Iran Occupational Health
Year:2022 | Volume:19 | Issue:1|Papers Count:21

Background and Aims: All over the world, agriculture is one of the most important and accident-prone jobs in the world. Occupational health behavior is one of the most important factors influencing the occurrence of accidents and diseases caused by agriculture activities. Therefore, the aim of the present study was investigated the typology of farmers' behavior and attitudes towards agriculture occupational health in Kermanshah province, Iran. Methods: This study was conducted through a survey. The population of the study consisted of wheat farmers in Kermanshah province (N = 126,900) that 382 farmers were taken as the research sample (n = 382). The questionnaire was the main tool for data collection. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experts of occupational health, and the reliability was proved through a pilot study to calculate Cronbach’s alpha. The appropriate statistical tests were used to analyze data. Results: The findings showed that farmers’ attitudes and behavior included four types of attitudes (ecological (11.16), economic (13.79), work-oriented (17.38) and health-oriented (14.29)) and four behavioral patterns (structural (20.73), motivational (8.27), preventive (10.08) and self-centered (14.25)) regarding occupational health in agriculture. Explanation of total variance of attitudes was 53.34% and behavior was 56.64%. Conclusion: It can be concluded that farmers have different attitudes towards occupational health in the workplace and based on, they show various behavioral patterns in the farms. It can be suggested that those involved in the agricultural and health sectors work together to change attitudes that are contrary to the occupational health of agriculture. It can be recommended that public and private sector support measures can change farmers' behavioral patterns towards structured and preventive behaviors. Keywords: Agriculture, Exploratory factor analysis, Farmers' Health, Healthy Work, Occupational Health Behavior,

Introduction Nitrogen oxides as one of the most dangerous environmental pollutant, have harmful effects on the health of people in the workplace. Today, the catalytic oxidation of nitrogen oxides is a highly efficient method for removing of this gases  that has been dedicated part of researches. The aim of study was to investigate the removal efficiency of  nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by nickel and nickel-platinum supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes from air stream in the catalytic oxidation process. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, structural and functional specifications of the catalysts were caracterized by analysis Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Temperature-Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR) after stabilization of nickel and nickel-platinum nanoparticles on carbon nanotube substrate. The removal efficiency of the synthesized catalysts were studied at the temperature of 250 °C, space velocities of 15000 – 20000 hr-1 and the NO2 concentrations  of  3000,4000,5000 ppm. Results The results of FESEM  and XRD analysis showed that the diameter of carbon nanotubes ranged from 11 to 18 nm and the size of crystalline nickel and platinum nanoparticle on the catalyst bed were between 10 to 50 nm. The results of catalytic removal of NO2 showed that highest efficiency was related to the condition of  250℃temperature,  the concentration 3000 ppm and the space velocities 20000-15000 per hour. Conclusion According to the acquired results, the use of carbon nanotubes as a catalyst support is appropriate for removal of NO2 fromair stream. Bimetallic catalysts used of nickel and platinum supported on carbon nanotubes was had high efficiency and productivity in NO2 removal at various temperature, retention time, and the concentration of pollutants.

Background and aims: Accidents (driving and work) have caused a lot of damage to the community, the organization, and the people. the related costs, while having bad Effects on the economic indicators at the national and family levels, are an obstacle to achieve the predetermined goals. This study examined the behavioral factors related to accident-prone behavioral in car drivers, and through this, provided a distinct and reliable indicator for identifying drivers at risk Methods: The present research was a case-control study, which has been designed to predict the group membership (accident- pronoun drivers) and develop a cognitive equation to introduce the driver’s accident-proneness behavioral index. A demographic questionnaire and the Manchester Standard Driving Behavior questionnaire were used in the study which has been validated for the Iranian community. The data were processed in SPSS V20 using univariate and multivariate analysis of variance as well as two-group discriminant analysis methods. Results: The drivers with a history of accidents showed higher levels of mistakes, slips, and intentional violations compared to the group without accidents. The two groups of drivers with and without a history of accidents were revealed to be at the same level in terms of committing inadvertent violations (committing illegal non-violent acts). Conclusion: According to Eta (η) squares, one can say that 1-8% of the observed differences in two groups of drivers may be due to the accident history effect.

