Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Modern Grounds Maintenance Worker, Patrick Schenck

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

More than 1 million workers are employed in Grounds Maintenance operations in the United States today. These workers perform varied but recurring tasks necessary to maintain the orderly and healthful function of parks, residential and commercial landscapes, and institutional grounds.

Technological advancements in machinery have, over time, vastly increased the productive impact of each worker. While fewer workers are needed per acre, the same advances in production have amplified some types of health risk to this work population.

This inquiry identified the primary chronic stressors inherent in modern grounds maintenance work, chiefly exposures to noise and respirable engine emissions.

The …

Silica Exposure In Construction Workers, Brian Dye

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This paper discusses the issues, objectives, methods, results and conclusion of how to control/reduce the respirable crystalline silica exposure to construction workers in the organization hereafter referred to as the “Company.” This evaluation will be achieved by assessing the following occupational exposure tools: literature review, work practices, engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) on exposures to silica during construction activities. The construction activities observed, studied, researched and sampled include concrete sawing, concrete cutting and application, and dry/wet sanding drywall mud.

High construction tasks, for example, produce respirable dusts often containing crystalline silica. Such tasks include concrete saw cutting and …

Portable Heater Use In Ice Fishing Shelters And The Potential For Carbon Monoxide Exposure, Kellie Hicks

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Every year, more than 400 people in the U.S. die from accidental Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that results from incomplete burning of common fuels such as natural gas and propane. When CO is inhaled, it enters the blood stream and reduces the ability of blood to carry oxygen. The environment for ice fishing is cold and ice fishermen who use ice huts or tents commonly use portable propane heaters to heat their shelters.

During the 2012/2013 ice fishing season, random fishermen were selected to be part of a research study. Upon arrival, …

Validation Of Cleaning Method For Various Parts Fabricated At A Beryllium Facility, Cynthia Zelic

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This study evaluated and documented a cleaning process that is used to clean parts that are fabricated at a beryllium facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The purpose of evaluating this cleaning process was to validate and approve it for future use to assure beryllium surface levels are below the Department of Energy’s release limits without the need to sample all parts leaving the facility. Inhaling or coming in contact with beryllium can cause an immune response that can result in an individual becoming sensitized to beryllium, which can then lead to a disease of the lungs called chronic beryllium …

Predicting Air Concentration From Source Concentrations: An Evaluation Of Benzene Emissions From A Benzene Hazardous Waste Stream, Steven Hynek

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Benzene is a common chemical in hazardous waste streams. Benzene contaminated wastes may come in the form of a liquid, solid, or sludge. The amount of benzene seen in waste streams depends upon the generator. The generator in this study has a steady supply of benzene wastes. The waste stream has the same consistency as waste streams from other generators; however there is variability in the concentration of benzene. As a result due to the lack of a consistent concentration, additional respiratory protection is in use to mitigate any additional risk from benzene. The waste is processed on average within …

Comparison Of Integrated And Direct Reading Sampling Methods To Measure Biodiesel Particulate Matter In An Underground Metal Mine, Shelby Fortune

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Exposure to diesel exhaust, as well as the diesel particulate matter associated with the exhaust has shown to cause adverse health effect in humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel exhaust as a group 1 human carcinogen, in June of 2012. Due to these health effects, there has been an effort in the mining industry to reduce the amount of worker exposure to diesel exhaust. Biodiesel has shown to be a promising control to reduce diesel particulate matter that is emitted during the combustion process. The use of a biodiesel blend over straight petroleum diesel has shown …

Evaluation Of Automated Vs. Manual Bagger Exposures Related To Ergonomics, Dust, And Noise At A Sand Mine Processng Plant, Lindsie Alyse Wilson

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Since 2000, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has reported 737 injuries involving bagging. Most of these injuries were related to “over-exertion” with an MSHA injury classification of “strains, sprains, and ruptured discs.” “Over-exertion” accounted for 331,130 injuries totaling 14.2 billion dollars in workers compensation costs in 2012 according to the National Safety Council (NSC). According to NSC, the average total incurred cost of an “over-exertion” injury is $42,883/claim, and the average total incurred cost of a “strain/sprain” injury is $31,521/claim.

Manual bagging in a sand mine processing plant is a highly physical job. There are six physical workplace …

Review Of Sampling And Evaluation Techniques For Diesel Exhaust Particulate Matter In The Mining Industry And The Application Of A Vapor Phase Organic Carbon Correction Factor, Ryley Bosch

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The health effects associated with diesel exhaust exposure have been documented for decades. However, methods used to assess diesel exhaust have experienced considerable revision over the past twenty years. The latest sampling methodology considers particulate matter elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) analysis along with the vapor phase OC analysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of vapor phase OC on the current National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) method 5040 sampling and evaluation techniques for diesel exhaust particulate matter.

