A Study to Assess the Occupational Health Problems among Rubber Tappers Residing in Yettacode Village Panchayat, Kanyakumari District

Occupational health is essentially preventive medicine. The Joint ILO/WHO committee on occupational Health, in the course of its first session, held in 1950, gave the following definition: “Occupational health should aim at the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well being of workers in all occupations; the prevention among workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risk resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological equipment, and to summarize, the adaptation of work to man and of each man to his job.( K. Park) Statement Of The Problems:-A Study To Assess The Occupational Health Problems Among Rubber Tappers Residing In Yettacode Village Panchayat, Kanyakumari District.Objectives:-To assess the common occupation health problems among rubber tappers in Yettacode village Panchyat. Assumption:-It is assumed that rubber tappers will have some health problems such as musculoskeletal disorders, abnormal lung function, Visual impairment, skin disorders insect bites etc..Research Approach:-Qualitative approach was used for this study.Research Design:-Descriptive (cross-sectional survey) design was used for this study.Setting Of This Study:-The study was conducted among rubber tappers in Yettacode village panchayat, Kanyakumari District. Yettacode village panchyat covers an area of 3 square kilometer and has a population of 5100. In that males are 2628 and females are 2472. Among this population approximately 600 peoples are rubber tappers.Population:-The target population selected for this study was rubber tapper’s residing in Yettacode village panchayat, Kanykumari District.Sample:-The sample selected for this study was rubber tappers cutting more than 100 tress per day and residing in yettacode village panchayat, Kanykumari District.Sample Size:-The sample size of this study was 20 rubber tapper’s residing in yettacode village panchayat, Kanykumari District.Sampling Technique:-Purposive convenient sampling technique was used for this study.Results: About 3(15%) of rubber tappers had eye injuries due to wooden dust during rubber tapping. About 17(85%) of rubber tappers doesn’t had any eye injuries during rubber tapping. About 7(35%) of rubber tappers suffered with was sting during rubber tapping. About 1(5%) of rubber tappers suffered with rubber branch falling and about 12(60%) of rubbers tappers doesn’t suffers with any injuries during rubber tapping.conclusion :This study demonstrates that high rate of occupational injury encountered by rubber tappers. Small workshops or classes conducted among the workers regarding ergonomic improvements that they needed to adopt in their working pattern will be highly effective. It will create an awareness among the rubber tappers regarding possible improvements that can be made.