DEFNE YAPRAĞI TOPLAYICILARININ İŞ SAĞLIĞI VE GÜVENLİĞİ ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

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1 DEFNE YAPRAĞI TOPLAYICILARININ İŞ SAĞLIĞI VE GÜVENLİĞİ ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA Yunus ŞAHİN *, Hasan SERİN, Muhammet DURGUN Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi, Orman Fakültesi Orman Endüstri Mühendisliği Bölümü, Doğu Kampüsü, Merkez-Kahramanmaraş, Özet Günümüzde odun dışı orman ürünlerine olan talep dünya çapında giderek artmakta ve çeşitlenmektedir. Türkiye bu alanda en önemli tedarikçilerden biri konumundadır. Bu ürün grubu içinde yer alan önemli türlerden biri de Defne (Laurus nobilis L.) dir. Doğadan toplama yöntemiyle ile üretilen defnenin kurutulan yaprakları, dallarından ve yabancı maddelerden arındırıldıktan sonra yaklaşık 60 ülkeye ihraç edilmektedir. Türkiye nin doğal bitki ihracatı içindeki payı ise % 10 dur. Defne yaprağında toplam dünya pazar payının % 90 ı Türkiye ye aittir. Defne parfümeri, sabun, ilaç, kimya gibi birçok sanayi alanında geniş kullanıma sahiptir. Defnenin sahip olduğu bu öneminden dolayı bu alanda çalışan kişi sayısı da giderek artış göstermekte ve defne toplayıcılarının bu şekilde gelir elde ettikleri ortaya koyulmaktadır. İnsanlar iş kazaları sonucu yaralanmakta veya yaşamlarını yitirmektedirler. Ayrıca çeşitli sanayi kollarında birçok işçi işlerinin devamı sırasında elledikleri, kullandıkları veya bulundukları ortamdaki tehlikeli veya zararlı maddelerin neden olduğu mesleki hastalıklara yakalanmaktadırlar. Defne yapraklarının toplanması doğal şartlar altında insanlar tarafından gerçekleşmektedir. Türkiye de defneye yönelik çalışmalarda son yıllarda artış görülse de defne toplayıcılarının karşılaştığı zorluklar hakkında yapılan çalışmalar yok denecek kadar azdır. Bu çalışmada, defne toplayıcılarının bu konu hakkında ne kadar bilgiye sahip oldukları, toplama esnasında ne tür hastalıklarla karşı karşıya kaldıklarını ve iş kazalarına karşı ne tür tedbir aldıkları araştırılmıştır. Araştırma esnasında 32 adet anket uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen bilgiler ışığında SPSS paket programında değerlendirilerek defne toplayıcılarının karşılaştığı sorunların çözümlenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Defne, İş Güvenliği ve İş Sağlığı, Hatay A RESEARCH ON LAUREL LEAF COLLECTOR S OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Abstract At the present time, demand for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is gradually increase and become diversified worldwide. Turkey is one of the most important supplier in this area. Laurel ( Laurus nobilis L.) is vital kind among NTFPs. Laurel leaves have been exported to approximately 60 countries, after it s dried leaves were seperated from it s branches and foreign materials. Turkey has share of 10% inside export of natural plant. It has share of 90% laurel leaf production in the World market. There is a great utilization area for laurel in 546

