This dissertation consists of three papers relating to the field of Law and Economics. The first two papers examine the impact of increased judicial discretion on both racial disparities and inter-judge disparities in the federal criminal justice system. The third paper analyzes the effects of OSHA programs on workplace safety, wages, and employment. The common thread throughout this work is a focus on how legal actors and institutions affect substantive outcomes of individuals. / Economics

M. Tech. (Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Workplace health and safety is a global concern. South African companies are bound by the stipulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) (85 of 1993), which regulates employer and employee duties to identify and eliminate hazards, thereby controlling and minimising the risk to health and safety within the working environment. Employees are regarded as the strength of ArcelorMittal. The on-board programme of this employer is designed specifically to support the integration of new employees into ArcelorMittal’s environment and enable them to maximise their contribution to the performance of their team, implementation of a business plan and strategy and realisation of the group’s objectives. This study investigates the perceptions that ArcelorMittal (Vanderbijlpark) employees uphold regarding the effectiveness of the health and safety induction they received. The iron division was identified purposefully for selection of the target population because of its high rate of health and safety incidents. Simple random sampling was used within a quantitative research design to select 317 respondents out of 634 employees. Accordingly, questionnaires were distributed within the demarcated division and a total of 160 questionnaires were completed and returned. The collected data were statistically analysed and presented. The results indicated that the majority of employees perceive the health and safety induction they received to be effective. Respondents also indicated that ArcelorMittal was effective in providing them with the support they need towards their health and safety. Hence, it is recommended that the zero tolerance approach towards safety hazards be reinforced on a continuous basis within the work context of this leading steel manufacturer.

Organophosphate (OP) pesticides, as a group, are the most widely used insecticides in Australia. Approximately 5 000 tonnes of active ingredient are used annually (Radcliffe, 2002). The OP pesticide group consists of around 30 identifiably distinct chemicals that are synthesised and added to approximately 700 products (Radcliffe, 2002). OP pesticides are used on fruit, vegetable, grain, pasture seed, ornamental, cotton, and viticultural crops, on livestock and domestic animals, as well as for building pest control. OP pesticides all act by inhibiting the nervous system enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and as such are termed anticholinesterase insecticides. The phosphorylation of AChE and the resultant accumulation of acetylcholine are responsible for the typical symptoms of acute poisoning with OP compounds. In addition to acute health effects, OP compound exposure can result in chronic, long-term neurological effects. The traditional method of health surveillance for OP pesticide exposure is blood cholinesterase analysis, which is actually biological effect monitoring. However, there are several drawbacks associated with the use of the blood cholinesterase test, including its invasive nature, the need for baseline levels and a substantial exposure to OP pesticide before a drop in cholinesterase activity can be detected. OP pesticides are metabolised fairly rapidly by the liver to form alkyl phosphates (DAPs). Approximately 70% of OP pesticides in use in Australia will metabolise into one or more of six common DAPs. During the last 30 years, scientists have developed a urine test that detects these six degradation products. However, unlike the blood cholinesterase test, there is currently no Biological Exposure Index (BEI) for the urine DAP metabolite test. Workers in the agricultural industry - particularly those involved with mixing, loading and application tasks - are at risk of exposure to OP pesticides. It is therefore important that these workers are able to assess their risk of health effects from exposure to OP pesticides. However, currently in Queensland, workplace health and safety legislation exempts the agricultural industry from hazardous substance legislation that incorporates the requirement to perform risk assessments and health surveillance (blood cholinesterase testing) for OP pesticide exposure. The specific aim of this research was to characterise OP pesticide exposure and to assess the feasibility of using urine DAP metabolite testing as a risk assessment tool for agricultural and related industry workers exposed to OP pesticides. An additional aim among farmers was to conduct an in-depth evaluation of their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to handling OP pesticides and how they assess the risks associated with their use of OPs. A cross-sectional study design was used to assess exposure to OP pesticides and related issues among four groups: fruit and vegetable farmers, pilots and mixer/loaders, formulator plant staff and a control group. The study involved 51 farmers in the interviewer-administered questionnaire and 32 in urine sample provision. Eighteen pilots and mixer/loaders provided urine samples and 9 exposed formulation plant staff provided urine and blood samples. Community controls from Toowoomba Rotary clubs provided 44 urine samples and 11 non-exposed formulation plant staff provided blood and urine samples; all groups also provided responses to a self-administered questionnaire. Participant farmers were drawn from the