Background and Aims: Awareness of a disease can affect people's attitudes and practices, and wrong attitudes and practices directly increase the risk of infection. The aim of this study was to determine the status and relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice of industry employees about personal protection measures effective in preventing covid-19 infection in Kaveh Industrial City. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, which was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of individuals about effective personal protection measures to prevent COVID-19 in Iran in the summer of 2020, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. In this study, after selecting 24 factories in Saveh Industrial City, 500 questionnaires were distributed among the employees by quota sampling. After collecting and reviewing them, 461 questionnaires were fully answered and studied. Finally, the scores related to all three parameters were calculated and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine their relationship. Results: The average age of participants in this study was 36.4 ± 6 and had a work experience of 12.66± 6.6 years. It was determined that the score related to the awareness of the virus nature was greater than the awareness of personal protective measures. It was deduced that, while 88.9% of individuals are well aware of the nature of the virus, 71.8% were in the subgroup of taking protective measures. The highest level of desirable score was related to their attitude, which accounted for 92.4%. In terms of preventive practice, 80.3% of participants exhibited moderate adherence to good practices towards preventing Covid-19 infection Conclusion: individuals had heightened awareness towards the nature of Covid-19 virus, however they had little awareness towards preventive health measures. consideration that majority of people have received concerned information via television, its essential to give accurate and timely information in order to increase community’s awareness as well as optimal behavior in preventing Covid-19

Background and Aims: The first step in planning a workplace health promotion program is needs assessment or determining the current situation. There are two dominant approaches in evaluating a program, one is the evaluation by the presenters of the program, which is called internal evaluation, and the other one is program evaluation by peers or external evaluation. The purpose of this study is to assess the status of workplace health promotion through internal and external evaluation in volunteer organizations in Tehran. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 30 volunteer organizations in Tehran in 2019. Data were collected using a standard workplace health situation assessment tool including 9 domains, 30 levels, and 85 questions. EXCEL, the 22nd version of SPSS software, and paired t-test were used for data analysis. Results: Data analysis using paired t-test indicates that the mean difference between internal and external evaluation in industrial organizations was 175.071 with standard deviation=116.043 and P<0.05 which is significant. The mean difference between the internal and external evaluation in non-industrial organizations was 43 with a standard deviation=173.775 and P=0.338 which is not significant and only in two domains of social environment of workplace and providing services had a significant mean difference between internal and external evaluation. Conclusion: The results indicated that the organizations health professionals do not have the necessary information about the concepts of health promotion, most officials try to show the performance of their organization above its actual level in internal evaluation.

Background and Aims: Solar spectrum is composed of different wavelengths that some of them may lead to various ocular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of sunglasses in filtering harmful light. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 56 pairs (112 lenses) of branded sunglasses randomly collected from different importing companies. A spectrophotometer was used to measure blue light transmission. For statistical analysis, non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. A P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean UVA and UVB transmission of the sunglasses were 0.16±1.21% and 0.01±0.06 %, respectively. The mean blue light transmission of the sunglasses was 10.03 ± 3.91 %. The effect of different colors on the blue light transmission was significant (P≤0.001). Polarization and visible light transmission of the sunglasses had no significant effect on blue light transmission (P=0.3). Conclusion: The effectiveness of available sunglasses to filter hazardous light was acceptable, and brown colored sunglasses was the best option to filter of the blue light.

Introduction: Harmful factors in the workplace such as noise and heat stress can have adverse effects on muscle activity. This study was performed to investigate the effect of simultaneous exposure to noise and heat stress on the activity level of biceps and flexor muscles. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed on 24 male students in laboratory conditions. Participants in three groups exposure to SPL of 75, 85 and 95 dBA and WBGT =22, 30 and 35°C randomly. During light manual activity, the activity level of biceps and flexor muscles was measured in a sitting manner using surface electromyography. Normalized RMS (Root Mean Square) of muscles was used to compare the level of muscle activity in different conditions. ANOVA test was used to examine the relationship between variables. Results: The mean (SD) age of the study participants was 21±1.6 years. Based on the muscle activity WBGT=30°C and SPL=85 dB were defined as border points in changes of biceps activity. The highest and lowest levels of flexor muscle activity were observed at SPL of 75 and 95 dB, respectively. The interaction between noise and heat stress exposure show that exposure to both factors causes significant changes in muscle activity levels (P.value<0.05). Conclusion: Exposure to noise and heat stress in the workplace affects the function of the biceps and flexors muscles. To more accurately determine the effects of noise exposure and heat stress on muscle activity, further studies are recommended.