2 perfumery, soap, medicine, chemistry, etc. sectors. Consequently, number of person in this area gradually increases and it is proved that laurel leaf collectors have income from this area. People get injured or die because of occupational accident. Besides, many employees get occupational diseases when they work at various industry areas. It is provided that collecting of laurel leaves on natural conditions by people. Although still there has been an increase about studies on laurel, there are too little studies on laurel leaf collectors. In this study, it has researched that how much knowledge they have about this subject, what kind of occupational diseases they get, how they take precaution against occupational accidents. It has applied that 32 number of survey for laurel collectors. It has aimed that solving the problems of laurel collectors after evaluating surveys on SPSS programme. Keywords: Laurel, Occupational Safety and Occupational Health, Hatay 1. INTRODUCTION Forest resources have always played a significant role in survival and income of forest dwellers (Barbier et al., 1994; Peters et al., 1989). Forest resources contribute nearly US$ 100 billion value of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) and timber to human society (Sharma et al., 1998). The importance of commercial NTFPs to livelihood strategies of rural people is increasingly recognized in recent times (Larsen et al., 2000). In the tropics, the NTFPs are the important source of livelihoods to rural communities particularly for their food, medicines, and raw materials for house construction as well as firewood consumption (Martin, 1995; Wollenberg, 2000; Wollenberg and Ingles, 1999). The community attitude towards forest resources vary depending on distance of forest, availability of resource and access status (Sundriyal and Sundriyal, 2004). Laurel (Laurus nobilis) is an evergreen tree cultivated in many warm regions of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean countries. The Lauraceae comprise 32 genera and about species. Laurus nobilis a member of the family named Apollo s Laurel in mythology, is a plant native to the southern Mediterranean region and widely cultivated mainly in Europe and the USA as an ornamental plant (Barla et al., 2007). Laurus nobilis, an evergreen tree or shrub is cultivated in many temperate and warm parts of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean area (Turkey, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Mexico). In Turkey, it is natively cultivated on the coastal up to an altitude of m (Davies, 1990). Essential oils are valuable natural products used as raw materials in many fields, including perfumes, cosmetics, aromatherapy, phytotherapy, spices and nutrition (Buchbauer, 2000). The leaves of this plant have been used to treat epilepsy (Aqili khorasani, 1992; Zargari, 1990), neuralgia and Parkinsonism (Aqili khorasani, 1992). The essential oil obtained from the leaves of this plant has been used for relieving hemorrhoid and rheumatic pains (Zargari, 1990). 547

3 In Turkey, Laurus nobilis L. grows in the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions (Müller-Riebau et al., 1997; Digrak et al., 2001; Kilic et al., 2004; Tilki, 2004). Turkey is one of the most important supplier in NTFPs production. Laurel ( Laurus nobilis L.) is vital kind among NTFPs in Turkey. Laurel leaves have been exported to approximately 60 countries, after it s dried leaves were seperated from it s branches and foreign materials. Turkey has share of 10% inside export of natural plant. It has share of 90% laurel leaf production in the World market. The work environment plays a significant role in our health. Workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses are high and lead to an enormous health burden, suffering, and economic loss. An occupational disease is any disease contracted primarily as a result of an exposure to risk factors arising from work activity. Work-related diseases have multiple causes, where factors in the work environment may play a role, together with other risk factors, in the development of such diseases. General responsibilities of occupational disease are biological, chemical, physical agents and ergonomic hazards. Biological agents include such organisms as bacteria, viruses, fungus, parasites, spores and moulds. They may be found in soil, water, organic matter, plants and animals. Chemical agents can include such things as battery acid, solvents, ammonia and pesticides. Physical agents include various forms of energy that may harm a worker, for example; heat, cold, light, vibration, noise and radiation. Ergonomic hazards are associated with work such as lifting or moving of heavy objects and tasks where there is excessive repetitive motion. Many employees get occupational diseases when they work at various industry areas. It is provided that collecting of laurel leaves on natural conditions by people. Although still there has been an increase about studies on laurel, there are too little studies on laurel leaf collectors. In this study, it has researched that how much knowledge they have about this subject, what kind of occupational diseases they get, how they take precaution against occupational accidents. It has applied that 32 number of survey for laurel collectors. It has aimed that solving the problems of laurel collectors after evaluating surveys on SPSS programme. 2. MATERIAL AND METHODS Laurel leaves collectors live in Samandağı, Hatay. There are some steps for collecting these leaves. They are transfered from mountain by truck. Collected branches are put down from trucks. They have to be dried uprightly. At this time, the collectors have to control them. After ending of drying step, they shake up the branches carefully. Finally, they have to control again them. Hence, there are mostly physical steps before delivering to intermediary firms. A survey,which occurs from some questions (about occupational diseases, education, working times, has been made. There are different disease on survey such as disease from hot weather, disease from dust and smoke, disease from lifting heavy materials, disease from 548

