Occupation Related Accidents in Selected Garment Industries in Bangalore City
Author(s): S Calvin, B Joseph
Vol. 31, No. 3 (2006-07 - 2006-09)
S Calvin, B Joseph1
Abstract
Objectives: To identify the common accidents that occurred in this industry and to identify any factors that were associated
in order to recommend preventive steps. Methods: After studying the activities undertaken in the garment manufacturing
industry accidents reporting to the first aid room of the factories were recorded. The workers suffering these accidents were
interviewed. Additionally participatory methods of evaluation were used with some of the personnel to gain further insight into
the problem. Results: The incidence of reported accidents was 2.49/1000 workers during the six weeks of the study. Almost
all the workers were treated promptly at the factory. Very few man-days were lost because of these accidents. Conclusion:
Accidents are a common occurrence in the apparel manufacturing industry. Both workers and the managements should
be made aware of the problems associated with accidents and on the correct and continuous use of personal protective
equipments that are recommended for each task in the industry.
Keywords: Accidents, Apparel, Garment, Industry, Manufacturing Sewing, Tailors, Workers
Introduction
A review of the textile industry quotes that it is the largest
manufacturing sector in India, accounting for around 20% of
India’s industrial output and 37% of total exports1. Karnataka
is major apparel souring destination for the global market,
with exports of over Rs. 3000 crore in 2000-01 making it the
second largest garments exporter in India2. There are 5777
factories in India employing 3,27,397 personnel producing
goods both for home market and for export3. There are 780
garment-manufacturing units in Bangalore alone. Women
form 80% of the workforce in the industry4.
A study from Delhi found that accidents, both minor and
major, are common in the garment industry5. Minor accidents
include falls, cutting and bruising, fingers getting trapped into
machines and injuries due to splash of chemicals. A report
from Tiruppur, considered the hub of the garment exporting
business in India, found that the health department officials
have no information about workplace accidents. Employers
attempting to avoid media attention or scrutiny by the police,
seek treatment for injured workers in private hospitals6.
No studies have documented the number of injuries or the
type of injuries and the frequency with which they occur.
However, a recent paper emanating from the United States
of America indicates that although point estimates are small,
injuries in the apparel and finished textile manufacturing
industry is the slowest declining7.
This study was conducted with the objectives of enlisting and
describing the common occupation related accidents in the
selected garment industries, identifying the factors associated
with the occurrence of the listed accident, ascertaining if there
is a significant association between identified variables and occurrence of accidents, and recommending measures for
prevention of these accidents.
Material and Methods
During the course of the study, the investigators visited
eight factories belonging to one of India’s major exporters of
finished apparels and situated in the outskirts of Bangalore
City. The labour force comprised mainly of women who
stayed in the city or in the nearby villages. The investigators
visited these factories on a regular basis over a period of six
weeks to identify and enumerate these accidents.
Walk through survey of the factory shop floor was done
to observe the activities undertaken in the production of
garments. Record review of health records and accident
records maintained in the factory was done to identify the
cause of accident and the type of injury and use of protective
equipment, training of workers and other related factors.
Participatory methods such as key informant interviews were
conducted with the workers who have suffered the accidents,
floor supervisors and managers to learn more about these
accidents. Preventive measures identified were suggested
to the factory employees and management.
Results
There were 96 workers who were injured during the period
between April, May and June in these selected factories. With
a total workforce of 3858, the incidents of accidents during
the study period is 2.49/1000 workers.
Of these 96 workers only 89 workers were interviewed. Seven
of the workers could not be interviewed because they had
left the factory. The reasons for resigning from service was
not clearly known.
As depicted in Table I there was no significant association
between the age of the factory worker and the accident.
Out of the 89 workers interviewed 28 were males (N=571) and 61 were females. (N=3287). This statistic was found
to be significant (p value less than 0.05). Thus males were
more prone for accidents than females. The reason might
be males were employed in the relatively more hazardous
occupations, which include electrical and mechanical jobs
and as buttoning operators. Out of the 89 workers the
48 were tailors and 41 from other jobs. It was found that there
was no association between the work being performed and
the accidents. Similarly there was no significant relationship
between the injuries and any of the other factors that were
studied, namely education status, experience in the garment
industry, experience in this factory itself, experience in job
and time of injury.
