Volume-8 | Issue-7 | July-2018 | ISSN - 2249-555X | IF : 5.397 | IC Value : 86.

18
Original Research Paper
Social Science

HEALTH ISSUES OF WOMEN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: AN EVIDENCE

FROM TRICHIRAPPALLI, TAMILNADU

Doctoral scholar, Department of Sociology, Bharathidasan University. Triruchirappalli-

S.Rasheedha Banu* 620024 *Corresponding Author.
Professor, Department of Sociology & Population Studies, Bharathiar University,
S.Sampathkumar Coimbatore – 641 046, Tamil Nadu.
ABSTRACT The construction sector has the largest number of unorganized workers in India. They are the backbone of our nation's
infrastructure building in all the aspects. Both men and women are integral part of this community, but women join as
unskilled workers and remain to be unskilled till their working life span. The women working in the construction industry are in high risk to get
one or other health issues due to hazards working environment, thus this study intended to focus on health problems among women construction
workers. The descriptive nature of the study included 474 women construction workers from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. Snow ball sampling
technique was adopted for the selection of respondent and data collected through interview method. The study findings reveals that, there are
health related problems of women entering and working in the construction industry and most of them have urinary tract infection and
musculoskeletal problems, backache, maximum number of women pointed skin problems and respiratory related problems are the major health
problems.

KEYWORDS : Health problems, Construction work women

Introduction revealed incidences of abrasion of skin, falls, slips, trips, crushing and
Construction industry is one of the stable growing industries of the pinching of body parts, boils in hands and feet, burns, eye injury/hurt
world and construction labour form 7.5% of the world labour force being more frequent occurring injuries during work. Illness data of
(Nahid Sultana et.al. 2014). A wide range of activities are involved in it respondent's correlated affect of work on their health as most
and the workers engaged in this industry are victims of different frequently reported illnesses were weakness, cough/chest infection,
occupational disorders and psychosocial stresses. Exposure to harsh urinary tract infection, sore throat, cervical pain, skin allergy,
environmental conditions like sun, rain, and so on, which result in dehydration, back pain, generalized fatigue and heat stroke.
accidents and adverse health conditions cause psychosocial strain.
They are victims of headache, backache, joint pains, skin diseases, A study by Nahid Sultana (2014) on Health Problems among Women
lung disorders like silicosis, other musculoskeletal disorders, and so Building Construction Workers. This cross-sectional study was carried
on, (Guddi Tiwary 2014) Women are almost unskilled labourers and out among 134 female construction workers was conducted from
they face serious problems related to work, viz., wage discrimination, Dhaka National Medical College, Dhaka. It was observed that among
gender and sexual harassment, unhealthy job relationship and lower 134 respondents, majority (71.6%) of the women construction worker
wages, (Thayyil Jayakrishnan et.al, 2013). Workers are exposed to were brick breaker and (28.3%) were weight carrier. Among the total
variety of health hazards, namely musculoskeletal strain from the respondents 58.2% complain of backache, besides pain full
adaptation of uncomfortable working position, Skin diseases from micturition, uterine prolapsed, low backache and respiratory problem
close contact with irritant or sensitizing materials, respiratory irritant were found among them which might need special attention.
from dusts, thus the study was undertaken to explore the health
problems among female construction workers in Trichirappalli Sarika Manhas (2014) done a study to assess the physical health status
District of Tamil Nadu. of female construction workers of Kathua District of Jammu Kashmir.
The core sample for the study comprised 120 female construction
Review of Relevant Literature workers equally divided in two age group viz, 20-30 and 30-40 years.
Dhivya Keerthiga (2017) A Study on Health Problems among Women Results reveal that majority of the female workers had moderate level
Migrant Construction Workers to examine the health problems among of problems related to various health dimensions namely, eyes,
migrant women workers of sample size 110 employed in construction musculoskeletal system, skin, and urinal tract. But at the same time had
sectors in India with special concentration on Coimbatore region of lower level of problems related to respiration, cardio vascular system,
Tamil Nadu reveals that the generation of largest scale employment is a digestive tract and nervous system. Redness, pain, irritation and
significant aspect of construction work for both male and female watery eyes were fairly common along with breathing problems and
workers. Construction workers are unskilled and illiterate workers, chest congestion. Overall, the results highlight the poor health
which make them very vulnerable to exploitation. The main condition of female construction workers.
occupational health problems in the construction industry are back
injuries from carrying heavy loads, respiratory disease from inhaling Banu and Kumar (2018) conducted a study on the Working Conditions
dust, musculoskeletal disorders, and skin problems. and Issues of Women Workers in an Unorganized Sector- Special
Reference to Construction Sector with 63 women workers in
Neeraja Telaprolu et al (2013) conducted a study on work related Thuraiyur Taluk, Tiruchirappalli. The data shows that the women
musculoskeletal disorders among unskilled Indian women construction workers affected by numerous health issues on which 8 of
construction workers among118 women workers from Hyderabad 10 have a urinary tract infection and 66.66% them suffer from
city. The study quotes that the nature of work in construction industry musculoskeletal problems. The lungs related ailments are faced by
puts workers at high risk for acute and cumulative work related 57.14% respondents and 92.1% women workers have an allergic to
musculoskeletal disorders. This study concludes that the education dust. However, the 9 out of 10 women not having any skin disease.
programme on ergonomic principles must be made mandatory for to
reduce the risk and to promote occupational health. Thayyil Jayakrishnan et al (2013) conducted a study on Occupational
health problems of construction workers in India Construction
Bharara, (2012) conducted a study on Issues of Occupational Health industry is one of the stable growing industries of the world and in
and Injuries among Unskilled Female Labourers in Construction India it is the largest economic activity after agriculture. Construction
Industry: A Scenario of Punjab State with 80 female workers up to the workers are at a greater risk of developing certain health disorders and
age of 40 years engaged in construction industry as unskilled sickness than workers in many other industries. The cross-sectional
labourer were selected from 8 randomly selected construction sites of study was conducted at Kozhikode district of Kerala, India,
Ludhiana city. The study brought out that in unorganized sector work is Construction projects were selected by simple random method and
full of health hazards and injuries. Injury data of sampled population sample size 410. The study reveals that respiratory infections, eye
INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH 13
 Volume-8 | Issue-7 | July-2018 | ISSN - 2249-555X | IF : 5.397 | IC Value : 86.18
disease, skin and musculoskeletal problems. Measures are needed to workers by reducing exposure to prevailing hazards. In addition to that
improve the work environment of construction workers by ensuring the workers should be aware regarding the hazards in their working
availability of protective gears, sanitation facilities at the sites along place.
with an accessible, accountable occupational health services.
Reference
Methodology 1. Dhivya Keerthiga (2017) A Study on Health Problems among Women Migrant
Construction Workers. International Journal for Innovative Research in
The descriptive nature of the study was included 474 women Multidisciplinary Field, 3(8):163-167
construction worker. Snow ball sampling was adopted for the selection 2. Neeraja Telaprolu et.al (2013) Work related musculoskeletal disorders among unskilled
of respondents and the data collected through interview schedule. Indian women construction workers, National Journal of Community Medicine
4(4):658-661
3. Bharara (2012) Issues of Occupational Health and Injuries among Unskilled Female
Result and Discussion Labourers in Construction Industry: A Scenario of Punjab. Kamla-Raj Stud Home Com
The demographic characteristics of the respondent, in which the Sci, 6(1): 1-6
4. Nahid Sultana (2014) Health Problems among Women Building Construction Workers.
women construction workers were equally distributed in all the age J Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 9(1): 31-36
groups in which most of them belongs to Hindu community. The study 5. Bennett et.al. (1999) Women in construction: a comparative investigation into the
reveals that all the respondents were married out of which few lost their expectations and experiences of female and male construction undergraduates and
employees, Women in Management Review, 14(7):273-91.
spouse and four fifth of them fall into the income category of Rs. 5000 6. Sarika Manhas (2014) Assessment of Physical Health Status of Female Construction
to Rs. 7000. The community wise data distribution shows that two fifth Workers of Kathua District, J&K , IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science
of them belongs to scheduled caste and rest are pertaining to backward (IOSR-JHSS) 19(4):19-24
7. Banu, Rasheedha and Kumar, Sampath (2018) Working Conditions and Issues of
and most backward community. Women Workers in an Unorganized Sector- Special Reference to Construction Sector of
Thuraiyur Taluk,Tiruchirappalli. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research
The table 1 highlights the health issues faced by the women and Development 2 (3):1369-1374
8. Ram Lakhani (2004) Occupational Health of Women Construction Workers in the
construction workers, 84.2% workers complaint urinary tract infection Unorganised Sector. Indian Institute of Health Management 6 (2):187-200
and 15.8% had no such complaint. Seven out of ten (70.7%) worker 9. Guddi Tiwary (2014) A review on the occupational health and social security of
found to be suffering from musculoskeletal problems, four fifth of unorganized workers in the construction industry, Indian Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine 15(1): 18–24
them said that they are suffering from respiratory related issues; 59.7% 10. Thayyil Jayakrishnan et.al (2013) Occupational health problems of construction
had skin problem; 43.9% had dust allergy and 89.5% had backache. workers in India International Journal of Medicine and Public Health 3(4):225-229