Introduction: In the present age, the valuable capital of human resources has snatched the ball from other organizational capitals in terms of importance. This has led to the design and preparation of extensive and diverse programs for the growth and flourishing of employees' professional and professional ability to lead to maturity, job satisfaction, attachment and improving the quality of their working life .The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of schema-based group training on quality of work life and job satisfaction of employees of Nimroz Gostaran Energy Engineering Company.    Method and Materials: This research is quasi-experimental. The statistical population of the present study consists of all personnel of Nimroz Gostaran Energy Development Company in 1399. Of these, 30 people were selected by available sampling method and based on the criteria for entering the research, and randomly in two groups of 15 people to control and test. The sample of the research was selected. The experimental group received the schema therapy training intervention and the control group did not receive any intervention. The treatment schema consisted of 10 sessions of 90 minutes. The research tools included the Demographic Questionnaire and Barry Field and Ruth Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (1951) and the Walton Quality of Work Life Questionnaire (QWL) (1973). The SPSS22 software data were analyzed. Results:.Findings showed that after the interventions and calculations and analysis of the results of group schema therapy training led to an increase in the mean scores of variable quality of work life (overall score of quality of work life (P≤0.001, F = 33.87) and also increased mean scores of variable job satisfaction (P≤0.001, F = 17.55) in the experimental group compared to the control group.   CONCLUSION: According to the research results, group schema therapy training can be effective in the quality of work life and job satisfaction of the company's employees and thus increase their level of productivity in the organization. And as a result of these trainings, the individual finds that a more adaptive response replaces the previous mentality, which is likely to reduce the amount of stress and job stress and the level of job satisfaction and quality Work life will increase it. Therefore, it is recommended that effective training programs be included in the staff work schedule on a regular basis, or in the form of training content, such as posters and short training messages, to continuously improve work performance and prevent any damage caused by high experience, job dissatisfaction or quality of work life

Background and aims: The difficult tasks of firefighters' operational personnel, can determine the risk of hypertension and other acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and self-care of hypertension among firefighters in Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, which conducted in among 360 male firefighters, age of 18-60 years, working in the Tehran Fire Department in year 2019 was performed by two-stage sampling method in cluster and simple random. Data collection instruments were a demographic questionnaire together with the Standard Iranian Health Literacy in Adult questionnaire and the self-care checklist for hypertension. Data were analyzed in SPSS (version 22) using descriptive methods and, analytical tests. Results: 57.5% of people were in the age group of 30-40. The mean score of health literacy was 73.96 with a standard deviation of 3.8. The highest mean score of health literacy was related to information perception and the lowest average score was related to reading skills. Among study sample, 44.2% had “good” and 26.7% had” very good” health literacy. Also, the mean score of self-care behaviors was 19.23 with a standard deviation of 3.4. About 14.4% of employees had a mean score of good self-care. There was a direct and significant correlation between health literacy and self-care of 0/360 (p <0.0001 Conclusion: Health literacy and self-care behaviors were found to be not satisfactory. There was a significant positive correlation between health literacy and self-care. Therefore, it is necessary to design an appropriate intervention.

Background and aims: One of the most critical subjects in all organizations is Improvement of human resources performance for achieving goals. Therefore it's necessary schematization of plans and solutions for decreasing strain and then increasing Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, quality of work-life, and satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of job stress on the quality of work-life and organizational health of health care personnel (physicians, nurses, paramedics, administrative and service staff) with the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior. Methods: This study is an applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlation in terms of data collection. This study was conducted on a non-random sample of 318 health care personnel in Ahvaz teaching hospitals. Data were collected by standard questionnaires with validity and reliability, and analyzed using structural equation modeling with SmartPLS software. Results: The results of testing the research hypotheses showed that job stress has a negative effect on the quality of work-life, organizational health and organizational citizenship behavior with path coefficients of -0.71, -0.69 and -0.60 and t-statistic, 10.81, 8.62 and 9.88. Also, organizational citizenship behavior plays an effective mediator in influencing job stress on the quality of work-life and organizational health. Conclusion: The results illustrated that increasing the job stress of health staff leads to a decrease in organizational citizenship behaviors, quality of work-life and organizational health and vice versa. Also, the employment status and job security that it provides can modify this impact.

