An Assessment of the Application of Occupational Ergonomics Principles in the Informal Sector of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe
A major challenge for the city authorities of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe is to come up with clear policies and actions aimed at supporting and nurturing the informal sector as well as improving health and safety in the sector. This study thus aims at assessing the awareness of ergonomics princ...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
LAR Centre Press
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.18533/rss.v2i6.101 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5008 |
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| Summary: | A major challenge for the city authorities of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe is to come
up with clear policies and actions aimed at supporting and nurturing the informal
sector as well as improving health and safety in the sector. This study thus aims at
assessing the awareness of ergonomics principles in the small-scale enterprises of
Harare and Mutare. The level of awareness of ergonomics principles is low in the small
scale informal sectors of Harare and Mutare. It was expected that builders,
woodworkers and welders would have a higher level of ergonomic principles, but this
was not the case. The informal workers are employed in a high-risk sector, but survey
results indicated that improving their work environment is not one of their top
priorities. The financial situation and the fact that occupational hazards and diseases
are not always visible means that their limited resources are allocated to field other
than occupational health and safety. Workers in the informal sector are not affected by
the traditional employer-employee relationship as that obtains in the formal sector
where the employee is obliged to care for the workers occupational health and safety
needs. In order to address occupational health and safety discrepancies in the informal
sector there is need for change of mindset and this can be catalysed by the local
authorities and other organizations. The local authorities can begin by ensuring basic
occupational hygiene skills among the informal sector workers so that they may realize
their economic potential and hence sustained businesses. |
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