The passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 brought unprecedented changes in US workplaces, and the activities of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have ...contributed to a significant reduction in work-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses. Despite this, millions of workers are injured annually, and thousands killed.To reduce the toll, OSHA needs greater resources, a new standard-setting process, increased civil and criminal penalties, full coverage for all workers, and stronger whistleblower protections. Workers should not be injured or made sick by their jobs. To eliminate work injuries and illnesses, we must remake and modernize OSHA and restructure the relationship of employers and workers with the agency and each other.This includes changing the expectation of what employers must do to protect workers and implementing a requirement that firms have a "duty of care" to protect all people who may be harmed by their activities. Only by making major changes can we ensure that every worker leaves work as healthy as they were when their work shift began.
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•Accident rate in the construction sector is showing a very high after 30 years of Directive 92/57/EEC.•Ensuring health and safety (H&S) during the early stages of projects remains a challenge.•The ...appointment of Coordinator for S&H matters during the project preparation often occurs too late.•S&H management remains a challenge for SMEs.•New construction procedures emphasize the need for adapting work methods.
The construction sector is a key industry in the economy of the European Union (EU), with a significant impact on the Gross Domestic Product and employs approximately 30 % of the industrial workforce. Despite this positive economic impact, the construction sector suffers from high accident rates which result in significant economic costs. In 1992, the EU introduced the Directive 92/57/EEC, which aimed to establish minimum Safety and Health (S&H) requirements for construction sites. The Directive lists a number of premises that justify the need to incorporate risk prevention from the design stage of a project and to strengthen coordination throughout the project’s life. For these reasons, the Directive created the role of the Coordinators for S&H matters during the project preparation stage and execution stage, as well as the definition of a S&H Plan. The current paper analyses the state of the accident rate in the construction sector 30 years after publication of the Directive, the changes that have been made to the original text, as well as the identification of the difficulties that have been detected, both in terms of lack of definition and problems in implementation. It is possible to conclude that the management of prevention in the early stages of a project remains a persistent challenge for the industry. Additionally, it is essential to address the sector's adaptation to the new working methods required for its transition to Construction 4.0. This discussion can serve as a valuable tool for future decision-making aimed at improving the regulatory framework.
The influence of technologies on labor safety in animal breeding Bilash, Yu. P.; Kamratska, O. I.; Bilash, V. Yu
Naukovij vìsnik Lʹvìvsʹkogo nacìonalʹnogo unìversitetu veterinarnoï medicini ta bìotehnologìj ìmenì S.Z. Gžicʹkogo. Serìâ: Sìlʹsʹkogospodarsʹkì nauki,
02/2024, Volume:
26, Issue:
100
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Since the beginning of the human species, life on earth was dependent on technology. With the development of civilization created a permanent arrangement: a man – technical object – environment, ...which over the centuries was supplemented knowledge and skills of man and the “technical novelties”. He generates a threat that could be dangerous to humans. Modern construction gives a person more complicated, yet perfect technical facilities, which require it to increasing efficiency. As part of the technical progress is introduced into the production of new building structures, new types of machinery, equipment and tools that change working conditions and human existence. For the new working conditions are not detrimental to humans, it becomes necessary to take into account the new safe technique physiological and psychological characteristics of man. Against this background emerges the need to harmonize man with technique and with the environment and the rational protection of the life and health against potential dangers and hazards occurring in the environment, including in the workplace. There is therefore a need to know the rules, norms values, formulas, or ways of dealing with the scope of the development of good working conditions are safe for humans and the environment. The article describes the impact of technology on safety and labor protection in animal breeding. Ensuring the safety and health of the employee involves compliance with the requirements of legal standards (industry, national) regarding system elements: man – technical object – environment, using EU directives, as well as international rules and world achievements in science and technology, the location of the national (institutional) system of labor protection in such a way as to ensure the state of physical and mental well-being of the employee.
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•More microplastics (MP) were found in gastrointestinal tract than in gills.•Thirty-two percent of sampled fish had MP in dorsal muscle.•Polyethylene and polyester are the most common ...polymers detected.•MP ingestion causes evidence of neurotoxicity and oxidative damage in wild fish.•An estimated 842 MP items/year are potentially intake by adults from fish consumption.
