Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Évaluation De L’Exposition Des Travailleurs Aux Sous-Produits De Désinfection En Piscine Intérieure Au Québec, Robert Tardif, Cyril Catto, Sami Haddad, Manuel Rodriguez

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les sous-produits de désinfection (SPD) par chloration sont le résultat inévitable des réactions chimiques survenant entre le chlore ajouté à l’eau des piscines et les matières organiques et/ou azotées qui y sont naturellement présentes ou introduites par le biais des baigneurs.

Les SPD se déclinent en de nombreuses catégories et en bien plus de composés encore (>600), ce qui suscite, à l’échelle internationale, les préoccupations des législateurs et des scientifiques au regard de l’impact sanitaire de ces substances sur les travailleurs. Les problèmes d’irritation associés à l’exposition aux chloramines (CAM) qui polluent l’air ambiant sont les plus souvent pointés …

Impact De Quatre Filières De Traitement De L’Eau En Piscine Sur Les Concentrations Des Sous-Produits De Désinfection : Une Étude Exploratoire, Robert Tardif, Cyril Catto, Manuel Rodriguez

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans les piscines, l’exposition des populations au sous-produits de désinfection (SPD) est l’objet d’une préoccupation croissante à l’échelle internationale. Les SPD sont le résultat inévitable des réactions chimiques entre les agents désinfectants ajoutés à l’eau des piscines et les matières organiques ou azotées qui y sont naturellement présentes ou introduites par le biais des baigneurs. La production et les niveaux de SPD dans l’eau du bassin et, pour ceux susceptibles de se volatiliser, dans l’air ambiant varient en fonction des approches de traitement. Cependant, il n’existe actuellement pas de données permettant une comparaison systématique de ces approches dans des conditions …

Challenges Of Green Jobs In Quebec's Photovoltaic Industry, Bouchra Bakhiyi, Joseph Zayed

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’industrie du photovoltaïque (PV), pourvoyeuse d’électricité solaire à faible empreinte écologique, est un secteur d’activité en pleine croissance ayant généré quelque 220 000 emplois verts dans le monde en 2010, avec une projection de près de 2 000 000 à l’horizon 2020. L'industrie du photovoltaïque fait face néanmoins à des risques potentiels pour la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs et ce, tout le long du cycle de vie des systèmes photovoltaïques. L’objectif général de cette recherche était de dresser un portrait de l’industrie du PV au Québec. Elle visait plus précisément à : 1) réaliser le bilan de la …

Overboard Falls Of Crew Members On Québec Lobster Boats: Risk Analysis And Prevention Solutions, Sylvie Montreuil, Francis Coulombe, Jean-Guy Richard, Michel Tremblay

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’activité de pêche commerciale est l’une des plus dangereuses du domaine industriel. Des chutes par-dessus bord se produisent chaque saison de pêche et leurs conséquences sont généralement graves, parfois mortelles. Au cours des dernières années, deux décès sont survenus dans ces circonstances au Québec lors d’activités de pêche au homard. De façon générale les causes documentées des chutes par-dessus bord sont la perte d’équilibre et l’entraînement par le gréement de pêche. Les objectifs de cette recherche sont : 1) d’analyser les risques de chute par-dessus bord et leurs déterminants lors de la pêche au homard, 2) de documenter les moyens …

Health Disparities Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Firefighters, Walker Sc Poston, Christopher K. Haddock, Sara A. Jahnke, Nattinee Jitnarin, Rena Sue Day, I David Daniels

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

Background: Racial/ethnic minorities are substantially underrepresented in the fire service and this situation is unique when compared to similarly mentally and physically demanding and hazardous occupations such as the military and law enforcement. There is little systematic research to provide greater clarity about this significant disparity. The purpose of this study is to examine physical and behavioral health issues of racial/ethnic minority firefighters when compared to their white, non-Hispanic counterparts and potentially identify areas for future research that might assist in improving their substantial underrepresentation.

