Search results for: tea garden workers

Authors: Piriya Pholphirul, Pungpond Rukumnuaykit

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Contrary to studies of other migrant-receiving countries, most of which are developed countries, this paper examines impacts of immigrant workers on innovative capacities in Thailand, which is not only a representative of a receiving country that is a developing country but also a country where the majority of its immigrant workers are unskilled. Analysis of firm-level survey data in Thailand finds that employing unskilled and cheap labor from neighboring countries, namely, Myanmar, the Lao PDR, and Cambodia, is like adopting a kind of “labor-saving technology” which actually impedes firms’ R&D investment. Contrary to developed countries in which immigrants are found to boost innovation and promote sustainable growth, in Thailand, even though employing unskilled immigrant workers helps firms maintain their cost competitiveness in the short run, its negative impacts on R&D investment tend to hamper improvements in productivity and thus diminish global competitiveness in the long run. Employing skilled or educated migrants, on the other hand, complements technological progress and encourages firms to innovate more quickly. In addition, the paper finds that providing government incentives and promoting access to financing have become effective tools in facilitating Thai firms’ investment in innovation.

Keywords: immigration, innovation, developing country, Thailand

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Authors: Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Amna Rehana Siddiqui, Naveed Zafar Janjua

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We assessed the frequency and predictors of sharp injuries (SIs) among health care workers (HCWs) at first level care facilities (FLCF) in rural Pakistan. HCWs working at public clinic (PC), privately owned licensed practitioners’ clinic (LPC) and non-licensed practitioners’ clinic (NLC) were interviewed on universal precautions (UPs) and constructs of health belief model (HBM) to assess their association with SIs through negative-binomial regression. From 365 clinics, 485 HCWs were interviewed. Overall annual rate of Sis was 192/100 HCWs/year; 78/100 HCWs among licensed prescribers, 191/100 HCWs among non-licensed prescribers, 248/100 HCWs among qualified assistants, and 321/100 HCWs among non-qualified assistants. Increasing knowledge score about bloodborne pathogens (BBPs) transmission (rate-ratio (RR): 0.93; 95%CI: 0.89–0.96), fewer years of work experience, being a non-licensed prescriber (RR: 2.02; 95%CI: 1.36–2.98) licensed (RR: 2.86; 9%CI: 1.81–4.51) or non-licensed assistant (RR: 2.78; 95%CI: 1.72–4.47) compared to a licensed prescriber, perceived barriers (RR: 1.06;95%CI: 1.03–1.08), and compliance with UPs scores (RR: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.87–0.97) were significant predictors of SIs. Improved knowledge about BBPs, compliance with UPs and reduced barriers to follow UPs could reduce SIs to HCWs.

Keywords: health belief model, sharp injuries, needle stick injuries, healthcare workers

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Authors: Hiromi Takafuji

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It is a well-known fact that health care and welfare are the foundation of human activities, and human service professionals such as nurses and child care workers support these activities. COVID-19 pandemic has made the severity of the working environment in these fields even more known. It is high time to discuss the work of human service workers for the sustainable development of the human environment. Early turnover has been recognized as a long-standing issue in these fields. In Japan, the attrition rate within three years of graduation for these occupations has remained high at about 40% for more than 20 years. One of the reasons for this is Reality Shock: RS, which refers to the stress caused by the gap between pre-employment expectations and the post-employment reality experienced by new workers. The purpose of this study was to academically elucidate the mechanism of RS among human service professionals and to contribute to countermeasures against it. Firstly, to explore the structure of the relationship between professionalism and workers' RS, an exploratory interview survey was conducted and analyzed by text mining and content analysis. The results showed that the expectation of professionalism influences RS as a pre-employment job expectation. Next, the expectations of professionalism were quantified and categorized, and the responses of a total of 282 human service work professionals, nurses, child care workers, and caregivers; were finalized for data analysis. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling techniques. The results revealed that self-control orientation and authority orientation by qualification had a direct positive significant impact on RS. On the other hand, interpersonal helping orientation and altruistic orientation were found to have a direct negative significant impact and an indirect positive significant impact on RS.; we were able to clarify the structure of work expectations that affect the RS of welfare professionals, which had not been clarified in previous studies. We also explained the limitations, practical implications, and directions for future research.

Keywords: human service professional, new hire turnover, SEM, reality shock

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Authors: Tzu-Ting Hu, Jung-Der Wang, Ming-Yeng Lin, Jin-Luh Chen, Perng-Jy Tsai

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The vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) has been classified as group 1 (human) carcinogen by the IARC. Workers exposed to VCM are known associated with the development of the liver cancer and hence might cause economical and health losses. Particularly, for those work for the petrochemical industry have been seriously concerned in the environmental and occupational health field. Considering assessing workers’ health risks and their resultant economical and health losses requires the establishment of long-term VCM exposure data for any similar exposure group (SEG) of interest, the development of suitable technologies has become an urgent and important issue. In the present study, VCM exposures for petrochemical industry workers were determined firstly based on the database of the 'Workplace Environmental Monitoring Information Systems (WEMIS)' provided by Taiwan OSHA. Considering the existence of miss data, the reconstruction of historical exposure techniques were then used for completing the long-term exposure data for SEGs with routine operations. For SEGs with non-routine operations, exposure modeling techniques, together with their time/activity records, were adopted for determining their long-term exposure concentrations. The Bayesian decision analysis (BDA) was adopted for conducting exposure and health risk assessments for any given SEG in the petrochemical industry. The resultant excessive cancer risk was then used to determine the corresponding loss of quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE). Results show that low average concentrations can be found for SEGs with routine operations (e.g., VCM rectification 0.0973 ppm, polymerization 0.306 ppm, reaction tank 0.33 ppm, VCM recovery 1.4 ppm, control room 0.14 ppm, VCM storage tanks 0.095 ppm and wastewater treatment 0.390 ppm), and the above values were much lower than that of the permissible exposure limit (PEL; 3 ppm) of VCM promulgated in Taiwan. For non-routine workers, though their high exposure concentrations, their low exposure time and frequencies result in low corresponding health risks. Through the consideration of exposure assessment results, health risk assessment results, and QALE results simultaneously, it is concluded that the proposed method was useful for prioritizing SEGs for conducting exposure abatement measurements. Particularly, the obtained QALE results further indicate the importance of reducing workers’ VCM exposures, though their exposures were low as in comparison with the PEL and the acceptable health risk.

