Abstract
Workers in small industries in rural areas work under unhealthy and poor environmental
conditions because of the limitation of local health services. In addition, unsafe
equipment and chemicals are commonly used in the manufacturing process. This study
explored the working processes in wooden furniture factories in Loei Province after the
workers had received information about the health and safety of workers, and about the health and environmental risks in surrounding communities affected by these small industries.
This study employed both qualitative methods, including participation observation,
in-depth interviews, group discussions and questionnaire interviews, as well as
quantitative methods, such as secondary data analysis from existing documents. The
results of the study showed that the manufacturing processes of these kinds of factories
might be directly harmful to the health and safety of the workers. Poor working conditions,
for example, dust, smoke and noise pollution, might not only affect the health and
safety of these workers but also afftect the health of their family members and communities.
Community hospitals and tambon administrations should be major stakeholders in
managing theses occupational health problems by launching a “healthy public” policy
and providing all sectors with guidance, including that on the manufacturers, workers,
and health centers or primary care units. Moreover, management at the national policy
level should be implemented by providing a simplified version of the diagnosing process
of diseases related to occupational health, strengthening occupational health surveillance
in local settings and initiating prospective cohort studies to identify specific determinants
of local occupational diseases.