Materials and Methods: We report the results of a secondary analysis of data combining …

Field Study Confirms The Belief That Keeping Busy Helps Control Room Operators Sustain Alertness During The Night Shift, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

Control room operators in a nuclear power plant participated in this on-site study to test the belief that keeping busy helps sustain alertness. Since circadian rhythms strongly affect alertness, the study was designed to account for different times of the 24-hour day.The participating reactor operators worked rotating 8-hour shifts in the control room. Every 20 minutes they reported their alertness and their workload during the preceding period. These ratings were obtained throughout three of each shift, for a total of nine shifts and 560 pairs of ratings. Reduced alertness ratings (2 and 3 on the 9-point alertness scale) occurred only …

Moving The Worksite Health Promotion Profession Forward: Is The Time Right For Requiring Standards? A Review Of The Literature, Cecilia M. Watkins, G. English

Public Health Faculty Publications

Standards in any profession are adopted to assure that the individuals hired are adequately trained and the programs that they oversee are of the highest quality. Worksite health promotion should be no different than any other field. A review of the research conducted by experts in worksite health promotion is examined, along with an assessment of skills needed to ensure that wellness programs are effective and employees, their families and even their communities are educated on the ways to best prevent chronic diseases and occupational incidences through healthy and safe behaviors. From these reviews, this paper explores the processes used …

Role Of Low Exposure To Metals As Male Reproductive Toxicants, H. Anna Jeng, Yeou-Lih Huang, Chih-Hong Pan, Norou Diawara

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The objective of the study was to examine the associations between environmentally relevant low metal concentrations and semen quality parameters in men. The concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and lead (Pb) in the seminal plasma and urine were measured from 196 male human subjects in Taiwan. Urinary Cd concentrations were negatively associated with sperm viability (p=0.006). Seminal plasma Cu concentrations of the normal group (>= 15 x 10(6)/ml) were significantly lower than those of the abnormal group (p=0.023). However, the linear regression analysis showed a weak association between Cu concentration and sperm …

An Exploratory Study Of Dog Park Visits As A Risk Factor For Exposure To Drug-Resistant Extra-Intestinal Pathogenic E. Coli (Expec)., Lubna N. Ahmed, Lance B. Price, Jay P. Graham

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are common causative agents of urinary tract infections in humans. Dogs have been found to harbor ExPEC. This study tested stool samples from dogs (n = 16), the shoes of dog park visitors (n = 16) and the shoes of controls (n = 16) for ExPEC. Phenotypic resistance of isolates was characterized.

Findings

ExPEC were present in one-third of the dog stool samples, 9% of the samples from the shoes of dog park visitors and 6% of control samples. Half of the ExPEC isolates were multi-drug resistant.

Discussion

The findings suggest that dogs may …

Staphylococcus Aureus And The Ecology Of The Nasal Microbiome, Cindy M. Liu, Lance B. Price, Bruce A. Hungate, Alison G. Abraham, Lisbeth A. Larsen, Kaare Christensen, Marc Stegger, Robert Skov, Paal Skytt Andersen

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

The human microbiome can play a key role in host susceptibility to pathogens, including in the nasal cavity, a site favored by Staphylococcus aureus. However, what determines our resident nasal microbiota—the host or the environment—and can interactions among nasal bacteria determine S. aureus colonization? Our study of 46 monozygotic and 43 dizygotic twin pairs revealed that nasal microbiota is an environmentally derived trait, but the host’s sex and genetics significantly influence nasal bacterial density. Although specific taxa, including lactic acid bacteria, can determine S. aureus colonization, their negative interactions depend on thresholds of absolute abundance. These findings demonstrate that …

Characterization Of Contaminants On Firefighter"S Protective Equipment A Firefighter's Potential Exposure To Heavy Metals During A Structure Fire, Donald F. Gagas

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research measured heavy metals, specifically cadmium, chromium, copper, and lead, on the surface of the firefighters bunker gear. Despite the fact that many studies have been conducted regarding the presence of organics in smoke emissions from structure fires, very few studies have investigated the extent of heavy metal emissions found during a structure fire. Using a wipe test procedure samples were collected from firefighters following a structure fire and analyzed for metals. Three locations on the bunker gear were used, the knee, elbow, and chest areas. The results showed that varying amounts of cadmium, chromium, copper and lead adhere …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Firefighter Participation In Wellness Programs Within A Career Fire Department In Northern Ohio, Conner O'Halloran

Online Theses and Dissertations

Firefighters respond to dangerous emergencies every day. The physical and mental wellness of firefighters is very important to their overall job performance. To support this, fire departments must have established, comprehensive wellness programs (International Association of Firefighters, 2008). Even with national standard recommendation of wellness programs, one does not exist in a fire department located in Northern Ohio.

The focus of this research is to explore reasons why these highly recommended wellness programs are not established. Successful establishment of a wellness program requires understanding why this fire department is hesitant or unsuccessful in implementing and maintaining a wellness program.