main cropping areas in south-east Queensland - Laidley/Lowood, Gatton, and Stanthorpe. The farmer group was characterised by small owner-operators who often had primary responsibility for OP pesticide mixing and application. Farmers had good knowledge of pesticide-related safety practices; however, despite this knowledge, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was low. More than half of the farmers did not often wear a mask/respirator (56%), gloves (54%) or overalls (65%). Material Safety Data Sheets were never or rarely read and 88.2% of farmers never or rarely read OP pesticide labels before application. There were also problems with chemical suppliers providing farmers with MSDSs. The majority of farmers (90.2%) reported that they had never had any health surveillance performed and three-quarters had never read about or been shown how to perform a formal risk assessment. The main inhibitors to the use of PPE in the farmers' group included the uncomfortable and cumbersome nature of PPE, especially in hot weather conditions, and the fear of PPE use triggering neighbours' complaints to Government authorities. Factors associated with better PPE use included having positive attitudes and beliefs toward PPE use, higher knowledge scores and low risk perception. Farmers' use of OP pesticides was infrequent, of short duration and involved application via a boom on a tractor, a lower risk application method. Consequently, urine DAP metabolite levels in this group were generally low, with 36 out of 96 samples (37.5%) containing detectable levels. Detectable results ranged from 9.00-116.00 mol/mol creatinine. Formulators exposed to OP pesticides were found to have the highest urine DAP metabolite levels (detectable levels 13.20-550.00 mol/mol creatinine), followed by pilots and mixer/loaders (detectable levels 8.40-304.00 mol/mol creatinine) and then farmers. Despite this, pilots and mixer/loaders (particularly mixer/loaders) had the greatest number of samples containing detectable levels (94.4% of samples). The DAP metabolite most frequently detected across all groups was DMTP, which was the only metabolite found in control samples. Levels found in this study are similar to those reported in international research (Takamiya, 1994, Stephens et al., 1996, Simcox et al., 1999, Mills, 2001, Cocker et al., 2002). The observed DAP levels were not associated with a drop in cholinesterase activity among the formulation plant workers, as expected from the literature. Such exposure also is unlikely to be associated with acute health effects. In contrast, there is insufficient scientific knowledge to know whether levels recorded in this study and elsewhere may be associated with long-term, chronic health effects. Notably, DMTP levels also were observed among the presumably 'unexposed' comparison groups. Environmental background level exposures to OPs producing the DAP metabolite DMTP are therefore of potential significance and may be related, at least in part, to consumption of contaminated fruit and vegetables. There is also emerging evidence to suggest that exposure to DAP metabolites themselves through diet and other sources may contribute to the concentration of DAPs, including DMTP in urine, potentially complicating assessment of occupational exposures. Nevertheless, the urine DAP metabolite test was a useful, sensitive indicator of occupational OP pesticide exposure among agricultural workers and may be of use to the industry as part of the risk assessment process. Future research should aim to establish a BEI for the urine DAP test.

Despite the facts that vehicle incidents continue to be the most common mechanism for Australian compensated fatalities and that employers have statutory obligations to provide safe workplaces, very few organisations are proactively and comprehensively managing their work-related road risks. Unfortunately, limited guidance is provided in the existing literature to assist practitioners in managing work-related road risks. The current research addresses this gap in the literature. To explore how work-related road safety can be enhanced, three studies were conducted. Study one explored the effectiveness of a range of risk management initiatives and whether comprehensive risk management practices were associated with safety outcomes. Study two explored barriers to, and facilitators for, accepting risk management initiatives. Study three explored the influence of organisational factors on road safety outcomes to identify optimal work environments for managing road risks. To maximise the research sample and increase generalisability, the studies were designed to allow data collection to be conducted simultaneously drawing upon the same sample obtained from four Australian organisations. Data was collected via four methods. A structured document review of published articles was conducted to identify what outcomes have been observed in previously investigated work-related road safety initiatives. The documents reviewed collectively assessed the effectiveness of 19 work-related road safety initiatives. Audits of organisational practices and process operating within the four researched organisations were conducted to identify whether organisations with comprehensive work-related road risk management practices and processes have better safety outcomes than organisations with limited risk management practices and processes. Interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 participants, comprising 16 employees and eight managers. The interviews were conducted to identify what barriers and facilitators within organisations are involved in implementing work-related road safety initiatives and whether differences in fleet safety climate, stage of change and safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes. Finally, questionnaires were administered to a