Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of 8 And 12 Hour Non-Rotating Shift Schedules For Security And Protective Services Workers, Zuleyha Aydin

Theses

Shiftwork is a major feature of working life in today’s world. Increasing the workday length is a new trend in alternative work schedules. The features of a shift system operation can have an impact on sleep, alertness, and the well-being of shift workers. The objective of this study is to evaluate security and protective services employees working in non-rotating shift systems of 8- hour and 12-hour schedules. New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Public Safety Department staff was studied to examine how non-rotating shift schedules affect sleep, alertness, and wellness under five different work schedules.

A survey instrument, approved by the …

Predicting Hand Surface Area From A Two-Dimensional Hand Tracing, Myles O'Mara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent occupational health studies have focused on dermal exposure at the hands, but have been unable to accurately express dose without knowing the HSA. There is no standard method to calculate HSA, though some researchers have derived HSA formulas based on dimensions from a Taiwanese population. This research paper describes a shortcut method to estimate the hand surface area (HSA) of a human hand from a two-dimensional hand tracing, and repeated a Taiwanese HSA study in order to explore the viability of its HSA formula in an American university population. A sample of nine adult men and nine adult women, …

Maximal Swim Distance, Time, And Heart Rate While Wearing Labor-Wear And A Personal Flotation Device, Reece Gendreau

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between heart rate and swim distance or swim. The ultimate goal was to determine how long or how far a person could swim while wearing labor-wear and a personal flotation device. Additional parameters of age, and ending oxygen saturation were taken to determine if age or O2 saturation could be factors that would be a limitation of swim time or distance. The following questions were answered: “Will there be a significant difference between males and females in any observed measurement?”, “Will there be a correlation between heart …

Analyzing Indoor And Outdoor Heat Index Measurements In Kitchens, Allison Welch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occupationally induced heat-related illnesses (HRI) can play a huge part in the lives of employees working within outdoor kitchens. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] (2016), “exposure to heat can result in injuries, disease, reduced productivity and death”. When working in outdoor environments, it is important to limit exposure time of direct sun or heat as well as to stay properly hydrated. One way to ensure limited occupational heat exposure is by measuring the Heat Index of the worker's environmental conditions.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there was a difference between …

Characterization Of Jet Fuel Combustion Emissions During A C-130 Aeromedical Evacuation Engines Running Onload, Michelle L. Page

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to characterize jet fuel combustion emissions (JFCE) in an occupational setting. Prior research demonstrated that aircraft emit hazardous species, especially at engine start-up and ground idle. Complaints of eye, nose, and throat irritation from occupational exposures near aircraft exist. In this study JFCE were tested during an aeromedical evacuation engines running patient onload (ERO) on a C-130 Hercules at the 179^th Airlift Wing, Mansfield-Lahm Air National Guard. Ultrafine particles, VOC, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfuric acid, and metals were sampled simultaneously in approximate crew and patient breathing zones. Testing methods were portable condensation …

Hexavalent Chromium Exposure To Military Aircraft Painters, Doug Rosaaen

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Military aircraft routinely operate in harsh, corrosive environments that necessitate aggressive maintenance methods and products to prevent deterioration. Three primary tasks associated with corrosion control of these aircraft are abrasive blasting, sanding, and primer paint application. The most frequently used primer paints for these applications contain chromium VI (Cr VI) in the form of barium chromate and strontium chromate. Due to aircraft size and the nature of these tasks, control of Cr VI exposures is often difficult.

Numerous studies of chromate related industries have identified worker exposures in excess of the OSHA PEL of 5 μg/m3. Long-term analysis of chromate …

Ability Of Physiological Strain Index To Discriminate Between Sustainable And Unsustainable Heat Stress, Dwayne Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Assessment of heat strain is an alternative approach to assessing heat stress exposures. Two common measures of heat strain are body core temperature (T_C) and heart rate (HR). In this study TC was assessed by rectal temperature (T_re). Physiological Strain Index (PSI) was developed to combine both T_re and HR into one metric. Data collected from progressive heat stress trials were used to (1) demonstrate that PSI can distinguish between Sustainable and Unsustainable heat stress; (2) suggest values for PSI that demonstrate a sustainable level of heat stress; and (3) determine if clothing or …

Influence Of Environmental Parameters On Mold Sampling Results, Benjamin Fishman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mold is a type of fungus present in nearly all environments. Mold thrives under several environmental parameters such as high humidity and an adequate food source. A professional, such as an industrial hygienist, can measure mold in indoor and outdoor environments. Industrial hygienists commonly use a cascade impactor with a culture plate to capture air within a sampling area. While collecting air samples, environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide are recorded. A laboratory then cultures and analyzes the samples, identifying the types and amounts of viable mold found in the sampling area.

