Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana

Augustine A. Acquah; Clive D’Souza; Bernard Martin; John Arko-Mensah; Isabella A. Quakyi; Niladri Basu; Thomas G. Robins; Julius N. Fobil

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93

Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana

Augustine A. Acquah, Clive D’Souza, Bernard Martin, John Arko-Mensah, Isabella A. Quakyi, Niladri Basu, Thomas G. Robins, Julius N. Fobil

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Recycling of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) in developing countries is mostly conducted in the informal sector consisting of low skilled workers. Informal e-waste recycling predominantly involves the physically demanding work of manually collecting, dismantling and burning of e-waste items to extract reusable components and valuable metals including gold or copper. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of manual e-waste recycling work on the musculoskeletal health of 176 workers at Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana – the largest informal e-waste dumpsites in Africa. Findings indicate significant associations between prolonged walking and weighted MSD symptom scores for the lower extremities, and between manual material handlings tasks and weighted MSD symptom scores for the upper extremities and lower back. The study calls attention to the need for ergonomics research in the informal work sector to promote safer practices and address a range of worker health concerns.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Healthcare and Healthy Work
Editors	Nancy L. Black, W. Patrick Neumann, Ian Noy
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	677-681
Number of pages	5
ISBN (Print)	9783030746100
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93
Publication status	Published - 2021
Event	21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Virtual, Online Duration: 13 Jun 2021 → 18 Jun 2021

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Volume	222 LNNS
ISSN (Print)	2367-3370
ISSN (Electronic)	2367-3389

Conference

Conference	21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021
City	Virtual, Online
Period	13/06/21 → 18/06/21

Keywords

Electronic waste
Exposure
Informal work
Musculoskeletal disorders

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93

Cite this

Acquah, A. A., D’Souza, C., Martin, B., Arko-Mensah, J., Quakyi, I. A., Basu, N., Robins, T. G., & Fobil, J. N. (2021). Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. In N. L. Black, W. P. Neumann, & I. Noy (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Healthcare and Healthy Work (pp. 677-681). (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems; Vol. 222 LNNS). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93

Acquah, Augustine A. ; D’Souza, Clive ; Martin, Bernard et al. / Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Healthcare and Healthy Work. editor / Nancy L. Black ; W. Patrick Neumann ; Ian Noy. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021. pp. 677-681 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems).

@inproceedings{1faee287e3564419abd870993a5352ed,

title = "Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana",

abstract = "Recycling of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) in developing countries is mostly conducted in the informal sector consisting of low skilled workers. Informal e-waste recycling predominantly involves the physically demanding work of manually collecting, dismantling and burning of e-waste items to extract reusable components and valuable metals including gold or copper. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of manual e-waste recycling work on the musculoskeletal health of 176 workers at Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana – the largest informal e-waste dumpsites in Africa. Findings indicate significant associations between prolonged walking and weighted MSD symptom scores for the lower extremities, and between manual material handlings tasks and weighted MSD symptom scores for the upper extremities and lower back. The study calls attention to the need for ergonomics research in the informal work sector to promote safer practices and address a range of worker health concerns.",

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Acquah, AA, D’Souza, C, Martin, B, Arko-Mensah, J, Quakyi, IA, Basu, N, Robins, TG & Fobil, JN 2021, Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. in NL Black, WP Neumann & I Noy (eds), Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Healthcare and Healthy Work. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol. 222 LNNS, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 677-681, 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021, Virtual, Online, 13/06/21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93

Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. / Acquah, Augustine A.; D’Souza, Clive; Martin, Bernard et al.
Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Healthcare and Healthy Work. ed. / Nancy L. Black; W. Patrick Neumann; Ian Noy. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2021. p. 677-681 (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems; Vol. 222 LNNS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T1 - Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana

AU - Acquah, Augustine A.

AU - D’Souza, Clive

AU - Martin, Bernard

AU - Arko-Mensah, John

AU - Quakyi, Isabella A.

AU - Basu, Niladri

AU - Robins, Thomas G.

AU - Fobil, Julius N.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Recycling of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) in developing countries is mostly conducted in the informal sector consisting of low skilled workers. Informal e-waste recycling predominantly involves the physically demanding work of manually collecting, dismantling and burning of e-waste items to extract reusable components and valuable metals including gold or copper. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of manual e-waste recycling work on the musculoskeletal health of 176 workers at Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana – the largest informal e-waste dumpsites in Africa. Findings indicate significant associations between prolonged walking and weighted MSD symptom scores for the lower extremities, and between manual material handlings tasks and weighted MSD symptom scores for the upper extremities and lower back. The study calls attention to the need for ergonomics research in the informal work sector to promote safer practices and address a range of worker health concerns.

AB - Recycling of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) in developing countries is mostly conducted in the informal sector consisting of low skilled workers. Informal e-waste recycling predominantly involves the physically demanding work of manually collecting, dismantling and burning of e-waste items to extract reusable components and valuable metals including gold or copper. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of manual e-waste recycling work on the musculoskeletal health of 176 workers at Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana – the largest informal e-waste dumpsites in Africa. Findings indicate significant associations between prolonged walking and weighted MSD symptom scores for the lower extremities, and between manual material handlings tasks and weighted MSD symptom scores for the upper extremities and lower back. The study calls attention to the need for ergonomics research in the informal work sector to promote safer practices and address a range of worker health concerns.

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Acquah AA, D’Souza C, Martin B, Arko-Mensah J, Quakyi IA, Basu N et al. Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. In Black NL, Neumann WP, Noy I, editors, Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2021 - Healthcare and Healthy Work. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2021. p. 677-681. (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems). doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93

Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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