Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Evaluation Of Heat Stress In Migrant Farmworkers, Stephen L. Mcqueen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rate of heat-related fatalities in crop production workers is almost 20 times that of other industries. Heat stress was investigated in migrant tomato workers in July, 2012, using measurements of body temperature, heart rates, body weight loss, evaluation of the thermal environment, and survey data. Using occupational safety criteria, these workers were found to work in an environment that should require protective measures to prevent heat strain. Increases in body temperature, heart rate, and physiological strain correlated with heat exposure. One third of workers had body weight percentage losses that indicated dehydration. However, working in hot environments appears to …

A Practical Scale For Multi-Faceted Organizational Health Climate Assessment, Zandra M. Zweber

Master's Theses

The current study sought to develop a practical scale to measure workplace health climate in a way that has not previously been conceptualized – as a three-faceted approach from the employee perspective serving as an indicator of a healthy organization. The goal was to create a short, useable yet comprehensive scale that could translate into practical use by organizations and occupational health professionals planning workplace interventions. To accomplish this, the proposed multi-faceted organizational health climate scale (MOHCA) assesses three-facets which match up with three organizational levels: 1) organization 2) supervisor and 3) workgroup. Ten items were developed and tested on …

Recycling And Reuse Of Radioactive Materials, Thomas Joseph O'Dou

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Radiochemistry Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has a Radiation Protection Program that was designed to provide students with the ability to safely work with radioactive materials in quantities that are not available in other academic environments. Requirements for continuous training and supervision make this unique program capable of turning out graduates that have an understanding of contamination and dose control techniques that complement their knowledge of the elements that they work with. The Program has also adopted a radionuclide recovery and reuse program that has provided materials from other universities, government agencies, and private companies …

Les Femmes Manutentionnaires : Un Point De Vue Biomécanique Et Ergonomique, André Plamondon, Denys Denis, Christian Larivière, Alain Delisle, Denis Gagnon, Marie St-Vincent, Iuliana Nastasia

Rapports de recherche scientifique

De nombreuses femmes exercent le métier de manutentionnaire. À tort, on a négligé de s’intéresser à cette population parce que le métier de manutentionnaire est largement pratiqué par des hommes. Il existe des études qui ont observé des différences significatives entre les hommes et les femmes dans leurs façons d’effectuer les tâches de manutention, mais leur nombre est limité. Quoique le nombre de manutentionnaires féminins soit beaucoup moins élevé dans certains types d’activité comme le transport et la machinerie, dans d’autres secteurs comme l’alimentation et les services, les femmes constituent souvent près de la moitié de la main-d'œuvre qui, de …

Characterization Of Microflora In Latin-Style Cheeses By Next-Generation Sequencing Technology, Tina S. Lusk, Andrea R. Ottesen, James R. White, Marc W. Allard, Eric W. Brown, Julie A. Kase

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

Cheese contamination can occur at numerous stages in the manufacturing process including the use of improperly pasteurized or raw milk. Of concern is the potential contamination by Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogenic bacteria that find the high moisture levels and moderate pH of popular Latin-style cheeses like queso fresco a hospitable environment. In the investigation of a foodborne outbreak, samples typically undergo enrichment in broth for 24 hours followed by selective agar plating to isolate bacterial colonies for confirmatory testing. The broth enrichment step may also enable background microflora to proliferate, which can confound subsequent analysis if not inhibited …

Les Pratiques Organisationnelles De Sécurité Chez Les Transporteurs Routiers De Matières Dangereuses Au Québec, Nathalie De Marcellis-Warin, Ingrid Peignier, Martin Trépanier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Problématique

Pour se conformer à la réglementation actuelle concernant l’entreposage de matières dangereuses (MD), les sites industriels œuvrant dans le domaine des MD prennent de plus en plus de décisions de stockage susceptibles d’augmenter le nombre de livraisons. Ces comportements peuvent engendrer un transfert de risque du site fixe vers le transport. Il paraît donc important de considérer globalement la gestion du risque sur l’ensemble de la chaîne logistique.