This …

Effectiveness Of Visual-Based Safety Training Compared With Non-Visual Based Safety Training In The Meat Processing Industry For Non-English Speaking, Hispanic Employees, Erika K. Rinehart

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify whether visual-based safety training for non-English, Spanish speaking employees in the meat industry is more effective than non-visual training. The literature review included in this thesis studies the known barriers to training Hispanic workers, the existing training methods out there for safety training, and the best forms of safety training for non-English, Spanish speaking workers.

The methodology in this research evaluated the effectiveness of visual-based training versus a non-visual training for non-English, Spanish speaking employees in the meat industry. Two training sessions with a total of 30 volunteers was organized in order …

The Current Status Of Safety In High School Chemical Laboratories In Kentucky, Ahmed Rashed Alyammahi

Online Theses and Dissertations

This project is construed as a follow-up of the study conducted by Dr. Jack Gerlovich and his team to assess the status of science safety in Kentucky high schools in 2003-2004. The current study gathered online responses to an expanded survey from 57 high school chemistry teachers in Kentucky. The survey was developed to find answers to four main questions: What is the current status of safety in high school chemical laboratory in Kentucky? To what extent has this status improved or deteriorated since the creation and publication of the Total Science Safety-The Kentucky Edition CD in 2003? What are …

Behavior Based Safety And The Multi-Generational Workforce, Edward Paul Grzybowski

Online Theses and Dissertations

Generational differences of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials regarding their acceptance of feedback and observations were studied in order to determine if different approaches to each were needed in order to effectively implement a Behavior Based Safety program within a specific company. The study found that there was a greater difference between generations regarding observations than on other domains. The results suggest that additional research should be undertaken in order to extrapolate the findings to a larger population.

Portrait De L’Accueil Et De La Formation À L’Embauche Des Étudiants Occupant Un Emploi Pendant L’Année Scolaire, Élise Ledoux, Luc Laberge, Chloé Thuilier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le cumul études-travail a crû de manière significative au cours des 30 dernières années au Québec. Plusieurs entreprises, notamment dans le secteur des services, comptent sur les étudiants pour pourvoir une partie de leurs besoins en main-d’œuvre. Ces emplois permettent aux étudiants de développer une première expérience professionnelle, mais ils les exposent également, tôt dans leur parcours professionnel, à certains risques professionnels qui peuvent avoir des impacts sur leur santé et leur sécurité. Les conditions d’accueil et d’intégration des nouveaux travailleurs sont de plus en plus reconnues comme une cible de prévention pertinente.

À partir d’entrevues menées auprès de 70 …

Nanoparticle Measurement, Control And Characterization: Procedure Applied To Machining Processes And Mechanical Friction, Victor Songmene, Riad Khettabi, Martin Viens, Jules Kouam, Stéphane Hallé, François Morency, Jacques Masounave, Abdelhakim Djebara

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Alors que les nanotechnologies émergentes ouvrent des voies prometteuses dans plusieurs secteurs d’activité, des études suggèrent que les nanoparticules (NP) qu’elles génèrent pourraient avoir des effets négatifs, notamment sur la santé et sur l’environnement. Celles-ci peuvent être générées lors de la fabrication, de la manutention et de l’assemblage de pièces métalliques ordinaires et de celles à base de nanomatériaux. D’autres activités quotidiennes, telles que le freinage des automobiles, peuvent aussi produire des NP. Il est donc urgent de trouver des moyens de contrôler ces risques. Cependant, les techniques et méthodes usuelles …

Latino Immigrant Workers’ Search For Justice After Occupational Injury, Carla Gabriela Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latino immigrants encounter an entanglement of rights and policies after occupational injury or illness. In collaboration with an immigrant worker center, ethnographic research and a survey are used to analyze injured workers’ experiences. The center uses survey results to identify common threads and systematic problems, and to explore potential direct action. Through interviews with workers and medical and legal professionals, I investigate the barriers Latino immigrants face following occupational injury or illness, how their lived experiences relate to the greater medicolegal frameworks that demarcate most formal processes of compensation and treatment, and the experiences of professionals who mediate these structures. …

Minority Stress, Depression, Relationship Quality, And Alcohol Use: Associations With Overweight And Obesity Among Partnered Young Adult Lesbians, Tyler B. Mason, Robin J. Lewis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Although lesbian women are more likely to be obese compared to heterosexual women, relatively little research has examined correlates of overweight and obesity among lesbians. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of minority stress and depression, relationship quality, and alcohol-use variables to overweight and obesity among lesbians in relationships.

