Hazard Perception Research Articles

Hazard Perception Skill and Driver Behavior in Patients With Functional Neurologic Disorders.

Driving in patients with functional neurologic disorders (FND) is a major concern, but current guidelines (where they exist) are based on expert consensus only due to a lack of relevant empirical evidence. This study aimed to provide such evidence by comparing drivers with FND with healthy controls on aspects of driving performance and behavior important to crash risk, including hazard perception skill. Participants completed validated self-report questionnaires of driving behaviors (assessing lapses, errors, violations, and attentional issues) and 2 computer-based measures of hazard perception skill (both known to be associated with crash risk). We compared 43 patients who experience dissociative attacks or functional motor symptoms and 43 healthy controls. Patients with FND self-reported significantly more driving lapses and driving errors compared with healthy controls. However, there were no significant between-group differences in self-reports of ordinary violations, aggressive violations, or attention-related errors. Participants in the FND group and healthy controls exhibited a similar performance on a response time hazard perception test (6.27 vs 5.51 seconds, p = 0.245). However, participants with FND remarkably outperformed the controls in the number of plausible predictions they made in a verbal response hazard prediction test (1.55 vs 1.18 predictions per clip, p = 0.006). Our findings suggest that the ability of drivers with FND to predict traffic hazards in between attacks or flares is not worse than that of healthy individuals, with the possibility that it might even be better under some circumstances. Further studies with various populations are needed to replicate our findings.

Food safety risk perceptions and mitigation techniques in the dumpster diving community in Sweden

An online questionnaire was used to investigate behaviors and habits relating to food retrieval by Swedish dumpster divers. Respondents were also asked to share information on their background, reasons for engaging in dumpster diving, and perceptions of potential bacterial hazards associated with the consumption of discarded foods. The questionnaire was mainly distributed to Swedish social media groups focusing on dumpster diving, and a total of 92 responses were received. The most common reason given for engaging in dumpster diving was to reduce food waste and associated negative environmental impacts (60%, n = 55). Many of the respondents (65%) had completed university education, and around three-quarters (73%) had some form of employment or were enrolled in studies. Half the respondents (52%, n = 48) perceived a risk of falling ill after consuming food obtained through dumpster diving, but very few (2%) reported they had been made ill by food they had picked up from dumpsters. Around one-fifth (22%) of the respondents did not know of any bacteria that could cause foodborne infections or food poisoning. Salmonella was mentioned by 35% of the respondents, while Listeria was mentioned by 18%. The respondents reported employing various techniques to reduce the risk of encountering harmful microbiological agents, for example, rinsing their food retrievals or discarding food that appeared spoiled. These are novel findings on dumpster divers’ perceptions of perceived health risks and the strategies they use to mitigate such risks with food obtained through dumpster diving.

Coastal disaster protection and hazard perceptions of the residents of Orchid Island, Taiwan

Although the importance of small island disaster protection has frequently been emphasized in the literature, few studies have explored residents’ awareness of coastal disasters and land use on small islands. This study demonstrates that although the residents of Orchid Island, Taiwan, were aware of the effect of coastal hazards, their focus was generally on using coastal areas for tourism rather than coastal disaster prevention. In addition, Taiwan’s Coastal Zone Management Act indicates that the indigenous residents of Orchid Island should develop a strategy for coastal hazard protection and have the right to use coastal areas for tourism development. To improve coastal disaster protection and the hazard perceptions of the residents of Orchid Island, communication platforms should be established to unite local resident groups.

Laser-Induced Smoke in Dermatologic Practice: A Survey to Explore Hazard Perceptions, Safety Measures and Unmet Needs.

