Quantifying poor working equid welfare in Nepalese brick kilns using a welfare assessment tool

2020 ◽  
Vol 187 (11) ◽  
pp. 445-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Brandao Rodrigues ◽  
Rebekah J E Sullivan ◽  
Andrew Judge ◽  
Stuart Lee Norris ◽  
Faith A Burden
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Brick Kiln ◽  
Poor General Health ◽  
Predominant Species ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Working Equids ◽  
Assessment Research

BackgroundAcross Asia the brick-kiln industry is expanding. In Nepal, urban dwelling has increased in recent years, raising requirement for low-cost, mass produced bricks to meet the population needs. Working equids (WEs) play a key role in non-mechanised kilns. Assessing the welfare of these equids is the starting point to addressing concerns. In line with One Welfare principles, the health and welfare of animals, people and the kiln environment are interlinked.Materials and methodsIn December 2019, 119 WEs were assessed in seven brick kilns in three districts of Nepal, using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool, developed by The Donkey Sanctuary. The objective was to measure welfare at the start of the brick kiln season.ResultsHorses were the predominant species of WE. Hazardous housing and environments were seen in all kilns. Behaviour responses were mixed. Owner responses and animal examination indicated poor working conditions. Signs of harmful practice were evident in most animals. The majority were underweight, with poor general health, skin alterations and musculoskeletal issues.ConclusionThe welfare of equids prior to starting brick kiln work is poor, posing significant concerns for the actual working period. Intervention to enhance health and welfare is required.

scholarly journals A Novel Robotic Arm Design for Small Scale Industries Using myRIO

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.6) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
M. Srilatha ◽  
R. Hemalatha
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Robotic Arm ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Complete Automation ◽  
Human Effort ◽  
Small Scale Industries

In small-scale industries, under extreme working conditions, personnel are frequently involved in lifting and carrying raw materials, which is hazardous at times. Robot, a machine with intelligence can perform the same task with the help of control instructions fed by computer or remote control. Technological development in the area of robotics made it possible to design robotic arm with the same degree of precision as a replacement to the human intervention. This will introduce automation in small-scale industries, which saves time, reduces human effort and expenditure in production. Further, this will be a starting point for complete automation of entire process, which can be expensive and complicated. NI LabVIEW along with NI-myRIO can provide a better solution in designing a more precise and accurate robot in a very low cost, which is affordable by small-scale industries. NI-myRIO is used to generate and acquire signals for controlling and processing. Further it has an inbuilt processor and FPGA which has many reconfigurable analogue and digital features.  

scholarly journals Increasing heat creates hardship for brick kiln workers in Chennai, India and the alternative pathways reducing it

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Lundgren Kownacki ◽  
Siri M. Kjellberg ◽  
Pernille Goosh ◽  
Marwa Dabaieh ◽  
Vidhya Venugopal
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Brick Kiln ◽  
Alternative Pathways ◽  
Labor Conditions ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
The Social ◽  
Bonded Labor

Climate change brings new burdens to people working outdoors. Migrant populations working at brick kilns in India are one such group facing dangerously overheated working conditions. Many migrate to the kilns from rural areas under bonded labor conditions. We argue that solutions need to go beyond industry-oriented technology-based solutions and focus on the social problem and take a people focused stance. In addition to adopting more locally appropriate technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and heat in the work environment, solutions focusing on the workers situation must be considered from a human rights perspective.

scholarly journals Scalable deep learning to identify brick kilns and aid regulatory capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (17) ◽  
pp. e2018863118
Author(s):  
Jihyeon Lee ◽  
Nina R. Brooks ◽  
Fahim Tajwar ◽  
Marshall Burke ◽  
Stefano Ermon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Brick Kiln ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
Regulatory Capacity ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Resolution Satellite Imagery