Background and aims: The use of natural kenaf fibers as a green and sustainable material and due to its remarkable properties is known as a potential alternative to synthetic fibers in the composite industries. One of the effective approaches to improve the properties of these fibers, especially in the face of fire, is creating a nano-coating with inorganic materials on the surface of the fibers. In this regard, this study was conducted with the aim of improving the flammability and acoustic properties of natural kenaf fibers using mineral nanoparticles. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional experimental study on a laboratory scale. Synthesis of ZnO-TiO2 nanoparticles was by co-precipitation method and its properties were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyzes.   In this study, the flame retardant performance by conical calorimeter, and the study of acoustic absorption (at normal angles) in order to investigate the acoustic behavior of natural fibers was tested by impedance tube based on the transfer function method and ISO10534-2 standard. Results: Based on the results, the time to ignition (TTI) in the fibers with ZnO-TiO2 coating was almost doubled compared to the raw fibers. The total burning time of nanoparticle-coated fibers increases from 471 to 870 seconds, and the amount of carbon dioxide production in raw fibers with ZnO-TiO2 nanoparticles has decreased from 0.33 to 0.12. Also, this type of fiber had a higher sound absorption coefficient than raw fibers. Conclusion: Due to the outstanding benefits of kenaf fibers (economic and environmental benefits) and the increasing use of these fibers as multifunctional composites, the process of coating these fibers with nanoparticles is considered a good approach to improve the thermal and acoustic properties.

Background and aims: Job stress is one of the most common occupational diseases, significant effect on quality of the service care and creativity which is the core of clinical practice. According to the surveys, the effect of stressful conditions on the creativity needs further study. The present study was conducted to determine, correlation between job stress with creativity and job stress predictors in midwives. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 114 midwives had been working in teaching and medical hospitals of Ilam-Iran from October to December 2018. Job stress and creativity was assessed using the job stress HSE and CT questionnaires. Pearson correlation test was used investigated the relationships between job stress and creativity, General linear model was used to determine job stress predictors. Data analysis was performed with SPSS software version 21. Results: The most of the midwives (62.3%) were under a low level of job stress and 35% had no job stress. Mean total score of job stress was 3.3 ± 0.5 from the attainable score of 1-5. Mean  creativity was 131.5 ± 14.7 from the attainable score of 60-180. Job stress and sub domains were not associated with creativity. Having Low level of education (B=0.5, CI 95%= 0.1 to 0.9, P= 0.014) and having hospital work satisfaction (B=0.2, CI 95%= 0.05 to 0.4, P= 0.010) indicated as job stress predictors. Conclusion: Due to the low levels of job stress and the high level of creativity, hospital managers can use these factors with employment satisfaction in the hospital to provide quality clinical services.   [1] Health and Safety Executive [2] Abedi Creativity Test

Background and aims: Exposure to manganese fume in the welding process leads to adverse neurological effects on the health of welders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between biomarkers of manganese exposure and compare the frequency of these symptoms with unexposed group.  Methods: 35 welders as exposed group, and 40 administrative workers as unexposed controls, were participated in this study. Neurobehavioral symptoms data were gathered using Q16 questionnaire. Manganese concentrations were determined according to the NIOSH 7301 method. The concentration of manganese in blood of the welders was also measured by ICP-OES. Statistical analysis was performed by using MINITAB 17 software at the significant level of 0.05. Results: The mean exposure to air manganese was 0.45 ± 0.08 mg/m3. Manganese concentrations in blood samples of welders (0.16±0.0 2 µg.ml-1) were significantly higher than unexposed workers (0.04±0.002µg.ml-1). Also the frequency of neurobehavioral symptoms of welders was significantly higher compared to unexposed workers (P <0.05). The correlation between neurobehavioral symptoms and blood manganese was significant for welders (P <0.05, r=0.4). As a result, by increasing the concentration of blood manganese levels, the neurobehavioral symptoms were also increased. Conclusion: Due to the high level of exposure to manganese in welding fume for welders and in order to prevent neurobehavioral symptoms preventive measures such as engineering and management control techniques are recommended to reduce exposure.

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between economic resilience and age and psychological well-being with the mediating role of optimism in COVID-19 epidemic in small and medium-sized businesses. The methodology was correlational using structural equations. To this end, 230 people with small businesses in Kerman were selected using purposeful non-random sampling method. They answered the questionnaires of economic resilience, optimism, and psychological well-being. The data were analyzed by path analysis using Amos and SPSS. The findings showed that economic resilience not only directly affected psychological well-being, but it also indirectly affects peoplechr('39')s psychological well-being in COVID-19 epidemic through influencing optimism. Moreover, it was found that age had an indirect effect on psychological well-being and the model had a good fit. According to the findings, it can be concluded that in the situation of COVID-19 epidemic, optimism plays a mediating role in the relationship between economic resilience, age, and psychological well-being.

