SPECIFIC FEATURES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN LIGHT INDUSTRY AND MEASURES FOR ITS SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/Keywords:
light industry OSH; textile occupational hazards; noise-induced hearing loss; musculoskeletal disorders; ergonomic intervention; RULA; ISO 45001; byssinosis; garment workers; occupational health improvement.Abstract
Light industry — encompassing textile weaving, garment manufacture, leather and footwear production, dyeing and finishing, carpet making, and knitting — employs over 60 million workers globally, of whom an estimated 73% are women. Despite its economic significance, the occupational health and safety (OHS) profile of light industry remains poorly characterised in peer-reviewed literature relative to heavier industrial sectors, and systematic evidence-based frameworks for its improvement are lacking. This paper presents a comprehensive systematic review and original empirical investigation of the specific OHS hazard features of light industry, complemented by a longitudinal intervention study assessing the effectiveness of targeted improvement strategies. A systematic search of Scopus and Web of Science (2013–2023) yielded 312 eligible studies. Empirical data were collected from 142 enterprises across five countries, encompassing noise level measurements (ISO 9612), textile dust sampling (EN 481), ergonomic assessments (RULA method, n=240 workers), chemical exposure monitoring, and OHS management system (OHSMS) audits against ISO 45001 criteria across 284 enterprises. Dyeing and finishing sub-sectors exhibited the highest injury rate (11.3 per 1,000 workers) and occupational disease rate (6.8 per 1,000), while garment manufacture showed the highest musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevalence (51.3%). Noise exceeding the 85 dB(A) occupational exposure limit was measured at six of ten workstation types, with shuttle loom areas recording 98.4 dB(A). Ergonomic redesign of sewing workstations achieved a mean RULA score reduction from 6.8 to 3.2 (53% improvement). A combined intervention programme (engineering controls, ergonomic redesign, ISO 45001 implementation, health surveillance) achieved a 52.6% reduction in injury rate over four years (2020–2024), with a calculated return on investment of 638%. Critical gaps in OSH management maturity were identified in small enterprises (< 50 workers), where hazard identification and health surveillance scores averaged 4.2 and 2.8 out of 10 respectively. A prioritised, evidence-based improvement framework of ten intervention categories is proposed, structured by hazard severity, feasibility, and ROI.
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