Workers perception of and coping with the health risks of informal electronic waste recycling in Ghana

Electronic waste (e-waste) contains heavy metals, which pose enormous human health risks if not properly handled. Evidence shows that the unsafe and crude practices at recycling sites expose workers to several short - and long-term health risks. Considering that different activities pose different risks, this paper examined the health perceptions and attitudes of workers along the e-waste treatment continuum in two informal recycling sites in Ghana; Agbogbloshie (Accra) and Dagomba Line (Kumasi). Using semi-structured interviews with 255 workers, the findings show that workers generally are aware of the "physical" risks associated with their practices but perceived the associated health risks as a normal incident, which required no intervention. Cases of cuts, headache, burns, dizziness, fatigue and muscle pains were the most reported ailments. Knowledge of health risks was obtained by chance and was not activity-dependent. Few of the workers generally use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adopted safe recycling methods. The use of PPE was influenced by several factors but most importantly awareness of health risks and the type of activity a worker undertakes. This paper therefore calls for continuous training and risk communication on associated risks of unsafe practices and the need to use appropriate PPE.