Women in Agriculture

Lesson 32 : Occupational Health Hazards

Workplace hazards to women’s reproductive health

Women make up nearly half workforce. Thus many women including those of reproductive age are exposed to workplace hazards. These hazards may be chemicals. Toxicants such as heavy metals, pesticides and endocrine disruptors, biological infectious agents are of growing concern among scientists and the public. Although data on the effect of these on the reproductive health of woman is limited. There is need to assess women’s exposure to workplace hazards to know about whether such exposure might increase the risk for problems such as infertility, miscarriage etc.

Types of Hazards:
Common workplace hazards are various types

1. Mechanical hazards
2. Chemical hazards
3. Psychosocial hazards
4. Biological hazards
5. Musculoskeletal hazards
6. By type of damage
7. Other physical hazards
8. Exposure to unhealthy element during meeting with business associates.