Municipal Workers Research Articles

Occupational Health Hazard Exposure among municipal solid waste workers in Himachal Pradesh, India

The net volume of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in Himachal Pradesh is 350 tons per day (TPD) with an annual growth rate varying between 1 and 1.33%. This leads to serious considerations regarding potential occupational health hazards of workers associated with MSW. The study generated from non-engineered landfill sites was carried out at three locations- Shimla, Solan, and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, India. . The main aim of this study was to determine existing occupational hazards in relation to MSW management at these locations, to coordinate with the different municipalities and suggest suitable remedial measures for our study locations. In particular, the exposure assessment to the work force comprising of street sweeping, waste collection, waste processing, and rag picking were assessed using an interview scheduling technique. A questionnaire survey was carried out on these workers with the questions asked related to their work culture, socio-economic conditions, general awareness of occupational health risks and related occupational health hazards associated with the work being performed by them. The results showed that the workforce mainly comprised of males with a low percentage of literacy rates. The age distribution showed that majority of waste collectors and street sweepers were above 30 years of age (67%) and that the rag pickers in Mandi town were below 20 years of age. Income variation between casual and regular workers was highly significant with regular workers (INR 600–1200; USD 9–18) getting almost six times the payment of the casual workers (INR 100–200; USD 3–7.5). From the studies conducted the study deduced that about 64% of waste collectors, 80% of street sweepers and 10% of rag pickers in Solan and about 6.67% street sweepers, 57.47% waste collectors and 100% of rag pickers in Mandi were not provided with any protective equipment. Interestingly, in the capital city of Shimla a small fraction of the street sweepers (28%) and waste collector (6%) confirmed that they were given protective equipment twice in a year. The lack of provisions of protective equipment along with the ignorance of the workers results in occupational health hazards due to different types of external injuries. The major occupational health issues reported by various categories of waste workers were muscle and ligament sprain, cuts and lacerations and different allergies varying between 1.97 and 66.67% [ for e.g. in Solan it varies from 32.47–66.67%; Shimla 1.97–10.16% and in Mandi 9.52–16.67%], 6.36–67.95% and 5.77–42.86%, respectively. From this study, it was observed that such workers are ill-protected against such occupational health hazards new laws and policies are needed to be introduced for their protection.

An innovation to improve health outcomes in Amajuba district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

ABSTRACTSystems’ thinking places high value on understanding the context. This study focused on the collection of disaggregated data in order to understand the context, to facilitate improvement of health outcomes. The aim of this article was to assess the implementation of municipal ward-based health data collection (disaggregated data) and health care workers’ perceptions of this data collection process. This cross-sectional study used mixed methods in Amajuba district. The participants were professional nurses at the Primary Health Care level. Of the 131 respondents, 123 (93.9%) collected municipal ward-based health data, and found it useful. Opportunities for improving data collection were identified. Disaggregation of the data at ward level contributes to a better understanding of the target population’s health, assists planning for health needs and enables provision of targeted interventions in order to improve health outcomes, to prevent financial regression and waste of health resources.

Occupational heat exposure among municipal workers.

Outdoor workers face elevated and prolonged heat exposures and have limited access to air-conditioned spaces. This study's overarching research aim is to increase knowledge of municipal worker heat exposure and adaptation practices. The study's sub-objectives are: (1) quantifying exposure misclassification from estimating personal heat exposure from the official weather station; (2) surveying worker's knowledge and practices to adapt to extreme heat; and (3) relating heat exposure and adaptation practices to self-reported thermal comfort. Participants wore a personal heat exposure sensor over 7 days from June 1st to July 3rd, 2015 in Tallahassee, Florida US. Next, participants confirmed the days that they wore the sensor and reported their daily thermal comfort and heat adaptations. Finally, participants completed an extreme heat knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey. Some participants (37%) experienced hotter and more humid conditions (heat index > 2) than the weather station. The most common heat adaptations were staying hydrated (85%), wearing a hat (46%), and seeking shade (40%). During work hours, higher temperatures increased the odds (odds ratio: 1.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.41, p = 0.016) of a participant feeling too hot. Shifting work duty indoors made workers to feel more comfortable (odds ratio: 0.28, 95% confidence interval: 0.11-0.70, p = 0.005). In hot and humid climates, everyday, heat exposures continuously challenge the health of outdoor workers.

