Threatening Health Impacts and Challenging Life of Sanitary Workers

ABSTRACT

The term sanitation refers to adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage, and provide clean drinking water. The aim of sanitary system is protecting human health by providing safe and clean environment. It helps to prevent transmission of diseases which are spreading through faecal-oral route. Sanitary workers are protecting the society from diseases such as diarrhoea, ascariasis, cholera, hepatitis, poliomyelitis, schistosomiasis and trachoma with their effective services.Sanitary services are given by the sanitary workers for the betterment of human health. Sanitary workers are doing the work such as sweeping streets, collecting waste from house to house and streets, latrine or pit cleaning, cleaning school toilets, public toilets, toilets of municipalities, government and private offices, operating waste collecting trucks, management of faecal sludge, desludging the septic tank, cleaning sewer, cleaning manholes, cleaning sewage treatment plants and handling waste water and sludge at sewage treatment plants.Sanitary workers are the key persons responsible for cleanliness of the country. At the same time, they are facing many challenges such as (i) issues related to their health and safety cuts, injuries, musculoskeletal problems, respiratory problems, gastro intestinal problems and infectious diseases like gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, typhoid fever and tetanus.; (ii) legal and institutional issues poor enforcement of law, lack of standard operating procedures, poor legal protection and workers safety which is influenced by the availability of equipment and materials used for doing the work and also by customers and employers; (iii) insecurity in financial status and social issues; social stigma like intergenerational discrimination.Sanitary workers are not concentrating on their own health and nutritional status due to lake of awareness. There is a need to enrich the knowledge of workers regarding prevention of health problems, protection from health issues and promotion of their health. The employer has to ensure that workers have undergone training before placement in the job and also, they must be provided with proper guidelines. Workers must get adequate facilities in the working area. Sanitary workers must be provided with personal protective equipment and insisted to use it properly. Regular medical check-up, vaccination and follow up are very important to protect the sanitary workers.