In this study, a data …

Exploring The Health Effects Of Precarious Employment By Sex/Gender Using Mixed Methods, Kathleen Flandrick

Dissertations and Theses

Employment in the United States has changed dramatically since the mid-1970s. Labor market forces like globalization and diversification of the American workforce have led to a heavily segmented labor market where new types of flexible employment such as temporary, contingent, and nonstandard work arrangements are increasingly common. These newer types of work are often on the lower end of the precarious employment continuum, categorizing jobs by their degree of: 1) temporariness, 2) disempowerment, 3) vulnerability, 4) compensation (wages), 5) rights, and 6) ability to exercise worker rights. The increase in precarious employment likely disproportionately affects women when compared to men, …

Effects Of Temperature On The Emission Rate Of Formaldehyde From Medium Density Fiberboard In A Controlled Chamber, William Swankie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas that is found naturally in the environment. It is a popular additive in many consumer products including composite wood products. Composite wood products are engineered wood panels produced from pressing pieces, chips, particles, or fibers of wood together at high temperatures held together with a bonding agent. This bonding agent is often formaldehyde-containing resins that are known to release formaldehyde over time. This is concerning because of the carcinogenic classification of formaldehyde, the wide spread application of composite wood products, and the increasing amount of time spent in the indoor environment.

In a controlled 0.53 …

A Systematic Review Of Occupational Music-Induced Hearing Loss, Lilach Gez Saperstein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The prevalence of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a public health concern with government regulations (i.e. OHSA, NIOSH) in place to protect employees in occupational settings. Sound pressure levels (SPL) of various industries have been measured and exposure dosages monitored as per the national regulations. Previous research has demonstrated that occupational exposure to loud noise has led to audiometric evidence of NIHL. Thus, it raises the question about the impact of occupational exposure to music on hearing. For the purposes of this capstone, literature pertaining to occupational music exposure levels, and the effects on both hearing threshold levels and …

Determining The Knowledge, Attitudes And Beliefs Of Healthcare Providers In Treating Non-Specific Acute And Chronic Back Pain, Stacey L. Kale

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Stacey Kale

Managing back pain has become a public health and clinical challenge (Krein et al., 2016). Incidence of back pain related complaints requiring treatment in the US is estimated at 11.2% of the adult population (Dowell, Haegerich, & Chou, 2016). New research suggests that it is the most common pain problem (Pauline, 2016). It is the third most expensive health disorder and is exceeded only by cancer and heart disease. Many health care providers lack formal pain management education and training thus leaving them at risk for failing to properly manage patients …

A Review Of Carbon Disulfide-Gc/Fid Versus Thermal Desorption-Gc/Ms Methods Through The Lens Of Analytical Proficiency And Human And Environmental Health Risk, Vanessa Frost Barnes

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

NIOSH Method 2549 uses a hyphenated thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry instrumental method with thermal desorption tubes as the sample media for assessment of a variety of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Other methods in the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods use solvent extraction methods for analysis. Of note are those methods that require the analysis of coconut charcoal tubes using carbon disulfide extraction and subsequent analysis via gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Presented here is a comparison of the methodologies with regard to environmental and occupational health ramifications, as well as method sensitivity as evaluated via limits of detection and compound ranges. …

Bioaerosol Exposures From Three Utah Cattle Operations, Clark Evans

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Bioaerosol is a generic term used to describe dusts that are produced by and or contain biological material. These dusts can potentially contain the following hazardous agents; bacteria, viruses, bacterial endotoxins, and/or mycotoxins from mold spores. Respiratory inflammation, allergies, cancers, and infectious diseases can occur from exposure to a variety of bioaerosol agents. Controlling bioaerosol exposures is very complicated due to the limited amount of research available and because there are no established regulatory or authoritative exposure limits.

Three cattle operations, two beef and one Dairy, in Utah were investigated to establish exposure profiles of the full-time employees that directly …

Occupational Noise Exposure Evaluation Of A Group Of Groundskeepers At A University Campus, Monica Elisa Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Every year, twenty-two million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work. Last year, U.S. businesses paid more than $1.5 million in penalties for not protecting workers from noise. (OSHA, 2016). In the United States ten million people have some kind of noise related hearing loss (CDC, 2016) and noise damage to the ear may not be detected until it is great enough to cause hearing impairment.