À propos des sites industriels de MD, une enquête antérieure, menée par le CIRANO, a permis de mettre en évidence que la plupart des sites industriels ne se préoccupent pas autant …

Characterization Of Dusts In Traditional Bakeries, Brigitte Roberge, Simon Aubin, Yves Cloutier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Plusieurs études concluent que les boulangers exposés à la poussière de farine risquent d'être sensibilisés et de développer des symptômes respiratoires, voire de l'asthme professionnel (AP). D'autres rapportent une augmentation du risque de sensibilisation à la farine à des niveaux de 2 mg/m³ bien qu'il y ait prévalence de sensibilisation chez les boulangers exposés à 1 mg/m³ de poussière de farine. Selon des études récentes, les travailleurs de boulangeries industrielles ou artisanales pourraient être exposés jusqu'à 7,8 mg/m³ et ceux des meuneries jusqu'à 16 mg/m³. La majorité des études rapportent des niveaux exprimés en fraction …

Characterization Of Dusts In The Food Seasonings Sector, Brigitte Roberge, Simon Aubin, Yves Cloutier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les épices et les herbes aromatiques contiennent des substances organiques - nommées également substances actives - pouvant causer des irritations ou ayant un potentiel allergène pour la peau et pour le système respiratoire. De 1995 à 2007, la CSST a indemnisé 9 cas d’asthme survenus dans le secteur des autres industries de produits alimentaires qui comprennent notamment la production d’assaisonnements. Les auteurs ont caractérisé les poussières dans l’air d’établissements de fabrication de mélanges d’assaisonnement à base d’épices et d’herbes aromatiques en termes de poussières totales, de fractions inhalable et respirable ainsi que la granulométrie des poussières générées lors de diverses …

The Presence Of Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Attic Insulation And/Or Other Asbestos Containing Materials In Homes And The Potential For Living Space Contamination, Terry Spear, Julie Hart, Tessa Spear, Molly Loushin, Natalie Shaw, Mohamed Elasheb

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Asbestos-contaminated vermiculite attic insulation (VAI) produced from a mine near Libby, Montana, may be present in millions of homes along with other commercial asbestos-containing materials (ACM). The primary goal of the research described here was to develop and test procedures that would allow for the safe and effective weatherization of low-income homes with asbestos. The presence of asbestos insulation was confirmed by bulk sampling of the suspect asbestos material. The homes were then tested for the presence of asbestos fibers in the living spaces. All 40 homes containing VAI revealed the presence of amphibole asbestos in bulk samples. Asbestos (primarily …

Development Of A Procedure To Measure The Effectiveness Of N95 Respirator Filters Against Nanoparticles, Fariborz Haghighat, Ali Bahloul, Jaime Lara, Reza Mostofi, Alireza Mahdavi

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les risques pour la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs exposés à l’inhalation de nanoparticules (NP) soulèvent de plus en plus d’inquiétudes. Parmi les sources d’émission de nanoparticules en milieu de travail figurent les effluents et les émanations de divers procédés, tels l’ablation et le fraisage laser. Les nanoparticules ont des propriétés potentiellement toxiques, à savoir une surface totale, une concentration en nombre et une réactivité surfacique élevées. Il a été démontré que l’inhalation – la voie d’exposition la plus courante aux nanoparticules – a des effets nocifs sur les fonctions pulmonaires, et que les particules déposées dans les poumons …

Évolution Comparée De La Douleur Et Du Statut De Travail À La Suite D’Un Programme De Réadaptation Pour Des Travailleurs Ayant Des Troubles Musculo-Squelettiques, Patrick Loisel, Marc Corbière, Marie-José Durand, Marie-France Coutu, Bruno Désorcy, Quan Nha Hong, Karine Genest

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les troubles musculo-squelettiques (TMS) touchent chaque année plus de 45 000 travailleurs québécois dans tous les secteurs d’activité. Dans un modèle de représentation biopsychosocial des TMS, la question des croyances des principaux acteurs sociaux à propos de l’incapacité et la douleur est fondamentale pour le processus de réadaptation. Plusieurs intervenants de la santé, employeur ou assureur, croient que l’employé ne doit pas se présenter au travail avant d’être complètement rétabli de sa blessure. Paradoxalement, d’autres croient qu’il n’existerait qu’un rapport ténu entre l’absence au travail et la douleur. À notre connaissance, encore peu de travaux se sont intéressés à l’association …

Ergonomic Evaluation Of Shoulder Muscle Activation During Light Weight Hand Tool Exertion Task, Gul Ahmed

Theses

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of shoulder muscle activation during hand exertion tasks using a light weight hand tool by working individuals. Electromyography (EMG) of trapezius, supraspinatus, triceps, and pectoralis major was conducted for 45°, 0° and -45° arm angles, for three different reaches i.e. normal, maximum and extreme and three different push forces low, medium and high. Ten volunteers participated in the experimental study. The effects of push force and reach distance were found to be statistically significant for all four muscles. However the effect of change of angle was not found to be statistically significant, …

Owner/Operator Hauling Asphalt Flux Dies After Driving Into A Ravine And Striking Trees, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

In the early morning of a late summer’s day, a 50 year old semi-truck driver was transporting a load of asphalt flux. He had been driving for approximately five hours and was getting ready to exit the interstate when for an unknown reason, the unit left the interstate, sideswiped a SUV parked on the shoulder, drove through a guardrail then proceeded into a ravine. A passing motorist called emergency services, who upon their arrival contacted the local coroner. The driver had been ejected from the cab and was pronounced dead at the scene.

