IRAN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOURNAL
Year:2020 | Volume:16 | Issue:5|Papers Count:8

Background and aims: The safety culture in the High-Reliability Organizations (HRO) across various industries of a country is described as a long-term competitive advantage that can be considered as a factor in preventing costly events for organizations and countries. Therefore, promoting safety culture in such organizations can be seen as one of the main concerns of the organization and government managers and regulatory agencies. In this paper, we examine the relationship between the knowledge management system and the safety culture variables among Iran's nuclear reactors staff. According to Schein, organizational culture is a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems. Safety culture can be treated as one aspect of the entire organizational culture. Any cultural constructions and cultural activities in an organization or industry have to deal with collective learning. Therefore, any efforts to enhance the safety culture of an organization should lead to positive learning experiences and cross the organizational learning membrane. Subsequently, these positive experiences gradually will penetrate to the organizational learning membrane and mix with the basic assumptions of organization members at this time new cultural assumptions will emerge. The authors believe that organizations via knowledge management systems can acquire knowledge and the culture of knowledge (according to practice-based perspective to knowledge) to develop their culture or promote their safety culture. For this reason, the implemented knowledge management system in an organization can be seen as a factor in promoting the concept of safety culture in that organization. Consequently, it is expected that a positive correlation is observed between these two variables over a relatively long term period. In this research, the knowledge management system has been considered in an exogenous construct and a reflective model about its core processes and safety culture variable. The reason behind this model is that the concept of knowledge management can exist as a pure entity in the organization because according to the perception of authors from the concept of practice-based perspective to knowledge the epistemology of knowledge management is related to organizational learning not to some processes in the organizations. This notion of knowledge management is opposed to the objective perspective and calls for a deeper understanding of learning and knowledge in organizations. Methods: The research data were collected from employees in Iran nuclear reactors located in Tehran, Isfahan, Arak and Bushehr cities using a paper questionnaire. In these facilities, responses were acquired from 98 respondents, representing the tow functional sectors of the organization: 1-safety-related sections like HSE and radiation protection sectors 2-other operating sections like engineering, technical support, and sectors that are engaged in core operation of the organization. The respondents were categorized as follows: 30 (30 percent) were technicians; 56 (56 percent) were experts; 12 (12 percent) were supervisors; With regards to gender all respondents were (100 percent) male. Knowledge management processes were measured by inquiring the respondents to reply to a set of items on a scale from 1 to 7 (1 completely disagree, 7 completely agree). These 25 Items were drawn from the Organisational Renewal Capability Inventory survey (Kianto, 2008). Kianto (2016) states that: “ In sum, the literature typically identifies four to six knowledge management processes that are cyclically interrelated. Similar to these views, this paper proposes that KM processes can be divided into five main types: knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, knowledge codification, and knowledge retention. Although these types are, to some extent, interrelated and overlapping, and are cyclically interrelated, they are individually distinguishable because of their different foci. ” The scale for knowledge acquisition tested the significance and fluency of knowledge acquired from extraorganizational sources, while the scale for knowledge sharing pointed horizontal knowledge flows inside the organization. Knowledge retention addressed the constancy and conservation of knowledge inside the organization. Items for knowledge creation addressed the periodicity and the foundation of new idea development in various groups of activities. Items for knowledge codification looked at the amount of documentation and storage and the scope of knowledge repositories. To measure the construct of safety culture, respondents were asked to answer questions similar to the one on the previous scale from 1 to 7 (1= strongly disagree and 7= strongly agree). These questions were drawn from the IAEA's 2017 Safety Culture Perception Questionnaire for License Holders (IAEA SCPQ-LH, 2017). The IAEA Safety Culture Perception Questionnaire for License Holders (SCPQ-LH) is one of five data collection methods used by the International Atomic Energy Organization to perform safety culture assessments. The questionnaire has been developed by an international group of experts with skillfulness in organizations safety culture, nuclear safety issues and questionnaire development, chaired by Dr. Mark Fleming, St Mary’ s University, Canada. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM), directed using the partial least squares (PLS) package (version 3 of SmartPLS). The first step was to assess the validity and reliability of the measurement model. Subsequently to test the hypotheses and examine connections between the study variables the structural model was used. In addition to testing the research model, the authors wanted to assess the relationship between knowledge management processes and safety cultures in more detail so the research model was tested for three groups of employees: 1-whole sample data 2-safety-related employees (like HSE or radiation protection sections employees, N=46) 3-operator related employees (like engineering and technical support or various operator groups sections, N=52). Results: According to this research findings, knowledge management processes accounted for nearly 57 percent of variance for whole employees. Therefore, establishing knowledge management processes in a high-reliability organization like nuclear reactor operators is significantly linked with safety culture. Interestingly, severity of this relationship differs as a function of job characteristics and the type or content of knowledge that is to be found in the scope of the knowledge management system for that group of employees because knowledge management processes explained a larger amount of the variance of safety culture (62 percent) for safety-related employees and a smaller amount for other operator employees (53 percent). For this reason, phrases like Nuclear Knowledge Management (NKM) or safety-related knowledge management which is used in the International Atomic Energy Organization or other national or international institutions is justified and acceptable. In addition to this, organizations can enhance the safety culture by using design for their knowledge management system and emphasizing the development and dissemination of safety knowledge in the organization. This type of knowledge management system may be referred to as a strategic knowledge management system for safety. The consistency of the results obtained from the reflective model for knowledge management and failure to obtain reliable and meaningful results for the model in which the knowledge management construct was applied endogenously in the formative model with its indicators can be seen as evidence of the validity of the reflective model used in this study. It should be noted, indicators in the reflective models are manifestations of the constructs whereas indicators are defining characteristics of the constructs in the formative models and, from item relationships with construct antecedents and consequences point of view, indicators are required to have the same antecedents and consequences in a reflective model. Conversely, indicators in the formative models have not the same antecedents and consequences. It points out, this variable should be considered as a deep and independent concept in the organization that relates to deeper concepts such as organizational learning and organizational culture and must be evaluated with an impact on organizational learning. Conclusion: To summarize, the real learning in organizations is a subject that occurs in deep organizational layers (according to Shine's organizational culture model) and the actual results of knowledge management systems should be sought in influencing these layers and points issue can lead to a more comprehensive definition of the concept of knowledge management in organizations with regard to its impact on organizational learning and other contextual issues such as organizational culture. This capability of the knowledge management system makes it as an agent in improving issues such as safety culture in the industries of countries. It should be noted that the results of this study cannot be directly used as a degree to evaluate safety culture in these facilities. The lack of women in this study was one of the constraints of this study that could be covered in future surveys with access to more employees.

Background and aims: Given the ever-expanding growth of science and technology of which the multiplicity, variety, and complexity of industrial processes have been only a part of it, and despite the many human needs to be met using science and technology, the devastating effects must not be forgotten. These consequences are either due to the unknown dimensions and aspects found in modern science and technology or the result of mismanagement, illness and work-related accidents. Among these effects and consequences are environmental consequences. Research shows that occupational accidents are among the most important consequences of globalization, especially in developing countries. On the other hand, the environment has suffered from the pollution caused by industrial and manufacturing centers to the extent that the pervasive environmental crises such as gradual warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rain, depletion environmental crises such as gradual global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rain, depletion of water oxygen and aquatic death, soil degradation caused by waste and chemicals and, to some extent, noise pollution, result from unequal confrontation between industry and environment. Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) management is responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring and optimizing operational processes in the areas of environmental management, health protection and occupational safety. Regulatory requirements play an important role in HSE discipline. Considering the threats posed by industry and the imposition of heavy and increasing costs on the economy of human society, and considering the importance and role of Health, