Demanding Working Conditions Research Articles

Health workers’ experience of providing second-trimester abortion care in Ethiopia: a qualitative study

BackgroundSecond-trimester abortions are less common than abortions in the first trimester, yet they disproportionately account for a higher burden of abortion-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. Health workers play a crucial role in granting or denying access to these services, yet little is known about their experiences. Ethiopia has been successful in reducing mortality due to unsafe abortion over the past decade, but access to second trimester abortion remains a challenge. The aim of this study is to better understand this issue by exploring the experiences of second-trimester abortion providers working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA qualitative study with 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews with 16 health workers directly involved in providing second-trimester abortions, this included obstetrician and gynaecologist specialists and residents, general practitioners, nurses, and midwives. Data was collected at four public hospitals and one non-governmental clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and analysed using Malterud’s text-condensation method.ResultsThe providers recognized the critical need for second-trimester abortion services and were motivated by their empathy towards women who often sought care late due to marginalisation and poverty making it difficult to access abortion before the second trimester. However, service provision was challenging according to the providers, and barriers like lack of access to essential drugs and equipment, few providers willing to conduct abortions late in pregnancy and unclear guidelines were commonly experienced. This led to highly demanding working conditions. The providers experienced ethical dilemmas pertaining to the possible viability of the fetus and women desperately requesting the service after the legal limit.ConclusionsSecond-trimester abortion providers faced severe barriers and ethical dilemmas pushing their moral threshold and medical risk-taking in efforts to deliver second-trimester abortions to vulnerable women in need of the service. Effort is needed to minimize health system barriers and improve guidelines and support for second-trimester abortion providers in order to increase access and quality of second-trimester abortion services in Ethiopia. The barriers forcing women into second trimester abortions also need to be addressed.

THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN THE IMPACT OF WORKPLACE FRIENDSHIP ON CREATIVITY

In today's demanding working conditions, it is of considerable importance for employees to feel safe and happy in their workplaces in terms of their performance. Since employees spend a significant portion of their time in the workplace, the encouragement and development of personal relationships among colleagues and the establishment of communication related to work contribute to the emergence of workplace friendships. These friendships also lead to employees receiving support, feeling relaxed, and experiencing a sense of security. Employees who freely express their ideas in the workplace are more comfortable in implementing their creative ideas. This sense of confidence they feel is also reflected in their psychology as "safety." Therefore, through the workplace friendships they establish, employees can feel psychologically secure. As a result, their performance, especially in terms of creativity, improves. The aim of this study is to determine the mediating role of psychological comfort in the impact of workplace friendships on employee creativity in organizations. To achieve this goal, data was collected through a survey technique from 500 full-time white-collar employees working in companies operating in the furniture sector in Kayseri. The surveys were conducted through face-to-face interviews, and incomplete responses were eliminated, resulting in a total of 428 valid survey responses. Firstly, Cronbach Alpha values were calculated and confirmatory factor analysis was applied to assess the validity and reliability of the collected data. Additionally, skewness and kurtosis values were examined to determine whether the data followed a normal distribution. IBM SPSS, IBM AMOS, and PROCESS 3.2 software programs were utilized for data analysis. NBased on the findings, it has been revealed that psychological comfort plays a partial mediating role in the impact of workplace friendships on creativity. In this context, it has been concluded that workplace friendships not only support creativity but also serve as a mediator in enhancing psychological comfort.

Gender and sand extraction in the Usumacinta River basin

Globally, sand and gravel are the second most extracted natural resources by volume after water. Despite that, knowledge about social and gender implications of sand-supply systems is limited. Here we aimed to advance the understanding of practices and gender relations in sand mining at male and female spaces in the Usumacinta River basin in Mexico and Guatemala. Drawing from desk and field research carried out in 79 locations on the riverbanks of the Usumacinta River and eight tributaries, this paper examines the extractive activities, gender roles and conditions of the workers. Sand extraction is characterized by a large diversity of actors, forms of organization, and local practices. We provide empirical evidence of a prevalent gender imbalance in the sand mining sector, as well as between men and women's spaces. Women participate in sand-mining related works in 19.51% of the sites, although in half of those cases they perform administrative tasks from town offices. Overall, their roles are seen as peripheral and minor even as they sell and classify materials and contribute to organizational tasks. We argue that the low participation of women at extraction sites is due to a combination of physically demanding work conditions and deeply ingrained gender norms in rural communities.

