Author(s)

Charles Omulo Owenda

Department of Development Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

This study examines Occupational Health and Safety implications in flower farms in Central Uganda. An exploratory sequential mixed method design and methodology was employed, with multiple data collection methods including interviews, focus group discussions and survey. The findings show that occupational health and safety issues remain a major problem in flower farms. While the majority of workers agreed that the farms provided them with protective equipment, the data collected from the workers point at either the improper use or ineffectiveness of the equipment. A number of workers reported skin irritations, sore and painful eyes, stiff necks, back pains and occasional headaches that was presumably argued to have arose from their work environment. The study also found that farms have been adjusting in an attempt to correct some of these anomalies. These included the use of biological approaches to control pests and diseases, restricting the use of some chemical formulations that are deemed to be harmful to applicators and environment. Alongside these efforts, the study recommends increased vigilance by the flower farm owners in the provision of personal protective equipment to workers.

Flower Farms, Personal Protective Equipment, Agrochemicals, Rural Communities, Occupational Health and Safety, Chemical Exposures, Workers’ Health, Floriculture

Owenda, C. (2024) Work as a Source of Livelihood, Not Ill Health: Examining the Status of Occupational Health and Safety in Flower Farms in Central Uganda. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 12, 259-277. doi: 10.4236/jss.2024.123019.