Improving compliance with environmental regulations is critical for promoting clean environments and healthy populations. In South Asia, brick manufacturing is a major source of pollution but is dominated by small-scale, informal producers who are difficult to monitor and regulate—a common challenge in low-income settings. We demonstrate a low-cost, scalable approach for locating brick kilns in high-resolution satellite imagery from Bangladesh. Our approach identifies kilns with 94.2% accuracy and 88.7% precision and extracts the precise GPS coordinates of every brick kiln across Bangladesh. Using these estimates, we show that at least 12% of the population of Bangladesh (>18 million people) live within 1 km of a kiln and that 77% and 9% of kilns are (illegally) within 1 km of schools and health facilities, respectively. Finally, we show how kilns contribute up to 20.4 μg/m3 of PM2.5 (particulate matter of a diameter less than 2.5 μm) in Dhaka when the wind blows from an unfavorable direction. We document inaccuracies and potential bias with respect to local regulations in the government data. Our approach demonstrates how machine learning and Earth observation can be combined to better understand the extent and implications of regulatory compliance in informal industry.

scholarly journals Nepal Ambient Monitoring and Source Testing Experiment (NAMaSTE): Emissions of particulate matter from wood and dung cooking fires, garbage and crop residue burning, brick kilns, and other sources

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thilina Jayarathne ◽  
Chelsea E. Stockwell ◽  
Prakash V. Bhave ◽  
Puppala S. Praveen ◽  
Chathurika M. Rathnayake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Inorganic Ions ◽  
Brick Kiln ◽  
Ambient Monitoring ◽  
Organic Species ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
Crop Residue Burning ◽  
Testing Experiment ◽  
Combustion Sources

Abstract. The Nepal Ambient Monitoring and Source Testing Experiment (NAMaSTE) characterized widespread and under-sampled combustion sources common to South Asia, including brick kilns, garbage burning, diesel and gasoline generators, diesel groundwater pumps, idling motorcycles, traditional and modern cooking stoves and fires, crop residue burning, and a heating fire. Fuel-based emission factors (EF; with units of pollutant mass emitted per kg of fuel combusted) were determined for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), inorganic ions, trace metals, and organic species. For the forced draught zig-zag brick kiln, EFPM2.5 ranged 1–19 g kg−1 with major contributions from OC (7 %), sulfate expected to be in the form of sulfuric acid (31.9 %), and other chemicals not measured (e.g., particle bound water). For the clamp kiln, EFPM2.5 ranged 8–13 g kg−1, with major contributions from OC (63.2 %), sulfate (20.8 %), and ammonium (14.2 %). Our brick kiln EFPM2.5 values may exceed those previously reported, partly because we sampled emissions at ambient temperature after emission from the stack or kiln allowing some particle-phase OC and sulfate to form from gaseous precursors. The combustion of mixed household garbage under dry conditions had an EFPM2.5 of 7.4 ± 1.2 g kg−1, whereas damp conditions generated the highest EFPM2.5 of all combustion sources in this study, reaching up to 125 ± 23 g kg−1. Garbage burning emissions contained relatively high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs), triphenylbenzene, and heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Sb), making these useful markers of this source. A variety of cooking stoves and fires fueled with dung, hardwood, twigs, and/or other biofuels were studied. The use of dung for cooking and heating produced higher EFPM2.5 than other biofuel sources and consistently emitted more PM2.5 and OC than burning hardwood and/or twigs; this trend was consistent across traditional mud stoves, chimney stoves, and 3-stone cooking fires. The comparisons of different cooking stoves and cooking fires revealed the highest PM emissions from 3-stone cooking fires (7.6–73 g kg−1), followed by traditional mud stoves (5.3–19.7 g kg−1), mud stoves with a chimney for exhaust (3.0–6.8 g kg−1), rocket stoves (1.5–7.2 g kg−1), induced-draught stoves (1.2–5.7 g kg−1), and the bhuse chulo stove (3.2 g kg−1), while biogas had no detectable PM emissions. Idling motorcycle emissions were evaluated before and after routine servicing at a local shop, which decreased EFPM2.5 from 8.8 ± 1.3 g kg−1 to 0.71 ± 0.4 g kg−1 when averaged across five motorcycles. Organic species analysis indicated that this reduction in PM2.5 was largely due to a decrease in emission of motor oil, probably from the crankcase. The EF and chemical emissions profiles developed in this study may be used for source apportionment and to update regional emission inventories.