Burnout in oncology nurses.

e23000 Background: Burnout is a psychological condition that develops as a result of a sustained response to workplace interpersonal stressors. An overpowering sense of tiredness, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness & lack of accomplishment are the three primary dimensions of this response. Introduction: Specialties that is most impacted by burnout is oncology nursing. They work in environments with high patient: nurse ratios & demanding working conditions, which increases their load of emotional responsibility and increases the risk of burnout. The current research was done to determine the predictors of burnout in an Indian healthcare population due to the scarcity of Indian studies in this domain. Objective: The aim to this research is to investigate the level of burnout & fatigue in oncology nurses and how can we help them to recover from burnout. Outcomes are measured by Maslach Burnout Inventory test (MBI). Methods: In this study, total 300 nursing staff were included who are working in Oncology departments. The questionnaire comprised a total of 23 questions.The online surveys (Google form) were sent over 4-month period during April 2022 to June 2022 and nurses were met in person to interview and get the feedback submitted. The data were entered in the excel sheet and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data using SPSS 20.0. The Mann-Whitney U test is used to compare differences between two independent groups. Logistic regression with stepwise selection was employed in multivariate analyses to find a group of demographic variables (age, gender) that were independently important in explaining the likelihood of burnout & fatigue in nurses. Results: In this study, 33.7% (101) male and 66.3% (199) of female nurses were included with highest number from the young age group 20-25 (51%, 153). The univariate analysis revealed that fatigue during daily routine shown significant association with gender and age classification, however positively dealing with anger, all the time energetic feelings, consideration themselves as happy person also shown statistical significance. It was found that the think of themselves during a busy time at work showed a significant association with gender classification in multivariate analysis. Similarly, dealing with anger was the most critical positive association with burnout variables in multivariate analysis. The overall multivariate test results on the basis of gender classification showed a significant difference for the burnout variables (p<0.01), while for age classification it was non-significant (p=0.87). Conclusions: The current study is a first step in understanding some of these mental health problems that Indian oncology nurses encounter and indicated prevalence of burnout consistent with age and gender criteria through standardizing measurement tools. It is helpful in raising awareness of the value of self-care and illnesses like burnout & fatigue among nursing professionals.

Ocular and Superficial Body Thermographic Findings in Sled Dogs before and after Competition

Competitions involving sled dogs are rapidly growing and body temperature assessment could represent a prompt and non-invasive method of screening for potential pathological conditions during or after activity. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate if thermography is able to monitor the pre- and post-competition ocular and superficial body temperature variations during a sled dog competition. It subsequently compared the data relating to the ocular temperatures in different race types: mid-distance (30 km) and sprint (≤16 km). Results showed a statistically significant increase in post-competition ocular temperature of both eyes, regardless of the length of the race. The relative increase in the temperatures of the other body surfaces was lower than the expected values, probably due to the influence of environmental and subjective factors such as the type of coat of the Siberian Husky or subcutaneous fat. Infrared thermography has therefore proved to be useful method in sled dog competition conditions for screening superficial temperature variations, as the investigation is normally conducted in an external environment and often in demanding work conditions.

Toward an understanding of occupational burnout among employees with autism – the Job Demands-Resources theory perspective

This article aims to gain insight into the phenomenon of occupational burnout among employees with autism based on the theoretical framework of the Job Demands-Resources theory and the literature on employees with autism in the workplace. Firstly, we argue that although the resources and demands of the neurotypical and neurodivergent employees might be different, the theoretical mechanism of occupational burnout formation remains similar among the neurotypical and neurodivergent employees, leading to the similar burnout experience. Next, we distinguish key demands that might drain neurodiverse employees’ energy, and spark burnout, and propose a set of resources that might foster their achievement of work goals and mitigate demanding working conditions. We emphasise that the nature of job demands/resources that may cause burnout is not universal but might depend on how employees evaluate them, thus neurotypical and neurodiverse workers who evaluate the same work characteristics differently might complement each other, increasing organisational diversity without losing productivity. Our conceptual elaboration contributes to the theory and practice of healthier workplaces by providing tools and inspiration to managers, policymakers, and all stakeholders interested in creating a diverse and productive workplace. Moreover, our work might spark a much needed debate on occupational burnout among employees with autism and encourage conducting further empirical studies.

