Iran Occupational Health

Background and aims: Inappropriate solid waste management industry in recent years has created a lot of risks. As a result, the health, safety and the humans environment is at risk for it. main objective of this study is solid waste management assessment of 10 large food  industries in Tehran.

  Methods: This study is descriptive and sectional based on field visits, questionnaires, preparation of the database and the analysis of the results. The selected units were categorized based on ISWMI scale. The questionnaire consisted of 47 questions related with key elements of industrial solid waste management. This questions consist of 10 separate areas. 10 large industrial units of the food industry in Tehran were randomly selected.

Results: The results showed that the index of selected industrial units based on ISWMI scale (based on100) is: 96 for J company (very good), 49 for A company (week), 85 for H and I company (very good), 72 for E, 77 for F and 80 for G (good), 57 for B, 63 for C and 64 for D company (moderate).

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, industrial waste management situation in most of the selected units are above average. However it seems that factors such as a lack of senior management commitment and belief to implementation of the waste management system, the lack of requirement industrial units to employ an expert in environmental or environmental health and the lack of a comprehensive at the national level plan for waste management of the most effective factors to determine ISWMI values in industries.