IRAN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOURNAL
Year:2009 | Volume:6 | Issue:2|Papers Count:12

Background and aims: Fiberglass is extensively used in the manufacture of textiles, as a Fortifying substance in plastic industry and in the production of sound proof and thermal insulators.However, despite its wide application, the nature of its respiratory effects, if any, is a controversial Issue and has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to assess the possible pulmonary reactions associated with this compound.Method: Forty-nine fiberglass workers and 42 unexposed employees as the referent group from a local fiberglass industry were studied. Standardized respiratory questionnaires were administered to them; they underwent chest x-ray and the parameters of their pulmonary function were measured. Moreover, reparable dust concentrations were measured in different dusty worksites.Findings: The average (mean±SD) age of exposed individuals and length of exposure to fiberglass were 39.6±7.34 and 11.2±5.59 years, respectively. Atmospheric concentrations of reparable fraction of fiberglass dust in the Line and Tissueun its were found to be 44.5 and 6.27 mg/m3, respectively. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms and abnormalities in chest x-rays of exposed and unexposed subjects and the results of their lung function parameters were not significantly different (P>0.05). However, significant associations between length of exposure to fiberglass and age with FEV1/FVC ratio (P<0.05) were noted.Conclusion: Our data provide further evidence in favor of the notion that exposure to fiberglass dust is unlikely to be associated with respiratory symptoms, abnormal radiographic changes or functional impairments of the lungs.

Background and aims: The main objective of this research was assessing the effects of lead on the mental health of laborers engaged in tinworks of a car making company in Tehran city. Method: This study is a descriptive and cross sectional study. The sample included matched and randomly selected of 30 tin laborers and 30 administration employees in a car making company in Tehran city. The 28 version of general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) used as a screening tool for detection of mental disorders in the two groups.Findings: Study on knowledge of tin work shop employees showed that 16.7%of them were not familiar with lead effects on their body. There was a meaningful difference between total scores of two groups in GHQ-28. 28.3 percent of samples were detected as mental patients; the prevalence rate was 33.3 percent in tin laborers and 23.3 percent in administration employee. Conclusion: This study shows that working with lead, increases prevalence of mental disorders in the work environment and decreases their efficacy, Therefore with conducting training workshops in the aspects of mental health and immunization, can prevent and promote the mental health status of laborers.

Background and Aims: Low dose and long term exposure to inorganic, organic, irritant and allergic substances in workplaces can slowly and gradually cause chronic diseases such as chronic bronchitis, asthma and pneumoconiosis. The purpose of this study is the exact determination of lung diseases prevalence in Turquoise Miners and determination of associated factors in these diseases.Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, 117 of retired and present workers of Nishabour Turquoise Mine were studied about lung diseases. Data was collected by using respiratory questionnaire, interview, lung examination, spirometry, chest X-Ray and Manto test. Results: Mean age of workers was 42.9, Experience mean was 11.5 years.7 workers suffered from simple silicosis and one worker suffered from PMF. All of patients had been retired. Abnormal spirometry was presented in 30/3% that 25% of them were obstructive, 4% of were restrictive and 13% of them were mixed.Conclusion: The results of this survey show that exposure to silica dust besides of silicosis, causes obstructive lung diseases. Because of cureless complications and permanent disability of this disease, preventive measures in mines especially primary preventive measures are effective methods for prevention that must be considered by employee, employers and occupational health specialists.

Background and aims: Control room is a palpitating heart of a system, and any error in operator’s duties has irreparable consequences. Nowadays, in many work places such as nuclear industry, military and chemical parts human error can cause catastrophic event that led many events around the world, so the purpose of this study is analyzing human error in a utility unit control room of a Petrochemical Company using HEART method. Methods: Data collection was done by direct observation methods, interview with "Bordman", senior shift, boss of Fuel vapor, related experts and analysis of previous incidents that occur. Then job analysis and human error identified respectively by HTA and TRACEr technique. Additionally, the error probability determined with HEART techniques which is a one of the tools of human reliability assessment. Results: The most important factors in incidence of human error at the control room operators were: fatigue, experience, consciousness, complexity of information, focus error and Error producing conditions were diagnosed: mental stress, High workload, focus, clear guidelines, lack of training and the task adaptation,. The most calculated likely error in the duties: reload bugs, boiler commissioning, control of production, maintenance, warning signs control.Conclusion: the results can be acknowledged that supervisor duties "Nobatkar" control room because of a high sensitivity range of error likely to have occurred and solutions must be proposed.This technique for this group should be priorited.

