Underground Enterprises Research Articles

Occupational health risk assessment of silicosis caused by silica dust exposure in non-ferrous metal mines in 7 provinces from 2019 to 2020

To explore the occupational health risk level of silicosis caused by silica dust exposure in non-ferrous metal mining enterprises. Using typical sampling method, 44 non-ferrous metal mining enterprises were selected in seven provinces.37 non-ferrous metal mining enterprises were included, and most of them were underground enterprises(97.30%). Enterprises basic information and silica dust exposure data of key positions were collected by using on-site hygiene investigation and detecting method. Finally, the International Council on Mining and Metals'(ICMM) risk rating table method and occupational hazard risk index method(INDEX) were used to analyze the occupational health risk level of silicosis caused by silica dust exposure in non-ferrous metal mines from total and respirable dust views, respectively. Meanwhile, the square weighted Kappa test was performed to analyze the consistency between two risk assessment method. Medium enterprises(64.69%(40.38%, 73.41%)), silver mining enterprises(84.69%(63.38%, 86.06%)) and antimony mining enterprises(72.22%) had relatively higher silica dust exposure rates. On-site hygiene detecting result showed that:(1) M(P25, P75) of free silica content was 21.18%(17.03%, 30.47%). (2) 1.60(0.86, 2.46)mg/m~3 for total dust concentration, 64.47% total dust concentration samples exceeding Chinese permissible concentration-time weighted average(PC-TWA), 0.68(0.30, 1.18) mg/m~3 for respiratory dust concentration, 50.00% respirable dust concentration samples exceeding Chinese PC-TWA. (3) Medium-sized enterprises, as well as rock drillers and crushers, had higher levels of silica dust exposure. Occupational health risk assessment result showed that:(1) The overall occupational health risk level of silicosis caused by silica dust exposure in non-ferrous metal mining enterprises was medium:(1) In term of total dust, ICMM risk rating table method and INDEX method indicated high and medium risks, respectively(S_(weighted) were 3.52 and 2.79). (2) In term of respirable dust, both ICMM risk rating table and INDEX method indicated medium risks(S_(weighted) were 2.78 and 2.35). (2) Medium-sized enterprises risk level was higher than other two production scales enterprises. ICMM risk rating table method and the INDEX method consistency analyses showed that these two risk assessment method had strong consistencies in terms of total dust or respirable dust(both Kappa values ≥ 0.600). The overall occupational health risk level of silicosis caused by silica dust exposure in non-ferrous metal mining enterprises was medium, and the risk levels of medium production-scale mining enterprises, rock driller and crusher were higher.

Ringing Liberty's Bell: African American Women, Gender, and the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia

ABSTRACT Freedom was the objective for thousands of bondswomen who “bought a ticket” on the Underground Railroad, and for many, the journey culminated in the City of Brotherly Love. An abolitionist center, Philadelphia was a vital terminus on the clandestine network, with nearly 9,000 escapees arriving before 1860, including numerous black women. How did gender inform their flight to and experiences in the city? What were their experiences once they arrived and settled? What contributions did they make to Philadelphia's Underground enterprise? This article examines fugitive women who seized liberty in Philadelphia and the local women who aided freedom seekers in the era before the Civil War. It uncovers how gender influenced African American women's experiences and perspectives as dynamic participants in resisting and fleeing enslavement, in one of the most important cities in the fight for abolition.

Beyond the sweat shop: “off‐the‐books” work in contemporary England

PurposeThis paper sets out to evaluate critically whether off‐the‐books work in contemporary England is chiefly conducted by employees working for wholly or partially underground businesses, often on low wages and under exploitative conditions.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical evidence is reported from 861 face‐to‐face interviews in 11 English localities.FindingsOnly a small proportion of off‐the‐books work is conducted by employees working for wholly or partially underground enterprises. The vast majority is conducted either by the self‐employed or by providers of paid favours to friends, acquaintances and kin.Research limitations/implicationsThe data reported here are from a household survey based on a maximum variation sample of 11 contrasting localities. Future surveys might use businesses (rather than households) as the unit of analysis and collect a nationally representative sample.Practical implicationsIdentifying how off‐the‐books work is predominantly autonomous and self‐employed endeavour, a re‐conceptualisation of this sphere is required as a potential asset rather than hindrance to development, and initiatives developed to legitimise this illegitimate self‐employment rather than simply deter it.Originality/valueThis paper transcends the popular portrayal of off‐the‐books work as conducted by employees under sweatshop conditions and for the first time identifies the proportion undertaken on a self‐employed basis as well as evidence that this sphere is used as a test‐bed by fledgling business ventures which conduct either a proportion or all of their trade in this sphere.