Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Steel Worker Falls From Highway Bridge And Dies, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Fatality Case Reports--Falls

On a fall day in 2010, a 49 year-old steel worker fell from a highway bridge he was working from and died. The steel worker was in the process of leveling jacks for concrete forms. He had donned a fall protection harness with an attached lanyard then stepped outside the lifeline onto a 10”x2” wooden board to verify the jacks were level. As the steel worker stepped over the lifeline, he did not attach the lanyard and fell approximately 28 feet onto the railroad tracks below. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died in surgery approximately two …

Critical Heat Stress Evaluation Of Two-Layer Clothing Ensembles And The Contributionof A Full-Face Negative Pressure Respirator, Oclla Michele Fletcher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protective clothing ensembles are worn by workers as a barrier to chemical and physical hazards, but can restrict heat loss and increase worker heat stress. The question of whether a respirator adds to heat stress or strain burden is a continuing concern among occupational health professionals. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in heat stress or strain among the current Toxicological Agent Protective (TAP) ensemble and two ensemble variations used in demilitarization of chemical weapons. Four acclimatized adult males wore five ensembles in a balanced design while walking in a climatic chamber at a …

Probabilistic Model For Laser Damage To The Human Retina, David A. Wooddell Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how lasers interact with media during propagation is a premiere field of physics. The subject area known as laser bioeffects explores laser interactions with biological cells, tissues, organs, and bodies. This research includes laser applications used in medicine, establishes safe exposure limits for industry and academia, and generally studies the many effects of laser light on living creatures. The bioeffects community relies heavily on deterministic modeling and simulation tools to support experimental research into damage thresholds and laser effects. However, recent laser applications require a probabilistic approach to support risk management and analyses methodologies. Some probabilistic models exist, but …

Comparative Analysis Of Two Biological Warfare Air Samplers Using Live Surrogate Agents, James C. Enderby

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force has several high-volume biological air samplers, including the XMX/2L-MIL and the Biocapture 650. Limited information is available on either in terms of its collection of viruses and bacteria. However, previous research on the XMX/2L-MIL has determined that modifications to the secondary flow rate and the use of a virus preserving collection media may provide improved virus collection rates. In this thesis, these modifications were investigated to determine their impact on the collection of viral and bacterial aerosols. Additionally, relative collection rates were compared against those for the Biocapture 650. MS2 bacteriophage was the viral surrogate …

Influence Of Ph On The Transport Of Silver Nanoparticles In Saturated Porous Media: Laboratory Experiments And Modeling, Jason R. Flory

Theses and Dissertations

Given the ubiquity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), the largest and fastest growing category of nanomaterials, and their potential for toxic effects to both humans and the environment, it is important to understand their environmental fate and transport. The purpose of this study is to gain information on the transport properties of unmodified AgNP suspensions in a glass bead-packed column under saturated flow conditions at different solution pH levels. Commercial AgNPs were characterized using high resolution transmission spectroscopy (HRTEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ultraviolet (UV) visible spectroscopy. Transport data were collected at different pH levels (4, 6.5 and 9) at …

Hubungan Pergantian Waktu Kerja Dengan Pola Tidur Pekerja, Yuli Amran, Putri Handayani

Kesmas

Gangguan tidur dapat dialami oleh setiap orang tanpa mengenal status sosial dan pendidikan. Diperkirakan setiap tahun terdapat 20% – 40% orang dewasa mengalami gangguan tidur dan 17% diantaranya mengalami masalah serius. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara penerapan pergantian waktu kerja (shift) serta beberapa faktor lain terhadap pola tidur pekerja di bagian produksi sebuah PT Enka Parahiyangan tahun 2008. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kejadian pola tidur kurang baik pada kelompok pekerja shift (67,1%) lebih tinggi daripada non-shift (32,9%). Selain itu, didapatkan odds ratio pola tidur pada pekerja shift 7,1 kali jauh lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan non-shift. Faktor konsumsi kafein …

