Occupational Safety and Health among Carpet Factory Workers in a District of Nepal

Occupational safety and health is a neglected area in small scale cottage factories in Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 small scale carpet factories in Bhaktapur district of Nepal among 100 workers to find out their occupational health and safety status. The study revealed that majority of the workers were females (57%) and more than half (52%) of the workers were aged 20 - 30 years. The duration of work in a day ranged from 8 to 12 hours and majority were weavers (58%). About three in four (77%) worked outside the factory as well. None of them received health education at work and none of the factories had medical treatment facilities and had only basic first aid treatment. Similarly, 80% were not found to be using any personal protective equipment (PPE) during work. A total of 90% workers regarded the dust control measures in their factory as poor; 90% regarded ventilation as poor, 60% reported fire management preparedness as poor; and 30% perceived the first aid treatment services as poor. Majority of them (84%) said they had experienced some health problems at work. The most commonly reported health problems were backache/joint ache (63.1%), eye irritations (40.48%), prolonged headache (40.48%), chest pain (38.1%), and skin irritation (23.81%). Only 27.38% of them informed the authority after experiencing problems; 65.22% of those who reported their problems received treatment. Interestingly, 10% said it was not big deal to have health problems while working in the carpet factory. Further comparative and analytical studies are recommended to explore the occupational health status in small scale factories in Nepal.