Occupation Related Health Problems, among Unorganised Women Workers of Selected Industries in Coimbatore

Abstract

Women workers In India constitute one third of the total workforce. Majority of these women are engaged in the un-organized sectors such as agriculture, construction, domestic services, foundry, textiles, etc. The number of women joining the workforce has steadily increased all over the world during the last few decades. Throughout history, women in developing countries have always worked hard, not only as wives and mothers but also as workers in different sectors. Often encumbered with many children and weakened by excessive and frequent pregnancies, working women are subject to numerous risks e.g. fatigue, malnutrition, undue mental stress and exposure to various hazards at their workplaces. Every occupation has its own health problems. A working conditions can sometime lead to illness or death. Workers should take adequate and proper precautions to save themselves. Workers in industries face acute health problems of occupational hazards. Proper safety and precautionary measures against occupational health is the fundamental right of all workers. In this background, the researcher made an attempt to know whether the sample industrial workers had health hazards at the time of work in Coimbatore. Coimbatore district is one of the most affluent and industrially advanced districts of the State. It has more than 40,000 small, medium and large-scale industries, which serve the engineering needs of the major parts of the country. In the study area there is no proper working facility available and everything else had to be taken care of by the workers themselves. Body pain and pain in the legs are common health problems frequently reported by the sample workers. Some mentioned health problems like headache, difficulty in breathing and back pain during the interview.