Urban Observatory of Hajj and Its Effect on the Quality of Life During Hajj and Umrah

The research aims to show the importance of Hajj observatory for the quality of life during Hajj and Umrah. The Hajj observatory report was a part of the project of implementing the urban observatory of Mecca, and it is a unique experience in the municipality work to observe this unique pilgrimage. The research discusses how to increase the quality of life during pilgrimage, by observing the right indicators in the Hajj observatory to help the urban managers and other Hajj stick holders increase it. The research also discusses the need to create an independent urban observatory for Hajj, to support the Hajj and Umrah systems, and increase the role of urban observatory for Hajj in measuring and comparing the socioeconomic characteristics of pilgrims, providing a neutral and fair tool for local hajj stick holders and higher managers to evaluate the governmental performance in Hajj, evaluating the services provided to pilgrims through the urban indicators for the Hajj. This paper ended by the recommendations that would promote the establishment of suggested independent urban observatory for Hajj and Umrah.

3.10-P9Integrating healthcare services as a key to health promotion among migrants – a qualitative study on the best practices of municipal healthcare workers regarding infectious disease control among newly arrived migrants

3.10-P9Integrating healthcare services as a key to health promotion among migrants – a qualitative study on the best practices of municipal healthcare workers regarding infectious disease control among newly arrived migrants

Promoting Personal Growth and Balancing Risk of Violence in Community-Based Mental Health Care: A Professional Perspective

The aim of this study was to investigate how municipal mental health care workers develop professional strategies, taking the risk of service user violence into account. Factors that professionals regard as hindering or furthering personal growth among the service users are particularly focused. Data were collected through focus group interviews. The analysis resulted in two main categories: working where the clients live their lives and focus on growth and development. Offering opportunities for restraint and growth for people with serious mental health disorders and risk of violence represents the basic factors for improving desirable processes. The health-promoting focus was managed through a resource-oriented and growth-oriented focus, where available services and workers’ qualities and attitudes appear to be crucial.

Leadership and safety: the role of goal commitment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate safety goal commitment as a potential mediator of the relationship between safety-specific transformational leadership and safety performance.Design/methodology/approachA field study was conducted in a sample of municipal utilities workers. All workers were asked to take a survey during work time.FindingsThe results suggest that safety-specific transformational leadership is positively related to safety performance and safety goal commitment, safety goal commitment is positively related to safety performance, and goal commitment is a significant mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and safety performance.Practical implicationsGoal-setting theory and subsequent research has suggested a variety of strategies that can be employed to enhance the goal commitment of employees, and this study suggests that some of these strategies could be explored in the occupational safety realm. Future research could explore what transformational behaviors might be taught which would aid in setting safety goals with employees and motivating them to commit to those goals.Originality/valueThese findings add to existing research which supports connections between transformational leadership and job behaviors. Furthermore, they add to the limited research which has explored possible explanatory mechanisms and underscores the importance of safety goal commitment as the focus of future research and/or organizational interventions.

Leisure-time centres: social pedagogical tradition in educational practice

ABSTRACTThis article is positioned in the context of a discussion about an increasing focus on quality in education. The aim of the article is to explore discourses enacted in Systematic Quality Work (SQW) in municipalities and leisure-time centres. In Sweden, SQW comes within the statutory obligations of municipals and leisure-time centres and constitutes a significant part of teachers’ work. The article explores how local policy-makers, a principal, and two teachers enact SQW policy and transform it into practice. The findings are discussed as recontextualized discourses, norms, and traditions in the various actors’ enactment of SQW in discursive practices. Educational discourse is recontextualized in the studied municipalities, highlighting the norms according to routines and models of SQW in compulsory schools. When SQW is recontextualized in the leisure-time centre, a social pedagogical discourse that highlights children’s social and relational learning is reproduced.

Factors Affecting the Referral Rate of the Hoarding Disorder at Primary Mental Health Care in Quebec.