Table I: Comparison of Age distribution of workers with those who had sustained accident
Age
No. of employees
No. who met with accidents
Total
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
18-20
615
28
587
21
3
18
21-25
1307
184
1123
37
12
25
26-30
1005
173
832
16
4
12
31-35
508
95
413
8
5
3
36-40
273
54
219
3
0
3
41-45
110
26
84
4
4
0
>45
40
10
30
0
0
0
65 workers out of the 89 (73%) of the workers said that this
was their first accident. Of the 24 others, most had suffered
similar injuries at some point during their career in the
industry. It was found that a puncture wound was the most
common type of injury (48.3%). The commonest mode of
suffering from these puncture wounds was by the needle
entering the phalanx at the time of stitching. The other injuries
were incised wound (28.1%), blunt injury (13.5%), burns
(5.6%) and foriegn body (4.5%). The commonest anatomical
site involved was the distal phalanx of the fingers as most
of the injuries occurred of tailors. This part of the hand was
commonly injured in the process of stitching the apparel.
Both the index finger and the middle finger were the affected
by the accident. 100% of the interviewed workers confirmed
that they had received first aid. The factory workers who were
injured received first aid from the ambulance room where a
factory nurse is stationed. In rare cases, when it the injury
was of a more serious nature, the nurse took the patients
to an appropriate medical centre close to the factory. An
avoidable accident was one that could have been prevented
by the use of personal protective equipment or by utilizing
the safety guards that are generally provided with the sewing
machines. An inspection of the work spot where the accident
occurred and an in-depth interview of the workers involved
showed that 85 out of the 89 accidents could have been
avoided by modification of human and machine factors. The
four that were not avoidable were due to falls while working
in the factory. Each of the factories has made efforts to
demarcate areas for walking (gangways). An inspection of the site of the fall revealed that nothing more could be done
to prevent these falls. In most of these factories the workers
are provided and know the use of their protective device.
64 workers had neglected wearing protective device due to
some reason or the other. The reasons given by them are
when confronted with the question as to why they were not
wearing the protective device was that it is very uncomfortable
to work with. Secondly working with the protective devices
did not come naturally to the workers. 78 (87.6%) of workers
were trained to use the gadget or machine in use. While
some accidents were not directly as a result of working with
machines, the key informant interviews revealed that the
frequent change of the type or machine used was likely to
predispose to accidents. 28 (31.5%) accidents occurred due
to unsafe condition of the machine. Of these the commonest
was the absence or the modification of the needle guards.
As indicated earlier in some cases this may be a result of
the workers themselves modifying the machines. Also in a
few cases faulty machines were being put to use.
69 workers (77.55%) suggested that the accident could
have been avoided by modifiable human factors, 9 workers
(10.1%) said that it could have been avoided by mechanical
changes and 11 workers (12.4%) said that the accident could
have been avoided by both. 35 workers did overtime and
out of these 35 workers who did over time 15 workers did it
voluntary to earn more money the remaining workers worked
to finish of projects. However none of the accidents occurred
during the overtime nor did the workers attribute the accident
to their involvement in overtime work. 18 workers of the 89
took leave because of this accident. This ranged from one to
two days. Our interviews with these workers, revealed that
12 of them, received pay during this leave period and the
remaining 6 did not receive any pay for these days. None of
these accidents required or was paid any compensation.
Discussion
Review of literature related to the garment industry suggests
that hazards have been categorised into accident hazards,
will hand fingers injuries, burns etc. physical hazards like
exposure to of noise, heat, light etc. and chemical fingers
hazards like exposure metal fumes8. There have been a few
reports of accidents in the garment industry from the world
over. In Thailand, a study on health promotion in the garment
industry revealed that many workers ignored using any safety
device at work, and managed stress improperly9. In a few
studies in Sri Lanka it was shown that most accidents are
considered by employers to be minor, e.g. repetitive strain
injury or needle stick injuries10. It was also found during
this study that in the past most of these accidents -are not
reported in the factory register and that the workers are
unaware of any accident register.
The reasons indicated in these studies as to why these
accidents occurred in the industries were poor housekeeping, organization, inadequate use of protective devices and
above all the lack of a safety culture on the part of workers
and employers. The following recommendations are based
on the findings of the quantitative part of this study, the
discussions with the management and the workers through
key informant interviews and the walk-through inspection of
the factory shop floor.
Safety aspects applicable to the garment industry include
the proper installation and maintenance of lifts and hoists,
boilers and-other mechanical and electrical equipment.
On the human front, the provision and proper utilisation of
personal protective equipment is also of great importance10.
The recommendations of the Factories Act with respect to
overcrowding, safe access to work, temperature, circulation
of fresh air, lighting, fire escapes among other factors should
be followed11.
Recognising that injuries to the distal phalanx is the
commonest accidental occurrence in the garment industry,
the manufacturers of sewing machines have incorporated
an appendage to the moving needle assembly – the needle
guard – to prevent the finger from approaching the needle.
However, workers often manipulate these guards since
it comes in the way of faster productivity. Some older
machines inherently lack these needle guards. Once again
the combined role of machine factors and human factors in
causation of accidents is highlighted.
The importance of the maintenance of records is often
not highlighted in non-hazardous industries. The first-aid
trained workers and other health care providers should be
encouraged to be meticulous in this aspect. The health and
safety programmes that are held in the factories should
cover all employees and focus on the above mentioned
deficiencies. The Department has turned it focus to these
aspects and the factories are now paying attention to this
neglected area.
Limitations
The garment industry is fraught with a problem of “turnover”.
This fluid state of workers leaving one factory to join another
resulted in the loss of few cases. During this study it was
noticed that awkward body postures are a major ergonomic
concern in these factories. Due to various constraints
attention could not be paid to the incidence of injuries and
muscle-skeletal problems that were reported during this
period.
Some very minor injuries, such as nicks with the trimming
scissors are never reported to the ambulance room. Workers
apply ‘band-aid’ plasters that are available in the first-aid
boxes and continue working. These injuries are not reported
in our study.
References
- Prakash S. Trade and development case studies, Country
Studies, India, Part 4: Textiles [monograph on the Internet].
Geneva: World Trade Organisation; 1998 [cited 2004, Jul.
28]. Available from http://www.itd.org/issues/india4.htm
- Secretariat for Industrial Development, Department
of Industrial Policy Promotion, Ministry of Commerce,
Government of India (homepage on the Internet) Karnataka,
Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Limited
[cited 2004, Jul 28] Projects on offer (about 8 screens).
Available from : http://siadipp.nic.in/sectors/kar.htm
- Johnson BLC. Geographical Dictionary of India. Vision Books
Pvt. Ltd. India, 2001: 223.
- Kruijtbosch M. Child and adult labour in the export-oriented
garment and gem polishing industry of India with case studies
from Tirupur, Bangalore, Jaipur and Trichy. (monograph on
the Internet) Utrecht: India Committee of the Netherlands
Available from: http://www.indianet.nl/chadlab.html
- Pandita S. The plight of workers in Export Processing Zone
in India. [monograph on the Internet] New Delhi: Society for
Participatory Research In Asia (PRIA) and the American
Centre for International Labour Solidarity (ACILS) [cited
2004, Jul 28]. Available from : http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/-partha/EPZ%20Study% 20report.htm
- Goede Waar & Co. Dirty Shirts – A study of health and safety
concerns in Tirupur region. 2002. Amsterdam (Netherlands);
September, 2002.
- Loomis D, Bene JF , Bailer AJ. Trends in occupational
injuries estimates in. the US 1980-96. Injury Prevention
2003; 9 : 9-14.
- International Labour Organisation. Encyclopedia of
Occupational Health and Safety 4th Edition, 1998. Geneva.
2 : 50.7 – 50.12.
- Layanun P. Health Promotion for Thai Garment Factory
workers. [monograph on the Internet] Washington:
Organizing for Developmnt An International Institute [cited
2004, Jul 28]. Available from : http://www.odii.com/Papers/Thai-case-complete_full _ summary-web.htm
- Ondcrzoek S. Multinationale Ondernemingen (Centre for
Research on Multinationals) (homepage on the Internet)
Report on Conditions for Garment Factory Workers in Sri
Lanka [cited 2004, Jul 28]. Available from : http://www.somo.nl/monitoring/reports/sri_lanka.htm
- Puliani S. The Factories Act, 1948 along with Karnataka
Factories Rules 1969 and allied laws, 4th Edition Bangalore.
