This study deals with the occupational health and safety of valuable and recyclable waste collectors (called scavengers) in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The analytical descriptive approach was used in this study to achieve this goal. Waste pickers in the study area are working informally at existing dumpsites, solid waste transfer stations, landfills, and community streets’ bins areas. A sample of 301 scavengers was surveyed filling a structured questionnaire designed for this purpose, during individual interviews. In addition, interviews with key Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip have been conducted to provide accurate data and comprehensive information regarding waste pickers activities. The results showed that the occupational health and safety of the waste pickers is in constant deterioration mainly due to the informal nature of their work. The waste pickers are reportedly suffering in the current situation and the majority has no access to potable water, sanitation, and hygienically appropriate place to sleep and have meals. None of them has ever received occupational health and safety training. The study recommends that local decision makers should uptake short-term and long-term measures in waste management sector both aiming at improving this vulnerable social group’s health and safety life status.
In most cities of the developing countries, thousands of people are depending on the collection of recyclable materials for their livelihoods [
In accordance with the interviews held with Joint Service Council for Gaza and North Gaza Governorates, Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF), and the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA), the waste pickers in the Gaza Strip belong into three categories, based on their “job” area: Recyclables collection from the bins distributed along the streets in the community Informal sorting at the solid waste transfer stations Recyclables collection at the dumpsites and landfills
All waste pickers are working informally and independently as they not belonging to any company or organization related to integrated solid waste management. Law prohibits informal work at solid waste management facilities; however, the local authorities in the Gaza Strip are not able to prevent the waste pickers’ activity due to sympathy and concerns on their financial status. Despite their occupational unhygienic environment, regulation, monitoring, or even enforcement to regulate their work is not available [
Waste pickers belong to poor and marginalized social groups and are often vulnerable to a variety of occupational health risks and diseases [
Overall, workers in the solid waste sector including informal waste pickers are vulnerable to three major health risks: accidents, infection, and chronic diseases. Accidents could lead to injury or death and could be caused by heavy equipment, trucks, holding recyclable materials, fire outbreaks, falling from heights when dumping face is high, and buried in the waste. Infections is caused by direct contact with waste and infected wound, infected dust, bites from wild animals, and enteric infections transmitted by insects feeding on waste. Chronic diseases including chronic respiratory diseases result from exposure to dust and toxic and carcinogenic risks as a result of exposure to hazardous compounds, cardiovascular disorders, and heat stress due to exposure to excessive temperature, and hearing function loss result from exposure to excessive noise. Most of the aforementioned incidents frequently occur in most businesses, when training programmes are not regularly implemented.
To this direction, the profession of scavengers is also marked by many risks [
A study of 48 waste pickers in Santo André, Brazil, showed that almost all workers reported having back, hand, leg, arm, and shoulder pain [
In particular, waste pickers working in open dumps are exposed to large quantities of toxic vapors and other serious threats such as the possibility of being run over by dump trucks to landfill, fire exposure, or falling due to surface decline. They are exposed to nonfatal and sometimes fatal occupational hazards and accidents. However, some studies have showed increased risk of musculoskeletal problems [
Municipal cleaners also face similar problems as scavengers based to a study conducted in the Nablus governorate [
The issues described so far do not constitute common knowledge in Palestine and in the Gaza Strip; therefore, the aim of this study is to identify in the field and communicate the occupational hazards that scavengers are exposed to in the Gaza Strip.
The study population consists of all scavengers working in the Gaza Strip. A random sample of the study population was selected in accordance with the Herbert Larkin equation [
The data were collected via a structured questionnaire designed for the purpose that is to record comprehensive information regarding occupational health and safety of the waste pickers. Questionnaires were provided during personal interviews with the waste pickers. Prior to the research conduction, the questionnaire was tested in pilot-interviews, and appropriate modifications were performed. It included the following sections: general information, awareness and education, occupational health and safety, social aspects, and trade unions. The overall focus was on the workplace environment status, working hours, accidents recording, perceptions of occupational hazards, recorded occupational diseases, availability of safety equipment, customized safety procedures, the culture and awareness, availability of health insurance, provided medical services, and other related topics. All participants were informed of the field research aims prior to the interview conduction, to facilitate the data collection process and to obtain their prior consent to data collection.
Another part of the overall study was the communication with relevant decision-makers and specialists of the Palestinian officials related to the research scope, namely, the Joint Service Council for Gaza and North Gaza Governorates, the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF), and the Environmental Quality Authority (EQA). This communication largely assisted the cross reference of the interviews’ collected data and its connection to current situation.
The study sample was selected to represent all parts of the Gaza Strip. The distribution of the sample was 20.6% from the north Gaza district, 26.9% from Gaza district, 10.6% from Deir Al-Balah area, 33.6% from Khan Younis, and 8.3% from Rafah area. The results showed that all of the waste pickers are males. The socioeconomic status of the study sample is shown in Table
Socioeconomic conditions of the waste pickers in the study area.
Variable | Results | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | 0–9 | 10–18 | 19–30 | 31–50 | ≥50 | Total |
1.0% | 24.0% | 50.2% | 21.3% | 3.3% | (100%) | |
Marital status | Single | Married | Total | |||
47.2% | 52.5% | 100.0% | ||||
Permanent residence | City | Refugee Camp | City | Total | ||
83.4% | 10.6% | 6.0% | 100.0% | |||
Number of family members | ≤4 | 5–10 | 11–15 | 16–20 | >20 | Total |
20.9% | 62.5% | 10.6% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 100.0% | |
Average monthly income (NIS) from working in waste collection | <500 | 500–1000 | >1000 | Total | ||
71.9% | 27.2% | 0.7%) | 100.0% | |||
Level of education | Illiterate | Elementary | Preparatory and secondary | College or university | Total | |
5.0% | 30.6% | 60.5% | 4.0% | 100.0% | ||
Daily working hours | ≤4 | 5–8 | 9–12 | >12 | Total | |
3.7% | 55.3% | 39.7% | 1.3% | 100.0% |
The socioeconomic conditions analysis showed that 50.2% are aged between 19–30 years; 52.5% of them are married; 83.4% are permanent city residents; and 62.5% belong to families consisting of 5–10 members. The vast majority of the waste pickers are living in deep poverty; the average monthly income generated from working in the waste recycling is less than NIS 500 for 71.9% of them (1 USD ⋍ 3.5 NIS), and the education level of 60.5% of them is that of preparatory or secondary school. In comparison with other studies, Schenck et al. [
The working hours for most of the waste pickers range between five and twelve hours per day; five to eight for 55.3% and nine to twelfth for 39.7% of them. In the West Bank/Palestine,
99.0% of waste pickers reported that their safety is not guarded by any government agency, and 87.0% of them are not belonging to any professional union. However, 90.4% of them have health insurance, where 22.3% is governmental health insurance, 39.1% health insurance offered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians in the near east (UNRWA) as most of the residents of the Gaza Strip are refugees, and 35.4% have both governmental and UNRWA health insurance. Interviews with key Palestinian environmental officials (
The waste pickers were requested to describe any health problem they faced during the last 12 months. More than 50% of the study sample answered that they were troubled by back pains, breathing issues, skin diseases, sore throat, and cough with high temperature. However, only 30% complained of intestinal diseases (diarrhea, constipation, and blood with stool), as shown in Figure
Occupational diseases of the waste pickers.
Gogoi [
In addition, the surveyed waste pickers were investigated as per their immunization against viral hepatitis and tetanus. The results showed that 61.1% of them received vaccination against viral hepatitis and 66.4% received vaccination against tetanus. Vaccination against infectious disease, including tetanus, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B is a successful protective measure that significantly reduces the risks associated with contaminated materials contact [
The waste pickers were requested to identify safety issues that troubled them during that last 12 months. The results showed that to 58.3% of them burn injury occurred, and 90.4% have been exposed to hazardous waste materials such as neglected medicine, bandages, dead animals, paints, batteries, and sharp objects like shaving blades. However, more than three-fourth of them had no incident of sprained foot or joint, a joint dislocation or fracture, and tooth fracture during the last 12 months, while 53.3% of them have never experienced any muscle tear. The results are shown in Table
Occupational safety of the waste pickers.
Variable | Answer | ||
---|---|---|---|
Yes, always | No | Total | |
Having sprained foot during the last 12 months | 61 (20.3%) | 238 (79.3%) | 300 (100%) |
Having a sprain in the joint during the last 12 months | 47 (15.6%) | 254 (84.4%) | 301 (100%) |
Having joint dislocation during the last 12 months | 37 (12.3%) | 263 (87.7%) | 300 (100%) |
Having muscle tear during the last 12 months | 140 (46.7%) | 160 (53.3%) | 300 (100%) |
Having tooth fracture in the last 12 months | 53 (17.6%) | 248 (82.4%) | 301 (100%) |
Having scratches/injuries during the last 12 months | 293 (97.7%) | 7 (2.3%) | 300 (100%) |
Having fracture during the last 12 months | 60 (20.1%) | 239 (79.9%) | 299 (100%) |
Having burns during the last 12 months | 175 (58.3%) | 125 (41.7%) | 300 (100%) |
Exposure to hazards (such as neglected medicines, bandages, dead animals, paints and batteries, and sharp objects such as shaving blades, glass, or metal parts) during the last 12 months | 272 (90.4%) | 29 (9.6%) | 301 (100%) |
Parizeau [
Scavengers are facing risks similar to the workers in the waste sector, yet in a severe level beyond the expected common diseases such as wounds, cuts in different parts of the body, toxic animal bites, burns and inhalation difficulties due to exposure to chemicals and toxic gases, traffic accidents and falls, and musculoskeletal problems, which are all part of a waste pickers’ daily burden [
Use of safety tools and hygiene practices of the waste pickers.
Those are considered as good practices that secure the scavengers’ population health level and enhance protection. Nyathi et al. [
In addition, access to clean water and sanitation services, as well as availability of hygienic-appropriate places for meals is another yet important issue that enhances occupational health protection level. The vast majority of the waste pickers reported that clean drinking water is not available at the workplace (86.9%), neither toilets (96.3%), nor an appropriate meal place at worksite, as shown in Figure
Access to water and sanitation services at the worksite.
Occupational health and safety training in the field is essential, and it is ascertained that it contributes to the reduction of work accidents and occupational diseases. Nearly no respondents receive any training related to the nature of the work they are carrying out (99.7%). However, the International Labor organization (ILO) has suggested the implementation of health and safety training seminars, regular health check-ups, and monitoring of waste pickers in order to safeguard them [
Given that the information on waste pickers’ livelihood is limited in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip in particular, and this study aims to identify their current occupational health and safety status. Data collection via structured questionnaires and direct interviews by 301 waste pickers were backed up with comprehensive information provided by the communication with local key environmental experts.
The results showed that all of the waste pickers in the Gaza Strip are self-employed and are not belonging to any official company or agency. The vast majority of them have health insurance policy issued even by the government or by the UNRWA.
Occupational health and safety level of the waste pickers are limited since during the last 12 months; more than 50% of the waste pickers suffered from occupational-related diseases, (30%) from intestinal diseases. On that note, 65% have burns; the majority has been exposed to hazardous materials. Nevertheless, more than 75% have not experienced any physical incident (sprained foot, sprained joint, dislocation, fracture, and tooth fracture) during the last 12 months and around 65% of them have been vaccinated against hepatitis and tetanus.
Overall, more than two-thirds of the waste pickers are using protective equipment (even on a shared basis) and are washing their clothes, but less than half of them use disinfectants regularly. Most importantly, the majority of waste pickers have no access to potable water, sanitation units, and hygienically appropriate place for having meals neither at workplace not at home, which is rather alarming for their health status level. Almost none of the waste pickers have received any occupational health and safety training.
It has been studied and reported that waste pickers’ activity may enhance local waste management sector and lead to landfilled solid waste reduction. Solid waste management officials are encouraged to invest in occupational training of the scavengers’ population to enhance their skills and provide them with the opportunity to enhance their living status in the meantime by minimizing the waste-borne hazards and vulnerabilities [
The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
The authors are thankful and acknowledge the financial support by the research committee and academic affairs at Birzeit University, Palestine. They also thank the key Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip for the insight into scavengers activity provided during the personal interviews conduction in the frame of the research (2019): Abu Al-Qunboz, A. (executive manager of the Joint Service Council for Solid Waste Management for Gaza and North Gaza governorates); Al-Bursh, W. (manager of the Joint Service Council for Solid Waste Management, North Gaza branch); and Mater, S. (Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF)).