To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, …

La Transmission Des Savoirs De Métier Et De Prudence Par Les Travailleurs Expérimentés : Comment Soutenir Cette Approche Dynamique De Formation Dans Les Milieux De Travail, Esther Cloutier, Pierre-Sébastien Fournier, Élise Ledoux, Isabelle Gagnon, Annette Beauvais, Claire Vincent-Genod

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans les économies développées telles le Québec, on assiste à un vieillissement de la population active et à un départ anticipé à la retraite de la génération du baby-boom ainsi qu'à l'arrivée de nouveaux personnels. Bien que ces départs à la retraite aient toujours fait partie de la réalité des organisations, le contexte actuel laisse entrevoir des problèmes importants au plan de la façon d'effectuer la transition et d'assurer la continuité de la mémoire organisationnelle. Dans ce contexte la question de la transmission des savoirs de métier se pose avec la plus grande acuité et les travailleurs vieillissants peuvent être …

Relationships Of Heat Stress Levels To Heat-Related Disorders And Acute Injury During Deepwater Horizon Cleanup Operations, Michael H. Hiles

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Outdoor workers are often subjected to thermal conditions beyond the comfort zone, but to what degree do such conditions affect the health and safety of those workers is still a matter requiring further investigation. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between thermal conditions and (1) heat-related disorders and (2) acute injuries using injury and illness data collected during the BP Deepwater Horizon clean-up operations. Over an eleven month period, 5,485 cases were identified as either heat-related or an acute injury (incident type) and further divided by severity. Daily weather data were used to estimate the wet …

Roadside Responder Is Struck By A Box Truck And Dies, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

On a winter day, a 53-year-old retired fire chief was working for an environmental company to clean up a tractor trailer crash along an interstate. A semi tractor-trailer driver had fallen asleep and crashed. The environmental company had been deployed to assist in the cleanup and facilitate a lane closure. The cleanup was almost complete and there were five workers left at the incident site. They were working in the right lane loading a tag-along trailer with items from the crash when a box truck crashed into the work zone, striking the worker, and killing him.

To prevent future occurrences …

"Sewing A Safety Net: Scarborough's Maritime Community, 1747-1765", Charles Foy

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

From 1747 to 1765 Scarborough created a safety net to keep its maritime dependents from becoming impoverished. A web of kinship connections that permitted sailors to move between land and sea as well as between maritime roles as they aged; the employment of maritime servants; the extensive hiring of elderly seamen; the use of the Seamen’s Sixpence after legislative reform in 1747 to develop locally operated seamen’s hospitals for the benefit of sailors and their families; and strong community support of the hospitals worked together to provide a social safety net that was, by eighteenth century standards, robust and effective.

Développement D'Une Méthode De Mesure De La Pénétration Des Nanoparticules À Travers Les Matériaux De Gants De Protection Dans Des Conditions Simulant L'Utilisation En Milieu De Travail, Patricia Dolez, Ludwig Vinches, Gérald Perron, Toan Vu-Khanh, Philippe Plamondon, Gilles L'Espérance, Kevin Wilkinson, Yves Cloutier, Chantal Dion, Ginette Truchon

Rapports de recherche scientifique

En raison de la croissance exponentielle des applications industrielles des nanotechnologies et de l'augmentation associée des risques d'exposition professionnelle aux nanomatériaux, le principe de précaution a été recommandé. Afin de le mettre en œuvre et même s'ils ne doivent être considérés qu'en dernier recours dans la stratégie de maîtrise des risques, des équipements de protection individuelle contre les nanoparticules doivent être disponibles. Dans le but de combler le manque actuel en termes d'outils et de connaissances dans ce domaine, une méthode de mesure de la pénétration des nanoparticules à travers les matériaux de gants de protection dans des conditions simulant …

Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models To Incorporate Chemical And Non-Chemical Stressors Into Cumulative Risk Assessment: A Case Study Of Pesticide Exposures, Susan C. Wason, Thomas J. Smith, Melissa J. Perry, Jonathan I. Levy