Karnataka Law Journal Publications 2000.
1 Deptt. of Community Health,
St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore
560034
E-mail: [email protected]
S Calvin, B Joseph1
Abstract
Objectives: To identify the common accidents that occurred in this industry and to identify any factors that were associated in order to recommend preventive steps. Methods: After studying the activities undertaken in the garment manufacturing industry accidents reporting to the first aid room of the factories were recorded. The workers suffering these accidents were interviewed. Additionally participatory methods of evaluation were used with some of the personnel to gain further insight into the problem. Results: The incidence of reported accidents was 2.49/1000 workers during the six weeks of the study. Almost all the workers were treated promptly at the factory. Very few man-days were lost because of these accidents. Conclusion: Accidents are a common occurrence in the apparel manufacturing industry. Both workers and the managements should be made aware of the problems associated with accidents and on the correct and continuous use of personal protective equipments that are recommended for each task in the industry.
Keywords: Accidents, Apparel, Garment, Industry, Manufacturing Sewing, Tailors, Workers
Introduction
A review of the textile industry quotes that it is the largest manufacturing sector in India, accounting for around 20% of India’s industrial output and 37% of total exports1. Karnataka is major apparel souring destination for the global market, with exports of over Rs. 3000 crore in 2000-01 making it the second largest garments exporter in India2. There are 5777 factories in India employing 3,27,397 personnel producing goods both for home market and for export3. There are 780 garment-manufacturing units in Bangalore alone. Women form 80% of the workforce in the industry4.
A study from Delhi found that accidents, both minor and major, are common in the garment industry5. Minor accidents include falls, cutting and bruising, fingers getting trapped into machines and injuries due to splash of chemicals. A report from Tiruppur, considered the hub of the garment exporting business in India, found that the health department officials have no information about workplace accidents. Employers attempting to avoid media attention or scrutiny by the police, seek treatment for injured workers in private hospitals6. No studies have documented the number of injuries or the type of injuries and the frequency with which they occur. However, a recent paper emanating from the United States of America indicates that although point estimates are small, injuries in the apparel and finished textile manufacturing industry is the slowest declining7.
This study was conducted with the objectives of enlisting and describing the common occupation related accidents in the selected garment industries, identifying the factors associated with the occurrence of the listed accident, ascertaining if there is a significant association between identified variables and occurrence of accidents, and recommending measures for prevention of these accidents.
Material and Methods
During the course of the study, the investigators visited eight factories belonging to one of India’s major exporters of finished apparels and situated in the outskirts of Bangalore City. The labour force comprised mainly of women who stayed in the city or in the nearby villages. The investigators visited these factories on a regular basis over a period of six weeks to identify and enumerate these accidents. Walk through survey of the factory shop floor was done to observe the activities undertaken in the production of garments. Record review of health records and accident records maintained in the factory was done to identify the cause of accident and the type of injury and use of protective equipment, training of workers and other related factors. Participatory methods such as key informant interviews were conducted with the workers who have suffered the accidents, floor supervisors and managers to learn more about these accidents. Preventive measures identified were suggested to the factory employees and management.
Results
There were 96 workers who were injured during the period between April, May and June in these selected factories. With a total workforce of 3858, the incidents of accidents during the study period is 2.49/1000 workers.
Of these 96 workers only 89 workers were interviewed. Seven of the workers could not be interviewed because they had left the factory. The reasons for resigning from service was not clearly known.
As depicted in Table I there was no significant association between the age of the factory worker and the accident. Out of the 89 workers interviewed 28 were males (N=571) and 61 were females. (N=3287). This statistic was found to be significant (p value less than 0.05). Thus males were more prone for accidents than females. The reason might be males were employed in the relatively more hazardous occupations, which include electrical and mechanical jobs and as buttoning operators. Out of the 89 workers the 48 were tailors and 41 from other jobs. It was found that there was no association between the work being performed and the accidents. Similarly there was no significant relationship between the injuries and any of the other factors that were studied, namely education status, experience in the garment industry, experience in this factory itself, experience in job and time of injury.