Abstract Introduction & Objectives: The spread of the Covid-19 virus has disrupted economic, industrial, and trade cycles. Also, human resources have been severely exposed to damage. This matter highlights the attention to the role of human resource management in dealing with these harms. Therefore, this study seeks to identify a set of management actions taken in human resources during the Corona outbreak by reviewing other research related to the subject. The purpose of this study is to introduce the best management strategies. Methods: This study is a systematic review based on internal databases including Magiran, IranDoc, S.I.D., and international including Web of Science and Google Scholar search engine from 2020 to 2021, using keywords of Human resource management, Covid-19, and Coronavirus, their English equivalents, and combinations. Results: 15 articles were eligible to include the research out of 47 articles obtained. The review of reports indicates that the best management measures during the outbreak of Corona include teleworking, establish online training, health protection and safety at work, provide incentives, Participate in reducing employee stress, etc. Conclusion: A review of the available documents shows that most organizations have faced many problems with the outbreak of the corona crisis globally, so overcoming them requires special measures by human resource management.

Introduction: Punch press is contributed as one of the major industrial machines to produce metal objects, which typically propagates hazardous noise. Acoustic enclosure is the most common method to mitigate noise transmitted from industrial equipment. This study aimed to assess the role of opening dimension and location in a partial acoustic enclosure on occupational noise exposure of punch press’s operator.  Method: A punch press with the capacity of 60 tons in an automotive manufacturing company was considered as a real noise source. Equivalent noise exposure level was measured with reference to ISO 9612 using Cassella Cell-450 sound meter, before and after noise control intervention. Rubber sheet and mineral wool as insulation and absorption acoustical material with the thickness of 2 and 50 mm, respectively, applied to build acoustic enclosure. Rubber sheet sound transmission loss was measured using BSAW SW 477 acoustic impedance tube to predict acoustic performance of enclosure. In addition, Partial acoustic enclosure with the dimensions of 1.4 by 1.2 by 3 meter was constructed and opening areas which was equal to 2, 3, 5 and 7 percentage of total area of enclosure was created in front of punch press operator. Finally, an opening equals to 2 percentage of total area of enclosure was created on the left sidewall of enclosure to assess the location of opening on noise level. Results: Punch press operator noise exposure level was measured to be 89 and 67 dBA before and after using full acoustic enclosure respectively.  After using partial acoustic enclosure with open area percentage of 2, 3.5 and 7 on the front side of press, operator noise exposure level was measured 78, 79, 78 dBA, respectively which was a little bit more than predicted noise. As the opening position was relocated from the front wall to the sidewall of the enclosure, operator noise exposure was reduced from 78 to 69 dBA respectively. Although, there was not significant differences between mean sound level of the punch press after relocation of opening.  Conclusion: Utilizing full acoustic enclosure constructed from insulation material recommended in this study, reduced punch press operator noise exposure remarkably. Although, opening area of partial acoustic enclosure was increased to some general extent to feed punch press, there was a slight change in noise exposure of press operator. On the other hand, press operator noise exposure was plummeted with the relocation of opening. Therefore, front opening dimension could be chosen fairly wide to access and feed operation zone of punch press without exposing operator with more noise level. Furthermore, repositioning the opening from the front wall to the side wall of the enclosure and automatically feeding the press through side opening could substantially reduce the operator noise exposure.

Introduction: Performance assessment in any management is a key step in continuous improvement. While occupational safety and health management has been in place for several years, the question of how to control and evaluate the performance of this system still remains. Safety management needs to focus on predictive indicators, rather than on retrospective indicators focused on failure. The Safety Scorecard tool is designed to facilitate decision support and has the ability to integrate performance metrics with advanced metrics. The gas industry is considered a critical industry from the HSE perspective due to the quality and quantity of materials used and having three characteristics of high complexity, low flexibility and high vulnerability. Methods: Following interviews with 6 experts from the provinces of Tehran province and also 4 HSE physicians who all had a master's degree and at least 20 years of experience in their field of work and HSE, general criteria and indicators affecting occupational health safety In Tehran Gas Supply Company, obtaining and using a questionnaire in comparison with a couple, the prioritization index was done based on the ANP model and using the opinions of experts. Then, by designing and completing the safety score card in the sample units, the performance of occupational safety and health in Tehran Gas Supply Company was assessed. The model presented in this research was implemented in Tehran Province Gas Department in 7 regions, which were finally compared with each other. Results: Among the 8 performance indicators approved by experts, the occupational hazards analysis report index with a weight of 0.229 was in the first priority and the incident analysis index with a weight of 0.049 was in the eighth priority. Therefore, there is a need to create a strong mechanism for recording, analyzing and learning about all accidents and quasi-accidents. By designing the safety score card method, 7 units of the company were compared in terms of safety and occupational health performance during December 2017-2019. In the first year, case study 6 with a score of 5.6, more appropriate situation and case study 3 with a score of 0.048 Performance was more challenging and in the second year, case study 1 with a score of 4.08 had a more appropriate situation and case study 2 with a score of 6.66 had a more challenging situation. Therefore, the existence of continuous HSE monitoring system in the regions is very necessary and the performance of the regions has improved a lot after the presence of HSE observers. Conclusion: Finally, a model of safety scorecard that integrates management indicators at different levels of an OHS management system, along with the implementation method of scoring safety cards, was proposed for Tehran Gas Supply Company. The model presented in this study includes action and response indicators, has the ability to monitor the performance of occupational safety and health management and helps managers and health and safety experts in industries and organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of this system.