Identifikasi Bahaya Keselamatan Dan Kesehatan Kerja Pada Penangkapan Ikan Nelayan Muroami, Dimas Ari Dharmawirawan, Robiana Modjo

Kesmas

Kelautan Kepulauan Seribu pada tahun 2009 terdapat 1.722 penduduk berprofesi sebagai nelayan. Sebanyak 299 orang berprofesi nelayan muroami yang menghadapi bahaya keselamatan dan kesehatan kerja tinggi dan hingga saat ini mereka belum mengetahui bahaya pekerjaan tersebut. Penelitian deskriptif dengan analisis kualitatif ini, bertujuan mendapatkan gambaran bahaya kegiatan penangkapan ikan nelayan muroami di Kelurahan Pulau Panggang, Kabupaten Kepulauan Seribu. Penelitian ini hanya mengamati para penyelam kompresor sebagai subjek penelitian dengan mengunakan metode identifikasi bahaya yaitu Job Hazard Analysis. Bahaya keselamatan dan kesehatan kerja pada tahapan aktivitas penangkapan ikan terdiri atas tahapan persiapan, tahapan penyelaman, dan tahapan penanganan hasil penangkapan. Bahaya yang …

Association Of Hexachlorobenzene (Hcb), Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (Ddt), And Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (Dde) With In Vitro Fertilization (Ivf) Outcomes., Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Stacey A. Missmer, Arnab Maity, Paige L. Williams, John D. Meeker, Katharine Berry, Shelley Ehrlich,, Melissa J. Perry, Daniel W. Cramer, Russ Hauser

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) are persistent chlorinated pesticides with endocrine activity that may adversely affect the early stages of human reproduction.

Objective: Our goal was to determine the association of serum levels of HCB, DDT, and DDE with implantation failure, chemical pregnancy, and spontaneous abortion in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) from 1994 to 2003.

Methods: Levels of HCB and congeners of DDT and DDE were measured in serum collected during the follicular phase. Multivariable-adjusted statistical models accommodating multiple outcomes and multiple cycles per woman were used to estimate the relation between serum pesticide levels …

Association Between Interpersonal Trust, Reciprocity, And Depression In South Korea: A Prospective Analysis, Seung-Sup Kim, Yeonseung Chung, Melissa J. Perry, Ichiro Kawachi, V. S. Subramanian

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

A growing body of empirical evidence indicates that low-level social capital is related to poor mental health outcomes. However, the prospective association between social capital and depression remains unclear, and no published studies have investigated the association with longitudinal data in East-Asian countries.

Methods

We analyzed data from the ongoing Korean Welfare Panel Study to prospectively investigate association between social capital and depression. Social capital was measured at the individual level by two items specific to interpersonal trust and reciprocity. Depression was annually assessed as a dichotomous variable using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. After excluding participants …

Perceived Discrimination And Self-Rated Health In South Korea: A Nationally Representative Survey, Seung-Sup Kim, David R. Williams

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

There is mounting evidence that discriminatory experiences can harm health. However, previous research has mainly focused on the health effects of racial discrimination in U.S. or European countries although there is pervasive discrimination by gender, age, education and other factors in Asian countries.

Methods

We analyzed the data from the 7th wave of Korean Labor and Income Panel Study to investigate the association between perceived discriminatory experience and poor self-rated health in South Korea. Perceived discriminatory experiences were measured in eight situations through a modified Experience of Discrimination questionnaire. In each of eight situations, the lifetime prevalence of perceived …

Occupational Health And Safety Management Systems Assessment Training, William Brazile, Daniel Autenrieth, Del Sandfort

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

An occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) is required for all Federal agencies by Executive Order 12196 – Occupational safety and health programs for Federal employees. Development of the Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Assessment Training Manual was supported jointly by the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The manual was designed to be used in the training of government personnel on how to assess the OHSMS of Federal establishments and agencies. The manual is organized sequentially through each step in the process of conducting an OHSMS assessment. Trainees start …

Effects Of Standard Labor-Wear On Swimming And Treading Water, John Amtmann, Edd, Les Harris, William K. Spath, Charles Todd, Phd