Keywords: exposure assessment, health risk assessment, petrochemical industry, quality-adjusted life years, vinyl chloride monomer

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Authors: Sukhvinder Kaur, Jayanta Bora, Ashok Agarwal, Sangeeta Kaul

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Background: HIV and STI transmission can be prevented if condoms are used properly, but condom tear may lead to infections even if are used consistently. Studies reveal high rates of condom breakage among Female Sex Workers (FSWs). USAID PHFI-PIPPSE is piloting a prevention model among high risk groups at Thane district of Maharashtra, India by implementing prevention and advocacy efforts for such risk behaviors. The current analysis highlights the correlates of condom breakage among FSWs from Thane. Method: A Behavioral Tracking Survey was conducted in 2014-15 among 503 FSWs through probability-based two stage random sampling from 3,660 FSWs at 100 hotspots, to understand levels of high risk behaviors, awareness and exposure to prevention programs. Bi-variate and multivariate-logistic regression methods used to assess the association of condom breakage while having sex with age, STI occurrence, anal sex with clients and alcohol consumption. Only self-reported STIs (Genital sore/ulcer, yellowish/ greenish discharge from vagina with/without foul smell, lower abdominal pain without diarrhea/dysentery or menses) were considered. Major Findings: Results depicted FSWs who reported condom breakage while having sex with any type of partner (paying clients, non-paying partners and other than main partner husband/boyfriend) had significantly high number of STIs (42.3% vs 16.9 %, P, 0.000) and had started sexual relationship in <16 years of age (31.0% vs 16.4 %, P, 0.000). Multivariate analysis after controlling the age at sex, knowledge about HIV and literacy, highlighted significantly higher odds of condom breakage among FSWs who have reported currently suffering with STI [AOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.75 - 4.83; P, 0.000]; who had anal sex with their paying client [AOR 2.59, 95% CI 1.59 - 4.19; P, 0.000]; and who consumed alcohol in the last 12 months [AOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.01 - 3.53; P, 0.047]. Conclusion: Risky behavior like anal sex with paying clients and impact of alcohol while having sex are main factors for condom breakage among young sex workers; and condom breakage leads to STIs. Hence, program interventions should address measures for prevention of condom breakage for HIV/STI prevention.

Keywords: female sex workers, condom breakage, anal sex, young sex workers

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Authors: Tri Wisudawati, Radita Dwi Putera

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The role of human resources is the basic capital in determining the purpose of a business place. Without the role of human resources, activities in the company will not run smoothly. Every business place always has a risk of accidents. The magnitude of the risk that occurs depends on the type of industry, technology, and risk control efforts made. Work-related accidents are accidents that occur due to work or while carrying out work. Welding MSMEs have a fairly high risk to health, safety and the environment both from the side of workers who can cause accidents and from the side of the work environment, which has the potential to become a hazard and risk. Participatory ergonomic intervention can be a feasible and effective approach to reducing exposure to work-related risk factors in developing country industries. Complaints about occupational health and safety experienced by workers in the welding workshop industry should be able to be overcome by implementing an ergonomic intervention approach. The analysis process includes HIRARC analysis, participatory ergonomics analysis, and SEM-PLS analysis. Hierarch analysis is carried out by assessing the level of severity and likelihood, as well as risk control. At the participatory ergonomics analysis stage, it is obtained from the organizational culture and organizational stakeholders. At the SEM-PLS stage, an analysis is carried out to see whether there is a strong relationship between the research variables in order to produce occupational health and safety (K3) and worker productivity in the welding shop better and in accordance with welding safety standards. So that the output of this study is how participatory ergonomics interventions affect working conditions to improve occupational health and safety and the productivity of welding workers.

Keywords: ergonomic partisipatory, health and safety, welding workers, welding safety

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Authors: Benjamin Mugisha Bugingo

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Healthcare staffhas been considered as asignificant pillar to the health care system. However, the contest of human resources for health in terms of the turnover of health workers in Uganda has been more distinct in the latest years. The objective of the paper, therefore, were to investigate the influence Role Human resource management functions in on employeeperformance of professional health workers in public district hospitals in Kampala. The study objectives were: to establish the effect of performance management function, financialincentives, non-financial incentives, participation, and involvement in the decision-making on the employee performance of professional health workers in public district hospitals in Kampala. The study was devised in the social exchange theory and the equity theory. This study adopted a descriptive research design using quantitative approaches. The study used a cross-sectional research design with a mixed-methods approach. With a population of 402 individuals, the study considered a sample of 252 respondents, including doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and dentists from 3 district hospitals. The study instruments entailed a questionnaire as a quantitative data collection tool and interviews and focus group discussions as qualitative data gathering tools. To analyze quantitative data, descriptive statistics were used to assess the perceived status of Human resource management functions and the magnitude of intentions to stay, and inferential statistics were used to show the effect of predictors on the outcome variable by plotting a multiple linear regression. Qualitative data were analyzed in themes and reported in narrative and verbatim quotes and were used to complement descriptive findings for a better understanding of the magnitude of the study variables. The findings of this study showed a significant and positive effect of performance management function, financialincentives, non-financial incentives, and participation and involvement in decision-making on employee performance of professional health workers in public district hospitals in Kampala. This study is expected to be a major contributor for the improvement of the health system in the country and other similar settings as it has provided the insights for strategic orientation in the area of human resources for health, especially for enhanced employee performance in relation with the integrated human resource management approach

