Health Risks Awareness of Electronic Waste Workers in the Informal Sector in Nigeria

Chimere M. Ohajinwa, Peter M. Van Bodegom, Martina G. Vijver and Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg
Additional contact information
Chimere M. Ohajinwa: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, 2311 EZ Leiden, The Netherlands
Peter M. Van Bodegom: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, 2311 EZ Leiden, The Netherlands
Martina G. Vijver: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, 2311 EZ Leiden, The Netherlands
Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg: Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, 2311 EZ Leiden, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Insight into the health risk awareness levels of e-waste workers is important as it may offer opportunities for better e-waste recycling management strategies to reduce the health effects of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with occupational health risk awareness of e-waste workers compared with a control group (butchers) in the informal sector in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was used to assess health risk awareness of 279 e-waste workers (repairers and dismantlers) and 221 butchers from the informal sector in three locations in Nigeria in 2015. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic backgrounds, occupational history, knowledge, attitude, and work practices. The data was analysed using Analysis of Variance. The three job designations had significantly different knowledge, attitude, and practice mean scores ( p = 0.000), with butchers consistently having the highest mean scores. Only 43% of e-waste workers could mention one or more Personal Protective Equipment needed for their job compared with 70% of the butchers. The health risk awareness level of the e-waste workers was significantly lower compared with their counterparts in the same informal sector. A positive correlation existed between the workers’ knowledge and their attitude and practice. Therefore, increasing the workers’ knowledge may decrease risky practices.

Keywords: electronic waste workers; health risk knowledge; attitude; practice; informal sector; informal economy; Nigeria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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