Novel Furrow Diking Equipment-Design Aimed at Increasing Water Consumption Efficiency in Vineyards

Productivity in viticultural practices is highly dependent on seasonal availability of rainfall and the efficiency of soil and water conservation strategies. Sustainable water consumption has been regarded as a business, social, and environmental responsibility, since resource availability becomes more challenging. The present research evaluates a new agricultural equipment design, employed in furrow compartmentalization works, with the aim of improving the efficiency of rainwater storage in the soil, reducing the runoff and the erosion on sloping soils. The newly developed equipment operates on the basis of a rigid memory and employs the cam-tappet mechanism, known for its high customization potential. The system functionality has been improved by integrating enhanced hoe shapes, adapted for the demanding working conditions encountered in vineyards. The evaluated performance indicators showed an increased up to 7% of the water storage effectiveness, while the micro-basins construction performance improved by 10%. The furrow diking phase is integrated into the weeding works, and recorded low additional fuel consumption of only 3–5%, being appreciated by farmers due to its constructive simplicity. As a result, the equipment has shown a significant application potential to increase deep water storage in vineyards and reduce the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture.

From precarious conditions to permanent positions? Problems, responsible actors, and solutions for strengthening the academic mid-level staff in Switzerland

The precarious situation of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, resulting from fixed-term contracts and the demanding working conditions of young researchers at Swiss universities, has been increasingly discussed in recent years by academic organizations, political actors, and the broader public. While discussions on various levels are intensifying, concrete measures remain largely absent, and young researchers find themselves in an environment of job insecurity and a lack of prospects. Therefore, we organized a panel discussion on why and how to create permanent positions in the Swiss academic system during this year’s annual conference of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SACM). The panel included presentations of preliminary results from a recent study analyzing the working conditions of young and emerging communication and media scholars in Switzerland as well as discussions with researchers and actors from science organizations regarding: 1) the need for improvement of the current working conditions and the future perspectives of mid-level staff at Swiss universities, 2) the responsibilities of different actors, and 3) alternatives to the status quo that help solve the precarious situation of young and emerging scholars in Switzerland and beyond. The discussion showed several reasons for establishing more permanent positions and inducing a systemic change. While there are manifold arguments for creating more permanent positions, these arguments must appeal to those with decision-making power.

Eating Patterns among Emergency Medical Service Providers in the United States: A Qualitative Interview Study.

Emergency medical service (EMS) providers experience demanding work conditions in addition to shift work, which increases risk for nutrition related chronic disease such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. The high stress, emergent, and unpredictable nature of EMS may interfere with healthy eating patterns on and off shift, however little is known about how these conditions impact dietary patterns among EMS providers. This study aimed to understand factors impacting dietary patterns through semi-structured interviews with 40 EMS providers throughout the United States. Interviews were conducted virtually via Zoom video conference. Inductive coding was used to identify themes throughout the interviews. Salient factors mentioned in the interviews included hunger, fatigue, stress, coworker influence, ambulance posting, geographical location, agency policy, and culture. Factors were grouped into 4 domains: physiological factors, psychosocial factors, physical environment, and organizational environment, represented by an adapted version of the social ecological model of health behaviors to include factors influencing eating patterns specific to EMS, which may contribute to overall health. Various barriers to healthy eating exist within EMS, and future studies should explore interventions at each level of our proposed model to improve conditions and reduce nutrition related disease risk in this essential population.