Method: Self-identified lesbians (n = 737) in current relationships completed measures of demographics, minority stress, depressive symptoms, relationship variables, and alcohol use.

Results: Overweight and obesity were associated with more public identification as a lesbian, more depressive symptoms, increased heavy drinking, longer relationship length, and lower …

Determination Of Triglycidyl Isocyanurate From Air Samples By Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled With Coordination Ion Spray Mass Spectrometry, Sébastien Gagné, Marielle Carrier, Simon Aubin

Études primaires

Rationale

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with coordination ion spray tandem mass spectrometry was used for the analysis of air samples containing triglycidyl isocyanurate. The method is not affected by any chromatographic interference and the filter extract is compatible with the UPLC system, as opposed to approaches using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Methods

Accu-cap^™ filters that had sampled triglycidyl isocyanurate were extracted using a mixture of acetonitrile/acetone (95/5) diluted with 3 volumes of water and were then analyzed. The mass spectrometry method uses sodium as the alkali adduct complexing …

Particle Loading Time And Humidity Effects On The Efficiency Of An N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Model Under Constant And Inhalation Cyclic Flows, Alireza Mahdavi, Fariborz Haghighat, Ali Bahloul, Clothilde Brochot, Claude Ostiguy

Études primaires

It is necessary to investigate the efficiencies of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) exposed to ultrafine particles (UFPs) for long periods of time, since the particle loading time may potentially affect the efficiency of FFRs. This article aims to investigate the filtration efficiency for a model of electrostatic N95 FFRs with constant and ‘inhalation-only’ cyclic flows, in terms of particle loading time effect, using different humidity conditions. Filters were exposed to generated polydisperse NaCl particles. Experiments were performed mimicking an ‘inhalation-only’ scenario with a cyclic flow of 85 l min ^–1 as the minute volume [or 170 l min ^–1 as …

Détection Moléculaire Des Bactéries Du Genre Légionella Dans L’Eau Des Tours De Refroidissement Et L’Eau De Consommation, Geneviève Marchand, Nancy Lacombe

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les bactéries du genre Legionella sont répandues dans plusieurs environnements tant naturels qu’artificiels. Les concentrations rencontrées dans les environnements naturels sont très faibles. Les phénomènes de contamination se rencontrent principalement dans les réservoirs artificiels où les températures de l’eau sont maintenues entre 25 et 42 °C, et où existe une certaine stagnation ainsi que la présence de dépôts, de biofilms et d’amibes. Les bains à remous, les piscines, les condensateurs d’évaporation, les brumisateurs et les tours de refroidissement sont reconnus comme étant des sources responsables de l’éclosion de légionellose en raison de la croissance importante des bactéries du genre Legionella …

Étude Exploratoire Sur La Caractérisation De La Masse Apparente D’Un Système Couplé Corps Assis – Siège Élastique Soumis À Des Vibrations Dans L’Axe Vertical, Subhash Rakheja, Krishna Dewangan, Pierre Marcotte, Arman Shahmir, Suresh Patra

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Cette étude explore un système de mesure à pellicule mince de la pression à l’interface corps-siège (Tekscan Inc.) pour caractériser les réponses biodynamiques de sujets humains assis sur des sièges élastiques et exposés à des vibrations dans l’axe vertical. L’étude porte sur un siège rigide et trois sièges élastiques : un siège constitué d’un bloc de mousse de polyuréthane (MPU) plat d’une épaisseur de 8 cm (siège A), un siège de véhicule automobile flexible et moulant (siège B) et un coussin gonflable à bulles d’air (siège C). La validité du système …

An Exploratory Study For Characterizing Seated Body Apparent Mass Coupled With Elastic Seats Under Vertical Vibration, Subhash Rakheja, Krishna Dewangan, Pierre Marcotte, Arman Shahmir, Suresh Patra

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Cette étude explore un système de mesure à pellicule mince de la pression à l’interface corps-siège (Tekscan Inc.) pour caractériser les réponses biodynamiques de sujets humains assis sur des sièges élastiques et exposés à des vibrations dans l’axe vertical. L’étude porte sur un siège rigide et trois sièges élastiques : un siège constitué d’un bloc de mousse de polyuréthane (MPU) plat d’une épaisseur de 8 cm (siège A), un siège de véhicule automobile flexible et moulant (siège B) et un coussin gonflable à bulles d’air (siège C). La validité du système …