Introduction: Inhalation of laser-induced smoke is a potential health hazard to exposed physicians and laser operators. To date, little is known about the perception of health hazards related to laser-induced smoke exposure among physicians and the actual use of safety measures to mitigate these risks. Methods: In May 2020, 514 members of the European Society for Lasers and Energy-Based Devices (ESLD) were invited by email to participate in an online survey. The survey comprised 16 questions including multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Results: Responses were received from 109 participants. The majority (90%) were aware of potential hazards and highlighted a desire for better protective measures (60%). A smoke evacuation system was frequently used with ablative lasers (66%) and fractional ablative lasers (61%), but less the case with non-ablative lasers (30%) and hair removal lasers (28%). The COVID-19 outbreak had no clear effect on the use of smoke evacuation systems. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, mainly surgical masks were used (40-57%), while high filtration masks (FFP1, FFP2 or FFP3) were used by only a small percentage (15-30%). Post COVID-19 outbreak, the use of high filtration masks increased significantly (54-66%), predominately due to an increase in the use of FFP2 masks. Reasons mentioned for inadequate protective measures were sparse knowledge, limited availability, discomfort, excessive noise, high room temperatures, and financial costs. Conclusion: While there is considerable awareness of the hazards of laser-induced smoke among physicians and laser operators, a substantial number of them do not use appropriate protective measures. The implementation of regulations on safety measures is hampered by sparse knowledge, limited availability, discomfort, excessive noise, financial issues, and high room temperatures.

Hazard perceptions and self-reported non-injury occupational ailments among road construction workers in three Middle Zone Regions of Ghana

Road construction activities are hazardous. Workers are exposed to hazards with high probability of illness, injury, disability or death. The objective was to determine road workers' perceptions of occupational hazards, ailments experienced and health seeking behaviour. This was an institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study using open-ended questions. A total of 353 road workers from Ashanti, Ahafo and Western North regions reported work-related hazards and ranked the top-3. Workers in each craft/stratum who gave consent were included in the study and interviewed. They also reported work-related ailments and health-seeking behaviour. The workers were primarily young (mean age 32.4 years) and male (97.7%). Most (70.2%) workers were contract/casual staff. 38 hazards were reported, with the top five being dust (91.5% of workers reported this), extreme temperatures (72.0%), noise (40.5%), fumes (21.8%) and vehicles/trucks (21.1%). Most (86.8%) workers reported a work-related ailment, with the most common being cough (41.1%) and headache (18.9%). Most (87.8%) workers with ailments sought treatment of any kind. Road construction workers in these regions of Ghana have good appreciation of hazards at work and the dangers they pose. Works supervisors should encourage workers on PPE use against dust, noise, fumes and good housekeeping. Regular worker-training on hazards is recommended.

Risk perception and behavioral intentions in facing compound climate-related hazards

Compound climate-related events are a complex combination of climate drivers and hazards leading to a significant impact on natural and anthropic systems. Owing to their complexity and critical consequences, interdisciplinary undertaking is required to improve risk analysis, management, and communication. Although prior research in cognitive sciences extensively investigated risk perception in case of a single hazard, the analysis of compound hazards perception is still an open issue. Here, based on cognitive psychology insights, we empirically investigate how individuals' risk perception is shaped by the subjective relevance attributed to different causal cues entailed in a compound event scenario. The results revealed that the subjective validity assigned to specific evidence presented in the composite scenario leads perceived risk related to one of the outcomes (i.e., flooding and wildfire) to prevail over the other. Moreover, the relevance of different cues is likely to affect participants' automatic behavioral intentions (stay at home vs. evacuation).

Engaging in cybersecurity proactive behavior: awareness in COVID-19 age

PurposeDue to the lack of awareness and poor cybersecurity practices that pose cyber threats during COVID-19 time, this research aims to explore user's attitude toward engaging in proactive cybersecurity awareness behavior.Design/methodology/approachBased on the theory of planned behavior, the relationship between multiple factors and their influence on the attitude is explored. A survey-based approach was utilized to collect responses and a model was proposed and tested on 229 respondents from the University of Petra-Jordan.FindingsThe attitude was significantly influenced by peers' influence and the individuals' cybersecurity threats awareness, especially threats that emerged during the COVID-19 time.Research limitations/implicationsThe research benefits decision makers in educational institutions who intend to develop cybersecurity awareness programs and helps them to assess user cybersecurity background weaknesses.Originality/valueThe research is the first to explore users' knowledge dimensions including organizational, information systems and social media as well as peers' influence on cybersecurity awareness. Also, it sheds light on the users’ perception of major cybersecurity hazards in COVID-19 time.