sample of 679 participants. The questionnaires were conducted to identify which initiatives are perceived by employees to be effective in managing work-related road risks and whether differences in fleet safety climate, stage of change and safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes. Seven research questions were addressed in the current research project. The key findings with respect to each of the research questions are presented below. Research question one: What outcomes have been observed in previously investigated work-related road safety initiatives? The structured document review indicated that initiatives found to be positively associated with occupational road safety both during and after the intervention period included: a pay rise; driver training; group discussions; enlisting employees as community road safety change agents; safety reminders; and group and individual rewards. Research question two: Which initiatives are perceived by employees to be effective in managing work-related road risks? Questionnaire findings revealed that employees believed occupational road risks could best be managed through making vehicle safety features standard, providing practical driver skills training and through investigating serious vehicle incidents. In comparison, employees believed initiatives including signing a promise card commitment to drive safely, advertising the organisation’s phone number on vehicles and consideration of driving competency in staff selection process would have limited effectiveness in managing occupational road safety. Research question three: Do organisations with comprehensive work-related road risk management practices and processes have better safety outcomes than organisations with limited risk management practices and processes? The audit identified a difference among the organisations in their management of work-related road risks. Comprehensive risk management practices were associated with employees engaging in overall safer driving behaviours, committing less driving errors, and experiencing less fatigue and distraction issues when driving. Given that only four organisations participated in this research, these findings should only be considered as preliminary. Further research should be conducted to explore the relationship between comprehensiveness of risk management practices and road safety outcomes with a larger sample of organisations. Research question four: What barriers and facilitators within organisations are involved in implementing work-related road safety initiatives? The interviews identified that employees perceived six organisational characteristics as potential barriers to implementing work-related road safety initiatives. These included: prioritisation of production over safety; complacency towards work-related road risks; insufficient resources; diversity; limited employee input in safety decisions; and a perception that road safety initiatives were an unnecessary burden. In comparison, employees perceived three organisational characteristics as potential facilitators to implementing work-related road safety initiatives. These included: management commitment; the presence of existing systems that could support the implementation of initiatives; and supportive relationships. Research question five: Do differences in fleet safety climate relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires identified that organisational climates with high management commitment, support for managing work demands, appropriate safety rules and safety communication were associated with employees who engaged in safer driving behaviours. Regression analyses indicated that as participants’ perceptions of safety climate increased, the corresponding likelihood of them engaging in safer driving behaviours increased. Fleet safety climate was perceived to influence road safety outcomes through several avenues. Some of these included: the allocation of sufficient resources to manage occupational road risks; fostering a supportive environment of mutual responsibility; resolving safety issues openly and fairly; clearly communicating to employees that safety is the top priority; and developing appropriate work-related road safety policies and procedures. Research question six: Do differences in stage of change relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires identified that participants’ perceptions of initiative effectiveness were found to vary with respect to their individual stage of readiness, with stage-matched initiatives being perceived most effective. In regards to safety outcomes, regression analyses identified that as participants’ progress through the stages of change, the corresponding likelihood of them being involved in vehicle crashes decreases. Research question seven: Do differences in safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires revealed that management of road risks is often given less attention than other areas of health and safety management in organisations. In regards to safety outcomes, regression analyses identified that perceived authority and perceived shared ownership both emerged as significant independent predictors of self-reported driving behaviours pertaining to fatigue and distractions. The regression models indicated that as participants’ perceptions of the authority of the person managing road risks increases, and perceptions of shared ownership of safety tasks increases, the corresponding likelihood of them engaging in driving while fatigued or multitasking while driving decreases. Based on the findings from the current research, the author makes several recommendations to assist practitioners in developing proactive and comprehensive approaches to managing occupational road risks. The author also suggests several avenues for future research in the area of work-related road safety.

