Working hazards and health problems among rubber farmers in Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the working hazards and health problems among rubber farmers in the southern part of Thailand. A cross-sectional survey questionnaire was employed to identify the workers’ working hazards and health problems, workers’ postures, and the measurement of the intensity of light, lung function, and eye vision. Results indicated that 45.5 % of the rubber farmers were exposed to a chemical substance, 87 % were exposed to a scorpion, and 27.6 % had a high job strain. Furthermore, 43.8 % of the rubber farmers had a high ergonomic risk when collecting the rubber latex. However, the intensity of the headlamp had met the standard. Findings also revealed some common health problems among rubber farmers. These were musculoskeletal disorders (87.7 %), depression symptoms (15.7 %), and hand eczema (8.9 %). Additionally, nearly half of the Thai rubber farmers had an accident at work (45.1 %, while 22 % reported to have bitten by a poisonous animal. Lastly, 78.4 % of the rubber farmers had a low level of visual requirement and half of them had an abnormal lung function (57.2 %). These findings suggest a need for work process modifications to prevent health hazard in Thai rubber farmers.