Earthquake Hazard Knowledge, Preparedness, and Risk Reduction in the Bangladeshi Readymade Garment Industry

The Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) industry is considered the main driver of economic transformation, as it employs many unskilled and underprivileged people. However, recently, the RMG industry has faced international concern because of several building collapses and fire incidents, indicating inadequacy in the structural design and preparedness measures in the factory buildings. This research aims to understand earthquake hazard knowledge, preparedness, and emergency response, which may contribute to earthquake risk reduction in the RMG industry in Bangladesh. A survey using the methods of structured and semi-structured interviews and field observations was carried out to achieve the aims of this research. The findings suggest that 43% of these workers perceived their workplace as being a highly fire-prone environment, while 55 respondents believed that they were at risk of both fires and earthquakes. Only two percent believed that the workplaces are only at risk of earthquakes because the industries they work for have a zero-tolerance policy toward fire hazards. It was noted that the preparedness and improvement strategies were exclusively focused on fire hazards and related safety programs. Finally, the research suggests that the RMG industry may strengthen its earthquake risk reduction program by improving preparedness within the current workplace safety manuals without incurring extra effort and cost.

Download Full-text

How can school education impact earthquake risk reduction in Lebanon?

Education Business and Society Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues ◽

10.1108/ebs-12-2013-0051 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (2/3) ◽

pp. 120-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hoda Baytiyeh

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Community Engagement ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Earthquake Hazard ◽

School Education ◽

Current Status ◽

Earthquake Risk ◽

Earthquake Disaster ◽

Content Type

Purpose – The purposes of this article are to outline the existing seismic risk in Lebanon and to identify the crucial role of Lebanese school education in advancing both a culture of safety and the resilience of Lebanese communities to destructive earthquakes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper sets out to illustrate the exposure of Lebanon to seismic hazards and to investigate the current status of Lebanese public schools in terms of their preparedness for earthquake events. Interviews were conducted with principals from 17 different schools. From these interviews emerged the following four themes: curriculum deficiency, the structural vulnerability of school buildings, a lack of preparedness for natural hazards and the need for community engagement in this regard. Findings – School principals in Lebanon confirmed the need for schools to engage in earthquake disaster preparedness and mitigation, as well as to show an enthusiastic attitude for earthquake hazard reduction in terms of hazard education, greater preparedness and community engagement. Originality/value – As this article highlights the important role of school education in promoting earthquake disaster risk reduction, it has beneficial implications for educators, policymakers, administrators and government officials.

Download Full-text

Earthquake risk reduction prospects for the Puget Sound and Portland areas

Open-File Report ◽

10.3133/ofr91441i ◽

1991 ◽

Author(s):

Peter J. May

Keyword(s):

Risk Reduction ◽

Puget Sound ◽

Earthquake Risk

Download Full-text

Encountering suicide in primary healthcare rehabilitation: the experiences of physiotherapists

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-020-03004-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Åse Lundin ◽

Anna Bergenheim

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Healthcare System ◽

Primary Healthcare ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Western Hemisphere ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Healthcare Personnel ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Patients At Risk

Abstract Background Suicide is a serious public health issue and one of the most common causes of death globally. Suicide has long-lasting impact on personal, relational, community and societal levels. Research has shown that patients often seek help in the primary healthcare system preceding a suicide. Studies exploring the experiences of encountering patients at risk for suicide have been performed among various categories of healthcare personnel, such as nurses and psychiatry residents as well as emergency room staff. There is a lack of research regarding primary healthcare rehabilitation staff, despite the fact that physiotherapists are the third largest health profession in the Western hemisphere and often work with patients experiencing mental health symptoms. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of encountering patients at risk for suicide among physiotherapists working in a primary healthcare rehabilitation setting. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 physiotherapists working in primary healthcare rehabilitation clinics in the Gothenburg area, Sweden. The interviews were recorded on audio and transcribed into written text. A qualitative content analysis was performed on the material collected. Results The analysis of the material revealed an overarching theme, Through barriers and taboos – the physiotherapist finds a way, with five main categories: possibilities for identification, obstacles in meeting suicide, workplace environment matters, where does the patient belong? and education and experience are keys. Conclusions The present study indicates that physiotherapists in the primary healthcare system encounter patients experiencing suicidality, and they expressed a strong desire to care for both the physical and mental wellbeing of the patients. Despite reporting many barriers, the physiotherapists often found a way to form a meaningful therapeutic alliance with the patient and to ask about possible suicidality in their clinical practice. The result suggests that physiotherapists could play a larger role in working with patients experiencing suicidality in a primary healthcare setting and that they could be viewed as possible gatekeepers in identification as well as referral of these patients into other parts of the healthcare system.

