Journal of Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention
Year:2014 | Volume:2 | Issue:5|Papers Count:9

Backgrounds and Objective: This study was conducted to determine the role of human risk factors in the severity of road traffic accidents on urban and rural roads.Materials and Methods: All data from road traffic-injured subjects (census, 592168) which were registered by the Fava system (COM forms) were investigated. Human risk factors due to road traffic injuries and the Odds ratio were calculated using an ordinal regression model and adjusted to probable confounding risk factors such as age, gender and lighting system in urban and rural roads.Results: The mean age of the subjects was 34.1±14.0 years. Among human risk factors, the highest percentage (69.9%) was allocated to the disregard of rules and legislation. The Odds ratio of an accident being fatal or non-fatal in inner city roads to alcohol users was 6.5 times more than for those who did not have this risk factor (OR: 6.5, CI: 4.88-8.65). In outer city roads it was also the highest among other ratios (OR: 1.73, CI: 1.22-3.29).Conclusion: In spite of the fact that alcohol had the highest effect on the severity of road traffic injuries, but acknowledging the low prevalence of this factor and its outcome on lower attributable risks when compared to other factors, it is a better prevention program to focus on those factors which are more prevalent, such as the disregard of rules and legislation and speed.

Backgrounds and Objective: Due to population growth and expansion of agricultural industry in recent years, wastewater treatment is unavoidable. Therefore, using the Electrocoagulation process with aluminum electrodes to eliminate bacteria in hospital wastewater.Materials and Methods: This study is a pilot-scale batch that to verify removal rate of bacteria in hospital wastewater by using direct current electric. In this study, the effects of variables such as time (30, 60, 90 min), voltage (10, 20, 30 v) and type of electrode (Al) on the efficiency of bacterial removal were studied.Results: The results shows that with increasing contact time and voltage, removal efficiency increases. The results indicate that the retention time and voltage changes can have different effects on bacterial removal efficiency. The rising voltage and time are causing increase bacterial removal efficiency due to the rapid production of hydrolysis products.Conclusion: The research results indicate that electric voltage treatment is effective for rapid removal of microorganisms in hospital wastewaters.

Backgrounds and Objective: Growth of the plastics industry in recent decades has been dramatic. Poly Vinyl Chloride is one of the most widely used plastics in the world that granules in the thermal process decompose to Vinyl Chloride Monomer and is released in work air environment. This study aimed to evaluate occupational exposure and estimate workers' exposure with vinyl chloride monomer risk.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 100 workers at two Plastic factories in Tehran (A, B) was performed. Personal monitoring of workers to Vinyl Chloride Monomer was conducted by Optimized Method No.1007 from NIOSH. Atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, pressure, air velocity, and relative humidity were measured simultaneously along with personal monitoring. Quantitative risk assessment of workers was computed in the form of Standard Mortality Rate and incident rate cancer. Statistical analysis of data was conducted by SPSS version 19.Results: Climatic parameters in the plant A and B for a relative humidity were 43.77 ± 16.71 and 37.16±14.45 % and temperature 20.95 ± 3.34 and 21.05 ± 2.20oC, air pressure 87.48 ± 0.54 and 87.41 ± 0.64 kPa and air velocity 0.13 ± 0.08 and 0.10 ± 0.06 meters per second were measured respectively. Occupational exposure to Vinyl Chloride Monomer plants A and B were 1.01 ± 0.51 and 0.72 ± 0.30 as ppm respectively. Quantitative risk of exposed workers based on Standard Mortality Rate was estimated 1.06 ± 0.03 times of the population without exposure. Incident rate cancer based on accounting measures of Integrated Risk Information System was calculated per 1000 person exposure population. The correlation of Standard Mortality Rate and the risk of cancer incidence was statistically significant (R2=0.88).Conclusion: Thirty one percent of workers had higher exposure to Vinyl Chloride Monomer than the occupational exposure limits (1 ppm). In the present workers’ exposure in this study is lower than international workforces reported in decades ago, but higher than studies recently published. The results clearly describes occupational hazard of workers in the current Iranian recession situation. The application of control system in the form of engineering control measure, especially in the coming years with projected economic growth, is justified for securing workers health and well-being.

Backgrounds and Objective: The criticality of existing hazards of chemical processes requires that several protection layers to be used against them. In this regard, applied layers efficiency and resistance analysis is a necessity. In this study the level safety of protection layers of a hydrogen production unit, has been evaluated.Materials and Methods: In order to assess the protection layers the preferred Layers of Protection Analysis method has been used. In this study, events have the severe effect, initiating causes and frequencies, Independent Protection Layers and Probability of Failure on Demand, the total probability of intermediate events and Safety Integrity Level were investigated.Results: Results showed that the essential risk reduction was ranging from 10-1 to 10-2 and a Safety Integrity Level 2 was determined as a requirement. The results also specified it was not necessary to carry out a Quantitative Risk Analysis study.Conclusion: The time consuming nature of preferred Layers of Protection Analysis method, dis show the combination of this method by a software tools may result in more efficient method and lead to more speed and precision.

Backgrounds and Objective: Burns are one of the most destructive injuries which are responsible for many deaths, disabilities, and physical and mental consequences in the whole world. Little epidemiologic data are available for burns in reproductive age women in Iran. The aim of this study was to map out some epidemiological patterns of burns among women of reproductive age using a hospital-based data.Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all burns among women of reproductive age which were resulted to hospital admission at the Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia Iran, were investigated over a three years period 2010-2012. In addition to description of some burn accompanying variables, associations between burn outcome and age, total body surface area and intentionality of burn were assessed.Results: The results shows that 939 women, 54.5% were in reproductive age and 5.7% were pregnant at the time of admission. Incidence rate of moderate to severe burn was calculated 1.9 per 10000 reproductive age women. The majority of burns were caused by kerosene (31.2%) and domestic gas stoves (21.2%). The probability of the suicidal attempt was 29.2% and the mortality ratio was calculated 57.5%.Conclusion: This study showed that burn is a major health problem among reproductive age women, especially pregnant women in the West Azerbaijan Province of Iran.