scholarly journals ‘Don’t Put the Cart before the Mule!’ Challenging Assumptions Regarding Health-Related Treatment Practices of Working Equid Owners in Northern India

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1307
Author(s):  
Caroline Nye ◽  
Tamlin Watson ◽  
Laura M. Kubasiewicz ◽  
Zoe Raw ◽  
Faith Burden
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Treatment Practices ◽  
Northern India ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
Treatment Measures ◽  
Working Equids

This paper challenges assumptions that the health management of working equids among some of India’s poorest communities is mainly dependent upon income, economic influence, or access to veterinary services. Using a mixed-methods approach, hierarchies of treatment practices are revealed through an examination of the ‘lived experience’ of equid owners in brick kilns and construction sites in northern India. Semi-structured interviews with 37 equid owners and corresponding livelihood surveys, combined with data from two focus groups with professional animal health practitioners and the welfare data of 63 working equids collected using the Equid Assessment, Research, and Scoping (EARS) tool, contributed to the findings of the study. Four principal influencing factors were found to affect the decision-making practices of equid owners. Infrastructural factors, community characteristics and experience, owners’ characteristics and experience, and economic factors all impact the belief structures of equid owners. However, without verifying the validity of the treatment measures being employed, some animals are at risk from hazardous treatment behaviours. By understanding decision-making using the theory of planned behaviour, the findings of this study can provide a crucial contribution to informing future interventions involved in the health management and welfare of working equids.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Impact of Mounted Load Carrying on Equids: A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1333
Author(s):  
Syed S. U. H. Bukhari ◽  
Alan G. McElligott ◽  
Rebecca S. V. Parkes
Keyword(s):  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Creatine Kinase Activity ◽  
Serum Cortisol Level ◽  
Load Carrying Capacity ◽  
Gait Symmetry ◽  
Brick Kilns ◽  
Potential Marker ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Working Equids

There are approximately 112 million working equids in developing countries, many of which are associated with brick kilns. Brick kilns and overloading are associated with welfare problems in working equids. Understanding equids’ abilities and influencing factors are important for both effective performance and welfare. Traditionally, measurement of the amount of ‘bone’ was used, and more recently, gait symmetry has been identified as a potential marker for loading capacity. Assessment of stride parameters and gait kinematics provides insights into adaptations to loading and may help determine cut-off loads. Physiological factors such as the ability to regain normal heart rates shortly after work is an important tool for equine fitness assessment and a more accurate measure of load-carrying capacity than absolute heart rate. Oxidative stress, plasma lactate, and serum creatine kinase activity are reliable biochemical indicators of loading ability. For monitoring stress, salivary cortisol is superior to serum cortisol level for assessment of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and is related to eye temperatures, but this has yet to be interpreted in terms of load-carrying ability in equids. Further research is needed to standardize the evidence-based load-carrying capacity of working horses and donkeys.

Zinc-specific Food Frequency Questionnaire To Assess College Women’s Eating Habits

2009 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 204-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet M. Lacey ◽  
Deanne U. Zotter
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Eating Attitude ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Unhealthy Eating ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Eat 26

Zinc deficiency has been reported in individuals with eating disorders, the risks of which increase during the adolescent and early adult years. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) specific for zinc-rich foods was tested for its usefulness in identifying problematic eating behaviour tendencies in college-age women. Ninety-two female students enrolled in a university introductory psychology course volunteered to complete demographic information, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and a zinc-specific FFQ (ZnFFQ). Relationships among estimated zinc intakes, food/lifestyle habits, and eating attitude variables were examined. Twenty-five women had estimated intakes below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for zinc. Individuals in the highest zinc intake group (over twice the RDA) had a tendency to score higher on the EAT-26 and the bulimia subscale. Vegetarians also scored high on the EAT-26. Although our data are limited, the ZnFFQ should be studied further to determine whether it could play a useful role in identifying individuals at risk for bulimia. The ZnFFQ is a simple, non-confrontational assessment tool and may be a helpful starting point for identifying women with unhealthy eating habits.

