Sen A, Mohankar AS, Khamaj A, Karmakar S. Emerging OSH Issues in Installation and Maintenance of Floating Solar Photovoltaic Projects and Their Link with Sustainable Development Goals.
Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2021;
14:1939-1957. [PMID:
34012306 PMCID:
PMC8128445 DOI:
10.2147/rmhp.s304732]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective
Emerging issues of occupational safety and health (OSH) in floating solar photovoltaic projects (FSPV) have rarely been addressed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The current scoping review has been planned to demonstrate OSH issues experienced by the workers engaged in the installation and maintenance of FSPV projects and existing ergonomics design interventions in the solar photovoltaic industry with a focus on the FSPV sector.
Methods
A literature review was conducted from four major electronic databases (Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus) using predefined keywords and following the PRISMA framework for the period 1965–2020. A total of 49 studies under five headings, namely a) overview of key reasons for the emergence of floating solar photovoltaic projects, b) occupational risks of workers engaged in the solar PV industry/FSPV sector, c) occupational risks in workplaces/occupations similar to floating solar photovoltaics projects, d) availability of training modules and occupational standards, and e) design interventions/approaches in the solar PV industry/floating photovoltaics sector were analyzed.
Results
It emerged that workers are exposed to multifarious occupational risk factors such as heat, solar radiation, ergonomic risks, electrocution, fire, hazardous substances, adverse weather conditions, and psychosocial factors. These risks have not been adequately addressed with required interventions in the FSPV sector. Intervention opportunities include designing innovative tools, lowering of loads, redesigning workplace layouts, introducing job aids, automation, task rotation, job enlargement, design of training modules, OSH standards and changes in work organization/shift, etc.
Conclusion
This review is a first-of-its-kind effort to highlight the contextual risk factors in the emerging FSPV sector and the need for addressing them through ergonomics design interventions for successfully achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
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