The application of the psychological contract to workplace safety

INTRODUCTION: Psychological contracts of safety are conceptualized as the beliefs of individuals about reciprocal safety obligations inferred from implicit or explicit promises. Although the literature on psychological contracts is growing, the existence of psychological contracts in relation to safety has not been established. The research sought to identify psychological contracts in the conversations of employees about safety, by demonstrating reciprocity in relation to employer and employee safety obligations. The identified safety obligations were used to develop a measure of psychological contracts of safety. METHOD: The participants were 131 employees attending safety training sessions in retail and manufacturing organizations. Non-participant observation was used to collect the data during safety training sessions. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Categories for coding were established through identification of language markers that demonstrated contingencies or other implied obligations. RESULTS: Direct evidence of reciprocity between employer safety obligations and employee safety obligations was found in statements from the participants demonstrating psychological contracts. A comprehensive list of perceived employer and employee safety obligations was compiled and developed into a measure of psychological contracts of safety. A small sample of 33 safety personnel was used to validate the safety obligations. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Implications of these findings for safety and psychological contract research are discussed.     

Enhancing community-based disaster preparedness with information technology

A critical component of community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) is a local resource database of suppliers providing physical, information and human resources for use in disaster response. Maintenance of such a database can become a collaborative responsibility among community-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public and private community organisations. In addition to mobilising resources, this process raises awareness within the community and aids in assessing local knowledge and resources. This paper presents the results of a pilot study on implementing a community-based resource database through collaboration with local American Red Cross chapters and public and private community organisations. The design of the resource database is described. The resource database is accessible via the internet and offline using laptops and handheld Personal Digital Assistants. The study concludes that CBDP is strengthened through a combination of appropriate information technology and collaborative relationships between NGOs and community-based organisations.     

The leachability and chemical speciation of selected trace elements in fly ash from coal combustion and refuse incineration

A laboratory leaching test has been used to predict the potential mobility of As, Se, Pb and Cd in landfilled fly ash produced by coal combustion and refuse incineration. These waste residues also formed the basis of a speciation study in which the valency states of As and Se and the chemical forms of Pb and Cd have been determined. Selenium displayed the greatest leachability in each ash type, despite being present at relatively low concentrations in both materials. Substantial amounts of other trace elements were also leached, particularly Pb and Cd from refuse ash and As from coal ash. Chemical associations of Pb and Cd were examined by a sequential extraction procedure. In coal fly ash, both elements were mostly present in the residual fraction, while in refuse ash these elements were mainly associated with the exchangeable fraction. Water-soluble extracts of coal fly ash contained As exclusively as As(V); high background interference prevented the detection of water-soluble As in refuse ash. Selenium was present largely as Se(IV) in aqueous extracts of both ash types. The value of speciation techniques and leaching tests as predictors of environmental behaviour is discussed in conjunction with results of routine trace element determinations and plant uptake studies.     

Lead-based paint in dwellings: The potential for contamination of the home environment during renovation

The quantity and particle size characteristics of lead in dust released during three different paint removal techniques was determined under controlled conditions and in situ in a dwelling. Air-lead and deposited dust-lead levels were highest after sanding but burning-off and hot-air removal methods also produced significant contamination. The importance of dust particle-size and lead is discussed in relation to the potential hazard to home renovators via inhalation and to children via the hand-to-mouth route.This paper is also being published in Proceedings of the Conference on Lead in the Home Environment and is one of several selected from SEGH sponsored conferences for simultaneous publication in this journal.     

Human vulnerability, dislocation and resettlement: adaptation processes of river-bank erosion-induced displacees in Bangladesh

The purpose of this research was to identify and analyse patterns of economic and social adaptation among river-bank erosion-induced displacees in Bangladesh. It was hypothesised that the role of social demographic and socio-economic variables in determining the coping ability and recovery of the river-bank erosion-induced displacees is quite significant. The findings of the research reveal that displacees experience substantial socio-economic impoverishment and marginalisation as a consequence of involuntary migration. This in part is a socially constructed process, reflecting inequitable access to land and other resources. Vulnerability to disasters is further heightened by a number of identifiable social and demographic factors including gender, education and age, although extreme poverty and marginalisation create complexity to isolate the relative influence of these variables. The need to integrate hazard analysis and mitigation with the broader economic and social context is discussed. It is argued that the capacity of people to respond to environmental threats is a function of not only the physical forces which affect them, but also of underlying economic and social relationships which increase human vulnerability to risk. Hazard analysis and mitigation can be more effective when it takes into account such social and demographic and socio-economic dimensions of disasters.     

Carotenoid coloration is related to fat digestion efficiency in a wild bird

Some of the most spectacular visual signals found in the animal kingdom are based on dietarily derived carotenoid pigments (which cannot be produced de novo), with a general assumption that carotenoids are limited resources for wild organisms, causing trade-offs in allocation of carotenoids to different physiological functions and ornamentation. This resource trade-off view has been recently questioned, since the efficiency of carotenoid processing may relax the trade-off between allocation toward condition or ornamentation. This hypothesis has so far received little exploratory support, since studies of digestive efficiency of wild animals are limited due to methodological difficulties. Recently, a method for quantifying the percentage of fat in fecal samples to measure digestive efficiency has been developed in birds. Here, we use this method to test if the intensity of the carotenoid-based coloration predicts digestive efficiency in a wild bird, the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). The redness of carotenoid feather coloration (hue) positively predicted digestion efficiency, with redder birds being more efficient at absorbing fats from seeds. We show for the first time in a wild species that digestive efficiency predicts ornamental coloration. Though not conclusive due to the correlative nature of our study, these results strongly suggest that fat extraction might be a crucial but overlooked process behind many ornamental traits.     

Responses of field-grown Medicago sativa L. to acidic fog and ambient ozone

The relationship between pollutant-induced leaf drop or reductions in foliar pigment concentrations and yield was determined for field-grown alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. 'Moapa') exposed to simulated fogs of pH 7.24, 2.69 and 1.68 singly, and in combination with ambient ozone (O3) over an 11-week period. Highly acidic fog (pH 1.68) or ambient O3 significantly reduced totalseason dry yield and foliar pigment concentrations, and increased leaf drop. Significant interactive effects between acidic fog and O3 were observed for the leaf parameters, but not for yield. Thus, multiple exposures to acidic fog at current ambient levels of acidity (i.e. pH 2.69) could effect leaf quality in the absence of significant effects on yield. Alternatively, O3-induced effects on leaves may have utility as bioindicators of potential yield losses.