Occupational hazards, illness and injuries faced by child labourers

Objective: To assess hazards, injuries and illnesses faced by child labourers in their working environment. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in a squatter settlement in Sultanabad, Karachi, in January and February, 2011. A total of 190 children, aged 9-14 years were interviewed through structured pre-tested questionnaire at their workplaces. They were asked about their health, illness, working hours, frequency of work related illness, frequency and severity of injuries they received during work and various other associated factors. SPSS 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean age of the children was 12.60±1.47 years. Of the total, 140 (78.4%) said they had got injured while working during preceding 3 months; 64 (33.7%) had high frequency of injuries; 13 (6.8%) had severe and 59 (30.6%) had moderate type of injuries; 114 (60.0%) said their illness was sometimes work-related or due to the working environment; 159 (83.2%) were unaware of the occupational hazards they were facing; and 142 (74.7%) had no adult supervision at work. A significant association was found between the occupational related illnesses and the working environment of the participants (p=0.03). Conclusion: Majority of the child labourers were found to be facing unsafe working conditions, and encountered frequent work-related injuries and illnesses.