Occupational health assessment of textile unit workers

Textile is a part and parcel of human being as it plays an essential role right from cradle to grave. Small Scale Industry is considered as the backbone of the private sector all over the world, which assures their role in production, employment and sales. In addition to their role in economic development, the workers working in textile units face several challenges. A study was conducted to find the problems of workers working in weaving and printing units of Punjab. Sixty respondents were selected from weaving and printing units for the study. The respondents were asked about the problems faced by them during the work hours in the units. Fifteen per cent of the respondents had severe headache, followed by 6.66 per cent faced eye irritation/itching, while 5 per cent, encountered running nose during the reeling of yarn. While warping, 6.66 per cent of the workers had backache due to bending, 8.33 per cent each of the workers had body ache and sweating, followed by 3.33 per cent each of the workers who faced the problem of backache due to bending, shoulder ache, itching/irritation in hand and eye irritation during the sizing of yarn. The imperative solution to these problems is to educate the managers as well as workers regarding the use of protective measures in textile units.