Protection for waste, sanitation workers pushed

MANILA, Philippines - The Ecowaste Coalition and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) yesterday pushed for safety nets for waste and sanitation workers because they are the most exposed to harmful chemicals.

In a statement, the two groups noted that the government should take a closer look at the “hazardous working conditions of these workers.”

They claimed that “holistic pollution prevention strategies” should be put in place to protect these workers against toxic chemicals.

“The task of managing society’s discards is fraught with occupational hazards. Formal and informal waste workers, including those who retrieve recyclables from bins, dumps and rivers, are prone to injuries and diseases resulting from actual contact with sharp objects and discards containing pathogens and chemicals,” Eileen Sison of the EcoWaste Coalition said.

Anne Larracas of GAIA, meanwhile, said there must be policies and measures that “would eliminate the toxic materials from the waste stream, reduce occupational hazards and uphold their health and labor rights.”

The two groups want the government to put into action the “Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)” which seeks to establish mechanisms so that the workers and the public would “no longer suffer health deficits, diseases or deaths due to occupational or environmental exposure to chemicals,” among others.

“While we do not have national data on how many of our waste and sanitation workers have become ill or have succumbed to death due to inherent occupational hazards, we deem it essential that we all act now to reduce the risk of chemical exposure from handling waste,” the groups noted.

These workers usually face common occupational hazards like skin and blood infections due to direct contact with waste, eye and respiratory infections due to smoke and dust, and intestinal infections transmitted by flies feeding on waste.

The groups have also documented cases of chemical burns and poisoning due to direct contacts with hazardous substances mixed with regular waste.

“We urge the government to put the safety and health of our waste and sanitation workers high on the national agenda while we strive to implement the principles and practices of Zero Waste, including mandatory waste segregation at source,” they said.