Table I: Comparison of Age distribution of workers with those who had sustained accident
Age | No. of employees | No. who met with accidents | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | |
18-20 | 615 | 28 | 587 | 21 | 3 | 18 |
21-25 | 1307 | 184 | 1123 | 37 | 12 | 25 |
26-30 | 1005 | 173 | 832 | 16 | 4 | 12 |
31-35 | 508 | 95 | 413 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
36-40 | 273 | 54 | 219 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
41-45 | 110 | 26 | 84 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
>45 | 40 | 10 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
65 workers out of the 89 (73%) of the workers said that this was their first accident. Of the 24 others, most had suffered similar injuries at some point during their career in the industry. It was found that a puncture wound was the most common type of injury (48.3%). The commonest mode of suffering from these puncture wounds was by the needle entering the phalanx at the time of stitching. The other injuries were incised wound (28.1%), blunt injury (13.5%), burns (5.6%) and foriegn body (4.5%). The commonest anatomical site involved was the distal phalanx of the fingers as most of the injuries occurred of tailors. This part of the hand was commonly injured in the process of stitching the apparel. Both the index finger and the middle finger were the affected by the accident. 100% of the interviewed workers confirmed that they had received first aid. The factory workers who were injured received first aid from the ambulance room where a factory nurse is stationed. In rare cases, when it the injury was of a more serious nature, the nurse took the patients to an appropriate medical centre close to the factory. An avoidable accident was one that could have been prevented by the use of personal protective equipment or by utilizing the safety guards that are generally provided with the sewing machines. An inspection of the work spot where the accident occurred and an in-depth interview of the workers involved showed that 85 out of the 89 accidents could have been avoided by modification of human and machine factors. The four that were not avoidable were due to falls while working in the factory. Each of the factories has made efforts to demarcate areas for walking (gangways). An inspection of the site of the fall revealed that nothing more could be done to prevent these falls. In most of these factories the workers are provided and know the use of their protective device. 64 workers had neglected wearing protective device due to some reason or the other. The reasons given by them are when confronted with the question as to why they were not wearing the protective device was that it is very uncomfortable to work with. Secondly working with the protective devices did not come naturally to the workers. 78 (87.6%) of workers were trained to use the gadget or machine in use. While some accidents were not directly as a result of working with machines, the key informant interviews revealed that the frequent change of the type or machine used was likely to predispose to accidents. 28 (31.5%) accidents occurred due to unsafe condition of the machine. Of these the commonest was the absence or the modification of the needle guards. As indicated earlier in some cases this may be a result of the workers themselves modifying the machines. Also in a few cases faulty machines were being put to use. 69 workers (77.55%) suggested that the accident could have been avoided by modifiable human factors, 9 workers (10.1%) said that it could have been avoided by mechanical changes and 11 workers (12.4%) said that the accident could have been avoided by both. 35 workers did overtime and out of these 35 workers who did over time 15 workers did it voluntary to earn more money the remaining workers worked to finish of projects. However none of the accidents occurred during the overtime nor did the workers attribute the accident to their involvement in overtime work. 18 workers of the 89 took leave because of this accident. This ranged from one to two days. Our interviews with these workers, revealed that 12 of them, received pay during this leave period and the remaining 6 did not receive any pay for these days. None of these accidents required or was paid any compensation.
Discussion
Review of literature related to the garment industry suggests that hazards have been categorised into accident hazards, will hand fingers injuries, burns etc. physical hazards like exposure to of noise, heat, light etc. and chemical fingers hazards like exposure metal fumes8. There have been a few reports of accidents in the garment industry from the world over. In Thailand, a study on health promotion in the garment industry revealed that many workers ignored using any safety device at work, and managed stress improperly9. In a few studies in Sri Lanka it was shown that most accidents are considered by employers to be minor, e.g. repetitive strain injury or needle stick injuries10. It was also found during this study that in the past most of these accidents -are not reported in the factory register and that the workers are unaware of any accident register.
The reasons indicated in these studies as to why these accidents occurred in the industries were poor housekeeping, organization, inadequate use of protective devices and above all the lack of a safety culture on the part of workers and employers. The following recommendations are based on the findings of the quantitative part of this study, the discussions with the management and the workers through key informant interviews and the walk-through inspection of the factory shop floor.
