Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering
Year:2020 | Volume:6 | Issue:4 |Papers Count:8

Background and Objectives: Although Boilover occurs with a low frequency, but in case of occurrence, it can cause severe damage to people and equipment around the tank. The prediction of the fireball of Boilover phenomenon has an important role to play in adopting appropriate strategies for fire suppression of the atmospheric storage tank. The purpose of this study is to predict the consequence of fireball caused by Boilover phenomenon using empirical models. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic study. At first, empirical models presented for prediction of the Boilover consequence were identified. Then, the models used to predict the fireball geometry and its radiation heat flux around the tank. The results of model predictions were compared with the data of a small-scale experimental study and a large-scale real Boilover accident. Results: According to the results, the error of the INERIS and Buang model for predictions of radiation heat flux around the experimental Boilover were 23 and 31%, respectively. The error of these two models predictions of radiation heat flux of accident were 52% and 71%, respectively. Conclusion: The INERIS and Buang models showed a lower error for prediction of the Boilover fireball consequences compared to other models. The results of this study can be used to assess the risk of Boilover in atmospheric storage tanks and help accident commander’ s decision on strategies and tactics for the fire suppression of atmospheric storage tanks.

Background and Objective: One of the major consequences of incidents in today's industries, especially those associated with high quantities and a wide range of chemicals, is the widespread environmental degradation. Therefore, identifying the effective factors in the occurrence of incidents and analyzing the complex interrelationship between them is an important and fundamental topic in accident analysis and a way of preventing them from occurring. Materials and Methods: The present research was a descriptive-analytic study that aimed to analyze the environmental events occurring in the MAPNA group (Iran Power Plant Project Management). The main tool for the analysis of selected environmental incidents was the Tripod Beta technique, which identifies the causes of events at three levels of obvious causes, pre-conditions, and hidden causes. Results: In the current study, out of 96 analyzed accidents, 533 pre-conditions and 1, 592 hidden causes were identified. Of all the hidden causes, the subject of repair and maintenance management had the highest frequency. In addition, among the identified hidden causes, the most important cause was inadequate specifications and equipment-related requirements. Conclusion: Emphasis on the amelioration of the hidden causes by taking into account the system lifecycle, focusing on the promotion of the safety levels in the design phase, as well as regarding the importance of adopting appropriate risk-based maintenance and repair strategies, were the main suggestions of the present study.

Background and Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of workplace ergonomics on the job satisfaction of employed administrative staffs in projects of Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-correlational study was conducted through survey research method. The statistical population of this practical study consisted of all the staff members of Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company in Tehran. A total of 430 people ere selected, 205 of whom were selected according to Cochran formula. The data were collected using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire for measuring workplace ergonomics. Moreover, the collected data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics (analysis of the correlation and regression between the two variables), using SPSS 24 software. Results: The findings of the study showed that the path coefficient between ergonomics variable and job satisfaction variable was 0. 46 (P<0. 001). Furthermore, the variable of ergonomics explains 21% of variance of job satisfaction. Conclusion: Regression between ergonomics and job satisfaction was positively significant. Moreover, Pearson correlation coefficient between these two variables was moderate and significant.

Background and Objective: Human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development in which they deserve health and safety. The rapid growth of industrialization coupled with insufficient attention to safety principles has led to an increase in the rate of occupational accidents in developing countries. This study aimed to estimate the years of life lost due to work-related accidents among workers covered by the National Organization of Social Security from 2007 to 2017. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted based on the statistics of occupational accidents reported by the National Organization of Social Security using the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) index. Disability percentiles were used to estimate the disability burden in this study. Moreover, Excel software was utilized to estimate the number of years lost due to early death and disability, and the overall years of life lost regarding the social values. Results: The results showed that 181900 years were lost due to occupational accidents. Moreover, 15. 8% and 84. 2% of the lost years were due to early death and disability, respectively. It should be noted that the majority of the work-related lost years (i. e., 39860 years, 21. 9%) were related to construction activities. Conclusion: The results of this study highlighted the poor supervision on construction activities and the need for training the construction workers and contractors.

