M10.1: Video! - The Workplace

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As I think of a workplace, I think about my mother's previous job. It is a job that I do not want her to return to - she was working as a mushroom packager. There were mostly chemical and ergonomic issues that my mom had to face. Every day, she would be exposed to the cleaning chemicals used for rinsing the mushrooms before being packaged. She would also have to deal with the cold temperature when she would be in a freezer for a whole work day. I remember her telling me how she would be working so fast that she would sweat so much it would drench the clothes that were supposed to protect her from the cold. My mom was always on her feet and and her hands always moving, and she would be carrying heavy crates full of mushrooms to fill the orders. I always feared my mom would get a lung problem - she most certainly got feet problems from the intense work routine. 

 Considering this is the agriculture business, the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls does not seem like it could address any of the issues. It would have to start from the administrative controls to change how people work - and that would be to change the intensity that is expected from the workers. The company attempts to address occupational issues by providing personal protective clothing such as freezer clothing and steel-toe shoes (which workers some times have to pay out of pocket for). The issues are not being addressed appropriately. One of the barriers to workers exercising their rights is they fear losing their jobs. Some people have been working for years at this company and know nothing else. Lastly, if any change is to happen it has to be up to the union and sometimes the union is not always on the workers side. Lately, the union has done better by providing better health and dental plans to the workers. There is a lot of work to be done to protect workers - not just in the agriculture industry, but in all industries. 

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 5, 2018 at 7:32 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    I am sorry to hear that your mother was in a place of work that had so many exposures. I am also sorry to hear about her health issues related to working there. I think that you are correct about the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls unable to change the intensity that is expected from the workers. It seems like there is a disconnect between the workers needs and what the company wants.
    Thank you for your post!
    Kera

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 7, 2018 at 7:44 PM


    Hi Daisy,

    That is so awful what your mother went through at her previous job and how unsafe the workplace was for her. I am glad to hear that she no longer has to work in those conditions. Agriculture workers are so underserved in terms of protection and support from the workplace and I agree that there needs to be a change. They have such an important role in harvesting our food and they should not be put in such danger while doing so. Great post, thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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