• Energy Research

The use of fossil fuels in aircraft over the last few decades has driven several studies on health effects due to occupational exposure. Relatively recently, alternative fuel types have emerged, but their implications on the health of exposed workers have not attracted proportional attention. In our paper, we review both academic and gray literature about the health risks related to exposure to jet and alternative fuels. The literature suggests that, although the health effects on workers exposed to conventional fuels are concerning, there is no universally accepted dose–response relationship. The limited current research with animals on alternative fuels indicates that these fuels have not resulted in a reduction of health risks. Overall, it seems that, while aviation fuels are tested for efficiency and lower emissions, studies on health impacts in an occupational context have not been a priority. As occupational exposure to aviation fuels might increase due to the growth of the aviation industry, it is essential to conduct further research on the effects of exposures to both conventional and alternative aviation fuels and ensure that the latter do not pose the same risks or even greater ones than those of conventional fuels.

As the wind farm sector grows and becomes an established renewable energy source, it introduces new materials, technologies and processes that expose workers to increased and unique occupational risks. In this paper, we performed a generic review of scientific and industry literature on online scientific databases and search engines to identify the extent to which occupational health hazards and risks specific to wind farms have been considered. Our review revealed noise, electromagnetic fields, shadow flicker, epoxy and styrene and physical stress have been the focus of limited research, mainly including self-reported data from offshore wind farm employees. Factors such as vibration, welding fumes and other possibly harmful substances, weather conditions and biological hazards have not been addressed by studies, although their presence and combinations could be of concern. Therefore, there is a need for further research on unique and combined risks and hazards faced by workers across all lifecycle stages of wind energy production. This would improve knowledge and provide the opportunity to manage health hazards in current and newly constructed installations and inform future regulatory and other preventative measures.

Health, safety, and wellbeing (HSW) have been studied widely in different contexts and are associated with social, organisational, and human sustainability. However, there is limited research about HSW in retail that includes both workers and managers to offer a more holistic and inclusive perspective. To fill this gap, this exploratory and descriptive cross-sectional study employed a 21-item quantitative and 3-item qualitative online survey and engaged a representative sample of 271 workers and 109 managers/owners in Australia. The results showed retailers provide a reasonably adequate technical and social work environment, and workers perceive their job tasks as averagely challenging. Nevertheless, workers still experienced adverse HSW effects frequently, partially attributed to a poor organisational environment. Workers and managers were markedly aligned regarding the current HSW status in Australian retail and agreed that health and safety were not focal areas of their businesses. Worryingly, both groups viewed the unfavourable impacts of work as inescapable, indicating a commonly shared fatalistic perspective that does not align with sustainability practices. Although workers appreciated their employment-related benefits, they also acknowledged that their HSW was not fully supported, presenting unique opportunities for the workplace and policymakers to address such issues and support the economic and social sustainability of retailers.

Although the value and impact of safety award programmes (SAPs) have been criticised in literature, various programmes still operate within and across industries to recognise safety achievements, motivate employees and organisations, promote participation in safety improvements and raise the overall profile of nominees. In our study, following the request of a large aviation organisation (LAO) already implementing a SAP based merely on rates of safety events and occurrences, we introduced an award scheme by including and balancing safety positives and negatives as per the suggestions of contemporary safety thinking. The new SAP was based on the existing safety management system of the organisation and the data already available, included contributions to safety and considered differences in the context nominees operated along with lagging indicators. The pilot implementation of the new programme resulted in remarkable differences from the results obtained via the previous award scheme, a finding that satisfied management. Nonetheless, difficulties relating to the inadequate understanding of the new SAP by the targeted nominees and inconsistencies in the recording of data across the organisation led to the suspension of the programme after its first launch. Due to its limitations, this study does not recommend a safety awards standard for the industry. However, its methodological approach, the concepts embraced and the difficulties encountered could be considered by any organisation.