REVIEW PAPER
Occupational health hazards of street cleaners – a literature review considering prevention practices at the workplace
1 1 | Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany (Medical Department) |
2 | Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany (Head of Institute) |
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Vera van Kampen
Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance Medical Department, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany
Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance Medical Department, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany
Online publication date: 2020-09-15
Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2020;33(6):701–732
KEYWORDS
occupational healthhazardsmusculoskeletal disordersrespiratory disordersinjuriesstreet cleaner/sweeper
TOPICS
occupational diseases and work-related diseases, including asthma and rhinitis (case studies, diagnostics, prevention, risk factors)infectious diseasesmusculoskeletal diseasescorporate occupational health strategytranslation of science into policy in occupational and environmental healthaerosol and bioaerosol exposure health effectsbiological agents exposure health effectshazardous materials managementliquid and solid waste disposalnoise pollution controlassessment of the impact of working conditions on work capability and workers’ health (fitness for work)physiological effects of workload (physical and mental workload)physiological reaction to occupational factors: physical, chemical, air pollution, organizationaloccupational stressaerosol and bioaerosol exposurebiological agents at the workplace
ABSTRACT
Street cleaning is an integral part of the solid waste management system. There are different ways to achieve clean streets depending on the availability
of equipment, the type and magnitude of dirt, the surface conditions encountered or traffic conditions. In general, hand sweeping by an individual
worker or a group, hose flushing, or machine sweeping or flushing are applied. In order to obtain information about the occurrence and relevance of
occupational health hazards of street cleaners, the current international literature, as well as corresponding German regulations, were reviewed and
evaluated. Street cleaning includes a variety of health hazards for employees. These can be subdivided into effects of occupational tasks and effects
of working conditions such as weather or road traffic. The hazards result from physical, chemical and biological exposures, but may also be due to
physiological and psychological burden or inadequate safety aspects. The most commonly reported work-related complaints are musculoskeletal and
respiratory disorders, cuts, slips, and road traffic accidents. In developing countries, street cleaners seem to be still heavily exposed to dust and, in most
cases, no suitable protective measures are available. Especially in industrialized countries there exist a number of standards and recommendations for
waste workers that aim to reduce their occupational health impacts. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(6):701–32
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