Keywords: human resource functions, employee performance, employee wellness, profecial workers

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Authors: K. Rumchev, S. Gilbey

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Airborne particulate matter is a known hazard to human health, with a considerable body of evidence linking agricultural dust exposures to adverse human health effects in exposed populations. It is also known that agricultural workers are exposed to high levels of soil dust and other types of airborne particulate matter within the farming environment. The aim of this study was to examine exposure to agricultural dust among farm workers during the seeding season. Twenty-one wheat-belt farms consented to participate in the study with 30 workers being monitored for dust exposure whilst seeding or undertaking seeding associated tasks. Each farm was visited once and farmers’ were asked to wear a personal air sampler for a 4-hour sampling period. Simultaneous, real-time, tractor cabin air quality monitoring was also undertaken. Data for this study was collected using real-time aerosol dust monitors to determine in-tractor cabin PM exposure to five size fractions (total, PM10, respirable, PM2.5 and PM1), and personal sampling was undertaken to establish individual exposure to inhalable and respirable dust concentrations. The study established a significant difference between personal exposures and simultaneous real-time in-cabin exposures for both inhalable and respirable fractions. No significant difference was shown between in-cabin and personal inhalable dust concentrations during seeding and spraying tasks, although both in-cabin and personal concentrations were two times greater for seeding than spraying. Future research should focus on educating and providing farm owners and workers with more information on adopting safe work practices to minimise harmful exposures to agricultural dust.

Keywords: agriculture, air quality, Australia, particulate matter

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Authors: Andreas Walmsley, Shobana Partington, Rebecca Armstrong, Harold Goodwin

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In the UK, more than 1 in 5 workers earn less than a living wage. The hospitality sector is particularly affected where it has been claimed two thirds of workers earn less than the living wage. The UK Government is set to introduce (April 2016) a national living wage (NLW) which is therefore likely to have a significant impact on the hospitality sector. To date limited data exists that focus on how hotels are tackling the issue, what stakeholder perceptions are towards the change in legislation, and how the NLW may affect working patterns in the sector. This study draws on interviews with a range of key stakeholders such as hotel HR and general managers as well as industry representatives to explore these issues within the broader context of responsible tourism. Data collection is still ongoing and is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2016.

Keywords: hospitality, living wage, responsible tourism, tourism employment

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Authors: Arsalan Salahi

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Today, the number of changes in the construction industry and urban mass house building is increasing, which makes you need to pay more attention to targeted planning for human resource management and training. The human resources working in the construction industry have various problems and deficiencies, and in order to solve these problems, there is a need for basic management and training of these people in order to lower the construction costs and increase the quality of the projects, especially in mass house building projects. The success of any project in reaching short and long-term professional goals depends on the efficient combination of work tools, financial resources, raw materials, and most importantly, human resources. Today, due to the complexity and diversity of each project, specialized management fields have emerged to maximize the potential benefits of each component of that project. Human power is known as the most important resource in construction projects for its successful implementation, but unfortunately, due to the low cost of human power compared to other resources, such as materials and machinery, little attention is paid to it. With the correct management and training of human resources, which depends on its correct planning and development, it is possible to improve the performance of construction projects. In this article, the training and motivation of construction industry workers and their effects on the effectiveness of projects in this industry have been researched. In this regard, some barriers to the training and motivation of construction workers and personnel have been identified and solutions have been provided for construction companies. Also, the impact of workers and unskilled people on the efficiency of construction projects is investigated. The results of the above research show that by increasing the use of correct and basic training for human resources, we will see positive results and effects on the performance of construction projects.

Keywords: human resources, construction industry, principled training, skilled and unskilled workers

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Authors: Rudolf Egger

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This paper explores the relationships between the basic learning processes of leading trade union workers and their methods for coping with the changes in the life-courses of societies today. It will discuss the fragile discourse on lifelong learning in trade unions and the “production of self-techniques” to get in touch with the new economic forms. On the basis of an empirical project, different processes of the socialization of leading trade union workers will be analysed to discover the consequences of the lifelong learning discourse. The results show what competences they need to develop for the “wider benefits of negotiations”. The main challenge remains to make visible how deeply intertwined trade union learning and education are with development in an ongoing dynamic economic process, rather than a quick-fix injection of skills and information. There is a complex relationship existing between the three ‘partners’, work, learning and society forming. The author suggests that contemporary trade unions could be trendsetters who make their own learning agendas by drawing less on formal education and more on informal and non-formal learning contexts. This is in parallel with growing political and scientific consciousness of the need to arrive at new educational/vocational policies and practices.

Keywords: trade union workers, educational leadership, learning societies, social acting

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Authors: Kevin Montanez, Patricia Garcia

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The confinement and restrictions adopted to avoid an exponential spread of the COVID-19 have negatively impacted the Peruvian economy. In this context, Industries offering essential products could continue operating, but they have to follow safety protocols and implement strategies to ensure employee health. In view of the increasing internet access and mobile phone ownership, “Alerta Temprana”, a mobile app, was developed to self-report COVID-19 symptoms in the work context. In this study, the usability of the mobile app “Alerta Temprana” was evaluated from the perspective of health monitors and workers. In addition to reporting the metrics related to the usability of the application, the utility of the system is also evaluated from the monitors' perspective. In this descriptive study, the participants used the mobile app for two months. Afterwards, System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire was answered by the workers and monitors. A Usefulness questionnaire with open questions was also used for the monitors. The data related to the use of the application was collected during one month. Furthermore, descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used. The workers rated the application as good (70.39). In the case of the monitors, usability was excellent (83.0). The most important feature for the monitors were the emails generated by the application. The average interaction per user was 30 seconds and a total of 6172 self-reports were sent. Finally, a statistically significant association was found between the acceptability scale and the work area. The results of this study suggest that Alerta Temprana has the potential to be used for surveillance and health monitoring in any context of face-to-face modality. Participants reported a high degree of ease of use. However, from the perspective of workers, SUS cannot diagnose usability issues and we suggest we use another standard usability questionnaire to improve "Alerta Temprana" for future use.

Keywords: public health in informatics, mobile app, usability, self-report

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Authors: Sabeen Alam, Mehboob Alam

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The research work entitled “Effect of Bacillus pumilus strains on heavy metal accumulation in lettuce grown on contaminated soil” focused on functional role of Bacillus pumilus strains inoculated with lettuce seed in mitigating heavy metal in chromite mining soil. In this experiment, factor A was three Bacillus pumilus strains (sequence C-2PMW-8, C-1 SSK-8 and C-1 PWK-7) while soil used for this experiment was collected from Prang Ghar mining site and lettuce seeds were grown in three levels of chromite mining soil (2.27, 4.65 and 7.14 %). For mining soil minimum days to germinate noted in lettuce grown on garden soil inoculated with sequence. Maximum germination percentage noted was for C-1 SSK-8 grown on garden soil, maximum lettuce height for sequence C-2 PWM-8, fresh leaf weight for C-1 PWK-7 inoculated lettuce, dry weight of lettuce leaf for lettuce inoculated with C-1 SSK-8 and C-1 PWK-7 strains, number of leaves per plant for lettuce inoculated with C-1 SSK-8, leaf area for C-2 PMW-8 inoculated lettuce, survival percentage for C-1 SSK-8 treated lettuce and chlorophyll content for C-2 PMW-8. Results related to heavy metals accumulation showed that minimum chromium was in lettuce and in soil for all three sequences, cadmium (Cd) in lettuce and in soil for all three sequences, manganese (Mn) in lettuce and in soil for three sequences, lead (Pb) in lettuce and in soil for three sequences. It can be concluded that chromite mining soil significantly reduced the growth and survival of lettuce, but when lettuce was inoculated with Bacillus.pumilus strains, it enhances growth and survival. Similarly, minimum heavy metal accumulation in plant and soil, regardless of type of Bacillus pumilus used, all three sequences has same mitigating effect on heavy metal in both soil and lettuce. All the three Bacillus pumilus strains ensured reduction in heavy metals content (Mn, Cd, Cr) in lettuce, below the maximum permissible limits of WHO 2011.

Keywords: bacillus pumilus, heavy metals, permissible limits, lettuce, chromite mining soil, mitigating effect

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Authors: Dharshini S.

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India is currently experiencing a shift in wage discrimination from gender, caste and religion to different age groups in both formal and informal sectors. In this milieu, this study examines wage discrimination in the informal labour market between young people (15-29 years) and middle-aged people (30-59 years) among regular and casual employees in the Indian informal sector. The data was collected using periodic labour force (PLFS), and the original data was extracted from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), Government of India. The OLS regression model explores the determinants of wages for both regular and casual employees. Moreover, the Blinder Oaxaca decomposition method is used to explore the explained and unexplained components of this wage discrimination. The younger people (regular and casual employees) get lower wages as compared to middle-aged employees in the informal sector. The regression result follows the human capital theory, where education, job experience and higher occupation help to raise the wage rate of middle-aged people more than young-aged people in regular work. Furthermore, we found the rising trend of wage discrimination between the above groups over the years from 2017-18 to 2022-23. Unexplained factors (discrimination effects) contribute more to the wage differentiation between the young and middle age groups. It indicates that wage discrimination persists among regular and casual employees in the informal labour market, which is not a good sign for the economy. For the betterment of workers who face discrimination for age, the policies and programs should be implemented like other countries such as the U.S.A to stop age discrimination due to stereotypes in India.

Keywords: wage discrimination, young workers, middle workers, Informal sector, blinder oaxaca decomposition, PLFS.

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Authors: P. Kazymbet, G. Abildinova, K.Makhambetov, M. Bakhtin, D. Rybalkina, K. Zhumadilov

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Conducted cytogenetic research in workers Stepnogorsk Mining-Chemical Combine (Akmola region) with the study of 26341 chromosomal metaphase. Using a regression analysis with program DataFit, version 5.0, dependence between exposure dose and the following cytogenetic exponents has been studied: frequency of aberrant cells, frequency of chromosomal aberrations, frequency of the amounts of dicentric chromosomes, and centric rings. Experimental data on calibration curves "dose-effect" enabled the development of a mathematical model, allowing on data of the frequency of aberrant cells, chromosome aberrations, the amounts of dicentric chromosomes and centric rings calculate the absorbed dose at the time of the study. In the dose range of 0.1 Gy to 5.0 Gy dependence cytogenetic parameters on the dose had the following equation: Y = 0,0067е^0,3307х (R2 = 0,8206) – for frequency of chromosomal aberrations; Y = 0,0057е^0,3161х (R2 = 0,8832) –for frequency of cells with chromosomal aberrations; Y =5 Е-0,5е^0,6383 (R2 = 0,6321) – or frequency of the amounts of dicentric chromosomes and centric rings on cells. On the basis of cytogenetic parameters and regression equations calculated absorbed dose in workers of uranium production at the time of the study did not exceed 0.3 Gy.

