JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE ENGINEERING
Year:2017 | Volume:4 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Introduction: Today, with development of technology and the important role of human resources in the workplace, serious attention is paid to the important role of HSE management, which has a significant impact in immunization of the workplace. In the past decade, the organizations' and researchers' attention have been increased in studying and applying the EFQM model. This model provides a comprehensive and nonprescription framework for self-assessment. Therefore, in this regard, the Technical Research Center for safety and health protection, as the custodians of the work safety training in the country, has spread the HSE management training; therefore, through this method, it was attempted to evaluate the efficiency of mentioned tenures in applying the HSE management system in the country's industry, using the EFQM organizational excellence model.Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study and the target population, included students participating in HSE management training courses. The sample included a total of 280 subjects and Using Cochran formula with a confidence level of 95%, the number of samples generated became 113 people. The Collection tool based on the EFQM model indices, led to the design of a questionnaire, whose validity and reliability was confirmed by 10 professors. The provided questionnaires were given to samples based on a Likert scale before holding period and also after the mentioned period.Results: After this project, it was found that the population included 65.5% males and 34.5% females with education of 6.2% diploma, 77% BA, 15.9% MA, and 0.9% PHD. Then the gathered information were entered in the SPSS software (v.21) and were investigated using the descriptive and analytical chi-square tests and Spearman correlation coefficient at a significant level of 0.05.Conclusions: The results showed that the HSE MS courses held by the mentioned center had a significant impact on applying the HSE management system in the country's industry.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common occupational diseases and, to prevent these disorders, it is important to survey and recognize significant underlying factors. In this study, the primary objective was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the steel industry and, the conclusive goal was to examine the relationship between work-family conflict as a social factor and musculoskeletal disorders.Methods: This study was conducted in one of the country's steel industry in the steel sector with a research population of 270 workers. To study work-family conflict the 18-item Carlson and Kakmar questionnaire was used to survey the six sub-scales of this type of conflict in two dimensions and, musculoskeletal disorders were assessed by using a Nordic questionnaire. At the end, the results were analyzed with SPSS 21.0 software.Results: The mean score (SD) for the entire study population of work-family conflict was 50.30 (12.352). The relationship between work-family conflict and musculoskeletal disorders showed that work-family conflict in general and in the domains of time-based from work to family and family to work (P<0.001), strain-based only from work to family and behavior-based only from family to work showed a significant relationship with musculoskeletal disorders (P<0.05).Conclusions: This study introduced a new operating cause of musculoskeletal disorders and stated that the management of such conflicts could be helpful in reducing musculoskeletal disorders.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of different levels of psychosocial stress on job performance based on an integrated model among bank employees. According to this model, the causal relationships between the variables and direct and indirect effects of job stressors and their different levels on job performance are considerable.Methods: The integrated model of this study was presented based on integration of theory models and past research. Data were collected from bank employees to test the proposed models. The General Nordic Questionnaire and Human Resource Productivity Questionnaire were used for data collection. Different path models were developed and the goodness-of-fit of them was evaluated. Regression analysis by the forward method and t-test were used to examine the relationship between the variables. P value less than 0.05 was considered significance.Results: The results the study showed a positive and direct relationship between stress in the socio-organizational level and task level with perceived stress of the employees. Among the scales in the socio-organizational level, organizational culture and leadership showed highly negative and significant relationships with job performance.Conclusions: This study shows that the relationship between psychosocial stress and job performance can be achieved more accurate by using the model in similar population with the same demographic characteristics.

Introduction: One of the possible effects of occupational exposure to high levels of noise is high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the sound pressure level with blood pressure and heart rate in an automotive industry.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 78 male workers of an automobile factory in Tehran, Iran. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured in the morning and in the middle of the day. All measurements were performed at three noise levels: 85-95, 75-85 and 60-70 dB (A). All data were analyzed using SPSS and MATLAB.Results: The results of the post-hoc test showed that noise has the same effect on the average systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels (P=0.733), but the results of the box-whisker plot showed that after exposure, the variation ranges of blood pressure and heart rate are much more than the other groups (85-95 dB (A)). Although no specific correlation was observed between the increase in the noise level and heart rate, the variance analysis showed that the increased noise level could lead to changes in heart rate (P=0.049). After exposure to noise, systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels increased at 75-85 and 85-95 dB (A) compared to before exposure.Conclusions: This study shows that noise exposure can cause both heart rate and blood pressure to increase. So, it seems that noise can be considered as a synergism factor of cardiovascular diseases and implementing workers' training programs, reducing the noise level and periodic monitoring of blood pressure of the workers, especially those with a history of hypertension, can be recommended.