Introduction In today's world, with the advancement of technology, hand tools that required the physical strength of the body have given way to electric and pneumatic tools. Despite all the advantages that these tools have, there are many limitations and problems due to their use for people, including sound and vibration. Most different machines and tools produce vibrations in varying proportions, the forces and effects of which are transmitted to the body through the hands called hand-arm vibration (HAV) 1. These vibrations can cause cardiovascular, neurological, or skeletal disorders in the upper extremities. Hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) 2 can also lead to peripheral neuropathy syndrome, whose symptoms include numbness, impaired sensory perception (tremor, cold, heat, pain), and loss of hand skills. Another complication of hand-arm vibration is blood vessel spasm, which is a clinical manifestation of the white finger phenomenon and varies depending on the intensity and duration of hand contact and the amount of hand-arm vibration. This study was performed in heavy machine puncture workshops. In punctures, workers use an Impact wrench to unscrew and tighten the machine wheel bolts. Using this wrench exposes operators to sound and vibration. The aim of this study was to Evaluation of workers' exposure to hand-arm vibration of impact wrench in heavy vehicles puncture shops and providing control methods   Method This study was conducted with the participation of 20 employees of heavy vehicles puncture workshops who worked in different workshops with different Impact wrenches and were randomly selected. At first, the personal Demographic of the employees such as age, work experience, height, weight and level of education and the characteristics of the Impact wrench including weight, power, function life and manufacturer were recorded. Hand-arm vibration measurement GA2003 HARM VIBRATION METER made by CASTEL with a piezo electric T-shaped sensor was used to measure hand-arm vibration. Measurements were performed on the X, Y and Z axes according to ISO 5349-1. The effective vibration acceleration was measured in RMS mode and using a HARM filter. Then the effective total value vibration acceleration was calculated using Equation 1.   Equation(1) ahv: total value effective vibration acceleration ( (   ahwx: X-axis effective vibration acceleration ( (  ahwy: Y-axis effective vibration acceleration ( (     ahwz:  Z -axis effective vibration acceleration ( (   1. Hand Arm Vibration                                         2. Hand Transmission Vibration          Image (1).  Pneumatic wrench on the left, a worker using it on the right   There are about 10 screws in each wheel of heavy machinery, considering that the time required to open and close the screws of a wheel is 3 minutes, and considering the average number of wheels that can be opened and closed by one person during a day ( 20 wheels per day) The average exposure time was calculated as 1 hour, then using Equation No. 2, the effective acceleration equivalent to 8 hours of exposure per person was calculated and the results were compared with the allowable occupational exposure threshold of the country. Equation (2)   A (8): the amount of effective vibration acceleration is equivalent to daily exposure  ahv: the total value effective vibration acceleration T: the vibration exposure time T0: the base time which is 8 hours per day. Result: Mean personal Demographic including age, work experience, weight and height were 36  8.97 years, 10.55  7.52 years, 10.86 kg and 175  4.9 cm, respectively. The mean characteristics of pneumatic wrenches including torque (power), weight and function life were 2750 N/M, 13.7  2.04 Kg and 1.45  1.05 years, respectively. 50% of the wrenches belonged to Genius Company, 25% to TAITIAN Company and 25% to other companies. The maximum effective acceleration measured in the front handle of the Impact wrench was 20.35  on the Z axis. The mean effective acceleration of vibration in the front handle on the X, Y and Z axes was 16.95  8.98 , 18.35  6.93  and 20.35  10.39 , respectively. Also, the total value of the effective vibration acceleration for the front handle was 32.34 14.88 . Measurements performed on the rear handle of the Impact wrench showed that the total value of effective vibration acceleration for the rear handle was 45.22  21.99 and the maximum effective acceleration measured was 28 on the Z axis. The mean effective acceleration of hand-arm vibration in the rear handle of the Impact wrench in the X, Y and Z axes was 22.85  12.79 , 25.2  8.78 and 28 15.9 , respectively. The mean effective vibration acceleration obtained after using felt in the tool handle on X, Y and Z axes was 7.1  1.33 , 8.25  1.69  and 7.2 ± 2.1 , respectively. The Vibration total value of effective acceleration of three-way vibration after using felt was 13.27  2.57 . The maximum vibration reduction was related to the Z axis. The mean effective vibration acceleration obtained after using elastomer in the Impact wrench category in X, Y and Z axes was 14.45  6.06 , 17.15   6.68 , 14.45  6.06 , respectively. The mean Vibration total value of effective three- axes vibration acceleration after elastomer use was 29.21  10.76 . The mean vibration acceleration of the 8-hour exposure of the Impact wrench with the exposure time of 1 hour per day is 16.38  7.58 and is higher than the allowable occupational exposure limit (5 ). The mean effective vibration