Occupational Hazards and Health Risks Among Abattoir Workers: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4314/ajbr.v27i2.2Keywords:
Abattoirs,, occupational hazards,, health risks, infections, zoonosisAbstract
The purpose of the review is to provide an informed discussion on the health and safety of workers in slaughterhouses and/or abattoirs where animals are slaughtered for human consumption and different processes and activities are performed on daily basis. Primarily, this review provides knowledge on health and safety within slaughterhouses and/or abattoirs and subsequently to identify occupational hazards and health risks associated thereon. Abattoir work can be connected to the health hazards that might result in occupational diseases and/or may exacerbate the existing ill-health of non-occupational origin. Several studies have been completed on the health and safety of workers in abattoirs and studies indicated that workers in animal-related occupations have an average knowledge to adequate knowledge of zoonotic diseases but poor knowledge of preventive measures and that employer responsibilities towards prevention and control of occupational hazards are inadequate. South Africa has enacted legislation to deal with occupational health and safety, this includes the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993. However, information on the development of National Guidelines on health and safety in the meat industry is still lacking. This legislation covers occupational health and safety in all workplaces and ensures that employers and workers comply with the requirements stipulated to protect the workers from hazards in the workplace. Therefore, this review recognizes that there is limited literature on the health and safety of workers and poor knowledge on identifying the types of injuries experienced and the associated risk factors, and as well as the management of these injuries in the facilities.
References
Abdullahi, A., Azmi, H., Norizhar, K., Yakubu, M.J., Olanike, K.A and Pei Lin, L. (2016). Occupational hazards among abattoir workers associated with non-compliance to the meat processing and waste disposal laws in Malaysia: Risk Management. Health Policy. 9:157-63. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S98271.
Aliyu, A and Saidu, S. (2011). Pattern of occupational hazards and provisions of occupational health services among workers of Kaduna refinery and petrochemical company Ltd, Kaduna, Nigeria. Continental Journal Tropical Medicine 5(1):1-5.
American Meat Institute. (2013). At (202) 587-4200, available: www.meatmicom, Accessed on 17th of July, 2014.
Autumn (2014). Occupational injuries in pork processing; comparison by worksite and source of injury: USA Occupational and Environmental Medication. 67 (10): 686-92. Doi: 10.1136/oem.2009.048611. PubMed.
Banjo, T.A., Onilude, A.A., Amoo, A.O.J., Busari, A., Ogundahunsi, O.A., Olooto, W.E., Familoni, O.B., Amballi, A.A., Oyelekan, A.A.A., and Abiodun, O.A. (2013). Occupational Health Hazards Among Abattoir Workers in Abeokuta. Academic Arena; 5(10):29-36] (ISSN 1553-992X). http://www.sciencepub.net/academia.
British Meat Processors Association. (2011). Health and Safety Guidelines in the Meat Industry in Britain
British Meat Processors Association. (2014). Health and Safety Guidelines in the Meat Industry in Britain.
Burstyn, I, Jonasi, L & Wild, TC. (2010). Obtaining compliance with occupational health and safety regulations. A multilevel study using self-determination theory. Journal of Environmental Health Research 20(4):271-287.
Cook, E.A. (2014). Epidemiology of zoonoses in slaughterhouse workers in Western Kenya;10 (3):387-48.
Fitzgerald, A.J. (2010). A Social History of the Slaughterhouse: From Inception to Contemporary Implications. Research in Human Ecology ;17(1):58–69.
Harmse, J.L., Engelbrecht, J.C & Bekker, J.L. (2016). The impact of physical and ergonomic hazards on poultry abattoir processing workers: A review. International Journal of Environmental Research Public Health: 13:197.
Hughes, P and Ferret, E. (2013). International health and safety at work. NEBOSH. International General Certificate. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.
Lander, L. Sorock G.S., Stentz, T.L., Eisen, E.A., Mittleman, M., Hauser, R., Perry, M.J. (2010). A case study of occupational laceration injuries in pork processing:Methods and preliminary findings (USA). 67(10) :686-92. Doi: 10.1136/oem.2009.048611. PubMed.
Lo and Jacobson. (2011). Human Rights from Field to Fork, Improving Labour conditions for food sector workers by organizing across boundaries (pages 2-6).
Lord, H., Fletcher-Lartey, S., Weerasinghe, G., Chandra, M., Egana, N., Schembrib, N & Conatya, S. (2015). A Q fever cluster among workers at an abattoir in South-Western Sydnes, Austrialia: Public health. doi: 10.5365/wpsar.2016.7.2.012.
Luwumba, D; Kusiluka, L & Shririma, G (2019). Occupational hazards associated with human brucellosis in abattoir settings: A case study of Dodoma Abattoir in Tanzania. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health. 11(3): 73-80.
Mahendra Pal, SihinTestaye and Pratibha.(2014). Zoonoses occupationally acquired by abattoir workers. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. 2(3):155-162. ISSN: 2146-2180.
Meat Industry Association and New Zealand Industry Training Organization. (2013). Meat Industry health and Safety guidelines of Newzealand.Page (1-184).
Nabukenya, I., Deogratius, K.M & George, W.N. (2013). Survey of Brucellosis infection and malaria among Abattoir workers in Kampala and Mbarara Districts, Uganda. BMC Public Health, D01:1186/1471-1471-2458-13-901.
National Department of Agriculture. (2000). Meat Inspectors Manual: Red Meat. South Africa: Directorate Veterinary Services. 2-9.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. (2012). Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of eye and respiratory symptoms at a poultry processing plant – Oklahoma. By Chen, L., Eisenberg, J., Durgam, S., Mueller, C and Cincinnati, O.H: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 2007-0284 & 2007-0317-3155.
Nourish. (2012). A Recipe for Safety, Occupational Health and Safety in Food and Drink manufacture, Health and Safety Executive, ISBN 9780717661152 (Pages 9-44).
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2007). Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 Government Printer, Nairobi, Kenya Gazette. Supplement No 111(Acts No.15) Acts, 2007, Nairobi, Page 100.
Ogundeji, E. B; Onyemelukwe, N. F & Ogundeji, A. O (2015). Bovine tuberculosis: Occupational hazard in Abattoir workers. Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences, 14:142-147.
Pereira, C.R., Cotrim de Almeida, J.V.F, Cardoso de Oliveira, I.R., Faria de Oliveira, L., Pereira, L.J., Zangeroˆnimo, M.G., Lage, A.P & Dorneles, E.M.S.(2020). Occupational exposure to Brucella spp.: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 14(5): e0008164. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pntd.0008164
South Africa. Department of Agriculture. (2000). Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act 40 of 2000). South Africa: Government Printer. Section 8, 8-18, 19-29.
South Africa. Department of Agriculture. (2004). Red Meat Regulations, 2004. (Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act 40 of 2000)). South Africa: Government Printer.
South Africa. Department of Labour. (1993). Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act 85 of 1993). South Africa: Government Printer.
Stevenson, A. (2013). Oxford English Dictionary: Oxford University Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 African Journal of Biomedical Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
