Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Examining The Value Of Fire Prevention Inspections In Commercial Occupancies, Philip Steven Gairson

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research paper will evaluate the value of conducting fire prevention inspections within the commercial occupancy and the associated reduction in the occurrence of fires. While the fire problem within the United States has experienced a decline in the number of fires and fire related injuries, the reality is that the nation continues to experience significant fire loss. With the introduction of more comprehensive codes and standards, the enforcement of fire regulations becomes paramount in maintaining a fire safe community. Typically, fire prevention enforcement is accomplished through annual fire inspections performed by the fire department. While personnel within the fire …

Impact Of Climate Change On Occupational Health And Safety, Ariane Adam-Poupart, France Labrèche, Audrey Smargiassi, Patrice Duguay, Marc-Antoine Busque, Charles Gagné, Joseph Zayed

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les effets des changements climatiques (CC) sont souvent discutés en fonction de leurs impacts sur l’environnement et sur la population générale. Toutefois, leurs conséquences sur la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs (SST) n'ont été que très peu abordées par la communauté scientifique. Pourtant, les travailleurs peuvent être directement ou indirectement affectés par les CC notamment par des contraintes thermiques auxquelles ils peuvent être exposés ou encore, par des modifications aux écosystèmes qui sont à la base de leurs activités économiques. L’objectif général de cette étude était d’explorer les avenues de recherche en regard de l’impact négatif des changements climatiques …

Thermal Stress In North Western Australian Iron Ore Mining Staff, Jermiah John Peiffer, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2013

Introduction: Demand for Australian mined iron ore has increased employment within this sector, thus exposing increased numbers of workers to the harsh Australian climate. This study examined the influence of hot (>30°C wet bulb globe temperature) environmental temperatures, consistent with working in North Western Australia, on iron ore mining staff.

Methods: Core temperature, hydration status, perceived exertion, mood, and fatigue state were measured in 77 participants at three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-shift) during a normal 12-h shift at an open-cut iron ore mining/processing site (n = 31; Site1) and an iron ore processing/shipping site (n = 46; …

Occupational Respiratory Health Surveillance At Minara Resources, Murrin Murrin Mine Site [Journal Article], Martyn Cross, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2013

A respiratory health study of fly-in-fly-out workers potentially exposed to airborne contaminants, and a control group, was conducted at the Murrin Murrin mine site in Western Australia. Lung function was measured in terms of validated protocols (American Thoracic Society, 1995; Miller et al, 2005). The effect of length of service, as well as work area/department on lung function was established. Repeat lung function tests were conducted after approximately two years, in order to measure decrements over time. Furthermore, testing was conducted on a cohort of refinery workers prior to commencement and upon completion of their work period on-site (swing), in …

Mining Workers Ability To Identify Hazards Using A Picture Survey, Susanne T. Bahn

Research outputs 2013

This paper presents the first phase on a study investigating the skills of workers in the resource sector at their safety induction to identify workplace hazards. This study questioned the ability of managers and employees to identify workplace hazards correctly (phase 1) and to determine the processes that can be used to increase hazard identification skills (phase 2). Fifty-four completed surveys that contained 6 pictures displaying complex and hazardous work environments in an underground mine in WA are analysed. The analysis sought to determine the average number of hazards that each participant could identify out of a possible 10 in …

The Unmet Promise Of Occupational Health And Safety Harmonisation: Continued Complexity For Small, Multi-Jurisdictional Firms, Susanne T. Bahn, Susan Mayson, Rowena Barrett, Llandis G. Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2013

Harmonisation of state-based occupational health and safety (OHS) regimes is a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) initiative designed to ‘cut red tape’ for Australian firms. However Western Australia’s, South Australia’s and Victoria’s lack of harmonisation makes it problematic for firms that conduct business in multiple jurisdictions. In this paper we investigate what impacts harmonisation has on firms generally and specifically smaller, multi-jurisdictional firms. First, we look at the requirements of the model WHS Act and what it said about managerial responsibilities for OHS. We focus on the due diligence clause which places personal liability on company directors or persons conducting …

Harmonisation Of Construction Health And Safety Laws In Australia, Manikam Pillay

Research outputs 2013

For over four decades all states and territories in Australia have maintained their own and separate set of laws for the management of health and safety risks in construction. This resulted in at least ten different sets of health and safety legislation. Responding to calls for national uniformity, a harmonised set of laws wer issued in 2011 by the Federal Government, in the form of Model Work Health and safety Act and Regulations. These, together with industry-specific codes of practice, are expected to provide construction organisations their first ever common set of standards and benchmarks across the states and territories …

Illegitimate Tasks And Employee Well-Being: A Daily Diary Study, Erin Eatough

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on an occupational stressor that has been recently introduced to the literature, illegitimate tasks, or tasks that seem unreasonable or unnecessary at work. Previous work has demonstrated the relationship between illegitimate tasks and a narrow set of discrete emotions as well as negative employee performance behaviors. The current research contributes to the literature by expanding the nomological network associated with illegitimate tasks and uses a rigorous daily diary methodology in a full-time working sample. It was expected that illegitimate tasks reduce state levels of self-esteem as well as other employee well-being indicators including anger, depressive mood, fatigue, …

Evaluation Of A Novel Rapid Diagnostic Test For Schistosoma Haematobium Based On The Detection Of Human Immunoglobulins Bound To Filtered Schistosoma Haematobium Eggs, Johnathan M. Sheele, Jimmy H. Kihara, Sarah Baddorf, Jonathan Byrne, Bhaskara Ravi

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Objectives To determine whether the detection of human IgG bound to Schistosoma haematobium eggs from filtered urine could be used as a rapid diagnostic test (RDT-Sh).

Methods We filtered 160 urine samples from children in the Kwale District of Kenya to isolate S.haematobium eggs and used anti-human IgG antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase to bind to the human IgG attached to the eggs. We then added 3,35,5-tetramethylbenzidine base (TMB), which turns blue in the presence of horseradish peroxidase to detect the S.haematobium eggs. The RDT-Sh was compared in a blinded manner to urine microscopy.

Results The RDT-Sh was positive in …

Factors Influencing The Incidence Rates Of Injuries And Accidents Among Seafarers And Rig Workers Providing Support To The Wa Offshore Oil And Gas Industry, Tony Martinovich

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this study was to identify, discuss and make recommendations regarding causal factors associated with injuries and accidents among seafarers and rig workers providing support to the WA offshore oil and gas industry. These incidents cause significant personal and economic burdens for employees, employers and the community in general.

A sample of 484 participants were recruited from a workforce of 9800 employees (approximately 5%). Participants were stratified into 2 cohorts; those who had suffered injury (286 – study group) and those who had not (198 - controls).

Data from the study group were stratified into oilrig workers and …

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 …