Small ruminant farmers’ occupational health: Cause for concern and action Chadda Akshita2,*, Singh Jaswinder, Sharma R.K., Gupta Ravi Kant1, Kansal S.K. Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana-141 004, Punjab 1Department of Livestock Production Management, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana-141 004, Punjab 2Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Bihar Animal Sciences University), Kishanganj-855 107, Bihar *E-mail address: akshitachadda098@gmail.com
Online Published on 12 February, 2024. Abstract To assess the knowledge of occupational hazards among small ruminant farmers, a study was conducted in 11 districts of Punjab by employing the snow ball sampling technique during January 2022 to March 2023. A total of 385 small ruminant farmers were chosen purposefully and proportionately to the small ruminants’ population. Factors influencing farmers’ differential levels of knowledge regarding occupational hazards were assessed using the ordinal logit model and respondents were categorized into low, medium and high level of knowledge using the cumulative square root frequency method. The findings of the study showed that most of respondents were ignorant of potential risks such as release of toxic gases like NH3 during microbial degradation of manure (92.99%), harmful consequences of prolonged exposure to pesticides and toxic gases (89.61%), zoonotic diseases’ transmission via flies/fleas/insects (65.19%), handling carcass, aborted foetus, placenta (78.18%) and assisting lambing and kidding with bare hands (79.74%). About 41.04% of respondents possessed medium level of knowledge for biological and nonbiological hazards. Education, herd size, main occupation, farming experience and age (P<0.05) significantly impacted the general knowledge for biological and non-biological hazards. It was concluded that implementing proper safety protocols, training on animal handling techniques and providing access to healthcare are crucial in mitigating these hazards and ensuring the well-being of farmers. Top Keywords Knowledge, Occupational hazards, Small ruminants farmer. Top |