Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety Practices in Pig Farming in Chipata, Zambia: The Availability and Use of Personal Protective Equipment and Supporting Infrastructure

Abstract

Pig farming is an increasingly important livelihood for smallholder households in Chipata District, Zambia, yet the protection of pig keepers from occupational hazards has received little attention. This article evaluates the availability and use of personal protective equipment and supporting infrastructure among pig farmers in the district. A mixed methods design was used, combining a quantitative survey of ninety-five pig farmers drawn from all veterinary camps through stratified random sampling, with qualitative key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analysed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences using multiple response analysis and the chi-square test of independence, while qualitative data were analysed thematically in NVivo. Protective equipment was found to be scarce and unevenly distributed, with gloves the most commonly owned item at 64.6 per cent of equipped farmers and masks the least at 14.6 per cent, and with almost half of the full sample possessing no equipment at all. The consistent use of equipment lagged far behind its availability, so that gloves were consistently used by only about one in eight farmers and masks by about one in fifty. Safety infrastructure was weighted towards production-oriented facilities rather than dedicated safety provisions. The chi-square tests established significant associations between veterinary camp and both the availability of a documented safety policy and the presence of a safety committee, revealing a spatial inequality in safety governance. The study concludes that providing equipment alone does not secure protection and recommends subsidised provision through cooperatives, coupled with practical training.