Microplastics (MP) pollution has received increased attention over the last few years. However, while the number of studies documentating the ingestion of microplastics by fish has increased, fewer studies have addressed the toxicological effects derived from the ingestion of these small items in wild conditions. Here, MP contamination and effect biomarkers were investigated in three commercially important fish species from the North East Atlantic Ocean. From the 150 analysed fish (50 per species), 49 % had MP. In fish from the 3 species, MP in the gastrointestinal tract, gills and dorsal muscle were found. Fish with MP had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher lipid peroxidation levels in the brain, gills and dorsal muscle, and increased brain acetylcholinesterase activity than fish where no MP were found. These results suggest lipid oxidative damage in gills and muscle, and neurotoxicity through lipid oxidative damage and acetylcholinesterase induction in relation to MP and/or MP-associated chemicals exposure. From the 150 fish analysed, 32 % had MP in dorsal muscle, with a total mean (± SD) of 0.054 ± 0.099 MP items/g. Based on this mean and on EFSA recommendation for fish consumption by adults or the general population, human consumers of Dicentrachus labrax, Trachurus trachurus, Scomber colias may intake 842 MP items/year from fish consumption only. Based on the mean of MP in fish muscle and data (EUMOFA, NOAA) of fish consumption per capita in selected European and American countries, the estimated intake of microplastics through fish consumption ranged from 518 to 3078 MP items/year/capita. Considering that fish consumption is only one of the routes of human exposure to microplastics, this study and others in the literature emphasize the need for more research, risk assessment and adoption of measures to minimize human exposure to these particles. Thus, MP pollution and its effects should be further investigated and addressed according to the WHO ‘One Health’ approach.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard on the world economy and global health. Where most businesses are completely closed following governments restrictions, the food sector across the supply chain must ...remain operational in order to feed the nations. In such a challenging time, keeping the workers healthy and safe is critical while maintaining a high level of food safety and consumer confidence. Against a backdrop of heightened uncertainty, up-to-date and reliable information is more important than ever, both for regulators and this sector. This literature review aims at assembling all current knowledge about COVID-19 and its impact on the food industry. It is an exhaustive compilation of relevant public information and guidance published by the World Health Organization (WHO), and collected from 11 governmental and 10 non-governmental sources as well as 25 peer-reviewed articles published in scientific journals since the beginning of the crisis till June 5th, 2020. This paper could be of assistance to educators, researchers, and policy makers. It could also serve as an assessment tool to ensure business continuity and to determine the level of food industry readiness providing reassurance to all stakeholders during these unprecedented times.
•Employee health and food safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.•The Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) measures and COVID-19.•Identification of the short and long terms impact of COVID-19 on the food industry.•Assessment tool to evaluate food industry readiness during the pandemic.•Managing business continuity during the pandemic.
Purpose:
To provide a nationally representative snapshot of workplace health promotion (WHP) and protection practices among United States worksites.
Design:
Cross-sectional, self-report Workplace ...Health in America (WHA) Survey between November 2016 and September 2017.
Setting:
National.
Participants:
Random sample of US worksites with ≥10 employees, stratified by region, size, and North American Industrial Classification System sector.
Measures:
Workplace health promotion programs, program administration, evidence-based strategies, health screenings, disease management, incentives, work–life policies, implementation barriers, and occupational safety and health (OSH).
Analysis:
Descriptive statistics, t tests, and logistic regression.
Results:
Among eligible worksites, 10.1% (n = 3109) responded, 2843 retained in final sample, and 46.1% offered some type of WHP program. The proportion of comparable worksites with comprehensive programs (as defined in Healthy People 2010) rose from 6.9% in 2004 to 17.1% in 2017 (P < .001). Occupational safety and health programs were more prevalent than WHP programs, and 83.5% of all worksites had an individual responsible for employee safety, while only 72.2% of those with a WHP program had an individual responsible for it. Smaller worksites were less likely than larger to offer most programs.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of WHP programs has increased but remains low across most health programs; few worksites have comprehensive programs. Smaller worksites have persistent deficits and require targeted approaches; integrated OSH and WHP efforts may help. Ongoing monitoring using the WHA Survey benchmarks OSH and WHP in US worksites, updates estimates from previous surveys, and identifies gaps in research and practice.
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles with less than 5 mm in size that are considered global environmental pollutants. The MPs present in the environment result from the successive breakdown of ...larger plastic pieces or from the direct input of micro- and nano-sized particles used in various industries and products available to consumers. Such MPs have been found in several wild species and other natural resources, including some consumed as food by humans, with possible adverse effects on ecosystem and human health. The central aim of this work was to review the published literature regarding the contamination of sea commercial salts (sea and terrestrial origins) and its possible impacts on human health. Moreover, to lead to a comprehensive understanding of the paradigm, a short introduction and revision of the environmental contamination by MPs and its effects are included. MPs have been found in commercial salts from 128 brands, from 38 different countries spanning over five continents. The concentration of MPs found in the samples analysed is lower than the concentrations of MPs reported in other resources, such as blue mussels. However, as commercial salts are used every day and by all humans, they constitute a long-term exposure route for the general population in addition to others (e.g., animals consumed as food by humans, water, air). Therefore, commercial salts contaminated with MPs may contribute to the potential long-term adverse effects resulting from human exposure to these particles.
•Plastics as marine debris are the new addition to the list of global threats.•Marine pollution will undoubtedly lead to the contamination of sea products.•Microplastics in salts might pose a threat to human food safety and health.•Microplastics sorb contaminants and transfer them to salt and other products.
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