Hoarding disorder (HD) places an important burden on people with HD, on their family members and society. In this paper we evaluate help-seeking in HD at primary mental health, measured in referral rate, together withits individual, environmental and structural correlates. We conducted an aggregate study by combining existing official data with our own survey data at the catchment area level. We found a mean annual referral rate of 1.58 (SD = 1.79) cases of HD in primary mental health facilities per 10,000 of adult population. The referrals rate correlated with socio-demographic characteristics of the catchment area, the availability of tools for clinical management of HD, and affiliation to a University Medical school. We also found that: (1) family members, neighbours, municipal workers and health professionals are the primary source of complaints for HD; (2) 72% of primary mental health facilities worked with HD in crisis situations, 52% expressed difficulties in obtaining the consent of people with HD for an intervention (3) health/social services professionals lack HD clinical management tools, training and formal collaboration with municipal (housing, building security, fire prevention) specialists. Improvement of the readiness of the health-system to deal with HD will improve help-seeking for formal medical counselling on the part of people with HD. We can improve this readiness by providing primary mental-health facilities with training, clinical management tools and by helping them to establish formal collaboration with municipalities and community organisations. University medical schools can take a leadership role and become centers catalysing the change in HD clinical management.

Human Capital Development Programmes and their Effect on the Job Satisfaction of Workers in Zimbabwe Urban Municipalities: The Case of Chinhoyi

The aim of this study is to establish the impact of human capital development on the job satisfaction of Chinhoyi Municipality workers. The independent variables are training and development, performance appraisal, salary and employee recognition. Employee Job satisfaction is the dependent variable. This study adopted a quantitative approach. The population for the study consisted of 150 employees of Chinhoyi Municipality. The questionnaire approach was utilised to collect data from research participants. The hypotheses for the study were tested using T-test statistics at 0.05% level of significance. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between human capital development and employee job satisfaction. Based on the findings the study recommends that human capital development practices should be adopted by organizations in order to increase employee job satisfaction.

الإصلاحات التنظيمية للبلدية لمواكبة الإدارة الإلكترونية

The Aim Of Introducing Information And Communication Technology In Municipal Work Is To Improve The Quality Of Administrative Services Entrusted To It. However, Municipal Reform To The Electronic System Is More Than Just A Restoration Of This Traditional Administrative Body. Rather, It Requires Adapting It To New Developments And Making It Capable Of Coping With Change. This Reform Includes Three Basic Points: Re-Engineering The Administrative Procedures So As To Change The Form Of Procedures Used To Suit The Principles Of Electronic Administration, The Development Of Serious Administrations Of Or Cancel Or Merge The Interests And Offices Of The List By Re-Engineering The Organizational Structure, Re-Engineering Powers. Keywords: Municipality, Administrative Organization, Electronic Administration, Chairman Of Municipal People's Assembly, Secretary-General,

Pušenje kao faktor rizika za nastanak kardiovaskularnih bolesti kod zdravstvenih i prosvetnih radnika Crne Gore

INTRODUCTION: Per year more people die from diabetic and vascular diseases (KVD) than from any other cause. Risk factors of the KVD are numerable and have a cumulative effect. The results of past studies shows that smoking cigarettes plays a key role in the development of KVD. THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH: Determine to the influence of smoking in health and education workers on development of the cardiovascular diseases. RESPONDENTS AND METHODS OF RESEARCH: Research was conducted to the type of section study in the population of health and education workers in the Berane municipality. The sample was composed of 109 health workers and 71 educational workers. In the research was participated all health workers employed in the Health Center 'Dr Nika Labović' in Berane and all educational worker employed in the Primary school ,,Vuk Karadžić' in Berane. In the research was used the questionnaire, and the data was collected prospectively. As implementing instruments for research were used questionnaires: 'Work related stress' and 'Cindy'. χ square and ANOVA test were used for statistical data processing. RESEARCH RESULTS: The average age of health workers was 43.70 ± 11.90 years, while the average age of educational workers was 42.29 ± 10.90 years. More than half of health and education workers said that smoking. 36.7% of health workers and 39.4% of educational workers smoked daily. In the group of educational workers, the highest percentage of respondents (49.3%) are almost never exposed to tobacco smoke at work. In relation to health workers, educational workers are significantly worried about health effects of smoking. CONCLUSION: In the health and education workers of Berane municipality, smoking is a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Особенности управления и осуществления финансово- хозяйственной деятельности различными видами и типами учреждений

