Important new research by La Isla Network (LIN) collaborators Felipe Pacheco-Zenteno, Jason Glaser, Kristina Jakobsson, Ilana Weiss, Esteban Arias Monge, and Kristina Gyllensten has been published in the journal, Frontiers in Public Health. The study investigates the implementation of LIN’s Water, Rest, & Shade (WRS) interventions at the sugarmill, Ingenio San Antonio in Nicaragua. Though the WRS interventions have been shown to effectively reduce kidney injury among workers while increasing their productivity, there is, at times, a discrepancy between the design of the interventions and their actual application in the field. This research set out to understand why this discrepancy exists, and what can be done to ameliorate it.
The findings of this study illustrate the importance of ensuring that health and occupational wellbeing are prioritized and championed by all levels of management. It also demonstrates the need for adequate support, training, motivation, and encouragement for those who oversee OHS protocols in the field. Doing so will help shift organizational biases, confront misconceptions about the incompatibility of profit and OSH, and help to foster a safety environment that workers themselves can be proud of and champion.
You can read the complete article here and check out our lay summary below.