The Long-Term Risk Familiarity Effect on Courier Services’ Digital Branding during the COVID-19 Crisis

The explosion of e-commerce creates new opportunities for courier companies to thrive, making the industry one of the success stories, due to its sustainability and resilience during the pandemic. As customers become more familiar with COVID-19, they adopt new online purchasing behaviors toward branding preferences. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of risk familiarization on courier companies’ digital branding. This paper investigates the application of the psychometric paradigm by Fischhoff ho suggested risk novelty as a key factor for the level of risk perception. Five big companies with global trading activities were selected and analyzed on a three-period time: the year before, the first year, and the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, by using passive crowdsourcing data. The results indicate that after the first year of the pandemic, online customers’ risk perception of COVID-19 hazards decreased, and consumers returned to their pre-COVID-19 behavior regarding brand preference. However, the dramatic escalation of new infections caused by new COVID-19 mutations reversed their online purchasing attitude from non-branded to branded preferences. The outcomes of the research can be used by scientists and supply chain risk managers to redefine risk mitigation strategies, COVID-related information marketing strategies and innovation investments within the industry. The research further introduces dynamic simulation modeling to be used as a risk management tool in favor of courier companies’ proper resource allocation and digital optimization.

Occupational health and safety of dental personnel in Korea

This study aimed to investigate occupational risk among dental practitioners and its associated factors. Ma-terials and Methods. A total of 505 dentists and other dental staff from Korean dental institutions were includedin this study. A self-report questionnaire on demographic characteristics, perception and experience of occupa-tional hazards, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and type of musculoskeletal problems, were distributed to the participants. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors affecting the perception of occupational hazards. Results. Among the participants, 61.58% were dentists and 38.42% were dental staff (dental hygien-ists, dental technologists, and other office workers). Overall, 48.12% had a serious perception of occupationalhazards, and 77.53% had experienced occupational hazards. The common occupational hazards encounteredwere stress (20.58%), exposure to hazardous materials (15.44%), and cross-infections (14.75%). Regardless ofparticipants’ occupation and their perception of occupational hazards, musculoskeletal problems had the high-est prevalence (35.94%) (neck/shoulder pain [35.53%], lower back pain [24.74%], and wrist pain [19.07%]).Those with experience of occupational hazards and musculoskeletal problems were more likely to recognize occupational hazards (odds ratio 5.186 and 1.535, respectively; p<0.05). Conclusion. Approximately half of the dental workers were aware of the risk of occupational hazards. This study highlighted that the more the partici-pants experience occupational hazards, the more likely they are to recognize occupational hazards. The high prevalence of physical and mental occupational hazards indicates the need for preventive measures to reduce occupational risk in dental practices.

Improper weapons are a neglected category of harmful objects

According to legislation, objects are typically classified as weapons if they are offensive per se (referred to here as proper) and if they are adapted for use as weapons or carried with the intent of causing injury (referred to here as improper), with specific regulations on their usage and possession in public spaces. However, little evidence exists on the validity of this distinction in psychology, despite a widespread recognition of the importance of psychological states and subjective perceptions in risk assessment. We conducted an online survey to evaluate hazard perceptions in relation to three dimensions (dangerousness, frequency of events, controllability) of three object categories: proper weapons, improper weapons, and everyday objects. The data from our 300 respondents reveal that the three categories of objects differ from one another on the three dimensions. Moreover, hazard perceptions differ between males and females for improper weapons but less so for proper weapons. These findings suggest that proper and improper weapons are two psychologically distinct categories, albeit with fuzzy boundaries. Investigations into their differential properties may thus help improve risk assessment in security contexts.

Social perceptions of coastal hazards in the Anlo Beach Community in the Western Region of Ghana

Social perceptions of coastal hazards in the Anlo Beach Community in the Western Region of Ghana

Memory of the Earth and Human Memory of Natural Disasters: the 1953 Earthquake in Western Aragón (Spain)

Occurred in 1953 in Used (Zaragoza province), an earthquake of magnitude 4.7 and intensity VII was the last destructive earthquake in the Aragón region, Spain. The remaining social memory of that event (a type of intangible geological heritage) and its influence on the perception of seismic hazard in the area are explored by means of interviews and a population survey. The results indicate that the memory is lively amongst the population within the epicentral area, both in the generation that experienced it and, to a lesser extent, in the following generations. However, this does not translate into a significant perception of seismic hazard, the latter being more influenced by cultural factors: in the epicentral area it is greater amongst people who did not live through the earthquake, but who have heard familiar stories or have had external information highlighteing its importance. The study of social perception is part of a citizen science project, in which the social memory enters into dialogue with the Memory of the Earth, i.e. the record left by that and other previous earthquakes in geology and landscape. The research on the effects of the shake on people, buildings, and environment has benefited from numerous testimonies from the elderly. Reciprocally, such knowledge is scientifically processed and returned to the citizens in the form of scientific outreach products (book, documentary film, talks), with the aim of promoting scientific culture about natural disasters.

