The aim of the study was to design and construct a solar grain dryer integrated with a simple biomass burner using locally available materials. This was to address the limitations of the natural sun drying for example drying exposure, liability to pests and rodents, over-dependence on sun and escalated cost of mechanical dryers. This became beneficial especially in reducing post-harvest losses as well as helping in the preservation of agricultural product. The dryer is composed of solar collector, drying chamber, back-up heater and airflow system. The design was based on the study area of Mau summit located in Nakuru County, Kenya. The average ambient conditions were 26°C air temperature and 72% relative humidity with daily global solar radiation incident on horizontal surface of about 21.6 MJ/m 2 /day. A minimum of 3.77 m 2 solar collector area was required to dry a batch of 100 kg maize grain in 6 h with natural convection from the initial moisture content of 21% to final moisture content of 13% wet basis. A prototype dryer designed was fabricated with minimum collector area of 0.6 m 2 and used in the experiment. Forced convection was employed to reduce drying time. The thermal efficiencies of the solar and solar assisted dryer were 39.9 and 57.7%, respectively. The back-up heating system improved the efficiency of the dryer by 17.8% and reduced drying time substantially.

In both the agricultural and industrial sectors, working conditions oft& workers are far from satiz$factory leading to excessive drudgery and a host of occupational injuries and accidents. Workers are forced to endure working environments that lack any consideration in aspects of occupational health, safety and comfort. About 60 per cent of the employed people in Kenya are in small-scale industries. The sugar industry in Kenya has seventy-one (71) small-scale sugarcane processing establishments scattered throughout the Sugar Belt employing labourintensive techniques and providing essential employment to the rural people. The work environment is unsatisfactory and management is often unaware of the poor working conditions and the types of improvements that can enhance productivity. Given the important role played by these establishments in the rural economy, a qualitative study of these establishments was undertaken with a view to mapping out the occupational safety and health problems afflicting them. This paper, therefore, attempts to analyse the situation and thereby chart out a strategy for improvement designed to enhance productivity while improving safety and health. It concludes by proposing an awareness campaign targeted~ specifically to the small-scale manufacturing establishments on the importance of occupational safety and health together with the setting up of a scholarship scheme to assist these establishments gain access to the awareness campaigns currently going on in the country. BACKGROUND

The construction industry in Kenya contributes significantly to the socioeconomic developme$ of the nation. A variety of construction technologies are used in the sector, which employs a vast number of workers with varying skills who use different tools, equipment and machinery depending on the type and magnitude of the construction work. The application of labour-intensive technologies in the construction industry in Kenya calls for the provision of occupational safety and health services to the workers. This paper outlines occupational safety and health needs in the construction industry in Kenya.

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