Background and Objective: Nowadays, work-family issues have gained special importance for employees, families, and organizations. Work-family conflict is a kind of interrole conflict referring to the incompatibility between the pressures and demands in work and family domains leading to stress and numerous problems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of training work-family conflict management on the quality of work life (QWL). Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study as a pretest-posttest design with a control group was performed on the study population consisting of women working in the hospital of Nurabad city, Iran. A total of 30 female employees were selected through the voluntary sampling method and were randomly divided into the two groups of experiment and control. Subjects of the intervention group received six sessions of training regarding work-family conflict management. The data were collected using the Quality of Work Life Questionnaire (QWLQ) and were analyzed by the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The results of ANCOVA showed that training management skills concerning a work-family conflict can enhance the QWL of employees. Following the adjustment for the pre-test scores, a significant difference was observed between the post-treatment scores of the intervention and control groups (P<0. 01). Conclusion: According to the finding of this study, the application of management skills for work-family conflict might assist the female staff of the hospital to better cope with the inevitable problems and stresses caused by work-family conflict. As a result, the QWL of these individuals will get improved.

Background and Objective: Operators of construction vehicles are constantly exposed to whole-body vibration, which can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of exposure to whole-body vibration and its relation to musculoskeletal disorders among these operators who work at construction projects. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted based on a descriptiveanalytical and cross-sectional design. In total, 89 operators who operated 6 types of heavy vehicles (i. e., Bulldozer, Tipper Truck, Heavy Vibrator Roller, Light Vibrator Roller, Hammer drill, and Loader) in two construction projects were included in this study. The vibration indices (i. e., effective acceleration, peak factor, and vibrational dose) were measured according to ISO 2631 and SVAN 958 vibrometer to evaluate the exposure rate of the whole body to vibration. Moreover, the Body Map Questionnaire was employed to assess the status of musculoskeletal disorders. The data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multivariate regression. A P-value less than 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results of this study showed that according to occupational exposure limit standard, the whole-body exposure to vibration from Bulldozer (2. 25 m/s2), Tipper Truck (0. 98 m/s2), Heavy Vibration Rollers (3. 20 m/s2), Light Vibration Rollers (3. 45 m/s2), Hammer drill (4. 11 m/s2), and Loader (1. 2 m/s2) were more than the daily exposure limit. The results also revealed that exposure to vibration correlated significantly with underlying factors and musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: The present study confirmed the potential health hazards threatening the operators of construction vehicles. Therefore, it is suggested to implement technical and management strategies, including installation of appropriate vibration insulators on seats, holding training sessions, encouraging the individuals with long exposure experience to vibration to change their job, rotating work schedules, as well as using gloves, flooring, and vibration damping pads, and implementing supervising protocols on the performance of the operators.

Background and Objective: Supplier selection plays a significant role in sustainable supply chain management. Current studies have mainly concentrated on economic factors for the selection and evaluation of suppliers, and few emphases have been focused on the triple factors of sustainability, including economic, environmental, and social elements. The improvement of Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) performance levels promotes the sustainability of the companies in terms of social and environmental responsibility. Therefore, this study aimed to present a framework to evaluate the HSE performance of suppliers; moreover, it was attempted to rank the performances based on the proposed framework. Materials and Methods: The HSE performance evaluation criteria were determined after reviewing the literature and obtaining expert opinions. Subsequently, Multi-Criteria Decision Making techniques were utilized simultaneously to rank the suppliers. In addition, the resilience engineering approach was employed to determine the HSE performance criteria and indicators. This approach is a novel method, compared to traditional safety management techniques. In total, four Iranian auto parts manufacturers (grade A) were selected as the suppliers and evaluated in this study. Results: Out of the determined criteria and among the final indicators, "management commitment" and "allocating sufficient budget to the HSE measures" achieved the highest ranks, respectively. Furthermore, the prominent supplier was selected based on these criteria. Conclusion: This study utilized the opinions of decision-makers and managers regarding determining and ranking the HSE criteria. Therefore, the proposed model in this study can be practically applied to evaluate the suppliers. Doing this, the supplier companies can be encouraged to improve the occupational health and safety of their employees and implement environmental-friendly strategies in production policies.

Background and Objective: The growing use of chemicals in academic laboratories has underscored the need for a tool to measure the awareness of students about labeling, hazards, and characteristics of chemicals. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to design and validate a questionnaire facilitating the assessment of student’ s knowledge about chemical hazards. Materials and Methods: The current research was conducted in two stages, involving the design and evaluation of the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, in 2019. The validity of the designed questionnaire was evaluated based on the opinions of 10 subject-matter experts using content validity ratio and content validity index (CVI). In addition, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 20. 61 (0. 998) years and 58. 33% of the them were female and 41. 67% were male. The CVI and Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaire were estimated at 0. 938 and 0. 728, respectively, which are acceptable values. Conclusion: The results showed that the reliability and validity of the designed questionnaire were acceptable and that this tool can be used to measure people awareness regarding the safe use of chemicals.