The issues of management and financial and economic activities of state, municipal and private institutions have considered in the article. Mostly in our paper we talk about state and municipal institutions, which, in contrast to private ones, are divided into types (autonomous, budget and state). Each type has a number of unique features that, depending on the situation, give it strong or weak features. The type of institution is mainly due to its scope of detail and the purpose for which it has created. The most progressive type is considered an autonomous institution. It has greater freedom of financial and economic activity (it can open not only personal accounts in the treasury, but accounts in credit institutions, purchases on the basis of regulations approved by the supervisory board, etc.) and has a collegial body represented by a supervisory board consisting of representatives of state and municipal government, workers and independent specialists. The actions of official duty institutions, created for the execution of works and the execution of state (municipal) functions are most constrained. The average «freedom» is endowed with budgetary institutions established to fulfill the state (municipal) assignment in the spheres of education, health, culture, science, social protection, employment of the population, physical culture, sports and other fields. This is the main part of kindergartens, schools, houses of culture, theaters, museums, leisure centers, sports clubs and schools, clinics, hospitals, dispensaries, higher educational institutions, scientific institutes. They are most prevalent in the Russian Federation at both the federal and regional (subjects of the federation) and municipal levels.

Mental health of public health workers in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Work-related mental disorders are an acknowledged global health problem. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with common mental disorders and suicidal ideation among public health workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study with municipal healthcare workers. We collected sociodemographic and occupational data including employment relationship, job area, professional category, length of work in current job and interpersonal conflict in the workplace (ICW). The analyzed mental health indicators were common mental disorders (CMD) and suicidal ideation by means of the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Statistical analysis included the χ2 test and Poisson regression. The prevalence of CMD and suicidal ideation was 20.3% and 11.6%, respectively, among the 597 participants. Permanent and younger employees exhibited higher CMD rates, while suicidal ideation predominated among the participants with higher educational level and the widowed/separated/divorced. Physicians, administrative employees, cleaning personnel and community health agents exhibited the highest rates of CMD. In turn, there was no association between professional category and suicidal ideation on multivariate analysis. ICW was associated with poorer mental health indicators, the association being stronger when conflict involved supervisors and coworkers. Both analyzed indicators (CMD and suicidal ideation) point to a worrisome situation as concerns the mental health of professionals charged of collective health care. The possible limitations of the questionnaire applied notwithstanding, ICW was the main factor associated with poorer mental health indicators. These findings point to the need to develop specific approaches to improve the psychosocial work environment.

Contemporary Slavery: Popular Rhetoric and Political Practice ed. by Ian Thomas MacDonald

