A Study on Health Status of Women Workers in Match Industry

Abstract

Background: According to Indian Factories Act-1948 Section:62, insist registry of adult workers but no record was available regarding women in match industry. Moreover, very few studies were done regarding the health status of women worker. Some studies were done on women workers in leather tanning, chemical industries & textile industries. Even though we are the leading match manufacturers and match industry is one of the most foreign exchange earning sector. No studies were conducted regarding the status of women workers in match industries till date.

Objective: Primary: To investigate the occupational health status of women workers in match industry and the distribution of health problems among them.

Secondary: To describe the nature of match industry and comparing with standards of Indian Factories Act (1948 amended on 1987). To describe the chemical handling among the women workers and personal hygiene. To focus on the prevalence of certain diseases in women workers. To find out the work environment and disease relation (Occupational Hazard)

Materials and Methods: A comprehensive medical questionnaire was prepared for the patients visiting hospitals in and around Kovilpatti for a period of 15 days from 19.12.17 to 03.01.18.

It was a pilot survey with a questionnaire as the exposure assessment tool. Results: Out of the 100 persons interviewed most of the health problems were Low back ache, Acid peptic disease, muscle cramps which are prevailing in all age groups. My interest was in Anaemia, Poly cystic ovarian disease & infertility because the incidence of this is somewhat rare diagnosis and is alarming the whole industrial women workers.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the standard health and safety measures for women workers in match industries are substandard and many were not to the mark according to Indian factories act.