6.L. Round table: Digitally literate health workforce for a resilient future

Abstract Currently, health systems worldwide are experiencing an unprecedented challenge after the shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there lies an opportunity for renewal to strengthen health systems. The importance of collaboration becomes imperative in times of health workforce (HWF) shortages and demanding working conditions. This workshop, organised in partnership by the Young Forum Gastein and EUPHAnxt, will focus on connecting generations to explore, discover and share best practices for HWF education and (re)training in digital skills to deliver better patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalisation across many sectors including healthcare. Yet it has also served to highlight the digital divide, which has the potential to hinder health experts in providing optimal care. Concurrently, the demanding working conditions of the HWF can be improved by making use of digital tools. It is high time to discuss how digital literacy can be improved across a multi-generational HWF and how to empower the next generation of healthcare leaders to re-imagine health services. The workshop will bring different perspectives to the table - policy-making, science & academia, and governance - on the approaches for better intergenerational collaboration by making use of digital literacy. At the end of the session, participants will understand the realistic potential of digital literacy and how it can be used to ensure effective communication across the HWF, support the resilience of health systems, and ultimately, safeguarding patient care. Key messages • Digital literacy is not a stable level of knowledge - the health workforce needs opportunities to advance their knowledge and (digital) skills. • Acknowledging the shortages in health workforce planning, it is essential to ensure adequate skills of the health workforce personnel. Speakers/Panellists Natasha Azzopardi Muscat WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark Marius-Ionut Ungureanu Department of Public Health of the Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Brian Wong EUPHA-DH GHFutures2030, I-DAIR, London, UK Ellen Kuhlmann Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany

STRESS IN FIRST YEAR MEDICAL POST GRADUATE STUDENTS IN CENTRAL INDIA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY.

Introduction-Medical residency is time of great stress & struggle for residents. It is primarily due to highly demanding working conditions, limited time available for leisure activities & rest. The residents need to develop new skills that require lot of concentration & sometimes produce anxiety amongst them. Aim-The study is done to assess level of stress amongst rst year residents. Methods-Following ethical clearance the study from Institutional ethics committee (IEC) of Gandhi Medical College Bhopal the study was conducted amongst rst year residents in various departments of institute A pre designed -pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. The stress was assessed using Hospital Anxiety & Depression score(HADS.)The subjects were chosen using non-random, opportunity sampling. The relevant tests of signicance was used to co-relate various factors causing stress. Results-The study included 95 residents of which 89.74% students had mean age of 27 + 3.1years of age. Of all participants 19.99 % residents had normal stress levels, almost 23.11% had borderline scores & 56.9%had abnormal stress scores. There is no statistically signicant association between age & gender with levels of stress. There was signicant stress amongst residents with less than 6 hours of sleep per day(p-0.01). There was signicant stress amongst residents in clinical departments compared to non-clinical post graduate students(p0.009). Conclusion-It is concluded that the rst year residents are under tremendous stress. The main stressors are long working hours, less time available for sleep & type of residency.

Client documents in social work with adults as research data: scoping review of opportunities and challenges

ABSTRACT Documentation is an integral part of social work. It is a tool in client work, and it also has an accountability perspective. Documentation helps the practitioners to evaluate their own work and makes it possible to assess the impact of work and develop practices. The use of client documents for research purposes has been identified as an option, but it is still quite rare. Moreover, little attention has been paid to social work with adults in this context. The development of electronic information systems (EIS), including structured forms, presents new research opportunities. Through documentation, it is possible to make tacit information visible and obtain evidence, for example, about the effects of adult social work. The aim of this review is to examine the use of adult social work client documents in research: what kinds of documents are used as data, what are the aims and methods of the studies, and especially what opportunities and challenges are associated with the client documents as research data? The review finds that the methods and research topics are diverse. It indicates that documentation has a low status in adult social work, and recording practices are inadequate; this has implications for the client’s position and involvement, the development and monitoring of social work, and the usability of such documents for research purposes. These findings are a matter of serious concern, and they are linked to the demanding working conditions and the recording cultures that prevail in organizations, as well as problems with information systems.

The Slow Flower Movement – exploring alternative sustainable cut-flower production in a Swedish context

This study critically analyses the emerging Slow Flower Movement in a Swedish context. Analysis is conducted by using the Triple-layered Business Model Canvas, covering economic, social and environmental sustainability values. Data are collected (Spring 2021) through semi-structured interviews, observations of cultivation and use of social media. Analysis and coding were conducted by applying thematic analysis. The results show that consumer demand and market for domestic cut-flowers are increasing; however, the development is hindered by small scale production, low profitability and demanding work conditions. Results also show that produce, in line with the Slow Flower Movement, provides unique sustainable values: contribution to biodiversity, a different and unique assortment, functions as a meeting point, and contributes to the local culture, landscape and society. Social media represent a crucial tool in sales, marketing and communication, as well as in the overall development of the movement. Highlighting how these technological communication platforms constitute a foundation for the movement's establishment. The avoidance of technical production aid in the cultivation is regarded as a main hindrance to developing the firms and profitability. By initiating knowledge exchange between conventional growers and the emerging Slow Flower Movement, both parties are expected to gain advantages of a transformation towards a mutual development of sustainable domestic cut-flower production.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression within the UNiversity community: the cross-sectional UN-SAD study