Backgrounds and Objective: Car accidents as global concern are expanding in developing countries. Since the majority of taxi traffic accidents are not caused by travelers and are concerned to taxi drivers, other vehicles on the street and people in pavements, aim of this study was survey unsafe acts of taxi drivers as big group of occupational drivers.Materials and Methods: Due to an approximate discipline in working of linear taxi drivers than others, especially in terms of hours and duration of daily work, were selected for this study. Drivers’ Unsafe Acts checklist with 30 given act were prepared and completed by trained personnel as a passenger in the taxi. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software version 18 and used t-test and spearman correlation coefficient.Results: Results showed that most of linear taxi drivers of Tehran city (57.2%) have the cheapest domestic production car (pride and Paykan). The frequency of total unsafe acts of linear taxi of Tehran city was about 52.5% and more than 46% of drivers unsafe acts were frequency more than 80%. About 50% of taxi drivers did not wear seat belt and the most of them (95.6%) did not pay attention to wearing seat belt of their passengers. Kilometer display 35.4% of taxi drivers in this study have failure and this issue is so important in drivers’ perceptual judgment.Conclusion: according to result of current study the frequency of taxi drivers’ unsafe act are very high and thus, effective interventions program for promotion of safety attitude and control taxi drivers’ unsafe act is necessary.

Backgrounds and Objective: Usage electrocoagulation methods for removal chemical contaminants are widely used in the recent years. The aim of this research is to investigate fluoride removal, agent dental and skeletal fluorosis, from drinking water by batch electrocoagulation reactor with using aluminum electrode. Materials and Methods: In this study, the drinking water sample is prepared by plastic batch reactor by monopole electrode. Removal efficiency is studied in different conditions, included pH (4, 7, and 10), reaction time (5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 min), distance between electrode (2 cm), and current density (1.5, 3, and 4.5 mA/cm2). Results: In electrocoagulation reactor, percentage of removal fluoride 2 mg/L, current density 4.5 mA/cm2 and reaction time 30 min in pH 4, 7 and 10 are obtained 96.5%, 100% and 90.5%, respectively. In electrocoagulation reactor, percentage of removal fluoride 12 mg/L removal in distance 2 cm, current density 4.5 mA/cm2, and reaction time 30 min in pH 4, 7, and 10 are obtained 60.7%, 64%, and 56%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicated that fluoride removal efficiency is increased with increasing current density and reaction time. The results indicate that increasing the concentration of fluoride ions, the time required to achieve good efficiency should also increase. It can be concluded that the electrocoagulation technology is an effective process for defluoridation of drinking waters.

Backgrounds and Objective: Heat stress is one of the main and the most common problems in the work environments. Extreme heat exposure can cause different clinical symptoms, including headache, nausea, vomiting. The aim of this study is to compare the correlation of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Physiological Strain Index and Physiological Strain Index based on heart rate heat stress indices with tympanic temperature and heart rate among the workers of a glass factory.Materials and Methods: This cross- sectional study was conducted in a glass factory located in Tehran.72 male subjects were participated in the study. Atmospheric parameters including dry temperature, natural wet bulb temperature and globe temperature were measured to determine the heat stress indices. Tympanic temperature and heart beat rates were also measured. The data were statistically analyzed using the Pearson and Spearman correlation as well as the linear regression tests.Results: The correlation between tympanic temperature and heart rate with heat stress indices was significant (p-value<0.05). The poly-nominal correlation (R2) between Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index with heart rate and tympanic temperature was 0.208 and 0.214 respectively. This correlation between Physiological Strain Index with heart rate and tympanic temperature was 0.423 and 0.701 respectively. The correlation between Physiological strain index based on heart rate with heart rate and tympanic temperature was 0.579 and 0.068 respectively.Conclusion: The Physiological Strain Index heat stress index had higher correlation with measured physiological parameters in this study.

Backgrounds and Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate injuries resulting from accidents and incidents referred to medical centers and hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. All cases admitted to hospitals' of Deputy of Health of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, due to accidents and injuries from March 2012 to March 2013 were reviewed. Categorization of accidents and injuries data was performed according to tenth version of international classification of diseases. SPSS V.18 was used for analysis of data. The main variables in this study, the type of incident, type of accident, accident location and background variables that were studied included: gender, age. Data collected by means of forms and software injury register by Hospital emergency department staff to interview and hospital records, were completed.Results: In total, 248438 cases were reviewed.67.7% were male and 32.3% were female. Traumas, traffic accidents and falls were major causes of accidents and injuries. Accidents and injuries were more prevalent in 15-25 years age group. Individuals living in urban areas sustained more injuries compared to individuals from rural areas. A total of 722 deaths were reported due to accidents and injuries.Conclusion: Research results indicate that traffic accidents constitute a large proportion of accident and injuries. Also, men, young people were the most victims of accidents and injuries. Training of different groups, including before and during recruitment, training mothers and elderly it seems to be useful. Further studies on the improvement of accidents and injuries software is suggested for access to complete and reliable data. Promoting Knowledge and training, especially in the younger age group, intervention to resolve the accident prone spots and technical defects is recommended to reduce traffic accidents.