Keywords: Stepnogorsk, mathematical modeling, cytogenetic, dicentric chromosomes

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Authors: Ismaila Oladunni Muhammed, Adegbenga Raphael Ashiru

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Construction industry has been attributed to be the engine growth of Nigerian economic and infrastructural development. It promotes infrastructural development and grows an average output of Nigerian Gross Domestic Profit. However, from this great prospect, yearly reports show that consistent accidents on construction sites in Zamfara State has affected a substantial number of workers as they become temporarily or permanently disabled, thereby making many construction sites a death trap. This posed a great threat to the industry’s sustainability, de- motivate workers from working in the industry, and further have negative impact on the economy as well. It is as a result of high construction site accident currently experiencing in Zamfara state that this research was carried out to appraise the sustainability of health and safety of construction workers on sites. The proper practice and compliance to Construction Health and safety laws are very vital to the output and growth of Zamfara State construction sector. However, a quantitative approach was adopted to justify the aforesaid statement which will provide a broader understanding of the study. Descriptive statistical analysis was obtained through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20). Furthermore, the findings from the research highlighted that the performance and output of construction workers on construction sites depends on the proper practice of health and safety. The research findings also recommended ways to enhance employers and employee’s compliance with existing laws guiding health and safety on Zamfara State construction sites. Nevertheless, the purpose of the paper is to appraise the sustainability of Health and Safety on Zamfara State construction sites. This study further provided thorough information for resolving challenges of construction sites accidents to improve construction firm productivity and also ensured construction worker’s safety on site.

Keywords: construction industry, health and safety regulations, causes of accident, construction safety practices

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Authors: Frederick Anlimah, Vinod Gopaldasani, Catherine MacPhail, Brian Davies

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The construction industry, particularly tunnel construction, exposes workers to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can cause incurable illnesses such as silicosis and lung cancer. Despite various control measures, exposures remain inadequately controlled. This research aimed to identify the barriers and challenges hindering the implementation of effective controls and the adoption of safe work practices to protect workers from RCS exposure in tunnelling. A mixed-method approach was employed for this research. Tunnel construction workers were observed, surveyed and interviewed to gauge their knowledge and attitudes and understand their challenges in reducing RCS exposure. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals a diverse array of sociotechnical factors interacting to influence RCS exposure. It is noteworthy that participants consistently emphasised the project as the most exemplary one they have been involved in, although there is room for improvement. While there is a commendable level of knowledge about RCS exposure and control in tunnelling, there is a striking lack of perceived satisfaction regarding dust control. Several factors were identified as interacting to prevent the effective management of dust. These include perceived time pressure, absence of on-tool dust controls, low risk perceptions among workers, and inadequate enforcement of controls. Moreover, participants highlighted communication and heat-related challenges as hindrances to the continuous wear of respirators. This research highlights the need for a paradigm shift in tunnel construction to address the barriers associated with RCS exposure reduction. It emphasises the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, advocating for more effective controls and enforcement strategies and enhanced worker education through knowledge sharing.

Keywords: respirable crystalline silica, dust control, worker practices, exposure prevention, silicosis

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Authors: Gabriella Vermeulen

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This paper applies a Bourdieusian lens to a Limpopo Citrus farm referred to as Malapeng in order to understand how conflict and authority are reproduced in Malapeng in the larger context of the South African agricultural industry. The South African citrus industry is an export industry, with South Africa being the second largest exporter of citrus in the world. Agriculture in South Africa has undergone extensive liberalisation since 1994, and many historical patterns, such as the racial divide in agriculture and the exploitation of black workers, are still continuously reproduced on farms in South Africa. This chapter looks at the institution of the ‘farm bank’ on Malapeng, which provides loans to workers whose livelihood strategies have been otherwise limited both by the larger agricultural context they are a part of and by the owner of Malapeng. By discussing the role of farm banks in a conflict between two permanent workers, the chapter illustrates how various oppositional discourses are strategically emphasised or de-emphasised at different times by the actors on Malapeng depending on their immediate goals. Farm bank proves to be a nexus of various discourses on Malapeng as the actors on Malapeng all construct farm bank in different (and often contradictory) terms in order to explain their influence and responsibility on Malapeng. The findings of the paper are based on data collected during fieldwork for an MA dissertation and are based on observation and semi-structured interviews conducted in 2021.

Keywords: agriculture, South Africa, capital, labour

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Authors: Frederick Anlimah, Vinod Gopaldasani, Catherine MacPhail, Brian Davies

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The construction industry, particularly tunnel construction, exposes workers to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can cause incurable illnesses such as silicosis and lung cancer. Despite various control measures, exposures remain inadequately controlled. This research aimed to examine what workers on a tunnelling project in Australia think should be done to reduce exposure to dust to protect them from RCS exposure. A qualitative research approach consisting of interviews and focus group discussions was employed for this research. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals a diverse array of solutions proposed to address the different sociotechnical factors that present challenges for effectively reducing dust exposure. Solutions are proposed to address challenges such as cost, time pressure, low-risk perception, inadequate awareness, inadequate enforcement and compliance with personal protective equipment. The findings highlight the need to make dust control a level playing field for all contractors during the bidding process, with more collaboration and enforcement after the signing of contracts. The research highlights that although improvements have been made in the past years regarding dust controls, many opportunities exist to reduce worker exposure to RCS.

