The working conditions for informal solid waste pickers continue to worsen, adversely influencing their health, safety, and overall well-being. This research investigated the physical safety environment, adherence to safety behaviors, and the effects of these factors on the health and well-being of informal solid waste collectors in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. A cross-sectional study involved 120 informal solid waste collectors from the Cape Coast Metropolis. Participants were chosen through purposive and convenience sampling techniques, with data gathered via face-to-face interviews. Information was obtained using a 43-item questionnaire that covered demographic details, physical safety climate, safety behaviors, and aspects of physical and mental well-being. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages, bivariate correlations, and multiple regression.
Findings indicated that 40.8% of the participants viewed their jobs as highly dangerous owing to a suboptimal physical safety climate, while 41.7% demonstrated inadequate safety behaviors during work. A robust positive correlation existed between self-reported well-being, physical safety climate, and safety practices. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression, after adjusting for demographics, showed that physical safety climate significantly predicted health and well-being (B = 0.844; p < 0.001). In contrast, safety practices did not emerge as a significant predictor (B = 0.067; p = 0.356). Informal solid waste collectors in Cape Coast face unfavorable physical safety conditions, which lead to suboptimal safety behaviors on the job. It is argued that Ghana's efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, and 8 will face significant challenges without prioritizing the health and well-being of all workers.