acceleration of the 8-hour exposure after using felt whit Exposure time of 1 hour per day was 4.67  0.887 which is less than the allowable daily exposure limit and more than the action limit (2.5 ). The mean effective vibration acceleration of exposure 8 hours after elastomer use was 10.18  3.78, which is higher than the occupational exposure limit. effective vibration acceleration is equivalent to 8 hours of exposure Row Variable Mean ( ) SD Min Max 1 Equivalent acceleration related to 8 work hours exposure 16.38 7.58 7.46 29.37 2 Equivalent acceleration related to 8 work hours exposure using felt 4.67 0.887 2.57 5.99 3 Equivalent acceleration related to 8 work hours exposure using elastomer 10.18 3.78 6.41 16.08   Comparison of the means of the three modes of the total value of effective vibration acceleration of Impact wrench vibration, the total value of effective vibration acceleration after felt application and the total value effective vibration acceleration after elastomer application in Impact wrench handle, showed that the reduction of effective hand-arm vibration acceleration by using felt and elastomer in Impact wrench is significant (P <0.05). Also, according to the obtained results, felt is more efficient than elastomer and reduces the effective acceleration of hand-arm vibration to a greater extent, which is also a significant reduction of vibration (P <0.05). Graph of changes in mean effective vibration acceleration   Evaluation of the relationship between Impact wrench vibration total value with power (torque), weight and function life variables showed that there is a significant relationship between power (torque), Impact wrench and hand-arm vibration total value (p <0.05) and As the power increases, the vibration rate increases. But there was no significant relationship between the variables of Impact wrench weight and function life with the total value of effective acceleration of hand-arm vibration caused by Impact wrench. Discussion The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure of heavy machinery puncture workshop workers to hand-arm vibration caused by Impact wrenches and to provide control strategies. According to the results, the amount of hand-arm vibration caused by the Impact wrench is more than the allowable occupational exposure limit of the country and the highest vibration is in the rear handle of the Impact wrench and in the z axis (28). It is effective and increases the amount of hand-arm vibration by increasing it. The use of felt and elastomer in the Impact wrench category significantly reduced hand-arm vibration. The most effective acceleration of the hand-arm vibration was in the rear and front handles of the Impact wrench in the Z axis. The Z direction is along the length of the hand (from the fingertips to the arm) and when working with an Impact wrench is the maximum force and pressure applied to the back, i.e. in the direction of the hand. Therefore, most of the vibration is in the Z direction and in the same direction as the force generated by the Impact wrench. The maximum reduction in hand-arm vibration was by using felt on the Z axis and the maximum reduction was by using elastomer on the Y axis. Felt reduced by 70% and elastomer reduced by 43% the effective acceleration of hand-arm vibration caused by the Impact wrench. Although the results of repeated measures statistical tests showed that both coatings used in the Impact wrench handle significantly reduce hand-arm vibration caused by the Impact wrench, but the use of felt due to higher efficiency and the greatest reduction in hand - arm vibration in the Z axis (the maximum amount of vibration is caused by the Impact wrench in this axis) Can have a greater effect in reducing hand-arm vibration. According to the obtained results, the power or torque of the Impact wrench affects the vibration of the Impact wrench and with increasing torque, the amount of hand-arm vibration also increases. Statistical analysis by linear regression method also showed a significant relationship between Impact wrench strength and effective vibration acceleration (P <0.05), but there was no significant relationship between vibration and two variables of weight and function life. The amount of use of the Impact wrench during its function life is important and with the increase of the operating time of the Impact wrench, its power decreases so that in some cases it does not have the necessary efficiency to open and close the screws and employees are forced to change their Impact wrench. On the other hand, it is possible to increase the vibration rate by increasing the function life of the Impact wrench and the Depreciation of its parts. It seems that these two issues, i.e. increasing the Depreciation of parts and decreasing the power of the Impact wrench, neutralize the effect of each other on the resulting vibration. As a result, increasing the function life of the Impact wrench does not have a significant effect on hand-arm vibration. Conclusion In heavy machine puncture workshops, the level of daily occupational exposure of employees with hand-arm vibration caused by Impact wrenches is higher than the allowable occupational exposure of the country. The use of felt in the handle of the Impact wrench reduced by 70% and the elastomer reduced the vibration of the hand-arm by 43%, so the use of elastomer coatings and especially felt in the tool handle can be a good way to control the effective acceleration of hand-arm vibration.

