Under ‘Integrated Water Management in Urban Areas as the core task of Municipal Services’ project, ENPHO with the support of BORDA South Asia and in close coordination with the Kirtipur Municipality and Godawari Municipality conducted a half-day orientation on Occupational Health and Safety for the sanitation workers at Godawari Municipality on 30th May 2022 and at Kirtipur Municipality on 31st May 2022. The main objective of this workshop was to enhance the knowledge of participants on occupational health and safety causes, issues, and preventable /control measures to eliminate exposure to health hazards.

The orientation was facilitated by Mr. Satish Kumar Upadhyaya, Section Officer, Occupational Safety and Health Centre under the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety, Nepal. The orientation on Occupational Safety and health was divided into three major sessions.

The first session was focused on describing the roles of occupational safety and health for sanitation workers, linking it with the health, prestige, and family health of the sanitation workers. The second session was focused on identifying the type of sanitation workers, various activities and their nature, and the associated risk. The final session of session covered the different mitigation measures and focused mainly on personal protective equipment. During the orientation, demonstration, and visual presentation of proper safety gears, a program evaluation was conducted.

Sanitation workers from Solid waste management private entrepreneurs particularly from Kirtipur and Godawari Municipality attended the orientation program. Collectively, 75 participants including 14 Female and 61 Male members participated in the program. 42 of them were from Godawari Municipality and 33 from Kirtipur Municipality. Representative/Focal person from the municipality and coordinators from private entrepreneurs also participated in the program.

A half-day technical orientation was followed by a general medical check-up which was conducted in collaboration with the Health Department of the respective municipalities. The activity aimed to ensure the regularity of the health check-up of the sanitation workers, motivating them for cultivating a culture of a safe workplace and healthy environment.

ENPHO in the partnership with BORDA has been implementing the “Integrated Urban Water Management at the Centre of Municipal Services” project in Godawari Municipality and Kirtipur municipality, since 2020. The project aims to contribute to quality life improvement through the reduction of water and sanitation-related risks and ensure improved water and sanitation services at the municipal level.