Grounds keeper’s functions consist of a variety of activities that require the use of powered tools such as mowers, riding mowers, leaf blowers, pressure washers, trimmers/edgers and chainsaws. OSHA has stated that …

Optimal Configurations For Aerosol Monitoring With Multi-Rotor Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, Inna D. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Applicability of aerosol sampling on multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems (UAS) platform was investigated. Multi-rotor UAS have impacts of wind speed, turbulence, and orientation possibly contributing to sampling bias. The SKC IMPACT sampler, Tecora C.A.Th.I.A., and modified three-dimensionally printed Universal Inlet for Airborne-Particle Size-Selective Sampling were selected based on particle size-selectivity and operational independence to wind. Airflow visualizations concluded that below UAS fuselage was optimal sampler placement. Tests were conducted with Arizona Road Dust in a still-air chamber, and aerosolized sugar in a wind tunnel. Inlet mounting was evaluated in, upright, upside-down, and horizontal orientations. Horizontal orientations of all inlets resulted …

An Exposure Assessment Of Paper Dust In A Coupon Manufacturing Facility, Danny C. Fink

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. Exposures to paper dust, classified as Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR), in an industrial setting can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, throat and upper respiratory tract. An exposure assessment was conducted to evaluate the paper dust exposures in the coupon manufacturing facility during a normal production working period. Methods. Total and respirable personal dust sampling was performed according to NIOSH 0500 and 0600 methods. Six total dust samples and seven respirable dust samples were taken within the sampling areas where airborne paper dust was produced to evaluate the Time Weighted Average (TWA) of the exposed employees. Results. Results …

Get A Grip: Analysis Of Muscle Activity And Perceived Comfort In Using Stylus Grips, Evanda Vanease Henry

Theses

The design of handwriting instruments has been based primarily on touch, feel, aesthetics, and muscle exertion. Previous studies make it clear that different pen characteristics have to be considered along with hand-instrument interaction in the design of writing instruments. This should include pens designed for touch screens and computer based writing surfaces. Hence, this study focuses primarily on evaluating grip style’s impact on user comfort and muscle activity associated with handgrip while using a stylus-pen.

Surface EMG measures were taken approximate to the adductor pollicis, flexor digitorum, and extensor indicis of eight participants while they performed writing, drawing, and point-and-click …

Wellness Education And Job-Related Injuries And Illnesses For Federal Employees, Eunice Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-related injuries and illnesses may lead to absenteeism, which affects the level of productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the success of an employee workplace training program on work-related injury and illness rates at selected federal districts within a federal organization. Newman's model, which describes internal and external factors that may have an effect on an individual's health, was the framework that guided this project. A pre-post design was used to compare data from 2 publically available data sets, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Illness and Injury and the Voice of the Employee Survey, for the …

Sexual Harassment Experience, Psychological Climate, And Sex Effect On Perception Of Safety, Kenneth C. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual harassment has significant adverse psychological and physical effects on employees and can negatively impact the workplace, and overall business operations. A gap in current research was identified concerning whether the employee's sex affects employee's perceived workplace sexual harassment climate, sexual harassment experience, and perceived safety from sexual harassment. This study examined the effects of employee workplace sexual harassment experience and perception of workplace sexual harassment psychological climate on employee's perceived safety from sexual harassment moderated by sex. Results showed that perceived workplace sexual harassment climate and employee workplace sexual harassment experience were both significant predictors of perceived safety from …

Leadership Practices That Improve The Workplace Safety Environment, Nathan Nomore Chikono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate leadership is the reason workplace accidents in the mining industry remain high, making the industry one of the most hazardous operational activities in the world. Unsafe leadership practices may result in death or injury to workers. A group of 30 mining company leaders from 3 gold mines in Zimbabwe revealed an exception to these hazardous practices, however, notable through their outstanding safety improvement records. To better understand what these practitioners were doing, this multicase study research design explored their strategies to improve the workplace safety environment in the mines. Data were collected using audio-recorded semistructured interviews and document analyses. …

Analysis Of Union Safety: Determining Relationships Between Union Membership And Injury And Fatality Rates, Madelyn K. Street

Online Theses and Dissertations

In under two centuries the labor union transformed the American workplace, improving wages, benefits, employee engagement, and safety. In more recent years, the government and other organizations have caught up in focusing on safety. Countless studies have been conducted and determined that unions have a significant positive impact on safety compared to work environments absent of a union. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2006-2015, an investigation into the trends of union membership and injuries and fatalities reported in the United States was conducted. It was determined that there was not significant correlation between increased union membership and improved …