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Cumulative risk assessment has been proposed as an approach to evaluate the health risks associated with simultaneous exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) models can allow for the inclusion and evaluation of multiple stressors, including non-chemical stressors, but studies have not leveraged PBPK/PD models to jointly consider these disparate exposures in a cumulative risk context. In this study, we focused on exposures to organophosphate (OP) pesticides for children in urban low-income environments, where these children would be simultaneously exposed to other pesticides (including pyrethroids) and non-chemical stressors that may modify the effects of these exposures …

Prioritization Of Biomarker Targets In Human Umbilical Cord Blood: Identification Of Proteins In Infant Blood Serving As Validated Biomarkers In Adults, Nicole Hansmeier, Tzu-Chiao Chao, Lynn R. Goldman, Frank R. Witter, Rolf U. Halden

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Early diagnosis represents one of the best lines of defense in the fight against a wide array of human diseases. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is one of the first easily available diagnostic biofluids and can inform about the health status of newborns. However, compared with adult blood, its diagnostic potential remains largely untapped.

Objectives: Our goal was to accelerate biomarker research on UCB by exploring its detectable protein content and providing a priority list of potential biomarkers based on known proteins involved in disease pathways.

Methods: We explored cord blood serum proteins by profiling a UCB pool of 12 …

Effects Of Temperature On Emergence And Seasonality Of West Nile Virus In California, David M. Hartley, Christopher M. Barker, Arnaud Le Menach, Tianchan Niu, Holly Gaff, William K. Reisen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Temperature has played a critical role in the spatiotemporal dynamics of West Nile virus transmission throughout California from its introduction in 2003 through establishment by 2009. We compared two novel mechanistic measures of transmission risk, the temperature-dependent ratio of virus extrinsic incubation period to the mosquito gonotrophic period (BT), and the fundamental reproductive ratio (R₀) based on a mathematical model, to analyze spatiotemporal patterns of receptivity to viral amplification. Maps of BT and R₀ were created at 20-km scale and compared throughout California to seroconversions in sentinel chicken flocks at half-month intervals. Overall, estimates of BT and …

Peningkatan Pengetahuan Dan Keterampilan Masyarakat Tentang Cara Aman Menggunakan Tabung Gas 3 Kg, Fatma Lestari, Budi Hartono

Kesmas

Konversi penggunaan minyak tanah ke tabung liquified petroleum gas (LPG) merupakan kebijakan yang bertujuan untuk mengurangi subsidi bahan bakar minyak. Namun, program ini menuai beberapa permasalahan dari aspek keselamatan seperti terjadi kebakaran, ledakan yang mengaki- batkan jatuhnya korban jiwa, luka-luka, ataupun kerugian material. Statistik menunjukkan kejadian ledakan dan kebakaran tabung LPG 3 kg pada pengguna cukup tinggi antara tahun 2010 – 2011. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peningkatan pengetahuan dan keterampilan masyarakat pengguna LPG 3 kg tentang cara aman menggunakan tabung LPG 3 kg setelah dilakukan program intervensi melalui penyuluhan dan pelatihan. Lokasi penelitian ini dilakukan di Kelurahan Tirtajaya, Depok. …

Résultats Des Analyses De Substances Chimiques Produites À L’Irsst Pour Chaque Région Administrative Du Ministère De La Santé Et Des Services Sociaux Pour La Période 2001-2008, Claude Ostiguy, Simon Morin, Gilles Bensimon, Marc Baril

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le réseau québécois de prévention compte plusieurs centaines de personnes qui interviennent régulièrement dans les établissements afin d'y prélever des échantillons permettant d'évaluer la qualité de l'air dans le cadre de leur mandat. Ces échantillons sont analysés à l'IRSST.

De 2001 à 2008, dans le cadre de l'entente de service avec la CSST et son réseau (MSSS et ASP), des rapports annuels de même qu'un rapport synthèse sur les huit années ont permis d'identifier certaines substances retrouvées en fortes concentrations dans différents secteurs industriels. Compte tenu de la grande variabilité des activités économiques selon les différentes régions du Québec, le …

Interaction Entre La Gestion Des Ressources Humaines Et La Sst : L’Enseignement Aux Futurs Gestionnaires, Sylvie Gravel, Monique Lortie, Henriette Bilodeau, Jessica Dubé

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Plusieurs disciplines, dont l’ergonomie, la médecine, la toxicologie, l’andragogie et bien d’autres, ont contribué à l’avancement des connaissances en santé et sécurité au travail (SST). Malgré les avancées scientifiques, un défi demeure, celui de développer les habiletés des gestionnaires et de sensibiliser ces derniers à leur rôle dans la prise en charge des mesures correctrices et préventives en matière de santé et de sécurité. Une équipe de professeurs de l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) a proposé de relever ce défi en constituant une banque d’études de cas destinée à l’enseignement aux futurs gestionnaires. Les cas ont été élaborés à …

