Safety of municipal workers

Conservancy workers (who sweep the streets), sewage workers, storm water drain workers, solid waste handling workers, bio-medical waste workers and morgue staff are the main categories of lower-level staff in any municipality of big cities like Mumbai. Generally, these workers are exposed to various types of conventional and biological health hazards such as inorganic and organic chemicals, toxic dust particles, toxic gases in underground tunnels, viruses, toxins and micro-organisms. In a typical city like Mumbai, there are over 22,000 workers involved in these activities.

It is reported that the average life of such workers is just about 50 years. The death rate is alarming. It is claimed by social activists that the high death rate is due to negligence on the part of the municipality by not providing and not ensuring the use of safety/protective gears, safe work procedures and security to the workers during the course of their duty. Due to scarcity of houses, they are forced live in unhygienic conditions. Commonly, these workers are contracting infectious diseases like TB, skin ailments early in their working life. The workers also get into the addictive habits such as use of tobacco and alcoholism. Often, the death due to chemical toxicity goes unreported.

Due to proactive measures initiated by courts, a committee was set up to look into the work conditions of these workers. Guilty should be penalized and the victims should be adequately compensated. As per the law of the land, safety of the workers is the responsibility of the employer, government or private.