An alarming number of women working in the construction sector in the district here were found with menstrual disorders and miscarriages, a survey by social organization SHARE revealed.
Miscarriage and menstrual disorders are just two of the many health hazards these hapless workers have to battle against, said the survey report. There are about 2,000 women working as daily wagers in the construction sector in the district, the report informed.
“Almost all complained of muscular pain in their limbs. Handling bricks and gravel was the cause of wounds on their lower legs and hands,” the study observed. In fact, many women were hurt by falling at the worksites.
Most of the construction firms and builders violate prescribed safety measures for their workers. “Safety equipment such as hard hats, safety boots, gloves, goggles and other safety gears were not provided. Many even lacked awareness of the value of the safety equipment and remarked that such gear would only interfere with their movements,” said SHARE director Kishore Swain. The survey also found that injuries were treated in a summery fashion and the injured kept on working.
However, women construction workers interviewed felt that if they were issued such safety equipment, instructed on how to use it in their own language and allowed time to get used to it, they would use it, Swain stated.
Due to falls of workers or materials, human error in equipment handling, high levels of noise and vibration, exposure to dangerous products, each year many workers are involved in worksite accidents in the construction industry which remains one of the most dangerous sectors from the standpoint of workplace, said Swain.
The survey also reflected that growing mechanization adds to the danger. Rough terrain, poor site layout, limited visibility and high levels of noise increase risks in the use of motorized equipment. Operation errors in the use of lifting of appliances of greater size and variety are another cause of accidents, the survey found. It also noted widespread risks lying in the massive use of seasonal and migrant labourers, unaccustomed to an industrial environment. The month long survey has also reflected that the district labour officials pay only lip service towards the sorry plight of women construction workers.
About 2,000 women work in the construction sector in the district. But the labour officials have not enlisted their names as workers, as per the survey report. Many women workers do construction works with the men. But they get less wages compared to male workers, said the report. Many children of the women workers also do construction works which violates the Child labour Protection Act, 1986. But the authorities never take any action against the construction contractors, the survey report pointed out.