article · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Municipal street sweepers in Port Harcourt Metropolis experience severe workplace risks stemming from repetitive motions, heavy manual tasks, and poor environmental conditions. An evaluation of 386 sweepers using structured surveys, the Rapid Entire Body Assessment tool, and environmental monitoring equipment revealed that repetitive sweeping and prolonged bending are widespread. Half of the workers fell into high or very high ergonomic risk categories. Common physical complaints included lower back, knee, ankle, foot, and shoulder pain. Workers also faced high levels of dust, heat stress, sharp objects, excessive noise, and unhealthy particulate matter concentrations. Elevated ergonomic risk scores, shifts exceeding eight hours, lack of experience, and low compliance with protective gear significantly heightened accident rates, whereas ergonomic training lowered these risks.
Street sweeping is critical for urban cleanliness, but workers often endure dangerous physical strain and hazardous environmental conditions. Identifying how posture, poor air quality, and working hours contribute to injury helps municipal authorities design safer shifts, supply appropriate protective gear, and implement ergonomic guidelines that protect sanitation workers from debilitating long-term health problems.
The findings provide baseline workplace safety data that could inform municipal health policies, safety training programmes, and the procurement of ergonomic street-cleaning tools or protective equipment. The work itself is descriptive field research and remains at an early diagnostic stage, offering operational insights for public waste authorities rather than a direct commercial product.
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re routinely exposed to occupational hazards associated with repetitive work postures, manual handling of waste, environmental pollutants, and inadequate safety practices. This study evaluated work postures, occupational accident hazards, environmental exposures, and preventive measures among municipal street sweepers in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. Four hundred (400) questionnaires were administered through a multistage sampling technique, and 386 valid responses (96.5%) were analyzed. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) tool, an observational checklist, and environmental monitoring instruments measuring particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀), ambient temperature, relative humidity, noise level, and Air Quality Index (AQI). Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and binary logistic regression were employed for data analysis at a 5% level of significance. The findings showed that repetitive sweeping motion (90.2%) and prolonged bending (76.7%) were the most common work postures. Half of the respondents were classified within the high or very high ergonomic risk categories, with a mean REBA score of 7.62 ± 2.41. Lower back pain (74.4%), knee pain (59.1%), ankle/foot pain (54.1%), and shoulder pain (50.3%) were the predominant musculoskeletal disorders. Dust exposure (77.2%), heat stress (66.3%), and cuts from sharp objects (59.8%) were the leading occupational hazards. Environmental monitoring revealed elevated concentrations of PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀, high ambient temperature, excessive noise levels, and unhealthy air quality, confirming adverse workplace conditions. A significant association existed between REBA risk level and musculoskeletal disorders (χ² = 62.84, p < 0.001). High REBA scores, poor PPE compliance, working more than eight hours daily, and limited work experience significantly increased the likelihood of occupational accidents, whereas ergonomic training reduced accident risk. The study concluded that municipal street sweepers face considerable ergonomic and environmental health risks. It recommends ergonomic workplace improvements, consistent provision and use of personal protective equipment, regular occupational health surveillance, environmental exposure monitoring, and continuous safety training to reduce occupational injuries and improve workers' health and productivity.
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22166566
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