Table: 1 Health Problems of Women Construction Workers

Health Problems Frequency Percentage
Urinary tract infection Had 399 84.2
Had Not 75 15.8
Musculoskeletal Had 335 70.7
problems Had Not 139 29.3
Respiratory/lungs Had 84 17.7
problems
Had Not 390 82.3
Skin Allergy Had 283 59.7
Had Not 191 40.3
Dusts Allergy Had 208 43.9
Had Not 266 56.1
Backache Had 424 89.5
Had Not 50 10.5
Half of them felt their work is not overloaded and at the same moment
90 percent of expressed feeling of helplessness, consequently faced
tension and strain at work place. The women felt that their working
time was not flexible and encountered nervy relationship at work. In
this study little higher than fifty percent of women construction
workers complained of skin and dust allergy. These findings are
consistent with the study by Nahid Sultana (2014) that the presence of
chemical in cement is known to cause allergic problems. Further
limited availability of water facility and lack of toilet and climate
conditions leads to health issues to construction workers. In this study
84.2% respondents had urinary tract infection, dust, injuries; heat and
moisture were mentioned as problem in workplace. Since the majority
of the respondents had urinary tract infection and backache. These
findings are in line with a study by Bharara (2012) that urinary tract
infection, sore throat, cervical pain, skin allergy, back pain are the
major health issues faced by the women construction workers.

Construction worker have got an attributable risk of 70.7% for

musculoskeletal injuries, higher than all other worker. Postural
changes like bending forward or standing and weight bearing may
cause backache, low back pain, and neck pain and so on. Few of them
reported different types of respiratory problems. These results are in
complied with a study conducted by Ram Lakhani (2004) indicate that
those who are periodically working in the construction industry,
reported diverse types of respiratory complaints. Breathing of cement
dust can cause respiratory disorders and difficulty in breathing.

Conclusion
The Constitution of India provides equal rights and opportunities to
both the genders. Construction sector falls under unorganized sector of
an economy. The findings of this study revealed that different types of
health problems were prevalent amongst the workers in construction
industry. Thus, good health of the worker must be the prime concern of
the reformers. Necessary measures should be taken to protect the
14 INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH