The contemporary British workplace: a safer and healthier place?

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Robinson ◽  
Clive Smallman
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Work Force ◽  
British Government ◽  
Employment Practices ◽  
Workplace Accidents ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Work And Employment ◽  
Force Characteristics

Using a nationally representative survey of British workplaces, this article seeks to extend current perspectives on OHS (occupational health and safety) by examining the impact of a range of current work and employment practices, and work-force characteristics on the incidence of workplace accidents and, uniquely, ill health. Our findings indicate that the British Government faces major challenges in terms of its plans for OHS. Ill health, in particular, is poorly served by existing OHS management techniques, while injury and illness seem to be associated with many more ‘determinants’ in the world of work than has previously been proven.

A Case Study of Oshep's Training Partnership with the American Standard Corporation's Trenton Facility and Gmp Local 175

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Ochsner
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Union Activists ◽  
Worker Health And Safety ◽  
American Standard ◽  
The Impact

This case study examines the evolution and impact of a training partnership between the Rutgers University/N.J. Industrial Union Council's (IUC) Occupational Safety and Health Project and the American Standard Corporation's Trenton facility. The study draws on on-site interviews with three employees who played a key role in the training program as well as survey data from a broader cross-section of the facility's workforce. Insights about the impact of training are viewed within the context of the adult education and evaluation literature, particularly studies focusing on participatory, interactive training techniques. Committed activists, a supportive union and management, and the infusion of skills and ideas from the Rutgers/IUC worker-to-worker health and safety program are viewed as key factors in understanding developments at the facility. In addition, the study emphasizes the importance of relationships developed between union activists, facility management, and the OSHEP training staff. On January 2, 2001, the corporation announced plans to shut down the facility within the year, and plans for training the rest of the work force were dropped. Although the site-specific training program was cut short, this case study traces changes in the plant's health and safety culture that occurred over a three-year period.

scholarly journals Food Insecurity Pre- and Post the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis in Lebanon: Prevalence and Projections

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2976
Author(s):  
Samer Kharroubi ◽  
Farah Naja ◽  
Marwa Diab-El-Harake ◽  
Lamis Jomaa
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Sociodemographic Correlates ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Evidence Based Programs ◽  
The Impact

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had serious repercussions on the global economy, work force, and food systems. In Lebanon, the pandemic overlapped with an economic crisis, which threatened to exacerbate food insecurity (FI). The present study aims to evaluate the trends and projections of FI in Lebanon due to overlapping health and economic crises. Data from Gallup World Poll (GWP) 2015–2017 surveys conducted in Lebanon on nationally representative adults (n = 3000) were used to assess FI trends and explore its sociodemographic correlates. Predictive models were performed to forecast trends in FI (2018–2022), using GWP data along with income reduction scenarios to estimate the impact of the pandemic and economic crises. Pre crises, trend analyses showed that FI could reach 27% considering wave year and income. Post crises, FI was estimated to reach on average 36% to 39%, considering 50–70% income reduction scenarios among Lebanese population. FI projections are expected to be higher among females compared to males and among older adults compared to younger ones (p < 0.05). These alarming findings call for emergency food security policies and evidence-based programs to mitigate the burden of multiple crises on the FI of Lebanese households and promote resilience for future shocks.

EXPRESS: The Impact of Chinese Investments on Western Multinational Enterprises’ Work and Employment Practices: A Consideration of Institutional, Power and Dominance Effects

2021 ◽  
pp. 001872672199843
Author(s):  
John Geary ◽  
Julius Nyiawung
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
International Political Economy ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Employment Practices ◽  
Institutional Power ◽  
Institutional Influences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Work And Employment ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Chinese Multinational Enterprises

One of the most significant developments in international business in recent years is the dramatic expansion of Chinese – often state-led or state-supported – investment in Africa. While we know something of Chinese multinational enterprises’ strategies, we know comparatively little about their work and employment practices and even less about their influence on other MNEs. We examine these important issues by looking at the practices of a major Chinese MNE alongside those of a French MNE and a US MNE in Cameroon’s oil industry. We find that while the French and American MNEs were successful in importing their preferred practices and in evading host-country regulations for many years, this was challenged upon the arrival of the Chinese MNE. We query why and by what means did the entrance of a major MNE lead to significant changes in the behaviours of long-resident MNEs. The translation of the identified effects is explained by drawing on different levels of analysis that include an appreciation of the location of the MNE and the state within the international political economy of capitalism, attendant shifts in the frontiers of political influence, isomorphic institutional influences, actors’ postures within and beyond the MNE, and their relational interplay.

