Health Needs and Problems of Traditional Bakery Workers

Abstract

Bakeries workers face various common health problems at their work place, not only because of the nature of their work but also because of the serious and negative effect of their traditional working place. With the lack of awareness and caution toward hazards and with the lack of safety measures, they are exposed to various health problems inside traditional bakeries. Most of these common health problems are preventable and arise from the neglect of occupational safety measures (Ali et al., 2017). Injuries from accidents are equally common among bakery workers. These could arise from slips and falls on wet or uneven floor surfaces. Cuts from sharp or moving machinery, fall from heights as well as burns and scalds from hot ingredients are also frequent causes of accidents (Abad-Elzaher et al., 2018).. Other health problems among bakery workers include musculoskeletal disorders (muscle pains and arthritis), contact dermatitis from chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and bleach used in cleaning bakeries, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (emphysema and bronchial asthma), injuries to the eyes, and irreversible hearing damage among others (Joshua et al., 2017).