Managing Biofouling on Submerged Static Artificial Structures in the Marine Environment – Assessment of Current and Emerging Approaches

The number, extent, diversity, and global reach of submerged static artificial structures (SSAS) in the marine environment is increasing. These structures are prone to the accumulation of biofouling that can result in unwanted impacts, both immediate and long-term. Therefore, management of biofouling on SSAS has a range of potential benefits that can improve structure functions, cost-efficiency, sustainability, productivity, and biosecurity. This review and synthesis collates the range of methods and tools that exist or are emerging for managing SSAS biofouling for a variety of sectors, highlighting key criteria and knowledge gaps that affect development, and uptake to improve operational and environmental outcomes. The most common methods to manage biofouling on SSAS are mechanical and are applied reactively to manage biofouling assemblages after they have developed to substantial levels. Effective application of reactive methods is logistically challenging, occurs after impacts have accumulated, can pose health and safety risks, and is costly at large scales. Emerging technologies aim to shift this paradigm to a more proactive and preventive management approach, but uncertainty remains regarding their long-term efficacy, feasibility, and environmental effects at operational scales. Key priorities to promote more widespread biofouling management of SSAS include rigorous and transparent independent testing of emerging treatment systems, with more holistic cost-benefit analyses where efficacy is demonstrated.

Peningkatan Pengetahuan Ergonomi Terhadap Pembuat Konveksi Tas

Konveksi memiliki peran yang besar terhadap peningkatan sosial dan ekonomi masyarakat. Akan tetapi, proses kerja di industri konveksi memiliki risiko kesehatan dan keselamatan terhadap pekerja. Hasil observasi pendahuluan menunjukkan bahwa pekerja konveksi X bekerja lebih dari 12 jam per hari. Diketahui pula bahwa tempat kerja (work station) yang digunakan kurang ergonomis. Pengabdian masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk memberikan informasi yang relevan terkait aspek ergonomi terhadap pembuat tas. Pemberian informasi ergonomis dilakukan terhadap 6 orang pekerja konveksi PT. X. Advokasi melalui diskusi langsung dilakukan terhadap pemilik konveksi. Pre-Test dan Post-Test diberikan kepada pekerja yang menunjukkan peningkatan skor setelah dilakukan pemberian informasi. Pemilik konveksi X bersedia untuk mengubah work station dan penyesuaian tugas para pekerja. Diharapkan dengan peningkatan pengetahuan pada pekerja sekaligus penyesuaian work station dan tugas dapat menurunkan risiko keluhan musculoskeletal pada pekerja PT.X---It has been known that convection industry has the big impact to improve the social and economic aspects among society. However, the work processes in the industry have the health and safety risks. The preliminary observation shows that the workers of Convection X work more than 12 hours a day. It also been observed that the work station was lack of ergonomic aspect. The ergonomic information and knowledge were given to 6 workers. The advocation was conducted to the owner. Pre-Test and Post-Test was conducted to the workers and show the score improvement after the counselling was delivered. The owner agreed to change the work station and adjust the workers’ tasks.

Occupational Health and Safety Risks and Hazards among Workers in the Gambian Building Construction Sites: A Mixed-Method Study Design

Background: Providing occupational health and safety (OHS) services to employees has been a global problem for an extended period. A safe workplace should pose no avoidable risk to employees' physical, psychological, or social wellbeing and should provide opportunities for employees to improve and support their health. This study aimed to assess the occupational health and safety risks and hazards among workers at the construction sites in Kombo North District of the Gambia. Methods: A mixed-method study design was conducted across construction workers in Kombo North District, West Coast Region of the Gambia. Data was generated using validated OHS risk assessment matrix, structured questionnaires, environmental and physical inspection and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics, including a composite scoring system, were used to present the results of this study. Results: Of the 157 respondents in this study, 98.1% were males, and about one-third of these construction workers were 31-40 years of age. About 46% and 34.4% spent 1-5 and 6-10 years in the construction industry, while about 40.2% of the respondents never been to school. The study revealed that physical risks and hazards in the form of falling from a height, electric shock, etc. were the most common forms compared to other categories such as ergonomics, biological and chemical risks and hazards. There is no reporting system or registry in place across the study sites. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that physical hazards reported being the most common across other forms of ergonomics, biological and chemical risk and hazards. There is an urgent need for reactivation and implementation of OHS advocacies, health education, and other preventive strategies to control common workplace risks and hazards in their various forms.

Does Job Satisfaction Influence the Productivity of Ride-Sourcing Drivers? A Hierarchical Structural Equation Modelling Approach for the Case of Bandung City Ride-Sourcing Drivers

With various benefits being offered by ride-sourcing companies, Indonesian cities have experienced a substantial increase in the number of ride-sourcing drivers in the past five years. However, with tense working conditions, there is a question as to how drivers perceive their work satisfaction and how this satisfaction influences their productivity. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence ride-sourcing drivers’ job satisfaction and productivity. For this purpose, a questionnaire was distributed to ride-sourcing drivers in 2019 and analysed using hierarchical structural equation modelling (SEM). Wage competitiveness and financial safety are found to be appreciated the most by ride-sourcing drivers, while undertaking multiple jobs tends to be associated with low satisfaction. Satisfaction is also found to positively influence trip productivity. Drivers who perceive themselves as being exposed to health and safety risks tend to have lower satisfaction.

Health and safety (hs) risks normalization in the construction industry: the SMEs perspective

The construction industry is hazardous and experiences poor health and safety performance records; as a result of the abuse and negligence of health and safety policies. Emphasis is now on health and safety management as health and safety risks are now normalised in the construction industry by the actions of construction SMEs. The study assessed the factors promoting health and safety risks normalisation in the construction industry of Nigeria. The study sampled construction professionals and tradespeople, using a well-structured questionnaire and snowball sampling techniques. With a response rate of 72.61% and a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.916; percentage, frequency, Mann-Whitney U Test and factor analysis were used to analyse the gathered data. It was found that there is a low level of occupational health and safety policies application and performance in the construction industry. The poor health and safety performance is prompted by HS risks normalisation promoted by factors such as misconception of and unwillingness to invest in HS, informal and unstructured HS policies, medical issues and excessive workload, Planning and client unwillingness, management commitment issues, and unorganised HS culture. Also, there was no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of the professionals and the tradespeople regarding 89.29% of the assessed variables. Commitment from the management and leadership of the SMEs and making of health and safety culture an integral part of the functioning of the organisations was thus recommended.

Artisanal and small-scale mining activities as post-mining land use in abandoned mine sites: a case of Giyani and Musina areas, Limpopo Province of South Africa

South Africa has many artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activities that some are registered and others informal and illegal. This paper presents an overview of ASM operations in the vicinity of abandoned mine sites found in Giyani and Musina areas, Limpopo Provine of South Africa. It looks at the mining processes, environmental problems, and health and safety risks of ASM in the area. It also provideds a discussion of practical ways of dealing with the problems of artisanal and small-scale mining operations in a harmonized way with the rehabilitation of the abandoned mine sites. The exploitation of waste rock dumps for aggregate production in Musina demonstrated that formalized ASM activities can be the best alternative uses of the abandoned mine sites. However, artisanal gold mining around Giyani revealed the health and safety risks and environmental problems of these operations. The artisanal gold mining activities worsened the health and safety and the environmental problems of the abandoned mine sites. Therefore, this paper recommends that the efforts of coming up with strategies to formalize and regulate artisanal mining in South Africa be deepened for these activities to be accepteble as sustainable as post-mining land-uses in abandoned mines.