Hazards Arising from Working in Confined Spaces Case Study: Khartoum North Industrial Area, Sudan

Multiple injuries and fatalities occur during confined space entry work more than any other type of work performed in all developed countries. This research aimed at evaluating employee's awareness of confined spaces basic concepts and work hazards, and to generally assess the entry program used to access these confined spaces. The data were collected from a random sample of factories and industries in Khartoum north industrial area. A questionnaire was the instrument used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using standard Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results demonstrated lack of employee's awareness regarding the concept of confined spaces and hazards of working. It also shows failure of (80%) of workplaces to conduct confined space training, ensure supervision and provide procedures reinforcing the need for a comprehensive confined space safety program. It also demonstrated little evidence of a safe system of work in many of the cases. Over (82%) of the confined spaces were permitted to be entered without pre-entry hazards identification. In addition no atmospheric gases monitoring before or during entry (0%) since over (80%) of spaces expected to contain atmospheric hazards depending on confined space location, construction, condition, and work to be performed. also no effective nor adequate emergency rescue procedures were hold. The results showed that the most important reasons for confined spaces accidents and fatalities were lack of employees' perception of hazards from working in confined spaces, and scarcity of designing appropriate preventive measures and entry written programs by companies. Accordingly, the study will help in putting the companies comply with their own procedures and practices, and to maintain the safety of the employees.

Investigation of intervention methods based on different leading roles in family regarding child road safety education: An experimental study

Children are vulnerable to traffic injuries due to their low hazard perception. Previous studies have indicated that both parents and children have potential leading roles in safety education within the family. However, the effects of different leading roles (parents or children) on the hazard perception of children have not yet been revealed, and interactive education with children in the leading roles could also be an important means to enhance children's road safety. To fill this gap, based on constructivism theory and the Feynman learning method, this study proposed two methods of enhancing children's hazard perception based on different leading roles in the family regarding child road safety education and investigated the effectiveness of the above intervention methods. Thirty sets of parents and children participated in this experiment and were divided into three groups. The children received one of three different road safety interventions: a constructivism intervention, a parental guidance intervention or a children’s Feynman learning intervention. Compared with the constructivism intervention, the hazard perception of children who received road safety educations within the family were significantly improved; these children were more sensitive to potential traffic hazard factors and presented better visual search patterns. A comparative analysis showed that the two educational interventions based on different leading roles in the family regarding child road safety education were not identical with respect to effectiveness. The children’s Feynman learning intervention had a more significant effect than the parental guidance intervention. The findings of this study provide insightful information for safety education researchers, governments, educators and families with children.

Improving children’s on-road cycling with immersive video-based training: A pilot study

