Ensuring Safety of Sanitation Workers - A Ready Reckoner for Urban Local Bodies
This Ready Reckoner supports Urban Local Bodies to safeguard sanitation workers’ safety and dignity. It mandates mechanization, strict adherence to standard operating procedures, and provision of appropriate personal protective equipment. The guide also links workers to legal entitlements and social protection measures as mandated under the PEMSR Act, 2013 national.
- Sanitation work is inherently hazardous, exposing workers to pathogens, chemicals, and sharp objects, resulting in high risks of injury, disease, and death.
- The PEMSR Act, 2013, bans hazardous manual cleaning and mandates employers to provide safety devices and a minimum Rs. 10 lakh life insurance policy for sewer and septic tank workers.
- Urban Local Bodies must prioritize mechanization to eliminate manual cleaning and establish Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) for professional intervention when required.
- ULBs should provide handwashing stations, lockers, and changing facilities, particularly for female sanitation workers, to ensure personal hygiene after work.
