Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Development Of A Confined Space Risk Analysis And Work Categoraziation Tool, Yuvin Chinniah, Ali Bahloul, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Brigitte Roberge

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, le Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RSST) définit un espace clos à l’article 1 (ce projet a été mené avec la définition d’un espace clos applicable en 2016. Cette définition a été modifiée le 25 juillet 2023). Le travail en espace clos est une problématique qui concerne à la fois les secteurs municipal, manufacturier, chimique, militaire, agricole, de la construction et du transport. Les espaces clos parmi les plus courants en industrie sont les réservoirs, les silos, les cuves, les puits d’accès, les fosses, les égouts, les …

Design Of Horizontal Lifeline Systems For Fall Protection: Update Of Technical Guide, Bertrand Galy, André Lan

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les chutes de hauteur sont encore aujourd’hui une des causes majeures d’accidents du travail. Trop souvent, les travailleurs ne s’attachent pas, faute de point d’ancrage disponible, ou parce qu’ils trouvent que les points d’attache fixes restreignent trop leurs mouvements. Cette restriction peut toutefois être levée grâce aux systèmes de corde d’assurance horizontale (SCAH). Le présent rapport constitue la mise à jour du guide technique T-18 publié en 1991 et rend ce dernier caduc. Cette mise à jour était devenue nécessaire à la suite de l’introduction, en 2001, au Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (CSTC), de l’obligation d’équiper …

Green Jobs In Quebec: Definition And Assessment Of Potential Chemical And Biological Risks To Workers' Health, Erwan Cheneval, Marc-Antoine Busque, Claude Ostiguy, Jacques Lavoie, Robert Bourbonnais, France Labrèche, Joseph Zayed

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les emplois générés par les efforts d’écologisation de l’économie sont en pleine croissance. Ces emplois, couramment appelés « emplois verts », étaient estimés en 2010 à plus de 155 000 au Québec et à 682 000 au Canada. Ces chiffres dépendent bien entendu des définitions données aux termes « écologie » et « environnement », mais donnent une idée de l’importance de ce secteur en croissance. Plusieurs nouvelles technologies se développent et il est impératif d’en apprécier les risques potentiels pour la santé des travailleurs.

L’objectif de cette recherche est de tracer le portrait québécois des emplois verts et d’apprécier …

Consequences Of Job Stress For The Psychological Well-Being Of Teachers, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi, Peter Luehring-Jones

Publications and Research

This chapter examines research on the relationship between job stressors and mental health (depressive symptoms, burnout, and mental disorders such as depression) in teachers. Teachers are exposed daily to job stressors (e.g., student disruptiveness) that have been linked to adverse mental health effects. Epidemiologic research indicates that when compared to members of other groups, teachers experience higher rates of mental disorder, although some studies question that conclusion. Large-scale studies indicate when compared to members of other occupational groups, teachers are at higher risk for exposure to workplace violence, with its adverse mental health consequences. Longitudinal research has linked teaching-related stressors …

Indoor Air Quality, Clint Pinion Jr.

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

An indoor air quality study was conducted on a ‘net-zero energy’ school using a TSI Velocicalc Model 9555-p with probe model 982, passive radon monitors, visual inspection protocol, and an indoor environmental quality survey of school faculty and staff. Average indoor temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in several areas within the school were not within IAQ guidelines. Three rooms on the school’s grounds had radon levels exceeding the action level. Recommended solutions included installing return and supply air ducts in hallways and relative humidity and temperature monitors in classrooms with high-pitched ceilings.

Effects Of Instrument Handle Design On Dental Hygienists' Forearm Muscle Activity During Scaling, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Susan L. Tolle, Gayle Mccombs, Martha L. Walker, Daniel M. Russell

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 4 different commercially available instrument handle designs (A. 16 grams and 12.7 mm diameter, B. 23 grams and 11.1 mm diameter, C. 21 grams and 7.9 mm diameter and D. 18 grams and 6.35 mm diameter) on the muscle activity of four forearm muscles during a simulated scaling experience.

Methods: A convenience sample of 27 (n=27) dental hygienists used a Columbia 13/14 curet with four different instrument handles to scale artificial calculus from typodont teeth. Each participant's muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography (sEMG).