Introduction: Studies in the field of industrial accidents have shown that human errors have the most important and significant role in accidents. According to the related studies, 60% to 90% of the accidents occur as a result of direct human errors. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate human errors in control rooms of the Arya Sasol Polymer Company using the CREAM technique.Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted using the hierarchical task analysis in 2016. Nine job tasks were analyzed in four control rooms of the Arya Sasol Polymer Company. Then, by using the basic and extended version of the CREAM, common performance conditions and cognitive failure probability were determined and the results were analyzed.Results: The results of this study showed that 45% of the identified errors were related to execution errors, 22% observation errors, 22% interpretation errors and 11% planning errors.Conclusions: The findings of this study show that the opportunistic control mode seems to be required for initiating the off-site section, but for other tasks the tactical control mode is needed and using this technique is appropriate to determine the type of errors and methods of control.

Introduction: Considering that body and mind mutually affect each other and the health of these two categories can cause integrity and human health, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and general health among workers of a soft drink industry.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 80 workers with more than a year working experience were selected from a soft drink factory on the basis of census sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a body map chart to record musculoskeletal disorders in different areas of the body. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 16 software.Results: The results showed that the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was found in the neck (27.6%) and lower back region (25.5%) during the past 12 months. Age, body mass index, years of experience, daily working hours, and shift work are risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders of the body organs, especially the lower back. Most of the workers were in a dubious status in public health (25.9± 4.5). The workers' status was not desirable in terms of physical health, anxiety and social dysfunction. Also, there was a significant relationship between anxiety symptoms and foot pain, as well as between depressive symptoms and back pain.Conclusions: The results of this study show that musculoskeletal problems in upper limbs are related to general health. Therefore, to solve this problem and minimize it in the studied society, in addition to addressing the problems of inappropriate postures and improving the condition of the ergonomics of the workplace, one should pay more attention to psychological problems of the people and try to resolve them.

Introduction: Air pollution is one of the hazardous factors on human health and the environment. In the zinc production industry, because of the process nature and using electrolysis pools, the amount of production and diffusion of some harmful pollutants such as acidic vapors is exceedingly high. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of push-pull ventilation system implemented for controlling the emitted pollutants from an electrolysis unit of a zinc industry.Methods: In this study, the concentrations of emitted pollutants into the breathing zone of workers and work environment, before and after implementing ventilation system in a zinc production industry, was measured. Then, the efficiency of the system in pollution reduction was measured consequently. Finally, the operational parameters of ventilation were measured and compared with the values of the design.Results: Results showed that the concentrations of lead and zinc were less than Iran’s occupational exposure limits in all samples, but the density of sulfuric acid was more than the permissible limit. The concentrations of sulfuric acid before implementing the ventilation system in the inhaled, environmental and pollution air sources were 1.17±0.90, 2.14±0.63 and 5.59±1.49 mg per cubic meter, respectively. These values after implementing the ventilation system were 0.11 ± 0.032, 0.24 ± 0.15 and 0.97 ± 0.52 mg, respectively.Conclusions: The results showed that the modified push-pull ventilation system that was in accordance with the limitations of the electrolysis unit has proper efficiency for reducing such industrial pollutants.

Introduction: Driving crash is one of major concerns in all countries. Mental workload reflects the level of attention resources required to meet both objective and subjective performance criteria, which may be affected by task demand, external support, and past experience. Mental workload has been commonly cited as a major cause of workplace and transportation accidents. The objective of this study was the assessment of mental workload and its relation with fatigue among urban bus drivers in Tehran, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, the NASA-TLX workload scale and the Samn-Perelli fatigue scale were completed by 194 professional bus drivers. Descriptive statistics as well as correlation and regression analysis were performed for data processing.Results: The total mental workload had the highest correlation with physical demand (r =0.73, P<0.001), mental demand (r=0.68, P<0.001) and time pressure (r=0.58, P< 0.001). The total fatigue perceived by bus drivers had the highest correlation with frustration level (r=0.42, P<0.001), time pressure (r=0.24, P<0.001) and mental workload (r=0.21, P<0.001).Conclusions: Mental workload, physical workload and time pressure are important determinants of the total mental workload and fatigue perceived by urban bus drivers. A comprehensive intervention program including work turnover, trip and work-rest scheduling as well as smoking cessation was recommended to improve mental workload and fatigue.