<p>  </p> <p>Highway workers are required to work close to moving traffic during road construction and maintenance activities, which exposes them to the risk of being struck by a distracted driver or intruding vehicle. In addition, work zones disturb the usual traffic flow and patterns due to changes in the existing geometric layout of a roadway, and this is also problematic for the drivers as they must navigate a layout of signs, barrels, and lane changes while keeping the vehicle in control. Moreover, late-night tasks, reckless driving, inconsistent work zones, drunk driving, and increased vehicle miles traveled are some of the additional causes of work zone incidents in the United States. Nationwide, around 40,000 accidents occur each year in highway work zones due to vehicle intrusion into the work zone and have steadily increased during the past ten years. Most often, the driver and passenger of the vehicle are the victims of such accidents. The resulting fatalities, injuries, and property damage due to such incidents lead to significant expenses, prolonged travel delays, and potential damage to expensive products in transit.</p> <p>While traditional safety precautions (e.g., truck-mounted attenuators, rumble strips, speed monitoring displays) can help enhance work zone safety, the number of work zone intrusions calls for designing and implementing emerging intrusion alert technologies to warn drivers and workers when errant vehicles intrude into the work zone. Several state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have begun examining the use of intrusion alert technologies to mitigate work zone intrusions. While previous studies examined the general effectiveness (e.g., sound levels, work zone coverage, deployment characteristics, etc.) of these technologies in both controlled and active construction and maintenance work zones, there are still significant research gaps in investigating how well these intrusion technologies alert the driver and workers, and no documented best practices are available for transportation agencies and DOTs interested in implementing them. In addition, these technologies have been through many improvements and modifications, and further research is imperative to ascertain their chances of acceptance by workers and contractors.</p> <p>To address these gaps, this thesis focuses on (a) empirically examining the effectiveness, implications, and practices of four commercially available intrusion technologies in enhancing work zone safety through various field tests and surveys, and (b) empirically investigating the effectiveness of these technologies considering drivers’ cognitive processing (perception -reaction time) and responses in case of work zone intrusion. The findings of this research study provide detailed information on the identification and testing procedures of technologies and offer guidelines and recommendations for adopting these technologies for practitioners and professionals in the highway construction sector. The proposed decision-making matrix and multi-criteria decision-making framework are based on the empirical data obtained from the various field experiments, literature review, and evaluation survey. This study also provides valuable insights into the overall effectiveness (i.e., by considering functional characteristics, associated drivers’ responses and reactions, and current implementation) of commercially available intrusion technologies to incorporate required modifications in designing and implementing these technologies to enhance work zone safety. The long-term outcome of this study is to significantly reduce the injuries and fatalities in highway maintenance work zones in Indiana and across the country.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Corn, a vital cereal grain extensively used in various industries, exhibits viscoelastic properties when subjected to compressive forces. The effect of moisture content on the mechanical behavior of corn is crucial for understanding its storage, processing, and transportation requirements. Understanding the mechanical properties of bulk corn is crucial for ensuring a smooth flow of grains from the bin, thereby helping to prevent confined space-related accidents such as grain bin entrapment and engulfment, which can occur when workers enter the bin to facilitate grain flow. The objective of this study is to investigate the stress and strain relaxation of different bulk corn kernels qualities. In the first study various qualities of bulk corn, including clean corn, corn with impurities, and moldy corn samples were compressed at 42, 77, 106, and 130 N force levels. The compressive behavior of samples was measured at 13.22, 16.16, 18.93, and 21.70% wet basis moisture contents. The samples were compressed at a strain rate of 1.25mm/min, and the strain was kept constant for 200 s to determine the stress relaxation properties. For moldy corn, the energy absorbed increased with force resulting in clump formation irrespective of the force level. In the clean corn, the energy absorbed increased with moisture content, and formation of clumps was observed at 21.70% moisture content. Solidity decreased with moisture content, resulting in high cohesion at moisture contents 18.93% and 21.70% for clean corn. In corn with impurities, even though the energy absorbed increased with moisture content, no clump formation was observed. This study provides insights into the mechanical behavior of bulk corn under compression, such as solidity and compressive strength. An increase in the compressive strength or a decrease in the solidity of stored shelled corn in a grain bin increases compaction, cohesion, and the formation of clumps, and thereby affects the flow of grains during discharge from the bin. The study also highlights potential risks in grain bins when the kernels are moldy and stored at high moisture content.