Work-related Injury and Disability among Tannery Workers of Kanpur, India

Introduction: Occupational fatalities remain a complex issue despite many scientific research and development efforts made to resolve the problems, especially in the developing world. Due to that, occupational accidents continue to contribute a significant proportion of the total burden of disease. In the case of India, it is difficult to get the data on occupation injuries and fatalities across the different occupational groups. Objectives: The objective of the study is to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of occupational injury among the tannery workers of Kanpur, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was adopted; a total of 284 tannery workers were interviewed during January-June 2015 from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, using a threestage sampling design to fulfil the study objective. Multivariable analyses were employed to see the effect of explanatory variables on the injury. Results: Over one-tenth of the tannery workers (11%) experienced work-related injuries in the past 12 months. Eighty percent of the injured workers had received medical care and 13 out of 30 wounded workers become physically disabled. Tannery workers involved in loading and unloading of raw hides—manually and by trolleys—were 2.0 (p<0.1) times and 2.1 (p<0.1) times more likely to experience a workrelated injury. Conclusion: To conclude, the increased risk factors of occupational injuries are loading and unloading raw hides—manually and by trolleys—were the significant risk factors.