Regulatory and sustainability initiatives lead to improved polyaminopolyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) wet-strength resins and paper products

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (09) ◽  
pp. 519-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Crisp ◽  
Richard Riehle
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Wet Strength ◽  
The Past ◽  
Consumer Safety ◽  
Federal Institute ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
The Impact

Polyaminopolyamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE) resins are the predominant commercial products used to manufacture wet-strengthened paper products for grades requiring wet-strength permanence. Since their development in the late 1950s, the first generation (G1) resins have proven to be one of the most cost-effective technologies available to provide wet strength to paper. Throughout the past three decades, regulatory directives and sustainability initiatives from various organizations have driven the development of cleaner and safer PAE resins and paper products. Early efforts in this area focused on improving worker safety and reducing the impact of PAE resins on the environment. These efforts led to the development of resins containing significantly reduced levels of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), potentially carcinogenic byproducts formed during the manufacturing process of PAE resins. As the levels of these byproducts decreased, the environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) profile of PAE resins and paper products improved. Recent initiatives from major retailers are focusing on product ingredient transparency and quality, thus encouraging the development of safer product formulations while maintaining performance. PAE resin research over the past 20 years has been directed toward regulatory requirements to improve consumer safety and minimize exposure to potentially carcinogenic materials found in various paper products. One of the best known regulatory requirements is the recommendations of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which defines the levels of 1,3-DCP and 3-MCPD that can be extracted by water from various food contact grades of paper. These criteria led to the development of third generation (G3) products that contain very low levels of 1,3-DCP (typically <10 parts per million in the as-received/delivered resin). This paper outlines the PAE resin chemical contributors to adsorbable organic halogens and 3-MCPD in paper and provides recommendations for the use of each PAE resin product generation (G1, G1.5, G2, G2.5, and G3).

Socio-Technological Aspects of Automation in Public Works Activities

1987 ◽  
Vol 19 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 633-643
Author(s):  
William F. Garber
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Training Problem ◽  
Total Employment ◽  
The Usa ◽  
History Of ◽  
Complete Automation ◽  
The Impact

The history of human society is replete with examples of advances in technology overrunning the ability of societal organizations to efficiently handle the resulting massive societal dislocations. The social impacts of the “Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th Centuries” illustrate how profound such effects can be. The automation-computer-robotics revolution now underway also has the potential for serious societal changes. In this regard public works activities are subject to increasing amounts of automation with impacts upon current and net total employment and training needs. To evaluate the present status of automation in the USA, questionnaires were sent to public works authorities in 110 cities or agencies. The current degree of automation, the impact upon employment and the skills now needed by public works employers were queried. It was found that in most cases automation was just starting; but that as complete automation as was possible was inevitable given the increasing complexity of the tasks, the demands of the public and the long term prospects for public works funding. In many cases the candidates now in the work force were not properly trained for automation needs. Retraining and changes in the educational system appeared necessary if the employees now needed were to be continuously available. Public works management as well as several labor organizations appeared to be aware of this need and were organizing to handle the training problem and the changes in employment qualifications now necessary. It appeared to be a consensus that the larger societal effects of automation should be handled by society as a whole.

THE IMPACT OF WORLD WAR II ON COST ACCOUNTING AT THE SPERRY CORPORATION

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K. Fleischman ◽  
R. Penny Marquette
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Scientific Management ◽  
World War ◽  
Military Contractors ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Cost Awareness ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
The U.S

The impact of World War II on cost accountancy in the U.S. may be viewed as a double-edged sword. Its most positive effect was engendering greater cost awareness, particularly among companies that served as military contractors and, thus, had to make full representation to contracting agencies for reimbursement. On the negative side, the dislocations of war, especially shortages in the factors of production and capacity constraints, meant that such “scientific management” techniques as existed (standard costing, time-study, specific detailing of task routines) fell by the wayside. This paper utilizes the archive of the Sperry Corporation, a leading governmental contractor, to chart the firm's accounting during World War II. It is concluded that any techniques that had developed from Taylorite principles were suspended, while methods similar to contemporary performance management, such as subcontracting, emphasis on the design phase of products, and substantial expenditure on research and development, flourished.

scholarly journals A next step in disruption management: combining operations research and complexity science

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark M. Dekker ◽  
Rolf N. van Lieshout ◽  
Robin C. Ball ◽  
Paul C. Bouman ◽  
Stefan C. Dekker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Operations Research ◽  
Complexity Science ◽  
Rolling Stock ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Disruption Management ◽  
Railway Systems ◽  
Decentralized Decision Making ◽  
Control Situations ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
The Impact