scholarly journals Optimum Multilayer-Graphene-Montmorillonite Composites From Sugar for Thermosolar Coatings Formulations

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bàrbara Micó-Vicent ◽  
María López ◽  
Azucena Bello ◽  
Noelia Martínez ◽  
Francisco Martínez-Verdú
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Multilayer Graphene ◽  
Optimum Conditions ◽  
Laminar Structure ◽  
Solar Absorptance ◽  
Solar Plant ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Complex Deposition ◽  
Deposition Techniques

Solar thermal coatings are designed to achieve the highest incident solar flux into the receiver of a tower solar plant. These materials are subjected to extreme working conditions of temperature and solar concentrated radiation. Much effort is being made to develop a durable and high absorptive coating that can provide an excellent solar to heat conversion efficiency. Complex deposition techniques (PVD, CVD, electrodeposition, etc.) are developed and tested to achieve solar selectivity. High solar absorptance paints are an alternative technique, that is, easy to apply and implement in the field. In paint, pigments are the compound that provides high absorptance values, whose stability impacts the durability of optical properties. The search for new selective solar pigments for solar receivers is a promising route to improve the efficiency of this technology. In this work, novel nanocomposites were synthesized from low-cost organic materials such as table sugar. Promising results were obtained when intercalated and calcined in the laminar structure of montmorillonite, a type of smectite clay. The pigments were tested in a paint format on metallic coupons at different temperatures to obtain absorptivities above 96% of absorptance after 24 h at 700  °C. Further experiments are still needed to obtain optimum conditions to maximize the coating's absorptivity and durability at high temperature.

scholarly journals The Rolls of Oléron, Maritime Assizes of the Kingdom of jerusalem

2019 ◽  
pp. 129-137
Author(s):  
Marcin Böhm
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Safety Culture ◽  
Labour Law ◽  
Maritime Safety ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Maritime Labor

The essence of this paper is to illustrate the genuine link between the norms contained in the medieval twenty-four first laws of oléron that have survived to modern times, binding certain legal solutions in the space over the ages. The Laws of oléron contain norms relating to contemporary maritime labour law. Certainly they are not a model fully reflected in the maritime labor Convention (mlC 2006). nevertheless, these principles can be an interesting starting point for discussions on the importance of decent working conditions and the lives of seafarers on ships from a few centuries perspective and the importance of maritime safety culture.

scholarly journals Prefabricated Urban Underground Utility Tunnels: A Case Study on Mechanical Behaviour with Strain Monitoring and Numerical Simulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Yonggang Xiao ◽  
Jubing Zhang ◽  
Jie Cao ◽  
Changhong Li
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Side Wall ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Simulation Results

The prefabricated urban utility tunnels (UUTs) have many advantages such as short construction period, low cost, high quality, and small land occupation. However, there is still a lack of in-depth analysis of the mechanical performance of the prefabricated urban utility tunnel (UUT) structure with bolted connections under different working conditions. In this paper, the force performance of a prefabricated UUT in Tongzhou District, Beijing, was studied under different working conditions using two methods: field monitoring and numerical simulation. The multichannel strain monitor was used for monitoring, and the internal wall concrete and bolt strain change data under the two conditions of installation and backfill were obtained. Combined with the construction process of the UUTs, a three-dimensional numerical model was established by COMSOL, where the build-in bolt assembly was used to simulate the longitudinal connection of the tunnel. The simulation results were compared with the measured data to verify the rationality of the computational model. The simulation results showed that the concrete and bolts on the inner wall of the tunnel work well under the two conditions of installation and backfilling; The deformation of the top plate of the prefabricated tunnel was approximately parabolic, with the largest vertical displacement (0.37 mm) in the middle and the most sensitive to the vertical load in the central part of the roof. The central portion of the side wall had the largest displacement (0.17 mm) in the inner concave. The tensile stress of bolt 3 increased the most (30.75 MPa) but was still much smaller than the yield strength of the bolt. The concrete and bolts of the UUT were found to work well through force analysis under operating conditions. In conclusion, analysis of structural forces and deformation failure modes will help design engineers understand the basic mechanisms and select the appropriate UUT structure.

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