communicable disease (46.6%), musculoskeletal (44.8%), respiratory disease (41.4%), non-communicable diseases (39.7%), physiological (34.5%), gastrointestinal (31.0%) and waterborne diseases (17.2%). Physical hazards were often associated with slips, trips, and falls, which makes sense because of the unstable environment where waste pickers work. Health outcomes related to these hazards included bruises, cuts, and lacerations. This information also aligns with health outcomes, as epidermal outcomes were most reported in waste pickers (50.0% of data). It is clear that moving forward, additional research related to these occupational hazards and health outcomes associated with informal waste picking is needed to help create change in this affected population, as well as finding effective solutions to mitigate these hazards and outcomes. These hazards can be mitigated by simple, common control measures, like providing safety equipment, reducing hazards from the outside environment (e.g., less time in sun, breaks, etc.), and placing barriers between waste pickers and the hazards (e.g., covered stations, flat ground, etc.) or more complex engineering, administrative or work controls. Because of the breadth of health problems faced by workers, more research is needed to correctly assess health outcomes (e.g. use of health practitioners) in waste pickers across time to ensure accurate data and a focused answer to the far-reaching problem.

Sociodemographic, environmental and labor conditions related to the presence of conjunctivitis and skin irritation in a group of informal street vendors in downtown Medellin, 2015-2019

Introduction

Occupational diseases are those that may have a causal relationship with occupational activity or environment. However, this definition does not specify how this disease would be identified and acknowledged for workers with subsistence jobs.

Objectives

To determine sociodemographic, labor and environmental conditions that collaborate to explain the presence of eye and skin irritation among informal vendors in downtown Medellin.

Methods

Descriptive cross-sectional study with analytical intention, primary sources of information, and administration of assisted survey including self-reported eye and skin irritation in 686 workers.

Results

Predominantly male population with mean age of 50 (±11.8) years. A total of 23.5 % of workers had worked as vendors for their entire life; 37.5% had worked as vendors for 11 to 20 years as vendors; and 81.5%worked for more than 8 hours a day. According to 69.8% of the sample, poor air quality affected their work, and 80.0% believed that pollution was generated by vehicle fleet. The polluted areas generated unpleasant odors (50.2%) and air pollution (89.4%). The prevalence of eye and skin irritation was 65.4%. Not having working license and having fair, poor, or very poor job tenure significantly reduced the prevalence of eye and skin irritation. Conversely, exposure to polluted water, working in the professional for more than 30 years, male sex, and age older than 60 years were associated with increased prevalence of irritation.

Conclusions

Eye and skin irritation was mainly explained by non-modifiable sociodemographic and labor conditions and by consumption of polluted water; however, implementing public health actions could reduce workers' socio-environmental and labor vulnerability.

Exploring the Potential Health Risks Faced by Waste Pickers on Landfills in South Africa: A Socio-Ecological Perspective

Landfill and street waste pickers in South Africa are responsible for collecting substantial volumes of recyclable material, saving municipalities millions and contributing to a generally healthier and cleaner environment. Yet waste pickers continue to operate on the fringes of the economy and are exposed to many risks, particularly health risks which have a direct impact on the sustainability of their livelihoods. This article, using a mixed-methods approach, explores the health risks to which waste pickers working on nine different landfills in the country are exposed. The socio-ecological framework was used to analyse and present the results. A key finding was that waste picking, by its very nature, lends itself to innumerable health risks, but that these can be lessened through concerted and collaborative efforts on the part of landfill operators, local authorities and other stakeholders. Integrating the 'self-employed' waste pickers into the formal waste management system should be comprehensive in order to limit health risks. Waste pickers will never have a risk-free environment, but facilitative policies and supportive institutions can collaboratively help to mitigate these risks and create a more sustainable and dignified working environment towards sustaining their livelihoods.