Emerging issues in Child Health related to Occuptaional and Environmental Exposure

Child Labour
The constitution of India, as a part of the fundamental rights, has laid down that the State shall direct its policy towards protection of childhood and youth against exploitation and shall not be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any hazardous employment. The official statistics of 1983 based on a sample survey in there are nearly 17 million children below the age of 15 years. Children are to be found in almost all sectors of urban and rural economies. Children are engaged in almost all sectors in cities, towns and the fringe areas in the hotel industries, construction and chemical workshops, automobile repairing and fuel stations, slate pencil industries, slate industries, glass industries, carpet industries, gem polishing, lock making industries, etc. This list of the industries where children are employed is very long and it is not possible to cover all the occupations.. However, it can be said that in almost of the sectors of urban economy children are employed. Many of the occupations listed above are hazardous in nature and not suitable to these children .As such many of them are detrimental to the physical and mental health of the children. So there is a serious concerns of the Govt. and society about those children who are working in such hazardous occupations. 

1.1. In and around, Sivakasi Tamilnadu, there are approximately. 2700 Match works and 200 fire factories employing more than 2 lakh workers. According to UNICEF (1986), there are 45,269 children working in this industry. This particular estimate does not cover home based match work in and around Sivakasi town as well as nearby areas. If they are also covered in the present statistic then there are 1,25,000 children working in this industry. Out of this total working children population, 80% are girls and reaming are boys. The process of match making is labour intensive. Children are employed in various processes of match making. Major processes are frame filling,, wax dipping, head filling, drying, box farming & filling , side painting, band rolling, dozen packing and chemical grinding section. They are exposed to physical, chemical and ergonomic hazards. Physical hazards include excessive heat superadded by poor ventilation. They are also exposed to high volume music being played by the employer so those children can not communicate with each other and have to be involve fully in the work. They are exposed various chemical hazards mainly potassium chlorate, commercial sulphur, glue, black & red manganese, red phosphorus, antimony glass powder etc.
Occupational Health Problems: In the long run, due to synergistic effectof above mentioned chemicals in the presence of excessive heat and lack of ventilation, and improper ergonomic condition, the major occupational health problems which can be expected are many. Common acute occupational illnesses observed are allergic skin diseases, allergic lung disorders, and irritation of eyes with lacrimation, photophobia & conjunctivitis. Long working hours, exposure to excessive heat, low illumination, improper posture, overcrowded working space, continuous sitting in one posture can cause health problems like pain in joints, bodyache, fatigue and other muscle-skeletal problems, resulting in stunted physical growth &development etc. over and above many workinduced psychological problems can’t be ruled out. 

Quartz Grinding
The quartz powder (100% silica) is used widely in the industry to make glass, ceramic and potteries, abrasive in soap, chemical filtration etc.



Heavy exposure of the workers as shown lead to rapid onset of acute silicosis in few months.

Heavy physical work increases the severity of exposure due to increased rate and breath of breathing.