Reviewed by: Contemporary Slavery: Popular Rhetoric and Political Practice ed. by Ian Thomas MacDonald Myer Siemiatycki Ian Thomas MacDonald, ed., Unions and the City: Negotiating Urban Change ( Ithaca: Cornell University 2017) This book provides a more optimistic account of labour's influence on North American cities than readers might expect. In the process, its authors show commendable restraint eschewing any temptation towards wishful triumphalism. Instead, the essays in this uniformly strong collection present a highly nuanced account of successes and setbacks of union campaigns to shape the direction of two changing cities: New York and Toronto. To be sure, hard times have befallen labour in these and other cities across the continent in recent decades. Symptoms abound in both plummeting and rising trend lines: declining union density, workers' collective action, and real wages; increased precarious employment, work insecurity and income inequality. This timely work shifts the focus from class relations at the workplace to union efforts to shape the urban landscape in labour's interest. Exploring union efforts to influence urban land use, regulations, and services, the book illuminates the local state as a significant terrain of labour activism. A key theme is whether union campaigns to define urban landscapes can renew and revitalize the labour movement. It doesn't help that workers themselves are largely missing in action from these union urban struggles. This book advances the intersection of labour and urban studies. It turns from the more familiar ground of municipal worker strikes, or citywide minimum wage campaigns, to lesser studied contestations over urban space. As capital relentlessly strives to remake the city in its image and interest, this book looks at labour's rejoinder in all its commitments, coalitions, and contradictions. Editor Ian Thomas MacDonald succinctly conveys the collection's aspiration to "serve as a road map toward both a stronger labor (sic) movement and a socially just urban-ism." (1) The collection itself is a well-designed symmetrical construct. Case studies explore and compare how unions are contesting four dimensions of the postindustrial city in each of New York and Toronto. Paired chapters examine struggles to define "the hospitable city" (tourism, attractions, hotels), the "creative city" (film production), "the sustainable city" (a green economy) and "the caring city" (child care) in New York and Toronto. The focus on these cities retrieves them - from more familiar designations - as leading labour cities, past and present. Ian Thomas Macdonald's opening case study examines the successful recent campaign of unions in the New York hotel sector to block proposed redevelopment in Midtown Manhattan which would threaten existing unionized hotels with new hotels known for lower wages and antipathy to unions. Ambiguities surface with the recognition that building trades unions supported redevelopment, while key property owners allied themselves with hotel unions to block neighbourhood change. Steve Tufts provides a sophisticated study of a failed bid by Toronto's leading [End Page 258] hotel sector union to promote a downtown casino. For Unite Here, the casino proposal was "about getting the local government to prioritize postindustrial development as a means of reproducing middle-class jobs." (72) More potent was a diverse array of forces aligned against the proposal, including influential downtown residents, competing gaming and real estate corporations, and other unions opposed to the casino. The second pairing of essays examines "creative city" impulses through the lens of film production. In both instances, unions in the film sector succeeded in extracting favourable commitments from their city government. Maria Figueroa and Lois S. Gray examine the campaign to secure tax incentives for filming in New York, while Thorben Wieditz perceptively charts the progressive and problematic dynamics behind a successful campaign to preserve film studio space from redevelopment in Toronto. Both cases saw labour partner with local film industry employers. Both essays suggestively question whether union efforts were fuelled by union narrow self-interest or by broader social objectives. The next essay thematic - "the sustainable city" - sees a turn from unions waging largely defensive preservationist struggles, to labour adopting a more pro-active stance. It is the front on which unions have the least to show for their efforts. Maria Figueroa shows that New York construction sector unions have promoted retrofitting and...

Staffing of local government in modern Russian conditions

The article reflects the results of the authors’ study of staffing issues in the municipal government in the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study is to analyze the dysfunction in the personnel management, to investigate the factors limiting staffing effectiveness and to identify activities to level off the major problems in the formation of professional and personal skills of the municipal employees. The empirical basis of the study is the data of the expert survey among the heads of Russian municipal bodies. The main staffing problems involve limits on the number of local government workers, absence of field-specific educational background among the majority of workers, and lack of knowledge in legal and economic spheres. The problems are particularly acute for the rural areas (lower levels of employees’ education and personnel stability; fewer activities aimed to form the employee pool). Staffing dysfunctions are caused by a number of factors such as the narrowing of the local government autonomy, scarce local budgets, and excessive number of supervisory and oversight activities conducted by public authorities. Based on the results of the expert survey, the authors conclude that staffing problems are deeply rooted in the employee education and retraining and the related problems (strong focus on theory rather than practice; unified approach; lack of attention to geographical specifics and local problems; shortcomings of teaching methods) and are greatly shaped by the motivational system. These problems determine the main directions in staff development, namely making improvements in staff training, retraining and qualification enhancement (considering the best practices in municipal government, increasing the interaction between local government bodies aimed at exchange of experience, taking into account the territorial specifics, providing flexible training programs), strengthening the appreciation for the municipal work, and building a corporate culture.