Keywords: tunnel, respirable crystalline silica, RCS, dust exposure, personal protective equipment, worker perspectives

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Authors: Thomas Vlasak, Tanja Dujlociv, Alfred Barth

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Shift work is an essential element of modern labor, ensuring ideal conditions of service for today’s economy and society. Despite the beneficial properties, its impact on the neurobehavioral performance of exposed subjects remains controversial. This meta-analysis aims to provide first summarizing the effects regarding the association between shift work exposure and different cognitive functions. A literature search was performed via the databases PubMed, PsyINFO, PsyARTICLES, MedLine, PsycNET and Scopus including eligible studies until December 2020 that compared shift workers with non-shift workers regarding neurobehavioral performance tests. A random-effects model was carried out using Hedge’s g as a meta-analytical effect size with a restricted likelihood estimator to summarize the mean differences between the exposure group and controls. The heterogeneity of effect sizes was addressed by a sensitivity analysis using funnel plots, egger’s tests, p-curve analysis, meta-regressions, and subgroup analysis. The meta-analysis included 18 studies resulting in a total sample of 18,802 participants and 37 effect sizes concerning six different neurobehavioral outcomes. The results showed significantly worse performance in shift workers compared to non-shift workers in the following cognitive functions with g (95% CI): processing speed 0.16 (0.02 - 0.30), working memory 0.28 (0.51 - 0.50), psychomotor vigilance 0.21 (0.05 - 0.37), cognitive control 0.86 (0.45 - 1.27) and visual attention 0.19 (0.11 - 0.26). Neither significant moderating effects of publication year or study quality nor significant subgroup differences regarding type of shift or type of profession were indicated for the cognitive outcomes. These are the first meta-analytical findings that associate shift work with decreased cognitive performance in processing speed, working memory, psychomotor vigilance, cognitive control, and visual attention. Further studies should focus on a more homogenous measurement of cognitive functions, a precise assessment of experience of shift work and occupation types which are underrepresented in the current literature (e.g., law enforcement). In occupations where shift work is fundamental (e.g., healthcare, industries, law enforcement), protective countermeasures should be promoted for workers.

Keywords: meta-analysis, neurobehavioral performance, occupational psychology, shift work

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Authors: Cholpassorn Sitthiwarongchai, Chutikarn Sriviboon

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The two primary objectives of this research were (1) to examine the current knowledge and actual circumstance of agricultural workers about mangosteen product processing; and (2) to analyze and evaluate ways to develop capacity of mangosteen product processing. The population of this study was 15,125 people who work in the agricultural sector, in this context, mangosteen production, in the eastern part of Thailand that included Chantaburi Province, Rayong Province, Trad Province and Pracheenburi Province. The sample size based on Yamane’s calculation with 95% reliability was therefore 392 samples. Mixed method was employed included questionnaire and focus group discussion with Connoisseurship Model used in order to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Key informants were used in the focus group including agricultural business owners, academic people in agro food processing, local academics, local community development staff, OTOP subcommittee, and representatives of agro processing industry professional organizations. The study found that the majority of the respondents agreed with a high level (in five-rating scale) towards most of variables of knowledge management in agro food processing. The result of the current knowledge and actual circumstance of agricultural human resource in an arena of mangosteen product processing revealed that mostly, the respondents agreed at a high level to establish 7 variables. The guideline to developing the body of knowledge in order to enhance the capacity of the agricultural workers in mangosteen product processing was delivered in the focus group discussion. The discussion finally contributed to an idea to produce manuals for mangosteen product processing methods, with 4 products chosen: (1) mangosteen soap, (2) mangosteen juice, (3) mangosteen toffee, and (4) mangosteen preserves or jam.

Keywords: capacity enhancement, agricultural workers, mangosteen product processing, marketing management

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Authors: N. M. Sani, E. D. Jatau, O. S. Olonitola, M. Y. Gwarzo, P. Moodley, N. S. Mujahid

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Haemoglobin (HB) indicates anaemia level and by extension may reflect the nutritional level and perhaps the immunity of an individual. Some antiretroviral drugs like zidovudine are known to cause anaemia in People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). A cross-sectional study using demographic data and blood specimen from 218 female commercial sex workers attending antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics was conducted between December 2009 and July 2011 to assess the effect of zidovudine on haematologic and RNA viral load of female sex workers receiving antiretroviral treatment in north-western Nigeria. Anaemia is a common and serious complication of both HIV infection and its treatment. In the setting of HIV infection, anaemia has been associated with decreased quality of life, functional status, and survival. Antiretroviral therapy, particularly the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), has been associated with a decrease in the incidence and severity of anaemia in HIV-infected patients who have received a HAART regimen for at least 1 year. In this study, result has shown that out of 218 patients, 26 with haemoglobin count between 5.1–10 g/dl were observed to have the highest viral load count of 300,000–350,000 copies/ml. It was also observed that most patients (190) with HB of 10.1–15.0 g/dl had viral load count of 200,000–250,000 copies/ml. An inverse relationship therefore exists, i.e. the lower the haemoglobin level, the higher the viral load count, even though the test statistics did not show any significance between the two (P=0.206). This shows that multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that anaemia was associated with a CD4+ cell count below 50/µL in female sex workers with a viral load above 100,000 copies/mL who use zidovudine. Severe anaemia was less prevalent in this study population than in historical comparators; however, mild to moderate anaemia rates remain high. The study, therefore, recommends that hematological and virologic parameters be monitored closely in patients receiving first line ART regimen.