Safety aspects applicable to the garment industry include the proper installation and maintenance of lifts and hoists, boilers and-other mechanical and electrical equipment. On the human front, the provision and proper utilisation of personal protective equipment is also of great importance10. The recommendations of the Factories Act with respect to overcrowding, safe access to work, temperature, circulation of fresh air, lighting, fire escapes among other factors should be followed11.
Recognising that injuries to the distal phalanx is the commonest accidental occurrence in the garment industry, the manufacturers of sewing machines have incorporated an appendage to the moving needle assembly – the needle guard – to prevent the finger from approaching the needle. However, workers often manipulate these guards since it comes in the way of faster productivity. Some older machines inherently lack these needle guards. Once again the combined role of machine factors and human factors in causation of accidents is highlighted.
The importance of the maintenance of records is often not highlighted in non-hazardous industries. The first-aid trained workers and other health care providers should be encouraged to be meticulous in this aspect. The health and safety programmes that are held in the factories should cover all employees and focus on the above mentioned deficiencies. The Department has turned it focus to these aspects and the factories are now paying attention to this neglected area.
Limitations
The garment industry is fraught with a problem of “turnover”. This fluid state of workers leaving one factory to join another resulted in the loss of few cases. During this study it was noticed that awkward body postures are a major ergonomic concern in these factories. Due to various constraints attention could not be paid to the incidence of injuries and muscle-skeletal problems that were reported during this period.
Some very minor injuries, such as nicks with the trimming scissors are never reported to the ambulance room. Workers apply ‘band-aid’ plasters that are available in the first-aid boxes and continue working. These injuries are not reported in our study.
References
- Prakash S. Trade and development case studies, Country Studies, India, Part 4: Textiles [monograph on the Internet]. Geneva: World Trade Organisation; 1998 [cited 2004, Jul. 28]. Available from http://www.itd.org/issues/india4.htm
- Secretariat for Industrial Development, Department of Industrial Policy Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India (homepage on the Internet) Karnataka, Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Limited [cited 2004, Jul 28] Projects on offer (about 8 screens). Available from : http://siadipp.nic.in/sectors/kar.htm
- Johnson BLC. Geographical Dictionary of India. Vision Books Pvt. Ltd. India, 2001: 223.
- Kruijtbosch M. Child and adult labour in the export-oriented garment and gem polishing industry of India with case studies from Tirupur, Bangalore, Jaipur and Trichy. (monograph on the Internet) Utrecht: India Committee of the Netherlands Available from: http://www.indianet.nl/chadlab.html
- Pandita S. The plight of workers in Export Processing Zone in India. [monograph on the Internet] New Delhi: Society for Participatory Research In Asia (PRIA) and the American Centre for International Labour Solidarity (ACILS) [cited 2004, Jul 28]. Available from : http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/-partha/EPZ%20Study% 20report.htm
- Goede Waar & Co. Dirty Shirts – A study of health and safety concerns in Tirupur region. 2002. Amsterdam (Netherlands); September, 2002.
- Loomis D, Bene JF , Bailer AJ. Trends in occupational injuries estimates in. the US 1980-96. Injury Prevention 2003; 9 : 9-14.
- International Labour Organisation. Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety 4th Edition, 1998. Geneva. 2 : 50.7 – 50.12.
- Layanun P. Health Promotion for Thai Garment Factory workers. [monograph on the Internet] Washington: Organizing for Developmnt An International Institute [cited 2004, Jul 28]. Available from : http://www.odii.com/Papers/Thai-case-complete_full _ summary-web.htm
- Ondcrzoek S. Multinationale Ondernemingen (Centre for Research on Multinationals) (homepage on the Internet) Report on Conditions for Garment Factory Workers in Sri Lanka [cited 2004, Jul 28]. Available from : http://www.somo.nl/monitoring/reports/sri_lanka.htm
- Puliani S. The Factories Act, 1948 along with Karnataka Factories Rules 1969 and allied laws, 4th Edition Bangalore. Karnataka Law Journal Publications 2000.
1 Deptt. of Community Health,
St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore
560034
E-mail: [email protected]