Every morning, long before most residents begin their day, municipal sanitation workers are already on the streets.
They collect rubbish, sweep roads, clear drains, and handle waste that most of us would rather not think about. Their work keeps cities functioning, protects public health, and prevents environmental pollution.
Yet behind this essential service lies a reality rarely visible to the public. Municipal sanitation workers are frequently exposed to sharp objects, hazardous chemicals, contaminated materials and infectious waste.
Despite these risks, consistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, boots, masks, and reflective clothing remains a challenge in many sanitation settings.
Inconsistent use of PPE is often described as “non-compliance”, implying that workers simply choose to ignore safety rules. However, the reality is more complex.
Workers often report that protective equipment can be uncomfortable or poorly suited to their tasks. In hot and humid climates like Malaysia’s, wearing masks or heavy protective clothing during long hours of physical work can be difficult.
Gloves may tear when handling sharp or wet waste, and replacement equipment may not always be readily available.
Operational pressures also influence safety practices. Waste collection routes typically follow strict schedules, requiring workers to cover large areas within limited timeframes.
Under such conditions, workers may feel pressure to prioritise efficiency to complete their duties on time.
Over time, skipping protective equipment may become normalised within daily routines. What appears to be unsafe behaviour may actually reflect the practical constraints workers face.
Improving workplace safety requires more than simply reminding workers to follow safety rules. Increasingly, public health and occupational safety experts emphasise the importance of listening to workers themselves.
Sanitation workers understand their jobs better than anyone else. They know which tasks carry the highest risks, which equipment breaks easily, and which working conditions make safety practices difficult.
Engaging workers in discussions about safety can therefore provide valuable insights for improving existing systems.
Approaches such as safety discussions, workplace walk-throughs, and worker feedback sessions allow decision-makers to better understand the challenges faced on the ground. Additionally, availability of PPEs needs to be made consistent for them.
Municipal sanitation workers are an essential yet often invisible part of urban health systems. Creating safe channels for workers to share concerns is particularly important for those in lower-status or short-term positions who may hesitate to speak up.
When workers face injuries or illness due to preventable occupational hazards, the consequences extend beyond the workplace. Families, health care systems, and communities may all be affected.
Protecting sanitation workers is therefore not only a workplace responsibility, but also a public health priority.
Dr Rathiruba Selvaraju and Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh are from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