The increasing complexity of academia, with its demanding working conditions and uncertain career opportunities, may affect the mental health of academics and potentially lead to mental health problems. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the academic population of the University of Udine and to compare symptoms in senior and younger academics and administrative staff.A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and December 2020, involving academic and administrative staff in all departments. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 tools. The relationship between mental health outcomes and job role was analyzed using nonparametric tests and ordinal logistic regression.A total of 366 individuals participated: 109 junior academics, 146 senior and 111 administrative staff. The proportion of women was 55.7% and the mean age was 47.9 years. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the studied population was 25.7% (95% IC 21.5–30.4) and 22.7% (95% IC 18.7–27.2) respectively, with junior academics having the higher prevalence of both symptoms. Univariate models suggest a higher risk for anxiety symptoms OR 1.89 (1.13–3.17) for women.The prevalence of depressive symptoms is higher in our academic community than in the general population, especially among junior academics. These findings may reflect the impact of uncertain career and challenging environment on the mental health of young academics. Universities should provide more support to young academics so that they can contribute effectively and healthily to the advancement of research.

Resilience and Protection of Health Care and Research Laboratory Workers During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Analysis and Case Study From an Austrian High Security Laboratory.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the interdependency of healthcare systems and research organizations on manufacturers and suppliers of personnel protective equipment (PPE) and the need for well-trained personnel who can react quickly to changing working conditions. Reports on challenges faced by research laboratory workers (RLWs) are rare in contrast to the lived experience of hospital health care workers. We report on experiences gained by RLWs (e.g., molecular scientists, pathologists, autopsy assistants) who significantly contributed to combating the pandemic under particularly challenging conditions due to increased workload, sickness and interrupted PPE supply chains. RLWs perform a broad spectrum of work with SARS-CoV-2 such as autopsies, establishment of virus cultures and infection models, development and verification of diagnostics, performance of virus inactivation assays to investigate various antiviral agents including vaccines and evaluation of decontamination technologies in high containment biological laboratories (HCBL). Performance of autopsies and laboratory work increased substantially during the pandemic and thus led to highly demanding working conditions with working shifts of more than eight hours working in PPE that stressed individual limits and also the ergonomic and safety limits of PPE. We provide detailed insights into the challenges of the stressful daily laboratory routine since the pandemic began, lessons learned, and suggest solutions for better safety based on a case study of a newly established HCBL (i.e., BSL-3 laboratory) designed for autopsies and research laboratory work. Reduced personal risk, increased resilience, and stress resistance can be achieved by improved PPE components, better training, redundant safety measures, inculcating a culture of safety, and excellent teamwork

Potentially Automated Mechanical Characterization of Metal Components by Means of Hardness Test Complemented by Non-Contact 3D Measurement

Metal structures and infrastructures subjected to demanding working conditions must be carefully monitored throughout their entire life cycle. In fact, high operating temperatures and interaction with aggressive environments produce significant variation of the mechanical characteristics of the materials, and eventually compromise the overall structural integrity. The evolution over time of metal properties can be determined in fast, cheap and non-destructive manner by hardness tests, processing the data that describe the geometry of the residual deformation left on the indented surface. The required equipment can be mounted on the arms of collaborative robots, and/or on frames that move on wheels or rails, to detect the material characteristics automatically, over large distances and with high spatial resolution. The reliability of such a diagnostic approach depends on the accuracy of the information that can be collected, in situ, by portable devices that perform 3D contactless measurement, and on the robustness of the data filtering and interpretation procedures. These issues are illustrated in this contribution.