A pilot study was conducted as part of a larger study evaluation biodiesel …

Occupational Silica Exposure For The Fuel Distributing Company On Hydraulic Fracturing Locations, Caleb Moore

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This report investigates the potential exposure to respirable crystalline silica experienced by fuel distributing employees on hydraulic fracturing locations. Hydraulic fracturing is an oil and gas technique used to develop shale formations all across the United States of America. This is done by injecting large volumes of water, sand, and treatment chemicals under high pressure into oil wells within the shale formation. This well stimulation is possible due to the high pressure of the fluid, which creates and opens cracks and fissures in the formation. The sand contained inside the fluid flows into these opened fissures and becomes wedged, holding …

Assessing The Health And Safety Aspects Of Reboiler Maintenance Activities, William Svendsen

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Maintenance on equipment at an oil and gas facility is an everyday occurrence in Alberta, Canada. Due to their inherent hazards, especially from explosion, fire and chemicals, these facilities (refineries and upgraders) are tightly regulated places in which to work. In these plants, hazards can come in many different shapes and forms; all of which must be mitigated to ensure the safety of both the equipment and the workers. Examples of such hazards include hydrogen sulphide (H2S), naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), ergonomics and noise.

The intent of this survey was to determine if there were any gaps in Client …

Heat Stress Prevention Program For Workers In Demilitarization Protective Ensemble At Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Training Facility, Joseph Padayhag

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) is being constructed to dispose of the entire stockpile of sulfur mustard contained in munitions stored at Pueblo Chemical Depot, Colorado. The PCAPP Training Facility provides courses on protective measures necessary for making entries into areas with hazardous concentrations of chemical warfare agents in air. Students are trained to work in Demilitarization Protective Ensemble (DPE), an encapsulating, impermeable, and positive pressure suit. The course includes wearing the suit and performing tasks to simulate work in PCAPP toxic areas.

Wearing DPE will increase the heat stress load for workers making entries. The PCAPP heatstress …

Anticipation, Recognition, Evaluation, And Control Of Lead Exposure Associated With Sources Ouniquie To Highway Construction Projects, Jack Packwood

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

No abstract provided.

Methylene Chloride Exposure Evaluation During Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing, Janet Rullman

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

A manufacturer utilizes methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) (CAS 75-09-2), also known as dichloromethane, to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients. Methylene chloride is specifically regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under 29 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 1910.1052. Evaluation and documentation of employee exposure to methylene chloride is required to comply with OSHA regulations. In addition to OSHA compliance, it is also important to evaluate employee exposure levels to determine if respiratory protection, regulation of the work area, and medical monitoring are necessary.

This industrial hygiene report describes an investigation into the risks of exposure to methylene chloride. This report …

Exposure Assessment To Respirable Crystalline Silica Particles During Airfield Maintnenance Concrete Operations, Kenneth Pratt

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Crystalline silica is found in naturally occurring and manmade materials. According to OSHA, approximately 2.2 million people are exposed to silica each year (OSHA, 2002). These individuals are at an increased risk of silicosis, an incurable disease that is often fatal. The objective of this project was to determine if airport maintenance workers are exposed to crystalline silica over the current permissible exposure limit. Two days of sampling was conducted and it was determined that there was some exposure to the Airfield Paint Crew exceeding the action level. The highest employee exposure was at 0.362 mg/m3 with a corresponding PEL …

A Pilot Study To Assess The Impact Of The Proposed Crystalline Silica Standard In The Construction Industry, Kendra Lyons

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

No worker should have to suffer a life altering or fatal illness for the sake of a job, yet thousands of workers have died or developed a disabling illness from occupational exposure to silica. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not updated the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for silica since 1971. The current PEL for respirable crystalline silica in the construction industry is 250 mppcf/ (%SiO₂ + 5) TWA which is adjusted per the amount of silica in the sample. This exposure limit is known to cause silicosis, a disease developed from silica exposure. The construction industry …

Health And Safety Considerations Associated With Sodium Debris Bed Experimental Nuclear Assembly Dismantlement, Alan Carvo

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

As the end of World War II approached, scientists who developed the processes to generate nuclear material for war-time use grew interested in applying those technologies to the generation of power for cities across the United States. Concerns about the availability of natural uranium led to the development of self-fueling fast neutron breeder reactors. In order to produce plutonium at a rate greater than the consumption of uranium during a nuclear chain reaction, high-energy “fast” neutrons are required. Fast neutron reactors utilize low melting-point metals, like sodium, to provide cooling.

After the earliest reactors experienced trouble providing adequate cooling during …

Literature Review Of Studies Linking Benzene And Leukemia, Kylene Owens

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The purpose of this review was to discover how the by-products of oil production, such as benzene played a significant role in health issues, particularly leukemia. The objective is to evaluate the association of benzene exposure and leukemia through laboratory toxicity studies and public and occupational epidemiology studies. Multiple articles were researched to find a link between benzene exposure and the development of leukemia. Several articles were viewed and some eliminated due to their irrelevant to this paper or their duplicated information with other articles. A total of six articles were selected for this paper. Research has shown that benzene …

Comparison Of Wet Wipe Vs Micro-Vacuum Sampling Techniques For Determining Concentrations Of Asbestos In Surface Dust, Natalie Shaw

