Hazards and Risks at Rotary Screen Printing (Part 3/6): Psychosocial and Mechanical exposure

Abstract

This-study, aimed to-assess psychosocial and mechanical-hazards, at-printing-section, of textile-mill. Questionnaire, observations, and document-analysis, were main-research-instruments. The-Karasek’s Job-Content-Questionnaire (JCQ), was modified, to-suit the-specifics of the-study. A-survey-questionnaire was tested-for-validity and reliability (in compliance-with the-ISO 20252:2006 (E)). The-Statistical Package for Social-Sciences (SPPS-17, version 22) was applied, to-compute the-Cronbach’s coefficient. Descriptive-statistics was employed, to-analyze both; qualitative and quantitative-data. The-majority of the-respondents (sample-size 12 machine-operators, response-rate (RR=83%) pointed-out on several psychosocial-hazards, describing their-working-tasks and conditions, as: extensive, heavy, mentally- demanding, with no sufficient-time, given, and also as not a-secure/stable-job. In-addition, they were not able to-influence the-pace of their-work, as it was, largely, dictated by the-machine-speed. Overall, this could manifest in work-related-stress. Secondly, the-respondents were not satisfied with the-state of Occupational-Health and Safety (OSH), at the-company (manifested in lack of: (1) organizational-Health and Safety-Policy; (2) establishment-position of Safety-Officer, at the-mill; and (3) first-aid-box, in the-department). Mechanical-hazards were-also-reported: some-machines were with unprotected-moving- parts, allowing possible-unprotected or unintentional-start-up. Several of the-identified-hazards can lead to-serious-physical and/or psychological-damage, or, even, mental-disorders and/or fatal-injuries, for affected-workers. Knowing the-hazards is a-paramount-step on the-road, of their-eradication; hence, this-study is important (despite the-limited-sample-size, evaluated) in-increasing awareness, on the-subject matter, and also-proposing tailored-recommendations, to-improve the-current-practices (assuming that they never perfect). In-addition, the-following-relevant-issues were-offered: Environment-setting, under which, the-subject-industry operated, in-particular, a-brief on the-current-state of local-textile-industry, and comprehensive-document-analysis of the-legal foundation, structure, and operations of OSH, in-Kenya. This-unfunded-study also raised a-number of significant-issues, adding to the-existing-body of knowledge, on the-subject-matter.

Keywords: work related stress, WRS, machine guard, OSH Kenya, first aid box, textile industry.