scholarly journals AN ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION OF OCCUPATIONAL ERGONOMICS PRINCIPLES IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR OF HARARE AND MUTARE IN ZIMBABWE

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Jerie
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Employee Relationship ◽  
To Come

<p>A major challenge for the city authorities of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe is to come up with clear policies and actions aimed at supporting and nurturing the informal sector as well as improving health and safety in the sector. This study thus aims at assessing the awareness of ergonomics principles in the small scale enterprises of Harare and Mutare.<strong> </strong>The level of awareness of ergonomics principles is low in the small scale informal sectors of Harare and Mutare. It was expected that builders, woodworkers and welders would have a higher level of ergonomic principles, but this was not the case. The informal workers are employed in a high-risk sector, but survey results indicated that improving their work environment is not one of their top priorities. The financial situation and the fact that occupational hazards and diseases are not always visible means that their limited resources are allocated to field other than occupational health and safety. Workers in the informal sector are not affected by the traditional employer-employee relationship as that obtains in the formal sector where the employee is obliged to care for the workers occupational health and safety needs. In order to address occupational health and safety discrepancies in the informal sector there is need for change of mindset and this can be catalysed by the local authorities and other organizations. The local authorities can begin by ensuring basic occupational hygiene skills among the informal sector workers so that they may realize their economic potential and hence sustained businesses.</p>

A Global Perspective on Occupational Health and Safety

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorma H. Rantanen
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Psychosocial Problems ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
High Income ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Occupational Hazards ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Informal Workers

Occupational hazards as well as occupational injuries and diseases are frequent and serious problems not only in industrialized high-income countries, but also in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In high-income countries, the occurrence of occupational injuries and chemically-related disorders has decreased while psychosocial problems and issues for disabled, aging, and other vulnerable workers have increased. In the LMICs, “traditional” occupational hazards and related injuries and diseases are still a major concern. Globalization, while providing some benefits to workers, has presented many negative effects, such as transfer of hazardous technologies and substances to LMICs, widening of income gaps, and worsening of working conditions and worker income, especially for agricultural workers, those with little education, and informal workers. The chapter provides a global overview of work and workers as well occupational health and safety hazards and related challenges.

scholarly journals Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Management Strategy Success Factors for Small-Scale Contractors in Zambia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4696
Author(s):  
Mwewa Mambwe ◽  
Erastus M. Mwanaumo ◽  
Wellington D. Thwala ◽  
Clinton O. Aigbavboa
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Electricity Industry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Scale

Small-scale contractors (SSCs) require management strategies in implementing occupational health and safety (OH&S) performance at projects to reduce accidents, injuries, fatalities and diseases. Management strategy success factors have been acknowledged to be of great benefit in improving in OH&S performance. Hence, the study sought to assess the management strategy success factors for the improvement of OH&S performance by SSCs in Zambia’s electricity industry. Using quantitative methods, data was collected using a survey questionnaire from 246 respondents representing firm owners, managers, project managers and OH&S representatives at electricity industry projects at 70.3% response rate. Descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted as methods of data analysis using exploratory factor analysis. After analysis, the success factors were clustered into three construct categories within OH&S performance namely, compliance and workplace processes, policy and human resource development, and leadership and structure significant values ranging from 0.513 to 0.972. The independent reliability was tested using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. The study exposed management strategy success factors are well recognised by most SSCs and contributed to the body of knowledge in this mastery by introducing three success factors for OH&S performance. It is recommended that these factors be adopted and considered to improve OH&S performance management by SSCs in the electricity industry in Zambia.

Returnee Entrepreneurship and Occupational Health and Safety in Nigeria

2017 ◽  
pp. 90-101
Author(s):  
Juliana Funmilayo Afolabi ◽  
Isaac Oluwajoba Abereijo
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
Entrepreneurial Opportunities

This exploratory paper focuses on the well-being of diaspora returnees seeking entrepreneurial opportunities in Nigeria, with an emphasis on health, safety and development. The paper is based, in part, on a review of literature on diaspora migrants' returnees' well-being. However, in the absence of large scale quantitative research, the report presents partial and anecdotal evidence on the well-being of specific groups of migrants in Nigeria that may not readily be generalized to the whole livelihood-seeking, cross-border migrant population in the SSA region. The paper concludes that returnee entrepreneurs should prepare to contribute meaningfully to controlling occupational health and safety in informal sector of Nigerian economy.