Étude En Soufflerie De L’Effet Des Bâtiments Adjacents Sur La Dispersion En Champ Proche Des Émissions Polluantes De Cheminées De Toit, Ted Stathopoulos, Bodhisatta Hajra, Mauricio Chavez, Ali Bahloul

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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La dispersion des polluants des émissions de cheminées de toit dans la couche limite est fortement influencée par la présence de bâtiments avoisinants et la topographie locale. Il est donc très difficile d’évaluer précisément les concentrations dans le panache sur différentes surfaces de bâtiments. Les polluants émis par une cheminée de toit peuvent présenter des risques pour la santé des occupants des bâtiments s’ils se réintroduisent dans le bâtiment duquel ils émanent ou s’ils pénètrent dans un bâtiment voisin par des ouvertures se trouvant sur différentes surfaces de bâtiments. La plupart …

L’Effet De Bâtiments En Amont Et En Aval Sur La Dispersion Des Effluents : Une Approche Axée Sur La Mécanique Des Fluides Numérique (Cfd), Ali Bahloul, Ted Stathopoulos, Bodhisatta Hajra, Mauricio Chavez

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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La prédiction de la dispersion des émissions polluantes de cheminées de toit en milieu urbain est extrêmement complexe, tout particulièrement en présence de bâtiments voisins. Le comportement du panache dépend des caractéristiques du vent, mais il est aussi lourdement influencé par l’environnement. Il se peut ainsi que les effluents émis par une cheminée de toit se réintroduisent dans le bâtiment émetteur ou dans un bâtiment adjacent, exposant du coup les occupants à d’éventuels problèmes de santé. La conception et l’implantation optimales de cheminées d’évacuation pour limiter une telle réingestion au niveau …

Risk Factors For Slip Accidents Among Police Officers And School Crossing Guards: An Exploratory Study, Chantal Gauvin, David Pearsall, Mohsen Damavandi, Yannick Michaud-Paquette, Bruno Farbos, Daniel Imbeau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Entre 2005 et 2007, les accidents de type glissades, trébuchements et chutes de même niveau ont représenté 12,6 % de l’ensemble des lésions indemnisées par la Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST) et ont entraîné des débours de 90 millions de dollars. Deux secteurs professionnels, soit les policiers et les brigadiers scolaires, ont sollicité l’appui de l’Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) pour les aider à réduire et/ou prévenir les glissades qui, globalement, représentent près de la moitié de ces accidents. Afin de mieux cibler les interventions …

Investigation Of Low Back And Shoulder Demand During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: The Effect Of Different Compression-Ventilation Ratios, Richard Scott Dainty

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: The current American Heart Association (AHA) standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed with a compression-ventilation ratio of 30:2 (standard CPR), meaning 30 compressions are applied to the chest followed by the administration of two breaths to the victim. Some evidence has shown that performing continuous chest compressions rather than standard CPR with breaks in chest compressions for administering breaths, may increase survival rates after cardiac arrest. Cont-CPR has been shown to be very fatiguing in nature, with a significant drop in chest compression force within the first two minutes of CPR. The purpose of this study was to examine …

Transient Trunk Flexion: The Potential To Alleviate Low Back Pain During Prolonged Standing, Danielle M. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The current study examined potential benefits of intermittent, short-term periods of full trunk flexion on the development of low back pain (LBP) over two hours of standing. Sixteen participants completed a 2-hour standing protocol, on two separate days. On one day, participants stood statically for 2 hours; on the other day participants bent forward to full spine flexion for 5 seconds every 15-minutes. During both protocols, participants reported LBP using a 100mm visual analogue scale every 15-minutes. During the flexion trials, erector spinae muscle activation was monitored. Ultimately, intermittent trunk flexion reduced LBP by 36% (10mm) at the end of …

Emergency Medical Service Worker Knowledge Of And Compliance With Occupational Exposures To Infectious Diseases, Debra Ann Wrentz-Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firefighter Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responder personnel are at a high risk for occupational exposures to bloodborne and airborne infectious pathogens due to their unpredictable work duties in the pre-hospital environment. Not much is known about the compliance with Universal Precautions (UP) among firefighter EMS responders' personnel with regards to occupational exposures to infectious diseases. The purpose of this cross-sectional research study was to determine the relationship between compliance with UP, knowledge of UP, attitudes towards UP, occupational practices, and occupational exposures to bloodborne and airborne pathogens to prevent transmission of infectious disease among firefighter EMS responder personnel in the …