</p><p dir="ltr">The second study investigates the creep behavior of bulk corn kernels and its relationship with moisture content. Clean corn reconditioned to 16.23%, 19.02%, and 21.63% from the initial moisture content of 10.81% were compressed at 42, 77, 106, and 130 N. The viscoelastic behavior of the sample was measured by fitting the experimental data to a four-element Burgers model to obtain the model parameters E₀, E₁, η₀, and η₁. The results showed that the ranges of the elastic modulus (E₀) increase with an increase in moisture content, indicating an increase in compaction and elastic deformation of the sample. Retarded elastic modulus (E₁) values were also high at high moisture content, implying a high absorption of energy. The viscous component shows a dominance of the elastic component due to the low value of η₁ at high moisture content. The findings highlight the importance of considering moisture content in optimizing the handling of corn to enhance safety and efficiency in agricultural operations. Increase in the elastic modulus, retarded elastic modulus, and decrease in the viscous component leads to poor discharge of grains from the bin due to grain bridging or crust, or formation of clump due to out-of-conditioned grain, leading to a potential risk of grain entrapment and engulfment when the grain bin workers get inside the bin. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to improve grain storage conditions.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="" target="_blank">ABSTRACT</a></p><p dir="ltr">A literature review was conducted, to determine and gain a better understanding of the environmental, technological, physiological, and psychological issues that lone agricultural workers potentially face in the event they are involved in an emergency. An investigation was conducted of communication devices used in other industries where working alone was common, to monitor for and detect incident occurrences. An assessment of currently available emergency alert software and sensing technology for <a href="" target="_blank">communication </a><a href="#_msocom_1" target="_blank">[AE1]</a> devices was also undertaken in this review.</p><p dir="ltr">Three hundred and sixty-eight U.S. cases of fatalities or injuries were analyzed in which working alone was identified as a contributing factor. Cases included lone agricultural workers, between the ages 15-64, who were identified from a convenient sample of incident reports from <a href="" target="_blank">2016-2021</a><a href="#_msocom_2" target="_blank">[AE2]</a> . Of the 368 lone agricultural worker incidents analyzed, 38% (140) were caused by tractor rollover or tractor runover, and ATV/ UTV rollovers. Grain bin entrapments accounted for 13% (48) of all identified cases, of which 86% (42) were fatal. Thirty-three percent (121) of the identified incidents involved equipment roll over (not including runovers), and 50% of identified victims, when age was known, were 57 years of age or older. In 11 cases (3%), the victim was under 15 years old and active in agricultural-related tasks at the time of incident occurrence.</p><p dir="ltr">Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) tools were used to identify the proximity of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) facilities and cellular towers from a convenient sample of 29 fatal and serious agricultural related injuries from 2016-2021, occurring in the state of Indiana. This analysis found that there were substantially fewer EMS facilities within close proximity to documented rural incident locations compared to injuries or fatalities occurring closer to a populated area. There were also fewer cellular towers within close proximity of incidents located primarily on or near rural agricultural land. More densely populated areas tended to have a greater density of EMS and cellular tower locations, with, most likely, more favorable outcomes from injuries due to shorter <a href="" target="_blank">response times.</a><a href="#_msocom_3" target="_blank">[AE3]</a></p><p dir="ltr">An investigation of the physical and operational impact that agricultural equipment would have on the efficacy of commercially available wearable technologies was undertaken, to detect the potential injury-causing agricultural incident. Five experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of these selected wearable devices in detecting agricultural-related incidents with the potential of causing serious injuries. Only one <a href="" target="_blank">simulated agricultural incident</a> <a href="#_msocom_4" target="_blank">[AE4]</a> successfully triggered incident detection. <a href="" target="_blank">Incidents successfully triggered incident detection on one wearable device, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch. </a><a href="#_msocom_5" target="_blank">[AE5]</a></p><p dir="ltr">Recommendations included greater emphasis on the hazards associated with lone workers assigned agricultural workplaces, development of new, evidence-based educational resources to incorporate in current prevention strategies directed at farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers, enhanced supervision of young agricultural workers and compliance with existing child labor regulations, equipping lone workers with appropriate cellphones and/ or wearable technologies to be carried in their vehicles, agricultural equipment, or on their person, use of electronic surveillance or monitoring equipment, written policies and procedures that enhance awareness of worker locations and conditions on a regular basis, and adherence to existing federal and state workplace safety and health regulations related to lone workers.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="#_msoanchor_1" target="_blank">[AE1]</a>Changed</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="#_msoanchor_2" target="_blank">[AE2]</a>Fixed</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="#_msoanchor_3" target="_blank">[AE3]</a>I’m not sure how to address that more rural people are dying, given the limited scope and criteria for selection of the incidents selected in this study.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="#_msoanchor_4" target="_blank">[AE4]</a>Not sure if this Is the best way to say it. I may end up cutting this part. I’ll pair the abstract down to ~250 words. For whatever reason, I thought the intro chapter abstract needed to be longer for a dissertation.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="#_msoanchor_5" target="_blank">[AE5]</a>Shortened this paragraph and removed unnecessary detail, for clarity.</p>