Occupational Health and Safety Practices among Artisans involved in Lead-Acid Battery Recycling at Suame Magazine in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Abstract

Lead acid battery recycling plays a pivotal role in the global effort towards sustainable waste management and resource recovery. However, artisans engaged in this process face various occupational health and safety challenges due to the inherent hazards associated with lead exposure and other toxic substances present in the batteries and this is coupled with many artisans not being fully informed about the potential health risks associated with lead exposure or the correct usage of personal protective equipment. The present research investigated the safety and health at work procedures of artisans engaged in lead-acid battery recycling and evaluated the levels of lead in the soil and air. The study was carried out at Lead Acid Battery workshops located in Suame Magazine, and data was collected through the use of questionnaires used to assess artisans' knowledge and practices related to health and safety. Twenty-one workshops were selected using the snowball sampling technique and air and soil samples were taken from where artisans worked on battery recycling and from their resting places. The age ranges of 31-40 and 41-50 were most common among artisans. Most contact with lead lasted for 30 minutes. Waste was primarily disposed of by selling it as scrap. Nose mask usage was only 23.8% of workshops for protection against gas emissions. Lead concentrations ranged from 0.37 to 4.18mg/kg in air particulates, 33.40 to 92.51mg/kg in soil outside the workshops, and 7.25 to 84.50mg/kg in soil inside the workshops. Hazard quotient values for inhalation did not exceed a maximum level of 1. Differences in measured lead levels among workshops were not significant and this occurred at a p-value of 0.52. The study concluded that workers in lead acid battery recycling lacked proper PPE (14.3% use of gloves and other Personal Protective Equipments) and awareness of lead's dangers, leading to no protection against exposure. While current levels of lead exposure may not pose immediate risks, long-term exposure could lead to health complications. Detectable levels of lead (Pb) were found in air and soil samples from LAB recycling workshops, with varying distribution ranges. The study recommended educating artisans on health hazards, enforcing regulations on PPE use, and implementing proper ventilation systems to minimize lead exposure.