Occupational Health & Safety

Biography

Biography: Sucheta

Abstract

Women carry about 15-35 kg. or more weight on head, on shoulders, on back or in hands hanging in sides either in erect standing, standing-cum-bending or bending posture. They travel 8-10 kms. and generally work more than 15 hours a day attending to the agriculture system, cattle, collection of fuel, fodder and water as well as normal duties at home. In performance of most of the activities, the long hours of standing and standing-cum-bending posture and long walking distances in kaccha roads; uphill and downhill leads to the various musculoskeletal disorders and related health problems. The present research study was carried out for Identification of physiological and postural stress in different methods of carrying loads on the basis of physiological responses of rural women and to find out the remedial measures for delineating poor effects of carrying load on the health of rural women. The activities fetching of fuel, fodder and water; milling, storing and threshing of grains, applying manure, disposing off crop residue, delivering milk and vegetables, washing of clothes, involves the factor of transport and are load carrying. The experiences of the sample women shows that approx. 58.46% women felt fatigue often while performance of Household, farm and livestock related activities. While doing the daily activities 57.08% women felt limb pain, during the seasonal activities 88.33% women suffered from backache and in performance occasional activities 79.15% women were affected by backache. Besides, musculoskeletal disorders lifting heavy weights and carrying heavy loads on head by women leads to various gynecological consequences such as menstrual disorders, uterine prolapse, miscarriages and backaches causing serious long-term repercussions. To help rural hill women small booklet titled “workload on rural women and remedial measures” was compiled with enough information and distributed among Anganwadi workers, Village level workers and literate villagers so that they can made use of this information to improve quality of work, reduce drudgery and to improve health status.