Background and aims: the main part of students' time is spent at school. Recent studies have released that lack of match between students' anthropometry size and dimensions of existing furniture is a risk factor in creating discomfort and muscle- skeletal disorders (such as backache and neck pain), reducing concentration, increasing fatigue, restless and eyestrain in youths and students.Method: In this study 982 students, 493 male (50.2%) and 489 female (49.8%) ranging 7 – 12 years old, were selected. In addition to age, sex, weight and height, six dimensions of anthropometric measures including: shoulder height, elbow rest height, knee height, popliteal height, buttock-popliteal length and hip breadth by anthropometry, caliper and adjustable seat height, goniometry, tape and scale, were taken into account.Findings: This study explains that there is a significant difference between the minimum and maximum acceptable and available dimensions of furniture (p<0.001). The Height of desk in old design is higher than acceptable height for many students (in the order of size in 100, 95.4, and 74.3 percent). The seat depth in this design is shorter for the majority of students (in the order of size in 92.1,92 and 97.9 percent of studied students). Conclusion: In designing suitable furniture for students, considering available anthropometry differences in age and sex is essential.

Background and aim: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) have been widely applied to Different home and offices' appliances as flame retardant additives to inhibit ignition and enhance the fire safety. Their toxicity, health effects, and resistance to environmental degradation are matters of great interested among scientists. Airborne concentrations of PBDE in residential homes were determined in this study.Method: In a cross sectional study, 33 residential homes were selected and airborne concentrations of PBDEs were investigated using PUF disk passive air samplers. Also in two building the concentraction of PBDEs were monitored in two rooms of a department in each building for 12 months.Results: Average airborne concentration of LPBDE (sum of congeners 17, 28, 47, 49, 66, 85, 99, 100, 153, and 154) for all locations monitored was 52 (4-245) pgm-3. While in one of the buildings the contaminant level of bedroom was significantly higher than the living room, PBDE concentrations remained relatively constant for whole monitoring period. Conclusion: The range of concentrations results to a wide variation between inhalation intakes of dwellers of the lowest and the highest contaminated homes (~50 folds). 

Background and objective: Bioaerosol exposure is associated with a vast range of adverse health effects in Cluding infectious diseases, acute toxic effects, allergy and cancer. This study was conducted to determine type and concentration of bioaerosols in ambient air of educational hospitals.Method: In this cross-sectional study, different wards of 5 educational hospitals including nurse station, patient room, isolation room and operation room were investigated. Totally, 300 air samples were taken based on NIOSH standard method. Blood agar and malt extract agar were used as sampling media. Andersen single-stage sampler with flow of 28.3 lit/min was applied for air sampling. The average sampling time was 10 minutes. Soon after air sampling, samples were shipped to lab and incubated for 48 hours. Then, incubated samples were counted for colonies. Concentration was determined in CFU/m3.Findings: the highest and the lowest concentrations were observed in patient room and operation room, respectively. In spite of sterilization, different types of fungi (i.e. Aspergillus niger) and gram-positive bacteria are seen in samples. The results showed that in all hospitals the concentration in all wards were higher than 30 CFU/m3 as the suggested value. Conclusion: Concentrations of bioaerosols in all hospitals studied were higher than the suggested value. For reducing bioaerosol exposure, standard ventilation system should be designed and utilized.

Background and aims: Traffic noise barriers are the most important measure to control the environmental noise pollution. Diffraction from top edge of noise barriers is the most important path of indirect sound wave moves towards receiver. There fore, most studies are focused on improvement of this kind.Method: T-shape profile barriers are one of the most successful barriers among many different profiles. In this investigation the theory of destructive effect of diffracted waves from real edge of barrier and the wave diffracted from image of the barrier with phase difference of radians is used.Firstly a simple mathematical representation of the zones behind rigid and absorbent T- shape barriers with the highest insertion loss using the destructive effect of indirect path via barrier image is introduced and then two different profile reflective and absorption barrier is used for verification of the introduced model.Findings: The results are then compared with the results of a verified two dimensional boundary element method at 1/3 octave band frequencies and in a wide field behind those barriers. Avery good agreement between the results has been achieved. In this method effective height is used for any different profile barriers.Conclusion: The introduced model is very simple, flexible and fast and could be used for choosing the best location of profile rigid and absorptive barriers to achieve the highest performance.