Introduction:  The changing nature of work in today's world has caused a large number of people to be engaged in sedentary jobs. In such cases, lack of physical activity can lead to non-communicable diseases and increase morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to provide a step-by-step descriptive design, implementation, and evaluation of a physical activity promotion program in the workplace using an intervention mapping approach. Methods and Materials: In this study, evidence-based and theory-based intervention design, guided by the steps of an intervention mapping approach, to promote physical activity in the workplace is described. Results: Physical activity intervention was performed based on workplace as well as individual and interpersonal, environmental, and organizational goals. Interventions include using the Ministry's gym for all employees, consulting with sports experts and instructors, increasing the Ministry's sport administration programs, holding a cultural festival for the participation and cooperation of all managers, employees and their families, photography, and painting competitions, and helping physical activity assistants for follow-up and feedback. Communication channels included posters, pamphlets, labels, motion graphics, stands, booklets, and movies. Conclusion: Intervention mapping ensures transparency of all components of the intervention and provides a systematic, theory-based, and evidence-based approach to interventions development in the sedentary behavior changes among employees.

Abstract: Background and Aim: The Covid 19 epidemic has become one of the most important health system challenges in the world. This epidemic, in addition to death and disability, has come at a high cost. The aim of this study was to identify the methods of calculating the burden of Covid 19 disease. Materials and Methods: The present study performed by systematic review method. All articles related to the Covid disease burden reviewed in five databases and two search engines by May 1921. Nine articles analyzed in the final analysis. Results: Nine studies from December 2019 to April 2021 examined and calculated the burden of Covid-19 disease. 5 studies were published in 2020 and 4 studies in 2021. The studies were conducted in China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Brazil and Iran. The costs of this disease were classified into medical and non-medical costs. Due to the emergence of this disease and the lack of sufficient knowledge about this disease, there are fundamental limitations in conducting economic burden studies of this epidemic. Conclusion: Access to information is the most important prerequisite for these studies. Therefore, the method of disease management, information and diagnostic cases at the national level is very effective in calculating the economic burden of this disease. The requirements, limitations and basic framework of calculations in estimating the economic burden of this disease should be considered by researchers and policy makers of the health system.

Introduction: Human resources are considered as a major component of the health sector.  this study estimates the number of midwives required in maternity wards in hospitals by using the WISN method. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in three hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran using the WISN method in 2019. The workload and the standard working time were determined through holding expert meetings; the timing methods were used to test and verify the standard working time; available working time was determined through holding meetings with personnel affairs experts, studying the relevant laws and regulations and personnel system information; and the actual workload was determined based on information management system and information registries. Microsoft Excel was used to analyze WISN data and Stata (version 19) was used to analyze statistical data. Results: 10 factors related to midwifes’ available working time were identified. Annual available working time for midwives in the studied hospitals was 1378 hours per year. In this study, labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum, recovery after cesarean care, and new born cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were identified as the main activities of midwives. The results have shown that the Centre hospital and the educational hospital faced with 2 and 13 midwifes shortage, respectively, while the non-educational hospital had 2 surplus midwives. Conclusion: The results showed that although both center and educational hospitals are faced with a shortage of midwifery staff, in comparison of working pressure, midwives in the educational hospital are under more pressure than the midwifes in the center hospital; so staffing in the educational hospital is a top priority. so workforce recruitment has a significant role in these hospitals. Keywords: Workload Indicator of Staffing Need, Midwife, Hospital, Workforce