A Participatory Model for Improving Occupational Health and Safety: Improving Informal Sector Working Conditions in Thailand

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniruth Manothum ◽  
Jittra Rukijkanpanich ◽  
Damrong Thawesaengskulthai ◽  
Boonwa Thampitakkul ◽  
Chalermchai Chaikittiporn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Participatory Model

scholarly journals Health Status and Occupational Health and Safety Access among Informal Workers in the Rural Community, Southern Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110158
Author(s):  
Chamnong Thanapop ◽  
Sasithorn Thanapop ◽  
Sukanya Keam-Kan
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Occupational Hazards ◽  
Work Practices ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Safe Work ◽  
Southern Thailand

Purpose Thailands’ informal workers are faced with job insecurity and poor working conditions. Good health status can promote lifelong working and increase quality of life. This study analyzed factors associated with the health status of the community informal workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 390 informal workers aged 15 to 59 years in Thasala district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. A multi-stage sampling method using proportional to size selection was employed in various types of informal workers. The interviews on self-reported health status, health behaviors, occupational hazards, healthcare utilization, occupational health and safety (OHS) access are reported as descriptive. The multivariate association was explored using the simple logistic regression. Findings The results revealed that 80.77% of the participants had good health, 57.44% had healthy behavior, 76.41% had safe work practices, 22.05% had moderate to high exposed of occupational hazards, and 56.41% had the low OHS access. Safe work practices, moderate to high OHS access, low exposed to occupational hazards, and low income were more likely to produce good health status, which yielded the adj. OR 2.57, 1.86, 0.39, and 0.48, respectively. Conclusions The community informal workers health status was associated by income, work practices, occupational hazards, and OHS access. To strengthening the informal workers’ health, the OHS program should be managed intensively by the primary care services, especially the OHS risk management.

Occupational Health and Safety Maintenance in Micro and Small Enterprises: A Study on Select Sectors of West Burdwan, West Bengal

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-361
Author(s):  
Manidipa DasGupta ◽  
Sourav Sarkar
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Micro And Small Enterprises

In any developing country like India, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) showed its best effort in improving the mass standard of living by ensuring employment generation. Thus the grass root people who otherwise might not get entered into the formal sector due to lack of technical skill and education could get their employment there easily. But the lack of technical know-how of the participants of MSEs may not allow them to have awareness of occupational hazards. This calls for a severe problem in Health and Safety related issues in MSEs for those individuals. The present study, therefore, takes its objectives to highlight on the maintenance of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) related issues in MSEs where the perceptions of the participants play an important role. To fulfil these objectives, the study takes its attempt to pursue a primary survey on 95 randomly selected participants out of 24 registered MSEs of select sectors of West Burdwan, an industrially developed district of West Bengal. The sectors are selected purposively based on their significant presence in West Burdwan. The data have been collected through questionnaire and non-parametric tests has been used for further assessment. It is found that creating cozy atmosphere, privacy, artificial lighting conditions, ventilation, facilities for rest and meals, and so on are the factors to be maintained under OH&S in MSEs. The responses of the participants are found as sector specific and socio-demographic characteristics specific. In this issue, while the young male members like ‘facilities for rest and meals’, the female members prefer ‘privacy’ as the factor to be maintained for OH&S in MSEs. Thus the paper in its policy implication exhibited the sector-wise and socio-demography wise preferences of the participants on OH&S related issues.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of Employer Requirements Associated with Occupational Health and Safety as Good Practice in Small-Scale Enterprises

2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Kuroki ◽  
Nana Miyashita ◽  
Yoshiyuki Hino ◽  
Kotaro Kayashima ◽  
Yoshihisa Fujino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Small Scale
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