DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i06.047

Pages: 2295-2300

Occupational injuries have a major impact on public health and exact a huge toll in the workplace. Workers in the tea planting industry are exposed to a variety of occupational health and safety hazards, of which injuries are of paramount health concern. The objective is to study the profile of occupational injuries reporting to garden hospital and to describe the time trend of these occupational accidents and to study the factors associated with and determinants of occupational injuries among plantation workers. A Mixed methods study was undertaken in a Garden hospital of South India in three selected estates for a period of two months (January– February, 2015). A record based review of injuries happened among 425 workers reported over the period of 2004-2014 was done. Qualitative methods were used to assess the determinants of injury. The maximum number 153(36 %) of occupational accidents occurred in the age group of 41 – 50 years and men sustained more injuries. In our study the time trend of injuries among the three estates followed a similar pattern over the past ten years. Contusions were the most common type of injury followed by cut injuries. Inadequate health and safety training, limited use of personal protective devices, prolonged duration of working hours along with behavioural factors like smoking and alcohol were found to be the major factors that accounted for the occurrence of injury. Along with addressing behavioural factors the existing method of educating labourers with regard to safety, benefits of following safety precautions and use of personal protective equipment's especially at the work place should also be strengthened.