Cyclists are frequent casualties in road traffic collisions, and cyclist inattention is often implicated. Children are more distractible than adults and so are arguably more vulnerable road users, including when cycling. Research shows that misallocation of attention or distraction is a common factor in crashes involving cyclists, and child cyclists are more likely to be seriously injured, possibly because their hazard perception is inferior to that of adults. Video-based training paradigms designed to improve children’s hazard perception and situation awareness have yielded mixed findings, but none have examined positive transfer of such training interventions to on-road cycling performance. The aim of this study was to use an immersive video-based training protocol to improve attention allocation, situation awareness and on-road cycling performance in children who had completed UK cycle training aimed at 9–11-year-olds. Thirty-three children aged 10–12 years were randomly allocated to either an Intervention group or a Control group. All participants reported their cycling behaviour and cycling self-efficacy, and completed online situation awareness tests at baseline, post-test, and retention stages. Between baseline and post-test, the intervention group (n = 17) completed a lab-based training protocol in which they viewed real-world cyclist point-of-view footage on an immersive screen while pedalling on a stationary cycle. As they navigated five virtual routes their task was to demonstrate awareness of potential hazards and other information pertinent to their safety, with decreasing levels of support from the researcher as they progressed. The control group did not receive the training intervention. All participants’ cycling performance was individually assessed on urban roads on two testing occasions, by qualified cycle instructors. The intervention group outperformed the control group in terms of their on-road performance, in terms of Making good and frequent observations (Observation; F[1,31]) = 16.53, ηp2 = 0.35, p = 0.0003,); Communicating intentions clearly to others (Communication; F[1,31]) = 13.70, ηp2 = 0.31, p = 0.001); Choosing and maintaining the most suitable riding positions (Position; F[1,31]) = 7.41, ηp2 = 0.19, p = 0.01); and Understanding priorities on the road, particularly at junctions (Priorities; F[1,31]) = 6.88, ηp2 = 0.18, p = 0.01), although this was not accompanied by significant changes in their cycling self-efficacy and situation awareness, all p’s > 0.05. The present findings suggest that an immersive video-based protocol such as the one herein may improve children’s safety when cycling on roads and may therefore be an effective complement to current cycle training protocols. Given ongoing governmental investment in cycling infrastructure in the UK, with a concomitant increase in micromobility modes of active travel, national policy will need to consider the additional perceptual-cognitive demands that will face young cyclists; immersive training is a potentially efficient and cost-effective way to mitigate these demands. However, further research attention should be devoted to the development of effective situation awareness tests – preferably ones that correlate with, if not predict, children’s independent on-road cycling performance.

Effect of Social-Psychological Intervention on Self-Efficacy, Social Adaptability and Quality of Life of Internet-Addicted Teenagers.

Internet addiction leads to psychological and social damage to teenagers. Rehabilitation treatment of Internet-addicted adolescents has aroused widespread concern. This study aims to explore the effect of social-psychological intervention on self-efficacy, social adaptability, and quality of life of Internet-addicted teenagers. A total of 100 Internet-addicted teenagers in Guilin mental health center in China were selected and were randomly divided into control (n=50) and observation (n=50) groups. The teenagers in the control group received general withdrawal intervention, whereas those in the observation group received social-psychological intervention based on general withdrawal intervention. The intervention duration was 3 months. After intervention, the time management, interpersonal and health, Internet addiction tolerance, Internet withdrawal response, compulsive surfing of the Internet, and total score of Chinese Internet Addiction Scale of Internet-addicted teenagers in the two groups decreased significantly. Conversely, the total scores of boring and relaxation, stimulation and exposure, communication and information acquisition, negative emotion, and self-efficacy increased significantly, and the scores improved more significantly after the intervention in the observation group (P<0.05). Moreover, the scores of social adaptability, quality of life, and Internet avoidance of Internet-addicted teenagers in the two groups increased significantly after the intervention, whereas the scores of behavior monitoring and hazard perception decreased significantly, and the scores mentioned above improved more significantly in the observation group after the intervention (P<0.05). Social psychological intervention can effectively improve the self-efficacy of Internet-addicted teenagers, correct their bad surfing habits, and improve their social adaptability and quality of life, which is an intervention method worthy of promotion in the rehabilitation of Internet addiction.

Risky Travel? Subjective vs. Objective Perceived Risks in Travel Behaviour—Influence of Hydro-Meteorological Hazards in South-Eastern Europe on Serbian Tourists

In terms of climate related security risks, the region of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) can be identified as one of the world’s hot spots. As weather-related hazards continue to increase in numbers and spatial distribution, risk perception in the tourism industry becomes even more important. Additionally, people’s perception of natural hazards is one of the key elements in their decision-making process when choosing a travel destination. Although a vast number of studies have examined aspects of risk perception, an integrated approach which considers both objective and subjective factors related to the tourism industry and hydro-meteorological hazards remains relatively scarce. This pioneering study inspects the causality between objective perceived risks, as well as subjective risk factors. A methodological approach and the obtained results present a certain novelty since the previous conceptualized Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS) was applied for the first time in the tourism industry. The obtained results reveal the presence of a statistically significant relationship between objective risks and certain subjective risk factors (gender, age, education, prior experience, anticipation, and awareness). Therefore, this study may offer a conceptual platform for both theoretical and practical implications for enhanced approaches oriented toward more qualitative risk management at a given travel destination, in regions prone to hydro-meteorological hazards.

