Workers’ perceptions and awareness of occupational safety and health legislation in the food manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe

The research investigated workers’ awareness and perceptions of safety and legislation in the food industry of Zimbabwe as a strategy to minimize occupational accidents. The research adopted a descriptive survey design focusing on three purposively selected companies in the food manufacturing sector in Harare. A sample size of 122 workers representing 10% of the total labourforce was selected through stratified random sampling for questionnaires. Results of the survey revealed that most workers were not sure if their work environment was safe and less than half of these workers were aware of safety and health legislation in Zimbabwe. This scenario presents a challenge to improvement in safety and health at workplaces due to workers’ ignorance of prescribed legislative standards and practices. A massive collaborative campaign must be done to ensure that workers are aware of safety and health laws and their application in order to minimize occupational incidences

Workers’ perceptions and awareness of occupational safety and health legislation in the food manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe

The research investigated workers’ awareness and perceptions of safety and legislation in the food industry of Zimbabwe as a strategy to minimize occupational accidents. The research adopted a descriptive survey design focusing on three purposively selected companies in the food manufacturing sector in Harare. A sample size of 122 workers representing 10% of the total labourforce was selected through stratified random sampling for questionnaires. Results of the survey revealed that most workers were not sure if their work environment was safe and less than half of these workers were aware of safety and health legislation in Zimbabwe. This scenario presents a challenge to improvement in safety and health at workplaces due to workers’ ignorance of prescribed legislative standards and practices. A massive collaborative campaign must be done to ensure that workers are aware of safety and health laws and their application in order to minimize occupational incidences

Understanding communities’ perceptions, demographics and uses of wetlands in Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa

Wetlands are amongst the world’s most important ecosystems, providing direct and indirect benefits to local communities. However, wetlands worldwide continue to be degraded due to unsustainable use and improper resource management. In this paper, we assess the perceptions, importance, management and utilisation of wetlands among local community members using a household questionnaire and field observations within the seven Thulamela municipality wetlands, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve in South Africa. Seven wetlands were chosen for the study, with 140 household respondents randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. The study indicated that wetlands were beneficial in supporting local communities through resource provisioning. The unemployment rate and household respondents’ income were the main contributors to increased wetland dependency and utilisation. We found that urban and rural developments, unregulated use and extensive agricultural practices (i.e., cultivation, livestock grazing) have resulted in wetland degradation. We observed that the local communities around the wetlands were interested in the benefits they receive from wetlands when compared to their conservation. Furthermore, the study observed poor wetland co-management or collaboration among the local stakeholders. This has resulted in a lack of openly known, active platforms to discuss wetlands management issues. These results highlight that centralized, top–down approaches to wetland use are insufficient for maintaining and managing wetland ecosystems, posing a challenge to sustainable wetland management. Therefore, there is a need to develop a shared understanding through bottom-up approaches to wetland management nested within national regulatory frameworks, ideally combined with awareness building and knowledge sharing on ecological benefits and management of wetlands