An Analysis Of The Physiological And Psychological Wellbeing Of Irish Naval Service Personnel, Cliodhna Sargent

Theses

Whilst all military cohorts have been seen to experience both physiological and psychological stressors during occupational duties, the naval service experience different stressors due the prolonged periods of time spent at sea. Research has analysed some of these stressors however many them have focused on how individuals are affected because of time spent in combat zones. The Irish Naval Service (INS) is an organisation under the Irish Defence Forces organisation and as such many of its physiological and psychological assessment procedures have come from the Defenee Forces. Very limited researeh has been carried out in relation to the INS as …

Farm Deaths And Injuries: Changing Farmer Attitudes And Behaviour On Farm Safety, Kieran O'Connell

Theses

While the Irish agricultural sector accounts for just 6% of the working population of Ireland, it consistently has the highest proportion of fatal incidents of any sector - generally ranging from between 35% and 45% of all workplace fatalities in any given year (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). This was again evident in 2014 where 55% (30 of the 56) of the fatal workplace incidents were in the agricultural sector (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). Agriculture has an ageing workforce with the average age of an Irish farmer now standing at fifty-seven and farmers are eight times more likely to …

Influence Of Psychological Empowerment, Leadership, And Climate On Safety Outcomes, Christine Healy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has demonstrated that safety outcomes are impacted by workplace risk factors, but also supervisory practices and employee actions. An area that has not been explored is the impact of employee cognitions on safety outcomes defined as work-related injuries. Based on the conceptual framework of psychological empowerment (PE), the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of employee cognitions as measured by PE as related to leadership and safety climate and the occurrence of work-related injury. The research examined the mediating effect of (PE) on the factors of leadership and safety climate and their relationship to work-related injury. …

Development Of A Medium Scale Apparatus For Testing & Teaching Dispersed Dust Flame Effects, David Petrow

Online Theses and Dissertations

Combustible dust explosions and flash fires are a leading cause of property damage, injuries, and death in industries around the world. An example of a disastrous dust explosion occurred at CTA Acoustics in Corbin, KY in 2003. This explosion cost the lives of seven workers and injured 37 more. A mobile inexpensive dust dispersion apparatus (DDA) was designed, built, and tested to reproduce medium scale dust flash fires. By using fuel amounts varying from 0.45kg to 4.54kg the DDA created dust clouds ranging from 2.5m to 7.5m in diameter. With these measurements, the characterization of dust hazards and validation of …

The Heinrich Model: Determining Contemporary Relevance, Bryan P. Basford

Online Theses and Dissertations

For as long as his work has been at the core of the safety profession, Herbert William Heinrich has been a staple of debate. His 1931 work Industrial Accident Prevention: A Scientific Approach has sparked worldwide debate on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of his safety theories, as well as the accuracy or inaccuracy of his research and methods.

Heinrich's work is undoubtedly cited time and again as the foundational teaching for behavior-based safety, as well as countless other teachings in the safety profession as a whole. Despite the continued challenges to the validity of his work, there has been little …

Appraising The Current Status Of The National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health's Fatality Assessment Control Evaluation Program, Douglas Schwindt

Online Theses and Dissertations

Today, generally 13 U.S. workers die from workplace injuries. In 1970 on average, there were as many as 38 workplace fatalities on each day (DOL 2016). As a response to this alarming reality, the government enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970. This governmental legislation created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to regulate safety in the workplace; as well as, The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health who was charged with "developing new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transfer that knowledge into practice" (CDC NIOSH 2017).

In order to understand …

Air Consumption And Air Management In The Fire Service, Otis Wesley Broderick

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research was undertaken in order to determine if there was a significant difference between various factors affecting air consumption rates and air management in the fire service. The purpose was to develop a better understanding of what had the most significant effect on air consumption rates in order to develop a point of focus so that fire departments could concentrate their efforts on an area of improvement that would give them the most return for their effort. An air management obstacle course was utilized to simulate work any firefighter could be reasonable expected to perform at a structure fire. …

Internet-Based Behavior Of It Professionals: Implications For Online Ergonomic Education To Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, Priyadarshini Pattath

Theses and Dissertations

INTERNET-BASED BEHAVIOR OF IT PROFESSIONALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ONLINE ERGONOMIC EDUCATION TO PREVENT WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

By Priyadarshini Pattath, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Director: Dr. Robin Hurst, Assistant Professor of Adult Learning, Teaching and Learning,

School of Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the preferences of medium of ergonomic education and views about self-directed online training modules to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in computer professionals and understand their perspectives and experiences about online health information seeking using a …