Documents food processing 17 results

"There is intense debate surrounding digitalisation and its implications for work. However, empirical research within established workplaces, especially international comparative studies, remains limited. This article uses cross-country research to further analysis of the relative importance of different institutions, actors and power relations in shaping digitalisation and worker outcomes. Through a multi-level approach, it compares the use of industrial robots in the food and drink processing sector in Norway and the UK. Drawing on qualitative research, it explores the pace of digitalisation, the process of implementation and job and skills outcomes. The study finds strong national differences in the pace of digitalisation, and the role of unions in the process of implementation. In Norway, union power at workplace and national level, embedded in institutional arrangements, underpins more advanced use of technology and improved outcomes for workers."

"Climate change and extreme weather events have already started to seriously impact the agricultural, food processing and tourism sectors: recent heat waves, cold snaps and floods have affected agricultural yields, disrupted markets and forced the food processing chain to start adapting. In addition to these events, which also disrupt tourist seasons, border closures cause flows to be redirected. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA)1, the total reported economic losses caused by weather and other climate-related extremes in Europe amounted to over €436 billion between 1980 and 2016. ..."

"Trade unions are potentially important actors in shaping digitalisation to benefit workers. Research suggests supportive national labour market institutions can help unions to influence digital change in the workplace. This article considers the reach of national institutions, or ‘country effect', and its relationship with union strength at the workplace. It applies a multilevel analysis to explore union influence over digital technology in the food and drink processing sector in Norway and the UK, two countries with starkly contrasting institutions. Drawing on interviews with officers and shop stewards in two unions, it compares a sample of workplaces with relatively strong and weak union organisation. The findings indicate union strength at the workplace has a more significant impact on union's role in digitalisation in Norway, where there are strong institutional supports, than in the UK where these are lacking. The article contributes to analysing the relationship between ‘country-effect' and union strength at the workplace in the shaping of digitalisation.

This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

"L'étude des stratégies mises en œuvre par les travailleurs-euses est partie intégrante de l'analyse de l'activité de travail en ergonomie. Cette étude propose un cadre de référence pour le recueil et l'analyse des stratégies et décrit la nature et les enjeux des stratégies développées par des travailleuses saisonnières de l'industrie de la transformation du crabe aux prises avec des troubles musculo-squelettiques. Reposant sur un devis méthodologique combinant l'approche centrée sur l'analyse de l'activité de travail et celle d'une étude de cas multiples de 16 travailleuses (8 à Terre-Neuve ; 8 au Québec) suivies pendant deux années consécutives, divers entretiens et des observations de l'activité et de l'organisation du travail ont été réalisés. Les résultats permettent de constater que les travailleuses élaborent une grande variété de types de stratégies pour gérer leur douleur (19 catégories de stratégies). On constate autant les bienfaits associés à certaines stratégies que les compromis coûteux que représentent d'autres stratégies pour la santé. Le cadre de référence élaboré de manière inductive et ancré empiriquement dans les données recueillies sur le terrain constitue un outil dont pourront disposer les chercheurs et les ergonomes pour l'identification et le classement des stratégies."

"This study investigated delivery scenarios of service drivers working in the retail meat industry. The methodology included analysis of accident reports, and field investigations of deliveries at craft-butcher shop premises, including semi-structured interviews with managers and workers. The findings provide greater clarity about the hazards in this job, and suggest for peripatetic delivery activities, four main factors on which decisions about risk and good practice may be made: composition of the orders; characteristics of the delivery vehicle/truck; handling method most often used; and, the road/access conditions."

"ObjectiveTo determine prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among poultry processing employees while taking into account non-occupational factors and assess any association between CTS prevalence and exposure groups.MethodsPerformed a cross-sectional survey to assess CTS (n = 318). A CTS case was defined as an employee with self-reported CTS symptoms, an abnormal hand symptom diagram, and an abnormal nerve conduction study (NCS). Log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios.ResultsThree hundred and one participants had sufficient symptom information or NCS data to be classified. 126 (42%) of 301 participants had evidence of CTS. In the adjusted analysis, the highest exposure group had CTS prevalence that was significantly higher than that for the lower exposure group [PR: 1.61; 95% CI = (1.20, 2.17)].ConclusionsIncreasing levels of hand activity and force were associated with increased CTS prevalence among participants. Recommendations were provided to reduce exposure to these risk factors."