IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v15y2022i24p9614-d1007300.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cross-Cultural Study on OSH Risk Perception of Solar PV Workers of Saudi Arabia and India: Risk Mitigation through PtD

Author

Listed:
  • Abhijit Sen

    (Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India)

  • Abdulrahman Khamaj

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia)

  • Majed Moosa

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia)

  • Sougata Karmakar

    (Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India)

Abstract

A large number of workers are entering the rapidly growing solar photovoltaic industry. The emerging occupational safety and health risks faced by the workers have rarely been measured and aptly addressed. Moreover, there is a lack of cross-cultural studies on solar photovoltaic workers engaged across different countries. This study was planned to measure the occupational safety and health risks, socio-demographic parameters, study the cross-cultural aspects and develop design concepts for risk mitigation. Field studies were conducted in solar installations in Saudi Arabia and India. Socio-demographic data and risk perception scores for eighteen different occupational safety and health risks were obtained from the workers (n = 135). In addition, discomfort glare was also measured. Design concepts were developed following the hierarchy of controls matrix and the bow-tie analysis method using the prevention through design approach. Heat stress, electrocution, solar radiation, and fire/electric flash were found in the high and very high risk categories. This is a first-of-its-kind cross-cultural study in the solar photovoltaic industry which measures the occupational safety and health risks and develops design concepts for mitigation of risks. This study will be beneficial to solar project developers, safety professionals, ergonomists, industrial designers and policy makers.

