Assessment of Knowledge of Occupational Health Hazards among Formal and Informal Waste Collectors in Rivers State

Abstract

Study was performed to assess the knowledge of occupational hazards and safety practices among formal and informal waste collectors in Rivers State, Nigeria. A comparative cross-sectional study design was employed for this research. A total of 314 formal and 314 informal waste collection workers were sampled for the study using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-designed pretested questionnaire. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 to analyse the data collected. The finding showed that majority of the formal waste collection workers had an idea about the occupational hazards they are exposed to 206 (65.6%) compared to the informal waste collection workers 93 (29.6%) and the difference was statistically significant with p=0.001. This implies that only a few formal waste collectors and a little over ten percent of the informal waste collectors were seen to possess a poor knowledge of the occupational hazards in Rivers State. The poor knowledge and practice of safety precautions especially among informal waste collectors in Rivers State can expose waste handlers to avoidable health problems. Periodic training and retraining programs, including risk communication should be done by responsible waste management agencies for the formal waste collectors and by the government for the informal waste collectors, to improve the knowledge level of waste collectors in the state.