Applied Health Sciences

We tested the hypothesis that occupational clothing would impair performance during swimming. The sub questions included: (1) Will the standard work wear of a railway worker or laborer impede swimming ability? (2) Will this clothing impact the individual’s ability to tread water? We addressed the research questions with three hypotheses. Analysis showed statistically significant p-values and all three null hypotheses were rejected in favor of the three research hypotheses, showing strong evidence that standard labor wear had adverse effects on 11.43 meter/12.5 yard swim time, water treading time and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during water treading. The mean swim …

Measuring Discrimination In South Korea: Underestimating The Prevalence Of Discriminatory Experiences Among Female And Less Educated Workers?., Seung-Sup Kim, Yeonseung Chung, David R. Williams

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Objectives

To investigate the possibility that Koreans show different patterns in reporting discriminatory experiences based on their gender and education level, we analyzed the participants who answered “Not Applicable” for the questions of discriminatory experiences that they were eligible to answer.

Methods

Discriminatory experiences in eight social situations were assessed using the 7th wave of Korean Labor and Income Panel Study. After restricting the study population to waged workers, a logistic regression model was constructed to predict the probability that an individual has experienced discrimination based on the observed covariates for each of eight situations, using the data of participants …

Workers Die From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Kentucky Injury Prevention And Research Center

Kentucky Haz Alerts--Other

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning,employers should:

• Train supervisors and employees to recognize symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
• Provide first aid training, including what to do if exposed to carbon monoxide
• Review carbon monoxide prevention tips with their employees

Employees should:

• Report unusual behavior
• Know how to treat co-workers for carbon monoxide poisoning
• Carry a carbon monoxide detector to mobile sites Recognize signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

Variabilité Biologique Et Guide De Stratégies Pour La Surveillance Biologique De L'Exposition Professionnelle, Ginette Truchon, Robert Tardif, Jérôme Lavoué, Daniel Drolet, Martine Lévesque, Julie Boucher

Rapports de recherche scientifique

No abstract provided.

Occupational Exposure And Risk Of Skin Cancer In A Multinational European Study, Simona Surdu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) comprise more than one third of all cancers, and are increasing worldwide. The most common NMSC are Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Studies on humans and animals suggest that sunlight and arsenic play important roles in the pathogenesis of these skin malignancies. However, the number of epidemiological studies focusing on NMSC in workers exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation or airborne arsenic is limited, and the findings are contradictory.

Is The Construction Induction Training Scheme In The Housing And Civil Construction Industries Of Western Australia Effective In Improving Safety Culture?, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2012

This paper presents the findings of a 2011 study that evaluated the effectiveness of the Construction Induction Training (CIT) scheme (White Card) in the housing and civil construction sectors. This mixed method study collected data in three phases through: the segregated statistics of the Lost Time Injuries and Diseases (LTI/Ds), a broad industry questionnaire, and 82 interviews with managers and construction workers working in metropolitan and regional areas. The main findings indicate that there is broad acceptance of the benefits of the training across all stakeholder groups. The statistics show that there was a slight rise in LTI/Ds in the …

An Investigation Of Health Problems Among Female Hairdressers In Western Australia, Mary O'Loughlin, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2012

Female hairdressers in Western Australia were surveyed to determine the occurrence of health problems that may be associated with their work environment. The cohort of 238 hairdressers reported poor health behaviours including a poor dietary and fluid intake; a high prevalence of smoking; and a low level of glove usage when undertaking wet work and handling non-discolouring chemicals. Younger hairdressers were found to be most at risk of increased respiratory illness, musculoskeletal problems, skin conditions, bowel issues and general poor health. When compared with data obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), younger hairdressers reported a higher …

Hard Or Soft? The Relationship Between Power And Organisational Incident Rates, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2012