Results: Similar muscle …

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

Theses

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

Difference Between Male And Female Workers Lifting The Same Relative Load When Palletizing Boxes, André Plamondon, Christian Larivière, Denys Denis, Hakim Mecheri, Iuliana Nastasia

Études primaires

A few biomechanical studies have contrasted the work techniques of female and male workers during manual material handling (MMH). A recent study showed that female workers differed from males mostly in the strategy they used to lift 15-kg boxes from the ground, especially regarding task duration, knee and back postures and interjoint coordination. However, the lifting technique difference observed in females compared to males was perhaps due to a strength differences. The objective of this study was to test whether female workers would repeat the same lifting technique with a load adjusted to their overall strength (females: 10 kg; males: …

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

Online Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Online Theses and Dissertations

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

In order to understand …

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

Online Theses and Dissertations

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

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

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

Online Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Online Theses and Dissertations

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

Accuracy And Repeatability Of Single-Pose Calibration Of Inertial Measurement Units For Whole-Body Motion Analysis, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

Portable inertial measurement units (IMUs) are suitable for motion analysis outside the laboratory. However, IMUs depend on the calibration of each body segment to measure human movement. Different calibration approaches have been developed for simplicity of use or similarity to laboratory motion analysis, but they have not been extensively examined. The main objective of the study was to determine the accuracy and repeatability of two common single-pose calibrations (N-pose and T-pose) under different conditions of placement (self-placement and passive placement), as well as their similarity to laboratory analysis based on anatomical landmarks. A further aim of the study was to …

Obesity And Obesity Shape Markedly Influence Spine Biomechanics: A Subject-Specific Risk Assessment Model, Farshid Ghezelbash, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, André Plamondon, Navid Arjmand, Mohammad Parnianpour

Études primaires

Underlying mechanisms of obesity-related back pain remain unexplored. Thus, we aim to determine the effect of obesity and its shapes on the spinal loads and the associated risks of injury. Obesity shapes were initially constructed by principal component analysis based on datasets on 5852 obese individuals. Spinal loads, cycles to vertebral failure and trunk stability margin were estimated in a subject-specific trunk model taking account of personalized musculature, passive ligamentous spine, obesity shapes, segmental weights, spine kinematics and bone mineral density. Three obesity shapes (mean and extreme abdominal circumferences) at three body weights (BWs) of 86, 98 and 109 kg …

The Effect Of An 8-Week Stabilization Exercise Program On The Lumbopelvic Rhythm And Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon, Ali Shahvarpour, Sharon M. Henry, Richard Preuss, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Background

Lumbar stabilization exercise programs should normalize the aberrant movements patterns often observed in patients with low back pain. This study aimed to determine the effect of an 8-week lumbar stabilization program on EMG/kinematics measures of the aberrant movement patterns in such patients. A secondary goal was to assess the 8-week test-retest reliability of these measures.

Methods

The patients followed an 8-week lumbar stabilization program while no intervention was carried out on the controls. Before and after this period, kinematics of the spine along with the EMG of paraspinal muscles were recorded during trunk maximal flexion-extension. ANOVAs tested the effect …

Use Of The Novel Derivatizing Agent 1,8-Diaminonapthalene With The Cip10 Sampler To Measure 4,4'-Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate Atmospheres, Silvia Puscasu, Simon Aubin, Philippe Sarazin, Lucile Richard, Mark Spence, Sébastien Gagné

Études primaires

DAN is a novel derivatizing agent for isocyanate sampling which targets total reactive isocyanate group (TRIG). Field evaluations have been conducted for 4,4’-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) sampling using DAN as the derivatizing agent in a CIP10. The perimidone formed, selective of TRIG, was analyzed in laboratory by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Workplaces using MDI-based polyurethane spray foam and MDI wood product binder were studied. Each study compared the data obtained between the CIP10/DAN, the CIP10/MP, and a reference method. As a first evaluation, the CIP10/DAN sampled simulated MDI spray foam atmosphere in parallel with impingers (reference method) …

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

Theses and Dissertations

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

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

School of Education

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

Risk Register And Risk Intelligence: The Challenge Of Operational Risks In The Energy Sector, Maria Chiara Leva, B. Mcaleer, M. Rocke, D. Brogan

Conference papers

This paper presents the needs and the challenges encountered in developing a company-wide risk register in the energy sector. The study presented comes from an electricity generation company and it was useful to indicate areas where the concept of risk registers could be extended to make better use of existing data and to support continuous improvement of risk management. Six key areas are discussed 1) aggregation of risks across the business, 2) supporting controls over mitigation measures, 3) improved estimation of event likelihood, 4) integrating with critical asset registers, 5) improving risk communication, and 6) linking with day-to-day operational practice. …

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

Theses

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