Abstract:
The workers in the footwear industry are affected by health-related hazards
due to the poor maintenance of their working environment all over the world.
Health plays a vital role in determining working ability and productivity. The
working environment influences the health condition of the workers and
causes health hazards and increases health care costs. Therefore, this study
aims to analyses the impact of workplace environment factors on the health of
footwear manufacturing workers in Veyangalla village, and it also has the sub
objectives of identifying work environment factors that impact disease for
workers, identifying the health cost of workers, identifying the impact of work
environment factors on health cost, and presenting suggestions for improving
the health of workers. Because the primary data and secondary data were used
in this study, Primary data were collected from 100 employees from 12
footwear manufacturing factories in the research area using systematic
sampling and analyzed using descriptive analysis, cost of illness analysis, and
multiple regression analysis methods based on questionnaire, interview,
observation, and discussion. Accordingly, this study found that some
workplace environment factors have a high impact on labor health due to lack
of cleaning, insufficient ventilation, and unsatisfaction of sitting
arrangements. The health cost is high for male laborer’s, spray-coated
laborer’s, and laborer’s who have been working in the footwear industry for
more than 10 years. As well as the significant impact of work environment
factors on labour health, it has been found to have a significant impact on
labour health costs. Therefore, this study concludes that the workplace
environment factors have been impacting the disease of the workers engaged
in the footwear industry in Veyangalla village and suggestions for this have
been made. For this purpose, the government can protect employees by
implementing policies such as granting permits for health care costs, granting
permission to review plans, setting up factories.
