Hazards-Risks Nexus: A Survey of Occupational Safety and Health among Municipal Waste Collectors in Harare, Zimbabwe

This study aims to examine occupational safety and heathy hazards and risks associated with municipal waste collectors in Harare, Zimbabwe. This descriptive cross-sectional survey collected data from waste collectors and managers who have worked in the urban council, using a researcher administered semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPPS version 23. Questionnaires were used to collect data, and that data was used in conjunction with secondary data obtained from various literature. The results indicated that waste collectors in Harare encountered a myriad of safety and health hazards because of their work practices and conditions. Its labor-intensive nature exposes workers to injuries and exposure to disease causing pathogens and hazardous waste. As a result, waste collectors were exposed to various injuries, illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders and other health challenges. Some comprehensive prevention and control measures must be developed and applied prevent or minimize the safety and health risks. This will ensure health and safety in waste management hence reduction of risks among waste management workers at varying stages of the process. The results point to the need for council or municipalities to have a functional occupational safety and health management system that seeks to have a holistic approach towards hazard management mechanisms. The underlying determinants of a successful OSH management system by all stakeholders needs an integrated approach.

Health, Municipal, Occupational, Safety

1. Abdi MA, Hareru WK. (2024). Assessment of factors affecting the implementation of occupational health and safety measures in the construction industry in Somaliland. Advanced Civil Engineering. doi: 10.1155/2024/8324294. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Adeyi, A. A., & Adeyemi, A. M. (2019). Potential occupational health effects of municipal solid waste management in Nigeria, the case of Lagos and Ibadan. Ife Journal of Science, 21(2), 417- 430. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Aminuddin, M. S. H., & Rahman, H. A. (2015). Health risk survey for domestic waste management agency workers: Case study on Kota Bharu Municipal Council (MPKB), Kelantan, Malaysia. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 6(8), 629. doi: https://doi.org/10.7763/IJESD.2015.V6.671 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chakraborty, R., Barman, R., Bhattacharyya, S., & Das, K. (2018). A comparative study on the effect of polyethylene plastic waste on sandy soils. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 17(1), 56-69. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Cruvinel, V. R. N., Marques, C. P., Cardoso, V., Novaes, M. R. C. G., Araújo, W. N., Angulo-Tuesta, A., ... & da Silva, E. N. (2019). Health conditions and occupational risks in a novel group: waste pickers in the largest open garbage dump in Latin America. BMC public health, 19(1), 1-15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Domingo, J. L., Marquès, M., Mari, M., & Schuhmacher, M. (2020). Adverse health effects for populations living near waste incinerators with special attention to hazardous waste incinerators. A review of scientific literature. Environmental Research, 187, 109631. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Dangi, M. B., Urynowicz, M. A., & Belbase, S. (2013). Characterization, generation, and management of household solid waste in Tulsipur, Nepal. Habitat international, 40, 65-72. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2013.02.005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Fazzo L, Minichilli F, Santoro M, Ceccarini A, Della Seta M, Bianchi F, (2017). Hazardous waste and health impact: a systematic review of scientific literature. Environmental Health. 16:1–11. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Joy, P, & Chitra A.J. (2018). A cross-sectional study to assess the health profile of street sweepers and sanitary workers in a zone of Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu, India. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 5(10):4357–4362. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Kheni DNA, Afatsawu PK. (2022). A study of challenges faced by regulatory authorities for implementing health and safety compliance in the Ghana construction industry context. International Journal of Management and Entrepreneurship Research. 4:315–33. doi: 10.51594/ijmer.v4i7.353 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kipchumba, P., Kelonye, F. B. & Araka, G. O. (2022). Occupational hazards among the Solid Waste Workers in Eldoret Central Business District, Kenya. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 6(3), 357 – 367. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Kunodzia R, Bikitsha L, Haldenwang R. (2024). Perceived factors affecting the implementation of occupational health and safety management systems in the South African construction industry. Safety. 10:5. doi: 10.3390/safety10010005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Marahatta, S. B., Katuwl, D., Adhikari, S., & Rijal, K. (2017). Knowledge of occupational health hazard and safety practices among the municipal solid waste handler. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 3(1), 56-72. doi: https://doi.org/10.3126/jmmihs.v3i1.19179 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Melaku, H. S., & Tiruneh, M. A. (2020). Occupational health conditions and associated factors among municipal solid waste collectors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 13, 2415-2423. doi: https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S276790 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Mishra, H., Ali, A., & Abedin, Z. (2023). Health Problems of Solid Waste Collectors in India: A Scoping Review. Research Square. doi: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2686137/v1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Mol, M. P., Pereira, A. F., Greco, D. B., Cairncross, S, & Heller L. (2017). Assessment of work-related accidents associated with waste handling in Belo Horizonte (Brazil). Waste Management Research, 35:1084– 92 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Pandey, R. (2004a). Solid waste management practice and health implication: a case of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal. Himalayan Review, 35, 33-47. doi: Available from: https://shorturl.at/cjGIK [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Patil, P. V., & Kamble, R. (2017). Occupational health hazards in municipal solid waste collecting workers of Chandrapur city, Central India. International Journal of Environment, 6(1), 46-57. doi: https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v6i1.16867 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Shabani T, Jerie S, Shabani T. (2023).The impact of occupational safety and health programs on employee productivity and organisational performance in Zimbabwe. Saf Extreme Environ. 5:293–304. doi: 10.1007/s42797-023-00083-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Shuvai, C. (2017). Occupational safety and health hazards associated with solid waste management in Bindura, Zimbabwe. Waste management Journal; 24–36. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Takala, J. (2019). Burden of injury due to occupational exposures. Handbook of Disability, Work and Health, 1-22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Thakur, P., Ganguly, R., & Dhulia, A. (2018). Occupational health hazard exposure among municipal solid waste workers in Himachal Pradesh, India. Waste Management, 78, 483-489. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Todor, A. (2021). Municipal Waste Management. In Europeanization of Environmental Policies and their Limitations (pp. 15-27). Springer, Cham [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Walters D, Wadsworth E, Bhattacharya S. (2020). What about the workers? Experiences of arrangements for safety and health in global container terminals. Safety Science. 121:474–84. doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2019.09.017 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Yukalang, N.; Clarke, B. & Ross, K. (2018). Solid waste management solutions for a rapidly urbanizing area in Thailand: Recommendations based on stakeholder input. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 15, 1302. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Zegwaard KE, Campbell M, Pretti TJ. (2017). Professional identities and ethics: the role of work-integrated learning in developing agentic professionals In: T Bowen and MTB Drysdale, editors. Work-integrated learning in the 21st century: Global perspectives on the future. Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Limited. 145–60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Migrant Health in Morocco: Between Law and Reality
• CaknaMinda: An Educator-Centred Mobile App for Early Screening of Mental Health and Schizophrenia Risks
• Health System and Nursing Strategies for Enhancing Male Participation in Family Planning: Evidence from Tema General Hospital, Ghana.
• From Īśvara-Praṇidhāna to Parā-Bhakti: Convergent Paths of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and Bhakti Yoga
• Evidence-Based Psycho-Oncological Interventions: A Multimodal Approach to Supportive Care