O-341 Occupational health problem assessment of workers involved in cotton harvesting of Haryana. (14th March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Praksh, Bangaru Sai; Pandit, Sangeeta; Kamble, Rajat; Sahu, Avinash
• Is Part Of: Occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 80(2023)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A33
• Page End: A33
• Publication Date: 2023-03-14
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; 616.980305
• DOI: 10.1136/OEM-2023-EPICOH.79
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0711

Abstract

Abstract : Introduction: Cotton is one of the important cash crops of India and plays a significant role in agricultural and industrial economy. India is world's second-largest cotton grower. It benefits textile industry and creates jobs in other fields. In the era of automation in the agriculture sector, India continues to practice manual cotton picking to preserve the quality of the fiber. Felling, delimbing, tracing, manual extraction and manual loading are some cotton harvesting techniques which have been reported to cause Occupational hazards such as repetitive strain injuries and hand skin related isuues. This study focuses on determining skin related occupational hazards among cotton pickers. Method: This study was conducted in the Haryana state district, Hisar. For the study, seventy-three (73) farmers were considered. Age groups lies between 18- 62 years and the experience of farmers were categorized into three groups <8 years, 9–15 years and >16 years. Interview was conducted among the farmers to identify the work-related problems. Modified Nordic Occupational skin questionnaire (MNOSQ) used to identify the skin-related issues and modified Boston questionnaire (MBQ) to identify the hand-related issues among farmers. Results: Symptoms like allergies, and lichenification on skin were highly prevalent among the workers (p<0.001) those with experience <5 years and were more likely to report rashes, allergies on skin (p < 0.001). According to the MBQ questionnaire, workers with experience >12 years were more likely to report hand tremors (p < 0.001). Through interviews conducted farmers reported that physical exertion is more in 8 to 9 long working hours. Conclusion: This study supports the evidence that the cotton farmers are at higher risks of developing skin infections and hand related problems. This study suggests immediate ergonomic intervention for reducing the occupational health hazards among the cotton farmers.