Download Full-text

Understanding low chemoprevention uptake by women at high risk of breast cancer: findings from a qualitative inductive study of women’s risk-reduction experiences

BMC Women s Health ◽

10.1186/s12905-021-01279-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tasleem J. Padamsee ◽

Megan Hils ◽

Anna Muraveva

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

African American ◽

High Risk ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

White Women ◽

Future Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Critical Gap ◽

High Risk Women ◽

Parent Project

Abstract Background Chemoprevention is one of several methods that have been developed to help high-risk women reduce their risk of breast cancer. Reasons for the low uptake of chemoprevention are poorly understood. This paper seeks a deeper understanding of this phenomenon by drawing on women’s own narratives about their awareness of chemoprevention and their risk-related experiences. Methods This research is based on a parent project that included fifty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of African American and White women at elevated risk of breast cancer. This specific study draws on the forty-seven interviews conducted with women at high or severe risk of breast cancer, all of whom are eligible to use chemoprevention for breast cancer risk-reduction. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Results Forty-five percent of participants, and only 21% of African American participants, were aware of chemoprevention options. Women who had seen specialists were more likely to be aware, particularly if they had ongoing specialist access. Aware and unaware women relied on different types of sources for prevention-related information. Those whose main source of information was a healthcare provider were more likely to know about chemoprevention. Aware women used more nuanced information gathering strategies and worried more about cancer. Women simultaneously considered all risk-reduction options they knew about. Those who knew about chemoprevention but were reluctant to use it felt this way for multiple reasons, having to do with potential side effects, perceived extreme-ness of the intervention, similarity to chemotherapy, unknown information about chemoprevention, and reluctance to take medications in general. Conclusions Lack of chemoprevention awareness is a critical gap in women’s ability to make health-protective choices. Future research in this field must consider complexities in both women’s perspectives on chemoprevention and the reasons they are reluctant to use it.

Download Full-text

INNOVATIONS in earthquake risk reduction for resilience: RECENT advances and challenges

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction ◽

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102267 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 102267

Author(s):

Fabio Freddi ◽

Carmine Galasso ◽

Gemma Cremen ◽

Andrea Dall’Asta ◽

Luigi Di Sarno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Reduction ◽

Earthquake Risk ◽

Recent Advances

Download Full-text

Citizens at risk from earthquake hazard in Dhaka city: Scaling risk factors from household to city region level

Journal of the Geographical Institute Jovan Cvijic SASA ◽

10.2298/ijgi1501091f ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 91-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Israt Ferdous ◽

Maksudur Rahman

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

At Risk ◽

Earthquake Hazard ◽

Dhaka City ◽

City Region

Download Full-text

Ophthalmic Workplace Modifications for the Post-COVID Era

Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research ◽

10.18502/jovr.v15i3.7458 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hasan Naveed ◽

Victor Leung ◽

Mehran Zarei-Ghanavati ◽

Christopher Leak ◽

Christopher Liu

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Industrial Hygiene ◽

Workplace Safety ◽

Control Measures ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

Exposure Control ◽

Control Options

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates implementation of exposure control measures in all facets of the healthcare sector. Healthcare professionals who work in busy ophthalmology clinics and theaters are amidst the highest at-risk of contracting COVID- 19. The authors review the up-to-date scientific evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to demystify and explain the exposure control options available for ophthalmic workplace and offer insights from an industrial hygiene standpoint. As the we enter the post-COVID world, these measures will be critical to enhance workplace safety, and thus protect patients and staff alike.

Download Full-text