This paper examines the power that managers have to impact on workplace safety and how in mixed method studies our preconceptions about the hardness and softness of the relevant data may be misplaced. The civil construction industry (CCI) in WA provides the case for this discussion. Workers in this industry are constantly battling between safety compliance and production pressures in an era of economic boom. The examination of 3,882 incident reports, upon which this paper’s conclusions are drawn, revealed that these ‘‘hard’’ data may often obscure incidents that occur as organisations may be pressured into providing reportable incident figures that …

The Impact Of Management Styles Upon Organisational Change And Safety Cultures, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2012

In this paper we discuss the findings of two large studies conducted during 2005/06 that illuminated the role of managers as change agents. We draw the findings together to conceptualise and model the leadership styles and behaviours that appear to be successful in reshaping organisational safety culture. The first study identified the instrumental influence that managers have on the safety culture within organisations. The second study revealed the influential role of managers as change agents during a cultural change initiative when they applied a flexible approach using formal and informal agencies of change. The paper situates these two studies in …

Limitations Associated With The Pooling Of Historical Data Sets: An Analysis Of Dust Monitoring Data Collected At A Typical Remote Australian Mine 2004 - 2008, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2012

Dust monitoring data collected over a period of 5 years at a remote Australian mine site were pooled in order to create a large data set for analysis. Results adjusted for a 12-hour shift were compared to exposure standards and 90% of the respirable and 97% of the inhalable dust samples were found to be within the exposure standards. Median values appear to better describe exposures than the mean which is influenced by outliers. There was a declining trend in respirable dust results over time. However, inhalable dust levels remained fairly constant over the sampling period. Inhalable dust levels were …

Workplace Hazard Identification: What Do Workers In Mining Know?, Susanne Bahn

Research outputs 2012

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted in 2011/2012 that investigated the skills of new entrants to the mining industry’s skills in identifying workplace hazards from photographs of their work areas and strategies to improve these practices identified by health and safety managers. The findings of phase one of the study indicated that there was a greater ability to identify the hazards by those with 6–10 years experience and aged 34–45 years. Phase two of the study, which is the topic of this paper, identified training, communication and documentation as important to improve hazard identification skills. Other strategies …

Global Warming And Heat Stress Among Western Australian Mine, Oil And Gas Workers, Joseph Mate, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2012

The earth is currently experiencing a change in its climate which in some areas is resulting in warmer ambient temperatures. Globally the frequency and severity of heat waves have increased over the last few decades leading to an associated increase in the burden of morbidity and mortality associated with heat waves. Global temperatures are predicted to rise even further in the foreseeable future....

Construction Induction Training: Does Mandatory Training Work?, Susanne Bahn

Research outputs 2012

Reducing the high level of deaths and injuries in the construction industry is a continual challenge. It is a specific challenge in Western Australia (WA), where the industry is adapting to the additional pressures of a resources-led development boom. In 2006, Worksafe WA responded by introducing mandatory certification in basic safety training for all employees, before they could set foot on a work site. This paper reviews the impact of this training initiative on the commercial sector of the construction industry, the training organisations, and the construction employees. The mixed methodology study collects both the perceptions of the stakeholders and …

Sécurité Des Travailleurs Derrière Les Véhicules Lourds : Évaluation De Trois Types D'Alarmes Sonores De Recul, Véronique Vaillancourt, Hugues Nélisse, Chantal Laroche, Christian Giguère, Jérôme Boutin, Pascal Laferrière

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Une nouvelle technologie d’alarmes de recul de véhicule lourd a fait récemment son apparition sur le marché. Cette technologie, basée sur l’utilisation d’un signal large-bande (bruit de type « pschitt- pschitt ») serait, selon le manufacturier, plus sécuritaire pour les travailleurs tout en causant moins de nuisance environnementale que l’alarme tonale conventionnelle (bruit de type « beep-beep »). Il demeurait toutefois difficile de se prononcer sur la supériorité de cette technologie puisqu’il existe très peu d’études scientifiques indépendantes et rigoureuses portant sur celle-ci.