Keywords: anaemia, female sex worker, haemoglobin, Zidovudine

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Authors: Irene Carter, Roy Hanes, Judy MacDonald

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Considering that disability is universal and people with disabilities are part of all societies; that there is a connection between the disabled individual and the societal; and that it is society and social arrangements that disable people with impairments, contemporary disability discourse emphasizes the social model of disability to counter medical and rehabilitative models of disability. However, the social model does not go far enough in addressing the issues of oppression and inclusion. The authors indicate that the social model does not specifically or adequately denote the oppression of persons with disabilities, which is a central component of progressive social work practice with people with disabilities. The social model of disability does not go far enough in deconstructing disability and offering social workers, as well as people with disabilities a way of moving forward in terms of practice anchored in individual, familial and societal change. The social model of disability is expanded by incorporating principles of anti-oppression social work practice. Although the contextual analysis of the social model of disability is an important component there remains a need for social workers to provide service to individuals and their families, which will be illustrated through anti-oppressive practice (AOP). By applying an anti-oppressive model of practice to the above definitions, the authors not only deconstruct disability paradigms but illustrate how AOP offers a framework for social workers to engage with people with disabilities at the individual, familial and community levels of practice, promoting an emancipatory focus in working with people with disabilities. An anti- social- oppression social work model of disability connects the day-to-day hardships of people with disabilities to the direct consequence of oppression in the form of ableism. AOP theory finds many of its basic concepts within social-oppression theory and the social model of disability. It is often the case that practitioners, including social workers and psychologists, define people with disabilities’ as having or being a problem with the focus placed upon adjustment and coping. A case example will be used to illustrate how an AOP paradigm offers social work a more comprehensive and critical analysis and practice model for social work practice with and for people with disabilities than the traditional medical model, rehabilitative and social model approaches.

Keywords: anti-oppressive practice, disability, people with disabilities, social model of disability

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Authors: Siah Koka, Rony Swennen

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Arumeru district is located in Arusha region in Upper Pangani basin in Tanzania. Economically it is dominated with agricultural activities. Banana, coffee, maize, beans, tomatoes, and cassava are the most important food and cash crops. This paper characterized the banana-based farming system of Arumeru district, evaluates its sustainability as well as research needs. The household questionnaire was performed on-site and on farm observation. Transect walk also involved to identify different agro- ecological zones. Results show that farm holdings (home gardens) are smaller than a hectare (0.7 ha) and continue to fragment as population continues to grow. Banana cultivation is the backbone of the farming systems present both in the upland and plains. In the upper belt banana found their place in the forest, which form the home garden structure typical to East African highland banana production systems. However, in the plains, cultivation is done in monoculture and depends heavily on irrigation. We found slightly less cultivars present and hypothetically more pest and disease pressure. This was mainly seen for Fusarium oxysporum species, which eradicates susceptible cultivars such as Mchare cultivars rapidly given the method of irrigation. The smaller permanent upland home garden plots provide thus a more suitable environment where banana perform better. It should be noted that findings indicated good performance to occur in the less suitable plains too. Good management is believed to be the most influencing factor, although our survey failed in identifying them. Population pressure is currently pushing the sustainable system in the uplands to its boundaries. Nutrient mining, deforestation and changing rain patterns threat production not only on Mt. Meru but on a global scale.

Keywords: Arumeru district, banana-based farming system, Tanzania, Arumeru district

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Authors: Sarieh Poortaghi, Zakiyeh Jafaryparvar, Marzieh Hasanpour, Reza Negarandeh

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Aim: This article aims to discuss how violence against health care workers especially nurses affects health care systems and the quality of care of the patients. In this paper causes of violence and strategies to reduce it have been discussed. Methods: Discourse of the literature considering the violence against nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and its reasons and outcomes. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in violence against healthcare providers. The attacker against nurses may be among patients, companions, visitors, colleagues such as doctors and other nurses, supervisors, and managers. Many individuals who experience violence in healthcare environments refrain from reporting it. The causes of violence against nurses include spending long periods with patients, perceiving nursing as a low-status profession, gender of nurses, direct and frequent contact with patients and their companions, inadequate facilities and high workload, weak healthcare delivery systems in public hospitals and inequality in health, nature of the department and shift type of personnel, work shifts and staff shortages, forcing nurses to work in non-standard conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, prohibition of patient visits during the pandemic, patient death and nurses' sense of incompetence, and expressing stress through aggression. Workplace violence leads to a decrease in job satisfaction and an increase in continuous psychological stress, which has a negative impact on the personal and professional lives of nurses. Potential strategies for reducing workplace violence include protecting healthcare workers through laws, improving communication with patients and their families, critically analyzing information in social media, facilitating patient access through remote medical strategies, and improving access to primary healthcare services.

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, Covid-19, nursing

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Authors: Hyeon-Kyo Lim, Tong-Il Jang, Yong-Hee Lee

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Human error is one of the most dreaded factors that may result in unexpected accidents, especially in nuclear power plants. For accident prevention, it is quite indispensable to analyze and to manage the influence of any factor which may raise the possibility of human errors. Out of lots factors, stress has been reported to have a significant influence on human performance. Therefore, this research aimed to develop a work-related stress management program which can guarantee Fitness-for-Duty (FFD) of the workers in nuclear power plants, especially those working in main control rooms. Major stress factors were elicited through literal surveys and classified into major categories such as demands, supports, and relationships. To manage those factors, a test and intervention program based on 4-level approaches was developed over the whole employment cycle including selection and screening of workers, job allocation, and job rotation. In addition, a managerial care program was introduced with the concept of Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP) program. Reviews on the program conducted by ex-operators in nuclear power plants showed responses in the affirmative, and suggested additional treatment to guarantee high performance of human workers, not in normal operations but also in emergency situations.