AbstractRailway systems occasionally get into a state of being out-of-control, meaning that barely any train is running, even though the required resources (infrastructure, rolling stock and crew) are available. Because of the large number of affected resources and the absence of detailed, timely and accurate information, currently existing disruption management techniques cannot be applied in out-of-control situations. Most of the contemporary approaches assume that there is only one single disruption with a known duration, that all information about the resources is available, and that all stakeholders in the operations act as expected. Another limitation is the lack of knowledge about why and how disruptions accumulate and whether this process can be predicted. To tackle these problems, we develop a multidisciplinary framework combining techniques from complexity science and operations research, aiming at reducing the impact of these situations and—if possible—avoiding them. The key elements of this framework are (i) the generation of early warning signals for out-of-control situations, (ii) isolating a specific region such that delay stops propagating, and (iii) the application of decentralized decision making, more suited for information-sparse out-of-control situations.

scholarly journals Postsecondary Educational Attainment and Health among Younger U.S. Adults in the “College-for-All” Era

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312110211
Author(s):  
Anna Zajacova ◽  
Elizabeth Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
High School Graduates ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Associate Degrees ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High School Diplomas ◽  
Postsecondary Attainment

Population-health research has neglected differentiation within postsecondary educational attainments. This gap is critical to understanding health inequality because college experience with no degree, vocational/technical certificates, and associate degrees may affect health differently. We examine health across detailed postsecondary attainment levels. We analyze data on 14,750 respondents in Waves I and IV of the nationally representative Add Health panel spanning adolescence to ages 26 to 34. Multivariate regression and counterfactual approaches to minimize the impact of confounders estimate multiple health outcomes across postsecondary attainment levels. Compared to high school diplomas, we find significant returns to bachelor’s degrees for most health outcomes and smaller but largely significant returns to associate degrees. In contrast, adults with some college but no degree or with vocational/technical certificates do not have better physical health than high school graduates. Our findings highlight the stark differentiation within higher education as reflected by the disparate health outcomes in early adulthood.

scholarly journals Determinants of Individual Support for Independence: Evidence from Montenegro

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Pëllumb Kelmendi ◽  
Christian Pedraza
Keyword(s):  
Individual Preference ◽  
Minority Rights ◽  
Relative Effect ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Eu Integration ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Individual Support ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Democratic Principles ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This article investigates the determinants of individual support for independence in Montenegro. We outline five theoretically distinct groups of factors covered by the literature and evaluate their impact on individual preference for independence. Using observational data obtained from a nationally representative survey conducted in Montenegro in 2003–2004, we find support for several hypotheses, showing that identity, income, and partisanship significantly impact individual opinion about independence. We also investigate and discuss the relative effect size of different factors associated with preference for independence. Additionally, we test variables with hitherto unexplored implications for opinions on independence, including the impact of support for EU membership, as well as support for democratic principles. Our logistic regression analyses reveal that attitudes towards EU integration and minority rights are strongly associated with support for independence. By systematically analyzing existing and new hypotheses with data from an understudied case, our findings contribute to the nascent literature on individual preferences for independence.

scholarly journals Characteristics of those most vulnerable to employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationally representative cross-sectional study in Wales

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-216030
Author(s):  
Benjamin J Gray ◽  
Richard G Kyle ◽  
Jiao Song ◽  
Alisha R Davies
Keyword(s):  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThe public health response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a detrimental impact on employment and there are concerns the impact may be greatest among the most vulnerable. We examined the characteristics of those who experienced changes in employment status during the early months of the pandemic.MethodsData were collected from a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey of the working age population (18–64 years) in Wales in May/June 2020 (n=1379). We looked at changes in employment and being placed on furlough since February 2020 across demographics, contract type, job skill level, health status and household factors. χ2 or Fisher’s exact test and multinomial logistic regression models examined associations between demographics, subgroups and employment outcomes.ResultsOf our respondents, 91.0% remained in the same job in May/June 2020 as they were in February 2020, 5.7% were now in a new job and 3.3% experienced unemployment. In addition, 24% of our respondents reported being placed on furlough. Non-permanent contract types, individuals who reported low mental well-being and household financial difficulties were all significant factors in experiencing unemployment. Being placed on ‘furlough’ was more likely in younger (18–29 years) and older (60–64 years) workers, those in lower skilled jobs and from households with less financial security.ConclusionA number of vulnerable population groups were observed to experience detrimental employment outcomes during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Targeted support is needed to mitigate against both the direct impacts on employment, and indirect impacts on financial insecurity and health.

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