4 chemical agents, disease from biological agents. Other questions of this survey for them are about side income, motivation of doing job, job training, firstaid training, working clothes, and suitable equipment. It was used for 32 laurel leaf collectors. For the results of this survey, SPSS programme was used in this study. SPSS is a widely used program for statistical analysis in social science. It is also used by market researchers, health researchers, survey companies, government, education researchers, marketing organizations, data miners, and others. Cross tabulation methods, which are in descriptive statistics, were used for data of this survey results. This method summarizes categorical data to create a contigency table. It provides a basic Picture of the interrelation between two variables and can help find interactions between them. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In this study, it has reported that 53% of collectors have side income from agriculture and animal breeding, the rest of them have side income from the others jobs. The willing collectors were 34,5%; the collectors get used to it were 51,7% and the collectors, who have not used, were 13,8%. None of them has been educated on job and firstaid training as well as they do not have working clothes for this job. Using of suitable equipment was 50% for collecting leaves. None of them has faced with influenza, upper respiratory and lung disease, poisoning from smoke and chemical agents, skin problems, hyperirritability, infection by animal and plant, animal attack exposure, concussion of the brain. Table 1. The percentage distrubition of Laurel leaf collectors about apnoea and rednessitching on eye Working Apnoea Redness-Itching on Eye Total Times (year) Yes No Yes No less than 1-100,0% 28,6% 71,4% 100,0% ,7% 83,3% 33,3% 66,7% 100,0% ,0% 50,0% 50,0% 50,0% 100,0% ,0% 40,0% 60,0% 40,0% 100,0% more than ,0% ,0% 100,0% Total 30,0% 70,0% 36,7% 63,3% 100,0% It has showed that these workers have faced with apnoea (30%) and redness-itching on eye (36.7%). These diseases are originating from too dust and smoke. It can be said that workplace is not much dusty and smoky. The workers should use gas masks for preventing these kind diseases. 549

5 Table 2. The percentage distrubition of Laurel leaf collectors about back pains and napeshoulder pains Working Back Pain Nape-Shoulder Pain Total Times (year) Yes No Yes No less than 1 71,4% 28,6% 71,4% 28,6% 100,0% ,7% 58,3% 58,3% 41,7% 100,0% ,0% 25,0% 25,0% 75,0% 100,0% ,0% 20,0% 60,0% 40,0% 100,0% more than ,0% 100,0% - 100,0% Total 63,3% 36,7% 60,0% 40,0% 100,0% This table has indicated that diseases originating from lifting heavy goods. Back pain and the nape-shoulder pains are in this category. The workers have faced with back pain (63.3%) and nape-shoulder pain (60.0%). The process of collecting Laurel leaves needs physical works for this reason many workers have these diseases. It should be done that suitable equipment is used by the workers. Table 3. The percentage distrubition of laurel leaf collectors about hand cut and branch cut Working Hand Cut Branch Cut Total Times (year) Yes No Yes No less than 1 85,7% 14,3% 42,9% 57,1% 100,0% ,0% 25,0% 75,0% 25,0% 100,0% ,0% 50,0% 75,0% 25,0% 100,0% ,0% 80,0% 20,0% 100,0% more than 20 50,0% 50,0% 50,0% 50,0% 100,0% Total 76,7% 23,3% 66,7% 33,3% 100,0% When the worker collect the leaves, the worker can cut hand and cutting by branches. It is possible that the collectors face with these situations. In this table, they have faced with hand cut (76.7%) and branch cut (66.7%). They should use work gloves and clothes before starting this job and get first-aid training. 4. CONCLUSION Health and safety conditions need to be make better in these workplaces. The collectors should have sufficient qualification, knowledge and ability. Before starting this job, they should be educated on work-workplace changing, applied new technology. The workers have to use their equipments in the correct way and watch out for health and safety of the other workers. During the collectiong of leaves, health examinations should be make systematical. 550

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