Brickmakers in Pakistan's Sheikhupura district are enduring extreme temperatures from both the sun and open fires at traditional brick kilns [1].
The conditions highlight the severe physical risks faced by manual laborers in the construction supply chain who lack access to mechanization [2].
Workers in the Punjab province are tasked with crushing coal through small holes located beneath their feet [1]. This process feeds the coal directly into the fiery chambers of the kiln [3]. Because the kilns rely on traditional methods, laborers must stand directly over the heat source while exposed to the intense sunlight of the region [2].
The lack of modern equipment forces these laborers to maintain a constant presence over the fire to ensure the kilns remain operational [3]. This dual exposure, the heat radiating from below and the solar radiation from above, creates a hazardous working environment for the brickmakers [1].
Sheikhupura remains a hub for this traditional brick-making process, where manual labor is the primary driver of production [2]. The reliance on these methods persists despite the physical toll on the workforce, as workers continue to navigate the high temperatures of the Punjab summer [3].
“Brickmakers in Pakistan's Sheikhupura district are enduring extreme temperatures from both the sun and open fires.”
The reliance on manual coal-feeding in Sheikhupura illustrates a broader systemic failure to modernize the brick-making industry in Punjab. Without a transition to mechanized kilns, workers remain trapped in high-risk environments where occupational health is secondary to low-cost production methods.