Keywords: human error, work performance, work stress, Fitness-For-Duty (FFD), Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

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Authors: M. F. El-Barghathi, R. El-Tajouri

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The effect of different concentrations of cadmium sulfate "CdSO4" (0.0, 10, 50, 100, 500 ppm) was tested on seed germination, seedling elongation and growth of Lepidium sativum (garden cress) plants. Results indicated that seed germination and seedling elongation were not inhibited by different concentrations of CdSO4. This could suggest that, Lepidium sativum may be used as a phyto remediation tool of soils contaminated with cadmium.

Keywords: Lepidium sativum, heavy metals, ionic toxicity, phytoremediation

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Authors: Arun Kumar

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For the present study a total of 219 women, from urban and rural areas of Sagar district of central India were selected. The mean age at menarche of rural women was found 13.89±1.17 years and for urban women, it was 13.78±1.12 years. The difference between the mean age at menarche of urban and rural women was statistically insignificant (t=0.580, p≤0.05). Mean age at menopause among rural women was (47.4±4.92). The difference between the mean of urban and rural women was statistically insignificant (t=0.739 and p≤0.05). These findings indicate that rural women experience menopause at a later age as compared to their urban counterparts.

Keywords: menarche, menopause, urban, rural, Bidi workers

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Authors: Awdhesh Yadav, P. S. Saravanamurthy, Shaikh Tayyaba, Uma Shah, Ashok Agarwal

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Objectives: HIV interventions in India has leveraged Self-Help Group (SHG) as one of the key strategies under structural intervention to empower female sex workers (FSW) to reduce their risk exposure and vulnerability to STI/HIV. Understanding the role of SHGs in light of the evolving dynamics of sex work needs to be delved into to strategize HIV interventions among FSWs in India. This paper aims to study the HIV program outcome among the FSWs associated with SHGs and FSWs not associated with SHGs in Thane, Maharashtra. Study Design: This cross-sectional study, was undertaken from the Behavioral Tracking Survey (BTS) conducted among 503 FSWs in Thane in 2015. Two-stage probability based conventional sampling was done for selection of brothel and bar based FSWs, while Time Location Cluster (TLC) sampling was done for home, lodge and street-based sex workers. Methods: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to compare and contrast between FSWs associated with SHG and those not associated with SHG with respect to the utilization of HIV related services by them. ‘Condom use’, ‘consistent condom use’, ‘contact with peer-educators’, ‘counseling sessions’ and ‘HIV testing’ were chosen as indicators on HIV service utilization. Results: 8% (38) of FSWs are registered with SHG; 92% aged ≥ 25 years, 47% illiterate, and 71% are currently married. The likelihood of utilizing HIV services including, knowledge on HIV/AIDS and its mode of transmission (OR:5.54; CI: 1.87-16.60; p < 0.05),accessed drop-in Centre (OR: 6.53; CI: 2.15-19.88; p < 0.10), heard about joint health camps (OR: 4.71; CI:2.12-10.46); p < 0.05), negotiated or stood up against police/broker/local goonda/clients (OR: 2.26; CI: 1.08-4.73; p < 0.05), turned away clients when they refused to use condom during sex (OR: 3.76; CI: 1.27-11.15; p < 0.05) and heard of ART (OR; 4.55; CI: 2.18-9.48; p < 0.01) were higher among FSWs associated with SHG in comparison to FSWs not associated with SHG. Conclusions: Considering the improved HIV program outcomes among FSWs associated with SHG; HIV interventions among FSWs could consider facilitating the formation of SHGs with FSWs as one of the key strategies to empower the community for ensuring better program outcomes.

Keywords: empowerment, female sex workers, HIV, Thane, self-help group

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Authors: Faizah Asiri, Mohammed Fathy, Saeed Alghamdi, Nahlah Ayoub, Faisal Asiri

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Background: - The strategies for this study were based on the toxic effect of long-term inhalation of Benzene on hormones and liver enzymes and various parameters related to it. The following databases were searched: benzene, hepatotoxic, benzene metabolism, hormones, testosterone, hemotoxic, and prolonged exposure. A systematic strategy is designed to search the literature that links benzene with the multiplicity and different types of intoxication or the medical abbreviations of diseases relevant to benzene exposure. Evidence suggests that getting rid of inhaled gasoline is by exhalation. Absorbed benzene is metabolized by giving phenolic acid as well as meconic acid, followed by urinary excretion of conjugate sulfates and glucuronides. Materials and Methods :- This work was conducted in the Al-Khadra laboratory in Taif 2020/2021 and aimed to measure some of the possible endocrinal and liver toxicities associated with benzene's long-term exposure in Saudi Arabia at the station workers who are considered the most exposed category to gasoline. One hundred ten station workers were included in this study. They were divided into four patient groups according to the chronic exposure rate to benzene, one control group, and three other groups of exposures. As follows: patient Group 1 (controlled group), patient Group 2 (exposed less than 1y), patient Group 3 (exposed 1-5 y), patient Group 4 (more than 5). Each group is compared with blood sample parameters (ALT, FSH and Testosterone, TSH). Blood samples were drawn from the participants, and statistical tests were performed. Significant change (p≤0.05) was examined compared to the control group. Workers' exposure to benzene led to a significant change in hematological, hormonal, and hepatic factors compared to the control group. Results:- The results obtained a relationship between long-term exposure to benzene and a decrease in the level of testosterone and FSH hormones, including that it poses a toxic risk in the long term (p≤0.05) when compared to the control. We obtained results confirming that there is no significant coloration between years of exposure and TSH level (p≤0.05) when compared to the control. Conclusion:- We conclude that some hormones and liver enzymes are affected by chronic doses of benzene through inhalation after our study was on the group most exposed to benzene, which is gas station workers.

Keywords: toxicities, benzene, hormones, station workers

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