Ahmed Sayem

Background and objectives The prevalence of occupational injuries among blue-collar workers is higher in the stone-crushing industries due to high-risk and iterant nature of the work. These occupational injuries, in turn, caused workers’ ill health, as well as death, which eventually diminish the gross domestic product. We aimed at assessing the attributes of occupational injuries and the risk associated with the hazards in the stone-crushing industry. Methods This study utilized a questionnaire base cross-sectional survey that was conducted from September 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected from 32 stone-crushing factories of Eastern Bangladesh and analyzed to show their relationship with different variables. The risk levels associated with the frequent hazardous events were measured using a Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment Matrix. Results Most of the injuries were found to occur between 12:00 and 16:00 h. Nearly a fifth of the injuries were serious or critical in nature, caused the workers to be absent at least a week. Exposure to excessive dust, working without personal protective equipment (PPE), and improper lifting and handling techniques caused one-third of injuries. Wrist and hand/fingers, back and lower back, feet/toe, eye, knee, arm, neck and head, and ankle were found as most injured body parts. The primary cause of most injuries was the workers’ failure to use PPE. All major hazardous events were found to possess a high-risk level. Conclusion Our finding suggests that stone crushing is one of the most hazardous industries and the practitioners must consider the findings when implementing a risk avoidance policy.

The fourth industrial revolution, fueled by automation and digital technology advancements, enables us to manage manufacturing systems effectively. Its deployment in enterprises has now become increasingly important in developed and emerging economies. Many experts believe that barriers associated with Industry 4.0 implementation are critical to its success. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the major hurdles to Industry 4.0 adoption and reveal their interrelationships. Initially, the literature was thoroughly studied to determine the sixteen barriers impeding I4.0 adoption. Then, based on experts’ opinions, an integrated fuzzy-DEMATEL approach was utilized to examine the most significant challenges to I4.0 deployment. The results demonstrated the distribution of barriers in which the economic dimension played a decisive role, affecting technological, regulatory, and organizational dimensions. As observed in the barrier mapping, the lack of qualified workforce was a typical adoption barrier. Finally, the mitigation strategies developed would help managers to overcome the identified critical obstacles.

Experimental Investigations of a Simple and Cheap Passive Solar Dryer for Preserving Agricultural Products