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The objective of the study was to evaluate the detection efficiency of micro-vacuum surface sampling and surface wet wipe sampling in homes that had been identified with vermiculite attic insulation and/or other asbestos containing materials. Surface samples were collected pre and post weatherization activities and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Baseline sampling revealed that wet wipe sampling was more likely to detect surface asbestos contamination than micro-vacuum sampling; 55% of surface wet wipe samples revealed detectable asbestos compared to 17% of micro-vacuum samples. In addition, 16% of the surface wet wipe samples revealed asbestos concentrations above the established background level …

Stairway Uniformity Measurement: What Lateral Location Should Be Measured?, Lee Calf Looking

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

BACKGROUND: This project addressed an unresolved issue involving measurement methods for determining step uniformity. Leading experts on stairway safety agree that lack of step uniformity within a flight contributes to risk of missteps. A relatively new method for precisely measuring step dimensions is the nosing-to-nosing method. An issue in applying the method is lack of agreement on the lateral location to make the measurements. That location depends on where stairway users ascend and descend relative to the width of the steps. A prior investigator examined people descending to determine the lateral distance between the handrail center and the mid-line of …

Welding Fume Exposure In A Mechanic’S Shop On Uc Santa Cruz Campus, Neema Mahini

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This study was triggered from worker complaints about metal fume odors during metal welding in a mechanic garage. Hard-face welding, which includes use of an electrode to join metal pieces together, occurs once per year in this occupational setting and was chosen for this study because of the large amount of smoke that is produced, giving the study a worst-case scenario element. Sampling occurred over a period of one hour, which is the same amount of time hard-face welding is conducted when applicable. Results show that a worker performing hard-face welding was not exposed to metal fume concentrations above any …

Ymca Fitness Assessment: Tool For Evaluation With Regards To Ergonomics, Jacob Havlovick

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Professional ergonomists have several methods to analyze lifting tasks, in which the main goal is to determine the amount of strain on the body during manual material handling tasks. Several physical characteristics have been used to determine lifting capabilities, but developed screening methods do not cover the necessary traits or the right number of traits to predict an accurate level of strain. This project examined the use of the YMCA Fitness Test Assessment as a possible screening tool to determine lifting performance.

The project had one objective; To determine the association of any physical characteristic that might be used to …

Analysis Of Sampling Data, Tracy Altrock

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

A Similar Exposure Group (SEG) can be created through the evaluation of workers performing the same or similar task, hazards they are exposed to, frequency and duration of their exposures, engineering controls available during their operations, personal protective equipment used, and exposure data. For this report, the samples of one facility that has collected nearly 40,000 various types of samples will be evaluated to determine if the creation of a SEG can be supported. The data will be reviewed for consistency with collection methods and laboratory detection limits. A subset of the samples may be selected based on the review. …

The Use Of Cryogenic Air In Supplied Air Respiratory Protection, Matthew Doctor

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 implemented new regulations in the underground coal mining industry that allow for the certification of non-compressed gas equipment for respiratory protection in underground coal mines. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Biomedical Research and Engineering Laboratory (BRL) is investigating the potential to expand cryogenic air supply systems into the mining and general industries. These investigations have, so far, resulted in four separate comparison and hardware development programs.

The Propellant Handlers Ensemble (PHE) and Level “A” Ensemble Comparison (LAE):

This study compared worker thermal stress while using the industry standard Level …

An Evaluation Of Carbon Concentrations Associated With Biodiesel Particulate Matter In An Underground Metal Mine, David Evans

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Exposure to diesel particulate matter from diesel exhaust has been shown to have adverse health effects in humans. In 2012 The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel exhaust as a group 1 know human carcinogen. Because of the associated health effects, there has been a strong push to reduce the amount of diesel exhaust present in the mining industry. Biodiesel is one to the more common and promising control options used to reduce the amount of diesel particulate matter that is generated during fuel combustion. The use of biodiesel over petroleum diesel has been shown to reduce not …

Pool Irradiator Safety Review For Genesis-Ii Systems, Derek Chamberlain

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This report examines the Genesis II irradiator made by Gray*Star Incorporated, Mississippi Department of Health radiation safety regulations, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection guidelines for irradiators. The purpose for this report is to evaluate any hazards which may lead to a catastrophic water loss, evaluate protective action distances during a reduced shielding situation, and evaluate the safety engineering measures incorporated by Mississippi and Federal regulations to ensure the mitigation of risk for pool irradiators. Due to safeguard controls prohibiting release of precise data on emergency response measures and radioactivity of the isotopes utilized this report will be focused on …

Beryllium In Electrical Switchgear, Eric Hokanson

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Beryllium is a naturally occurring element with many unique properties and a variety of uses. When combined with other elements, such as copper, specialized alloys may be made that are of particular value for certain applications. In the electrical industry copper beryllium alloys are frequently present in electrical components in the contactors, relays, springs and other metallic components. Though beryllium has many excellent physical properties and poses minimal to no human health hazard when in a solid finished form, inhaling the dust or fumes of beryllium containing materials can cause serious health issues. This project assesses whether removable beryllium surface …