Cette étude visait à comparer la nouvelle technologie …

Analyse Ergonomique De La Santé Et De La Sécurité En Centre De Formation Professionnelle, Céline Chatigny, Livann Nadon-Vézina, Jessica Riel, Vanessa Couture, Priscille Hastey

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cette recherche exploratoire porte sur les enjeux de santé et sécurité au travail (SST) en milieu scolaire d’apprentissage des métiers. Cette problématique est importante dans un contexte où les centres de formation professionnelle (CFP) investissent beaucoup pour répondre aux demandes de la Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail pour réduire des lésions professionnelles chez les jeunes. L’étude a été réalisée avec l’approche ergonomique de l’activité qui analyse la complexité du travail réel pour développer les conditions de SST avec la participation des acteurs concernés. Plusieurs partenaires de la formation professionnelle (FP) et de la SST ont …

Caractérisation Et Contrôle De L’Exposition Professionnelle Aux Nanoparticules Et Particules Ultrafines, Maximilien Debia, Charles Beaudry, Scott Weichenthal, Robert Tardif, André Dufresne

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

De nombreux travailleurs sont exposés à un ensemble de particules présentes à une échelle nanométrique. En hygiène du travail, il est commun de différencier les nanoparticules (NP) manufacturées, des particules ultrafines (PUF) qui proviennent de sources naturelles, humaine ou industrielle. Étant donné qu’il existe des lacunes importantes dans les démarches usuelles d'évaluation du risque à ces particules, l’objectif de cette recherche était d’évaluer les expositions professionnelles à des PUF et des NP. L’objectif secondaire était de tester globalement les capacités d’évaluation des expositions professionnelles aux NP et aux PUF dans un …

Évaluation Biomécanique Des Déterminants De La Stabilité Lombaire : Étude Exploratoire, Christian Larivière, Robert Kearney, Hakim Mecheri, Daniel Ludvig, Shirazi-Adl Aboulfazl, Denis Gagnon

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Il ne fait maintenant aucun doute que les exercices physiques réduisent la douleur et les incapacités, mais de manière très inégale entre les travailleurs souffrant de maux de dos. La présente étude représente une activité préparatoire à un projet de recherche dont l’objet est un programme d’exercices de stabilisation lombaire. Ce projet de recherche vise essentiellement (1) à identifier quels travailleurs répondent le mieux à ce programme d’exercice en termes de réduction des incapacités et (2) pourquoi ces travailleurs répondent aussi bien à ce type de traitement. Pour répondre au deuxième objectif, l’étude des mécanismes d’action de nature « neuromusculaires …

Mise À Jour Du Répertoire Des Silencieux, Soufflettes Et Pistolets Aspirateurs, Rémy Oddo, Chantal Simard, Noureddine Atalla

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La mise à jour du répertoire des silencieux, soufflettes et pistolets aspirateurs présente les résultats de mesure obtenus sur de nouveaux appareils ainsi que sur des appareils ayant déjà été testés (en 1995) et encore présents sur le marché. À partir de ces résultats, un guide d’utilisation a été rédigé pour chaque classe d’appareils.

Le guide d’utilisation des soufflettes présente les risques potentiels liés à l’utilisation des soufflettes. Il donne également, pour différentes tâches, les modèles de soufflettes les plus performantes du point de vue acoustique. L’un des résultats importants ressortant des mesures sur les soufflettes est que, du point …

Secteur Des Affaires Municipales Au Québec : Étude Exploratoire Du Cadenassage, Yuvin Chinniah, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Gilles Boivin, Joseph-Jean Paques

Rapports de recherche scientifique

À partir des bases de données de plusieurs pays européens, il est estimé que 10-15 % des accidents mortels au travail et 15-20 % de tous les accidents sont liés à la maintenance. Au Québec, la méthode prescrite dans l’article 185 du Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RSST) pour maîtriser les énergies dangereuses lors des opérations de maintenance, de réparation ou de déblocage sur des machines est le cadenassage. Les procédures de cadenassage imposent normalement l’arrêt de l'équipement, l’isolement des énergies sources de danger, la condamnation à l’aide de cadenas identifiés des dispositifs d’isolement des sources …