Occupational health and safety hazards associated with quarrying activities; A case of Mutonga Quarry, Meru County, Kenya.

Abstract

Rock quarrying is one of the common but most dangerous industries to work in relative to other industries globally. The workers are exposed to a variety of health hazards. The evaluation of occupational health and safety hazards among the quarry workers are relevant because of the number of high-risk activities involved. Kenya has witnessed various quarry accidents and health complaints associated with quarrying activities which have not been addressed. The hazardous nature of quarrying activities at the Mutonga quarry in Meru county came into light when activities had to be stopped by the then area’s District Commissioner because of fears associated with landslides that had occurred in the area within the quarry site as a results of heavy rains but the inherent occupational health and safety hazards were overlooked due to inadequate information on their magnitude. According to National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) quarrying in Kenya suffers from a number of constraints including lack of basic knowledge on safety precautions, poor working conditions, low socio-economic status, lack of clear quarrying legislation and environmental degradation that call for special attention. Some workers get maimed, others become chronically ill, while some die. These occupational health and safety hazards are more pronounced in manual quarry operations as is the case at the Mutonga quarry. Quarrying activities in Mutonga, as well as many other quarries around the country are therefore hazardous to the quarry workers and the magnitude of occupational health and safety hazards in Kenya is not known. This cross sectional descriptive study was therefore aimed at assessing the occupational health related problems of Mutonga quarry workers in Meru county Kenya, their health seeking behaviour and the available health care options. Simple random sampling was employed in the selection of the respondents from a population of adult quarry workers. Questionnaires were used to collect data on socio-demographic profiles, their skills and quarrying activities, exposure to health hazards and available preventive and promotive health care. The quarry workers (408) who met the selection criteria and gave consent were interviewed at the quarry site with the help of trained field assistants. A data base was created and descriptive analysis was done. Statistical analysis was carried out using Chi square to test for association among variables and logistic regression was carried out to model occupational health hazard associated with quarrying activities and the results presented using tables. The average age group of the respondents was 34 years. There was a higher proportion of males (87%, 355) compared to females (13%, 53). The results revealed that (23%, 94) of the respondents indicated that they were cutting rock blocks into specific sizes, (13%, 53) excavating, (12%, 47) loading rocks into lorries and trucks. The respondents on contract terms were (49.5%, 202), while 43.6% were casual labourers. The results too indicated the frequencies of carrying out the quarrying activities was (74.3 %, 303) between 5-6 days and (76%, 310) of the respondents indicated they carried out the activities on a full day time schedule. The only form of training reported by all respondents was observational (on job training). Upto (87.3%) of the respondents indicated that there was presence of dangerous aspects of the work in the quarry that can harm their health. Some of the hazards involved with the quarrying activities carried out by the respondents were indicated as: manual handling of heavy loads, being hit by the tools, exposure to dust and falling of rock block. Some of the harms suffered by the respondents in the quarry while on duty were contusion with intact skin surface, pain/problem in nose, throat, sinuses, back, shoulder and neck. The trained respondents on safety precautions were 86.8%, 74.8% of the respondents did not use protective clothing while at work. Relationship between gender and occupational hazards was statistically significant (χ2, = 79.921, df(1), P=0.000). Level of education was a significant factor to occupational hazards (χ2 (1) = 12.015, df(1), P=0.007). Marital status and area of residence in the study was not a significant factor to occupational hazards. The study show that use of protective clothing was statistically associated with occupational health hazards (P<0.002). Who provided the protective equipement (PPE) (P<0.004) and whether the respondents were insured (P<0.021) were also statistically associated with occupational health hazards. Results further revealed that the respondents injured in the last one month were statistically associated with occupational health hazards (P<0.028). In light of the findings, appropriate strategies that focus on mitigating occupational health and safety hazards associated with quarrying activities will help ease the burden that they have on the health sector as a whole. This is because they pose great threat not only to public health but also economic growth at local, national and global levels. The results led to a conclusion that respondents had occupational health and safety problems associated with quarrying activities. The study recommends the authorities should ensure that the quarry management and quarry workers adhere to regulations on occupational health and safety. This provides for the rights of every person to fair labour practices, reasonable working conditions, and a clean, healthy environment. The government should also ensure that all places carrying out mining activities are well researched on and communicate to the public on the laws and regulations to be adhered to, thus, enhance safety of human beings and environment.