Suggested Citation

  • Abhijit Sen & Abdulrahman Khamaj & Majed Moosa & Sougata Karmakar, 2022. "Cross-Cultural Study on OSH Risk Perception of Solar PV Workers of Saudi Arabia and India: Risk Mitigation through PtD," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:24:p:9614-:d:1007300
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9614/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9614/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kamenopoulos, Sotiris N. & Tsoutsos, Theocharis, 2015. "Assessment of the safe operation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(P2), pages 1633-1638.
    2. Dariusz Sawicki & Agnieszka Wolska, 2022. "Glare at Outdoor Workplaces—An Underestimated Factor of Occupational Risk," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Trond Nordfjærn & Stig Jørgensen & Torbjorn Rundmo, 2011. "A cross-cultural comparison of road traffic risk perceptions, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(6), pages 657-684, June.
    4. Alberto Modenese & Leena Korpinen & Fabriziomaria Gobba, 2018. "Solar Radiation Exposure and Outdoor Work: An Underestimated Occupational Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-24, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luigi Vimercati & Luigi De Maria & Antonio Caputi & Enza Sabrina Silvana Cannone & Francesca Mansi & Domenica Cavone & Paolo Romita & Giuseppe Argenziano & Alessandro Di Stefani & Aurora Parodi & Kett, 2020. "Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in Outdoor Workers: A Study on Actinic Keratosis in Italian Navy Personnel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Zhou, Dengji & Yu, Ziqiang & Zhang, Huisheng & Weng, Shilie, 2016. "A novel grey prognostic model based on Markov process and grey incidence analysis for energy conversion equipment degradation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 420-429.
    3. Gao, Jianwei & Wang, Yaping & Guo, Fengjia & Chen, Jiayi, 2024. "A two-stage decision framework for GIS-based site selection of wind-photovoltaic-hybrid energy storage project using LSGDM method," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    4. Hélène Laurent & Marc Sangnier & Carole Treibich, 2021. "Traffic safety and norms of compliance with rules: An exploratory study," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(4), pages 2464-2483.
    5. Caradee Y. Wright & D. Jean du Preez & Danielle A. Millar & Mary Norval, 2020. "The Epidemiology of Skin Cancer and Public Health Strategies for Its Prevention in Southern Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-14, February.
    6. Carlo Grandi & Maria Concetta D’Ovidio, 2020. "Balance between Health Risks and Benefits for Outdoor Workers Exposed to Solar Radiation: An Overview on the Role of Near Infrared Radiation Alone and in Combination with Other Solar Spectral Bands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-20, February.
    7. Djihed Berkouk & Tallal Abdel Karim Bouzir & Samiha Boucherit & Sara Khelil & Chafik Mahaya & Mohamed Elhadi Matallah & Said Mazouz, 2022. "Exploring the Multisensory Interaction between Luminous, Thermal and Auditory Environments through the Spatial Promenade Experience: A Case Study of a University Campus in an Oasis Settlement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Soyeon Ahn & Laura A. McClure & Paulo S. Pinheiro & Diana Hernandez & Devina J. Boga & Henna Ukani & Jennifer V. Chavez & Jorge A. Quintela Fernandez & Alberto J. Caban-Martinez & Erin Kobetz & David , 2024. "Methodological and Practical Challenges in Synthesizing Occupational Cancer Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(6), pages 1-12, June.
    9. Usaku Reuben & Ahmad F. Ismail & Abdul L. Ahmad & Humphrey M. Maina & Aziah Daud, 2019. "Occupational and Environmental Risk Factors Influencing the Inducement of Erythema among Nigerian Laboratory University Workers with Multiple Chemical Exposures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-13, April.
    10. Zain Ul-Abdin & Pieter De Winne & Hans De Backer, 2019. "Risk-Perception Formation Considering Tangible and Non-Tangible Aspects of Cycling: A Flemish Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-19, November.
    11. Giacomo Salvadori & Davide Lista & Chiara Burattini & Luca Gugliermetti & Francesco Leccese & Fabio Bisegna, 2019. "Sun Exposure of Body Districts: Development and Validation of an Algorithm to Predict the Erythemal Ultra Violet Dose," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-18, September.
    12. Mingyu Liu & Jianping Wu & Adnan Yousaf & Linyang Wang & Kezhen Hu & Katherine L. Plant & Rich C. McIlroy & Neville A. Stanton, 2021. "Exploring the Relationship between Attitudes, Risk Perceptions, Fatalistic Beliefs, and Pedestrian Behaviors in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-14, March.
    13. Guillermo De Castro-Maqueda & Carolina Lagares Franco & José V. Gutiérrez-Manzanedo & Fabriziomaria Gobba & Nuria Blázquez Sánchez & Magdalena De Troya-Martin, 2021. "What Sun Protection Practices Should Be Adopted by Trainee Teachers to Reduce the Risk of Skin Cancer and Other Adverse Outcomes?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-13, January.
    14. Gao, Jianwei & Guo, Fengjia & Li, Xiangzhen & Huang, Xin & Men, Huijuan, 2021. "Risk assessment of offshore photovoltaic projects under probabilistic linguistic environment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 172-187.
    15. Begum Erten & Zafer Utlu, 2020. "Photovoltaic system configurations: an occupational health and safety assessment," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 10(4), pages 809-828, August.
    16. Shahram Heydari & Adrian Hickford & Rich McIlroy & Jeff Turner & Abdulgafoor M. Bachani, 2019. "Road Safety in Low-Income Countries: State of Knowledge and Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-29, November.
    17. Aaen, Sara Bjørn & Hansen, Anne Merrild, 2023. "The role of social factors in feasibility decisions for complex orebodies: Exploring early exploration practices of the mining industry in Greenland," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    18. Alberto Modenese & Francesco Pio Ruggieri & Fabio Bisegna & Massimo Borra & Chiara Burattini & Elena Della Vecchia & Carlo Grandi & Anna Grasso & Luca Gugliermetti & Marco Manini & Andrea Militello & , 2019. "Occupational Exposure to Solar UV Radiation of a Group of Fishermen Working in the Italian North Adriatic Sea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-12, August.
    19. Pinto, Mauricio Almeida & Frate, Cláudio Albuquerque & Rodrigues, Thiago Oliveira & Caldeira-Pires, Armando, 2020. "Sensitivity analysis of the carbon payback time for a Brazilian photovoltaic power plant," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    20. Kusakana, Kanzumba, 2017. "Energy management of a grid-connected hydrokinetic system under Time of Use tariff," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1325-1333.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:24:p:9614-:d:1007300. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.