Occupational health,safety,and welfare of workers in small and medium enterprises: A case study of steel industries in Bhiwadi,Rajasthan

Abstract

Background

This study comprehensively evaluated occupational health, safety, and welfare conditions in small and medium enterprises.

Objective

The research used an integrated framework combining physical, mechanical, and psychological risk evaluation. Given the limited research infrastructure in informal industrial sectors, the investigation aimed to establish baseline occupational health data for policy intervention development.

Methods

This cross-sectional exploratory study employed a mixed methods approach designed specifically for resource-constrained informal sector research. Data were collected from 10 randomly selected SMEs and 1 large-scale industry for comparative analysis. A culturally adapted questionnaire was developed and validated after reviewing existing international tools that proved inadequate for the Indian SME context, including 50 workers selected through stratified sampling.

Results

Workers faced severe multi-dimensional occupational hazards with alarming injury rates: cut injuries (26%, n = 13), hearing impairment from noise exposure (26%, n = 13), respiratory disorders from metal dust (20%, n = 10), skin allergies from metal handling (14%, n = 7), and thermal burns (12%, n = 6). 86% of workers (n = 43) showed complete unawareness of psychological health impacts, while 57% (n = 29) worked excessive 12-h shifts, violating regulatory standards. Critical safety gaps included 52% of workers operating without any personal protective equipment and zero pre-employment health screenings across all surveyed industries.

Conclusions

This study reveals critical systemic failures in occupational safety within SME steel industries, with workers experiencing simultaneous physical, mechanical, and psychological hazards. The integrated assessment approach uncovered previously underreported psychological health neglect alongside documented physical risks. The findings establish baseline data for this understudied sector and demonstrate significant associations between safety practices and health outcomes.