Mesures Par Ultrasons Des Muscles Profonds Du Tronc : Évaluation De La Fidélité Intra Et Interévaluateurs : Programme Repar - Irsst, Christian Larivière, Dany Gagnon, Eros De Oliveira, Sharon Henry, Hakim Mecheri, Jean-Pierre Dumas, Roger Vadeboncoeur

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Introduction

Afin de compléter les outils nécessaires pour évaluer et valider différents programmes d'exercices visant à favoriser le retour au travail chez des travailleurs ayant une lombalgie chronique, des outils d'évaluation de certaines déficiences lombaires doivent être implantés et évalués. Afin d'évaluer les fonctions jouées par les muscles profonds du tronc, des mesures par ultrasons ont été développées. Les objectifs de la présente recherche sont (1) d'importer cette expertise dans notre groupe de recherche (2) de développer les outils d'analyse nécessaires pour extraire les mesures requises des images produites et (3) d'évaluer la fidélité INTRA- et INTER-évaluateurs de ces mesures. …

Association Between Workplace And Housing Conditions And Use Of Pesticide Safety Practices And Personal Protective Equipment Among North Carolina Farmworkers In 2010, Donna L. Levesque, Ahmed A. Arif, Ji Shen

School of Health Sciences Publications

Background: There are inconsistencies about the effects of farmworker housing and workplace conditions and use of self-protective behavior practices and personal protective equipment (PPE). Objective: To investigate the association between workplace and housing conditions and farmworker use of pesticide safety practices and PPE. Methods: This study was conducted in 4 counties in North Carolina, USA, from July to October, 2010, during the agricultural growing season. Farmworkers working in agriculture aged 18 to 62 (n=187) were administered a structured questionnaire to collect self-reported measures on housing and workplace conditions. Use of pesticide safety and PPE were examined by asking questions about …

Environmental Exposure To Polychlorinated Biphenyls And P,P'-Dde And Sperm Sex-Chromosome Disomy, Megan E. Mcauliffe, Paige L. Williams, Susan A. Korrick, Larisa M. Altshul, Melissa J. Perry

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Chromosomal abnormalities contribute substantially to reproductive problems, but the role of environmental risk factors has received little attention.

Objectives: We evaluated the association of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) exposures with sperm sex-chromosome disomy.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 192 men from subfertile couples. We used multiprobe fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosomes X, Y, and 18 to determine XX, YY, XY, and total sex-chromosome disomy in sperm nuclei. Serum was analyzed for concentrations of 57 PCB congeners and p,p´-DDE. Poisson regression models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for …

Association Between Workplace And Housing Conditions And Use Of Pesticide Safety Practices And Personal Protective Equipment Among North Carolina Farmworkers In 2010, Donna L. Levesque, Ahmed A. Arif, Ji Shen

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: There are inconsistencies about the effects of farmworker housing and workplace conditions and use of self-protective behavior practices and personal protective equipment (PPE). Objective: To investigate the association between workplace and housing conditions and farmworker use of pesticide safety practices and PPE. Methods: This study was conducted in 4 counties in North Carolina, USA, from July to October, 2010, during the agricultural growing season. Farmworkers working in agriculture aged 18 to 62 (n=187) were administered a structured questionnaire to collect self-reported measures on housing and workplace conditions. Use of pesticide safety and PPE were examined by asking questions about …

Linking Authentic Leadership To Positive Employee Health, Behavioral Engagement, And Job Performance, Yan Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the emerging field of positive organizational behavior. The field of Positive Organizational Behavior (POB) has its roots in the concept of "positive psychology" (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008) but is more narrowly defined as "the study and application of positively oriented human resources strengths and psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for performance improvement in today's workplace" (Luthans, 2002, p.698). More and more researchers have begun to emphasize what is right with people rather than focusing on what is wrong with people.

Given this opportunity, this dissertation explicitly …

Semi Tractor-Trailer Driver Dies In Median Crossover Crash; 10 Others Die, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Motor Vehicle

At approximately 5:00 AM on a spring morning, a 45 year-old male semi-tractor trailer driver headed south on an interstate highway with a back-haul of brake drums. He crossed a 60’ grass depressed median, drove over a cable barrier, was struck by a northbound 15-passenger van with 12 occupants, hit a cut rock wall and caught fire. The semi truck driver and 10 occupants within the van died.

To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made:

Recommendation No. 1: Commercial vehicle carriers should establish and implement an appropriate comprehensive safety and driver training program that …