Agility and Sustainability: A Qualitative Evaluation of COVID-19 Non-pharmaceutical Interventions in the UK Logistics Sector

Wei, Hua; Daniels, Sarah; Whitfield, Carl A.; Han, Yang; Denning, David W.; Hall, Ian; Regan, Martyn; Verma, Arpana; Tongeren, Martie van

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.864506

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The logistics sector uses advanced algorithmic systems and couriers who fulfil the last-mile deliveries are used to working with an end point of such systems, which can be a dedicated device, e.g. handheld terminals (HHT) or an app on their smartphones (Wei et al, 2022). The interviewees often called it “the system” that represented an important feature of their working life.…”

Section: Results: a Jd-r Theory Informed Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding technostress in the gig economy -- A Job Demands-Resources analysis of Chinese couriers

Wei

Shi

Kou

et al. 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has given the global e-commerce market a strong boost, of which China has the largest share and is growing rapidly. Concerns have been raised about intensified work stress and its consequences on health and safety among Chinese couriers. Sociological research of work and occupations has offered important insights into the labour process and politics of the gig economy, although how exactly the workers perceive and respond to technology-driven structural changes remains less clear. We conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with frontline couriers in May-June 2021 in China and interpreted the emerged themes following the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Four major work-stressor themes were identified: customer sovereignty, algorithmic management, economic precarity and networked support. These work conditions rarely worked alone. Technological, managerial and customer controlling mechanisms reinforced each other and increased work stress. In the absence of adequate organizational support, workers found support and resources through personal networks.

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Section: Results: a Jd-r Theory Informed Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding technostress in the gig economy -- A Job Demands-Resources analysis of Chinese couriers

Wei

Shi

Kou

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A summary report was sent to each company for comments and corrections to verify that we had interpreted their answers accurately, and the data correctly. Further details on the consultations are published in [2]. Fitted data regarding the number of deliveries per day over time from these companies is displayed in figure .…”

Section: Data Collection and Company Consultationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on workplace transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the home-delivery sector

Whitfield

Tongeren

Han

et al. 2022

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Objective: We aimed to use mathematical models of SARS-COV-2 to assess the potential efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions on transmission in the parcel delivery and logistics sector. Methods: We developed a network-based model of workplace contacts based on data and consultations from companies in the parcel delivery and logistics sectors. We used these in stochastic simulations of disease transmission to predict the probability of workplace outbreaks in this settings. Individuals in the model have different viral load trajectories based on SARS-CoV-2 in-host dynamics, which couple to their infectiousness and test positive probability over time, in order to determine the impact of testing and isolation measures. Results: The baseline model (without any interventions) showed different workplace infection rates for staff in different job roles. Based on our assumptions of contact patterns in the parcel delivery work setting we found that when a delivery driver was the index case, on average they infect only 0.18 other employees , while for warehouse and office workers this went up to 0.93 and 2.58 respectively. In the large-item delivery setting this was predicted to be 0.83, 0.94, and 1.61 respectively. Nonetheless, the vast majority of simulations resulted in $0$ secondary cases among customers (even without contact-free delivery). Our results showed that a combination of social distancing, office staff working from home, and fixed driver pairings (all interventions carried out by the companies we consulted) reduce the risk of workplace outbreaks by 3-4 times. Conclusion: This work suggests that, without interventions, significant transmission could occur in these workplaces, but that these pose minimal risk to customers. We found that identifying and isolating regular close-contacts of infectious individuals (i.e. house-share, carpools, or delivery pairs) is an efficient measure for stopping workplace outbreaks. Regular testing can make these isolation measures even more effective but also increases the number of staff isolating at one time. It is therefore more efficient to combine these measures with social distancing and contact reduction interventions, as these reduce both transmission and the number of people needing to isolate.

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“…To mitigate against infection, contactfree deliveries became widely available to minimise contact and reduce transmission risk between delivery drivers and customers. 10 The study period, 7 December 2020 to 31 March 2021, coincides with the peak and gradual decline of the second wave of COVID-19 in the UK, following the emergence of the alpha variant. 11 12 The UK also entered a period of lockdown during…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Contact patterns of UK home delivery drivers and their use of protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesTo quantify contact patterns of UK home delivery drivers and identify protective measures adopted during the pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional online survey to measure the interactions of 170 UK delivery drivers during a working shift between 7 December 2020 and 31 March 2021.ResultsDelivery drivers had a mean number of 71.6 (95% CI 61.0 to 84.1) customer contacts per shift and 15.0 (95% CI 11.2 to 19.2) depot contacts per shift. Maintaining physical distancing with customers was more common than at delivery depots. Prolonged contact (more than 5 min) with customers was reported by 5.4% of drivers on their last shift. We found 3.0% of drivers had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 since the start of the pandemic and 16.8% of drivers had self-isolated due to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. In addition, 5.3% (95% CI 2.3% to 10.2%) of participants reported having worked while ill with COVID-19 symptoms, or with a member of their household having a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.ConclusionDelivery drivers had a large number of face-to-face customer and depot contacts per shift compared with other working adults during this time. However, transmission risk may be curtailed as contact with customers was of short duration. Most drivers were unable to maintain physical distance with customers and at depots at all times. Usage of protective items such as face masks and hand sanitiser was widespread.

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Agility and Sustainability: A Qualitative Evaluation of COVID-19 Non-pharmaceutical Interventions in the UK Logistics Sector

Cited by 11 publications

References 45 publications

Understanding technostress in the gig economy -- A Job Demands-Resources analysis of Chinese couriers

Understanding technostress in the gig economy -- A Job Demands-Resources analysis of Chinese couriers

Modelling the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on workplace transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the home-delivery sector

Contact patterns of UK home delivery drivers and their use of protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

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