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Waste-Picker Integration

Occupational Health & Safety for Informal Waste Workers

Cutting the injury, infection and exposure that come with the work.

Scope this with us →All of Waste-Picker Integration
Protecting informal waste workers from injury, infection and exposure
What it is

Informal waste work carries serious health and safety risks. We assess exposures and set up PPE, safe-handling protocols, health check-ups and awareness so workers face far lower risk of injury and disease.

Why it matters
  • Waste work is among the most hazardous informal livelihoods
  • Basic OHS dramatically cuts injury and illness
  • It is a core dignity and duty-of-care outcome
Safety by design

Remove the hazard before reaching for PPE

The hierarchy of controls puts the most effective protections first — eliminating and isolating hazards — with PPE as the last line, not the only one, for informal waste workers.

EliminationRemove the hazard at source
SubstitutionReplace with a safer process
Engineering controlsIsolate people from hazards
Administrative controlsSafe protocols, training and checks
PPEGloves, boots and masks — last line
Most effectiveLast resort

PPE protects only the individual — controls higher up protect everyone, every time.

How we do it

A clear, practical approach

01Hazard assessment

Exposures across sorting, collection and sites.

02OHS programme

PPE, protocols, health checks and awareness.

03Monitoring

Incident tracking and continuous improvement.

Proof on the ground

Related work we've delivered

Real projects behind our waste-picker integration — named partners, measured outcomes.

Livelihoods

Integrating Waste Pickers at the Baramati MRF

Baramati, Pune district (Population 1,08,152 · ~10 TPD dry waste)

₹8,400 → ₹13,604Waste-picker average monthly income
Read the case study →
Urban SWM

Creating a Garbage-Free Slum in Wadarwadi

Wadarwadi, Shivajinagar ward, Pune

82%Households covered for waste collection (up from ~18%)
Read the case study →
Urban SWM

Evaluation of the Solid Waste Management Project at Dharamshala

Dharamshala (Rakkar), Himachal Pradesh

629th → 86thSwachh Survekshan national rank (2020 → 2022)
Read the case study →
More in Waste-Picker Integration

Related services

Waste-Picker Identification & Survey Counting and knowing the informal workers who already recycle the city. Explore → Waste-Picker Formalisation Bringing informal recyclers into the formal system, with recognition and roles. Explore → Waste-Picker Identity & Social-Security Support Connecting recyclers to the IDs and schemes they are entitled to. Explore → Waste-Picker Cooperative Development Organising individuals into cooperatives with collective bargaining power. Explore → Waste-Picker Livelihood Assessment Understanding incomes, risks and opportunities to design real support. Explore → Waste-Picker Training & Capacity Building Skills, safety and financial literacy to move up the value chain. Explore → All of Waste-Picker IntegrationSee the full waste-picker integration service.→
FAQ

Occupational Health & Safety for Informal Waste Workers — quick answers

The essentials, then talk to us for your specifics.

Talk to our team →
What is occupational health & safety for informal waste workers?
Informal waste work carries serious health and safety risks. We assess exposures and set up PPE, safe-handling protocols, health check-ups and awareness so workers face far lower risk of injury and disease.
Who needs Occupational Health & Safety for Informal Waste Workers?
It's built for CSR & ULBs. Waste work is among the most hazardous informal livelihoods Basic OHS dramatically cuts injury and illness
How does Social Lab deliver Occupational Health & Safety for Informal Waste Workers?
Hazard assessment: Exposures across sorting, collection and sites. OHS programme: PPE, protocols, health checks and awareness. Monitoring: Incident tracking and continuous improvement. You get: An OHS risk assessment; A PPE & protocol programme; Health-check & incident tracking.
Where to next

Explore the rest of our waste-circularity work — by service, by who you are, or by where you operate.

All services By client type By location Waste Circularity hub →
Insights & field notes

Latest thinking on this

All insights →
India's Circularity Leap: Key Learnings for Waste Management in 2026Waste CircularityIndia's Circularity Leap: Key Learnings for Waste Management in 2026As India accelerates its transition to a circular economy, businesses and municipalities must adapt. Discover critical waste circularity learnings for 2026.29 Sept 2026 · 6 min readMaterial Sovereignty in India: Building Resilient Circular Supply ChainsWaste CircularityMaterial Sovereignty in India: Building Resilient Circular Supply ChainsIndia can strengthen material security by connecting smarter design, EPR, urban recovery, recycling quality and demand for verified secondary materials.23 Sept 2026 · 6 min readBuilding a Circular City: A Solid-Waste Roadmap for ULBsWaste CircularityBuilding a Circular City: A Solid-Waste Roadmap for ULBsA practical, phase-by-phase solid-waste roadmap for Indian ULBs to move from disposal to circularity, aligned with SWM Rules 2016 and SBM-U 2.0, covering the full value chain from segregation to scientific disposal.8 Jun 2026 · 12 min read
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