Sickness absence among municipal workers in a Brazilian municipality: a secondary data analysis

BackgroundSickness absence, work disability associated with illness or injury, is a major public health problem worldwide. Some studies have investigated determinants of sickness absence among workers with shorter job tenure, but have only focused on certain diagnostic groups. Although it is well established that job tenure has an inverse relationship with work injury rate, less is known about its association with sickness absence for other disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the risk factors for incidence and duration of sickness absence according to diagnosis over a 7-year period. A dynamic cohort consisting of all permanent civil servants hired from 2005 to 2011 by the Goiania municipality-Brazil. Data of certified sickness absences longer than 3 days were analyzed. The incidence density was calculated per 1000 person-years in each ICD-10 category. The association between sickness absence and socio-demographic and occupational characteristics was examined using negative binomial regression models.Results18,450 workers, mean age of 32 years, accumulated 14,909 episodes of sickness absence. Overall, the incidence density was 234.6 episodes per 1000 person years. Diagnostic groups with the highest incidence density of sickness absences were injuries (49.1), musculoskeletal disorders (31.3) and mental disorders (29.2). Factors predicting any sickness absence were female gender, older age, low education, being a health professional, multiple jobs and full-time employment. Mental health disorders were more common among education professionals, musculoskeletal disorders among blue collar workers and injuries among inspection workers. Prolonged time on sick leave was associated with male gender, older age groups, low education and income, blue-collar workers, more than one job contract and full time employment.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate a substantial sickness absentee burden and they provide relevant information for targeting prevention and health promotion policies to the most vulnerable occupational groups.

Information Needs and Modalities among People Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Timely communication of accurate and practical information is indispensable for nuclear disaster management. This study aimed to collect lessons from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster by analyzing people’s information needs, as well as their sources and channels of information since the disaster. This study also explored common challenges they faced in information seeking, and information disparities among them. One-to-one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in June–September 2015 with key stakeholders, involving affected residents, civil society organizations, municipal government officials and social workers in Fukushima Prefecture. This study revealed that information needs immediately after the disaster directly related to their survival and the safety assurance of families and others. But information needs became diverse, reflecting a wide range of impacts of the nuclear disaster. The communication modalities on which participants relied for obtaining information varied by individual. But people experienced various difficulties in gaining information due to the chaotic circumstances during and after the disaster, the long-lasting and complicated disaster recovery process, different perceptions of radiation risks and public distrust of government bodies and Tokyo Electric Power Company. There were information disparities between affected people living in temporary housing units for evacuees and those living elsewhere. The findings indicate that risk factors for poor information access and utilization also included living in an elderly-only household, having limited social interactions, and living outside Fukushima prefecture. Study participants raised concerns that the information disparities would likely increase under the current Japanese government policy of accelerating disaster-recovery operations.

Corruption Criminal Study in the Sphere of Russian Federation Local Government

<p>The purpose of the study is the criminological analysis of a criminal identity who commits corruption crimes in the sphere of local self-government. Based on dialectical materialistic methodology use and the survey method, it is revealed the main signs, classifications and typologies of a criminal's personality, who commits corruption crimes in this sphere. Effective preventive measures are proposed to reduce the number of persons committing corruption crimes. The results suggest that there is desire to illegally enrich through the abuse of authority and the underestimation of municipal employee work by state bodies. Therefore, ti is necessary to pay attention to the mechanisms of disposition and sanction implementation concerning the norms of criminal legislation in law enforcement practice.</p>

Do public sector industrial relations challenge the Swedish model?

This article discusses recent developments in public sector labour relations in Sweden from a historical, gender and power relations perspective. The main question is whether these trends challenge the established Swedish industrial relations system. Our point of departure – yet chronologically also the point of arrival – is the Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union, Kommunal’s, exit from the coordinated wage setting model within the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen, LO) in 2015/2016. The immediate reason was that Kommunal, representing one-third of the LO members, including many low-paid women, turned down the LO’s proposal on a general wage increase for low-wage groups. Instead, Kommunal urged to upgrade wages for a specific member group, the auxiliary nurses. This broke an almost uninterrupted 20-year-long period of labour market cooperation and coordination that was introduced in 1997 through the so-called Industry Agreement (Industriavtalet). This agreement was launched in the wake of the deep financial crisis in the early 1990s, and the neoliberal move towards a complete decentralization of pay negotiations. How should this move by Kommunal be interpreted? Why, and when, has the centralized system become a straitjacket for Kommunal, when for decades it seemingly was a precondition for both private and public union strength?