Psychological Impacts among Health Care Personnel during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak is a health emergency, in which health care personnel (HCP) face psychological consequences, working as frontline workers. Therefore, we conducted this study to find out associated psychological impacts among HCP during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline. The reviewed studies were searched from PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Google scholar electronic database using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. Results: We searched through 2676 articles, 19 of which were finally included, most of them were cross-sectional and descriptive studies with 12910 participants. HCP were found to be exposed to a variety of psychological problems; anxiety symptoms were reported in 33% (3081 of 9269), depression 28% (2681 of 9487), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 41% (2933 of 7167), sleep problems 26% (903 of 3442), stress 13% (487 of 3496) and fear 67.3% (392 of 582). The severity of impacts was often mild to moderate. The nurses were twice as likely to develop these symptoms. The factors associated with psychological impacts were fear of infection to self and family members, lack of resources and facilities at workplace, demanding work conditions, working closely with COVID-19 clients in intensive care unit and pre-existing medical and psychological problems. Conclusion: Psychological impacts was mild to moderate among majority of HCP during COVID-19 pandemic. The outcome of this review is to provide some utilitarian information for making supportive policies and strategies to improve the psychological wellbeing of frontline HCP during this pandemic.

Sources and Coping Mechanisms of Anxiety and Stress among Surgeons – A Qualitative Study

Medical professionals are often exposed to demanding work conditions which may affect their mental as well as physical health. The aim of this study is to find out the various sources of anxiety and stress as well as the coping mechanisms among surgeons using qualitative approach of descriptive phenomenology. This study provides analysis of rich textual description of individual experiences of nine surgeons including six orthopaedic surgeons, two general surgeons and one plastic surgeon. In-depth qualitative interviews are conducted and transcribed. Thematic analysis is carried out on the text i.e. identification of codes, themes and sub-themes. A total of twenty-one sub-themes emerged under the three themes of ‘sources of anxiety’, ‘sources of stress’ and ‘coping mechanisms’. The study attempts to find out how these developed coping strategies have an impact on the ability of participants to deal with the problems in their personal life. The sources of anxiety and stress vary according to the phase in the profession such as medical training and practice as well as according to the economic, psychological and social state of the individual. Coping strategies developed by the participants help them to sustain and stand in the field. The study implies that there is a need of regular formal stress and anxiety management training for surgeons which eventually can help to increase longevity and quality of their work life. Keywords: anxiety, stress, sources, coping mechanisms, surgeons, phenomenology

The produced injured: Locating workplace accidents amongst precarious migrant workmen in Singapore

Serious workplace injuries and fatalities amongst migrant workers are an increasingly documented concern in critical literature on precarious migrant labour. Explanations vary as to why migrant workers experience a disproportionally high incidence of workplace accidents, with existing literature identifying risk factors such as dangerous and demanding working conditions and lack of adherence to safety standards, as well as socio-cultural and political barriers negatively affecting migrants' health-seeking behaviour. This paper aims to extend these discussions through a closer examination of the role of two inter-related factors emanating from the political economy of Singapore's migrant labour regime in creating a context of heightened vulnerability and risk. These are: the organisation of migration (including fees/debts and deportability), and contract fraud and deceptive recruitment (including wrongful deployment and substandard living conditions). To frame discussion in the paper, I introduce the concept of the ‘produced injured’, which refers to those whose vulnerability to injury results from processes related to the political economy of migrant labour.

Fuzzy Risk-Based Maintenance Strategy with Safety Considerations for the Mining Industry.

Enterprises today are increasingly seeking maintenance management strategies to ensure that their machines run faultlessly. This problem is particularly relevant in the mining sector, due to the demanding working conditions of underground mines and machines and equipment-operating regimes. Therefore, in this article, the authors proposed a new approach to mining machinery maintenance management, based on the concept of risk-based maintenance (RBM) and taking into account safety issues. The proposed method includes five levels of analysis, of which the first level focuses on hazard analysis, while the next three are connected with a risk evaluation. The final level relates to determining the RBM recommendations. The recommendations are defined in relation to the three main improvement areas: maintenance, safety, and resource availability/allocation. The proposed approach is based on the use of fuzzy logic. To present the possibilities of implementing our method, a case study covering the operation of selected mining machinery in a selected Polish underground mine is presented. In the case of mining machinery, fourteen adverse-event scenarios were identified and investigated; general recommendations were also given. The authors have also indicated further directions of research work to optimize system maintenance strategies, based on the concept of risk-based maintenance. Additionally, the discussion about the implementation possibilities of the approach developed herein is provided.