OCCUPATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND ABATEMENT OF HAZARDS AMONGST LOAD BEARERS OF KOLKATA.

Background:Manual Material Handling (MMH) is a component of many jobs and activity undertaken in life. MMH work contributes to a large percentage of a 1.1 million cases of musculoskeletal disorders reported annually in the India. Objectives:To take correct measure of the strain, they experienced quantitatively, to apprehend the correlation between the carried load and its impact, to establish a relationship of weight carry with eyes& to recommend some possible ways to abate hazards. Materials and Methods:The study was a single-blind study conducted in Manual Load Bearers (MLB) of markets and Rail stations of Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata, West Bengal. The sample comprised of 95 workers from markets and rail stations of different areas of West Bengal, India. All general physical parameters, physiological parameters, lifting parameters& eye pressure were measured by standardised procedure. Result:All the experimental workers showed raised level (p<0.05) of physiological, lifting and ocular pressure parameters. Conclusion:Due to stressful job routine, manual load bearers faced different occupational hazards. Calculated JSI showed significantly higher values than NIOSH recommendation.Repetitively carry huge load on their head affects their ocular pressure. An elastic back support with head gear may reduce their occupational hazards.