Assessment of occupational health hazards among abattoir workers in Soroti Municipality.

Abstract

Occupational health remains it neglected issue in many countries of the world mostly due to competing economic, social and political needs and most countries often focus on the provision of clinical care and treatment at the expense of appropriate preventive measures. Abattoir workers in Uganda are exposed to remarkable work-related biological, agronomical and physical hazards which may Invariably jeopardize their health status if left unchecked Soroti municipality abattoir workers lack enough protective gears, Inadequate human resource to smoothly run all the veterinary activities in the whole district, presence of a variety of un registered abattoirs which make monitoring a cumbersome. task a situation which predisposes them to work related hazards. The aim of the study was to assess occupational health hazards. among abattoir workers in Soroti municipality, Soroti district Eastern Uganda. The study was a descriptive-cross sectional, carried out among 114 abattoir workers and data was collected from abattoir workers using both open and close ended questionnaires, in depth interviews were done between the D V O Soroti, chairperson abattoir workers and the researcher using Key informant guides and an observation Checklist was also used. In the study, 114 abattoir workers participated,30(26.31%) lied in 38-40 age group, 99(86.84%) were males 30(26.31%) had worked for more than 10 years and 68(59.65%) involved in slaughter of animals. Perceived Ergonomical hazards reported only gumboots 55(48.24%) lack of store 50(43.86%) Perceived physical hazards reported knives 51(54.25%), Live animals 10(l0.64%) cracked bones 11(18.08%) Perceived biological hazards reported minimum pre-employment health check-up 99(5.3%) medical check-up were minimum:30 (26,31%) 78(68.42%) reported animal examination and open animal waste pits 21(18. 42%).Therefore, the major occupational Health. Hazards reported were Biological hazards, workers do not undergo pre-employment health check-up, Un registered and small meat slaughtering places sometimes slaughter animals that are not inspected due to irregular attendance of otherwise the inadequate. Veterinary staffs. Ergonomical hazards, lack of induction at the start of the, occupation, Lack of enough. PPE and hooks Regarding Physical hazards occupational injuries are more especially knife cuts and they tend to rely on clinical care from health facility Occupational health interventions should address. Injury prevention and wound care the use of appropriate protective gears, increase of health care seeking behaviour,recruitment of enough human resource and re-allocation of Abattoirs