Cognitive Implementation of Metaverse Embedded Learning and Training Framework for Drivers in Rolling Stock

Public safety is prime concern in rail industry and driver training on hazard perception is crucial. Additionally, a new driver’s skill set determines the productivity and quality of existing driver training methods. Apprentice train drivers are required to complete massive hours under supervision of experienced drivers to attain the required skill sets causing productivity issues. Traditional driver training is paper based, and assessments are individually evaluated without any scientific rigor, resulting in quality challenges. This paper proposes a Metaverse embedded learning and training framework for drivers in rolling stock. The framework includes driver vision analysis by eye tracking and pupil dilation focusing on enhancing the productivity and quality of driver training and hazard detection for drivers in rolling stock. Metaverse embedded training and learning enhances experiential learning with unique benefits. In this paper, a metaverse-based training framework is proposed for train drivers to enhance productivity, quality, and safety aspects through case studies including: (i) driver sightline studies and (ii) vision analysis. The studies developed quantifying driver hazard perceptions and related comprehension rates based on eye tracking and vision studies. In conclusion, the overall savings on cost and time are 95% effective using Metaverse-based training method compared to traditional methods. Stakeholders need to supervise on driver tasks, knowledge retention, damage control due to the occurrence of hazards. The framework substantially reduced hazards to 50% with saving up to 3696 man-hours. The assessment was completely automated to provide real time assessment thus providing 93% more positive results compared to traditional methods.

How distracting is chronic pain? The impact of chronic pain on driving behaviour and hazard perception

In road safety research, few studies have examined driving behaviour in chronic pain cohorts. The aim of this study was to investigate driving behaviour among drivers experiencing chronic pain. We compared individuals with chronic pain with age-gender matched healthy controls. Participants completed: (i) an anonymous online survey that included participant demographics, transport characteristics, self-reported driving behaviour, and pain characteristics (ii) a response-time hazard perception test and a verbal-response hazard prediction test for drivers, and (iii) a driving diary in which participants recorded their driving over two weeks. The results showed that participants with chronic pain were not significantly worse than controls for hazard perception and prediction test scores, self-reported attention-related errors, driving errors, driving violations, and involuntary distraction. Drivers with chronic pain did report significantly more driving lapses but this effect became non-significant when variables confounded with chronic pain, such as fatigue, were adjusted for. We also found that participants who reported particularly high levels of chronic pain performed worse in the hazard prediction test compared to the control group (and this effect could not be accounted for by other variables associated with chronic pain). In addition, participants with chronic pain reported significantly higher driving workload (mental demand, physical demand, effort, and frustration) compared with controls. The findings of this study provide new insights into driving behaviour in individuals with chronic pain and recommendations for future research in terms of driving assessment and self-regulation strategies are provided.

Isolation and Identification of Bacterial and Fungal Spoilage Organisms in Branded and Unbranded Milk; Consumer Perception of Safety Hazard for Milk

Background: This research aims to isolate and identify bacterial and fungal spoilage organisms in branded and unbranded milk, as well as to assess the parameters linked to milk safety risk. A total of 30 samples were collected for laboratory testing. For analysis, the samples were inoculated on several mediums. The bacterial and fungal isolates were identified using Gram staining and biochemical identification methods. Results: According to the findings, Klebsiella spp. and Escherichia coli are the most common bacteria found in isolated organisms from branded and unbranded milk (22.6%). Meanwhile, 8.8% of both Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus faecalis were found in the samples. 3.7% of Serratia marcescens and some Streptococcus species were all identified in the samples. At the milk outlets, regularly opening containers to sell milk and predisposing the milk to hand contamination increased the risk of contamination by environmental contaminants. Survey was done with 60 respondents, 37 (61.67%) said they were aware of the health risks associated with milk. Twenty-three people (38.33%) said they knew about diseases linked to drinking contaminated milk. It also discovered that there was no formal food hygiene training for any of the food handlers. However, 11.7% of the workers had advanced training in a variety of fields. Conclusions: The microorganisms associated with milk products' spoilage in this study are of economical and public health significance. Some strains of A. flavus have been reported to produce potent mycotoxins called ochratoxin that can be harmful to human beings and animals. Cares should be taken on the handling of milk and milk products. And the improved preservation methods should be suggested to enhance the quality of milk products. The findings of the study provide a foundation for developing better milk policies.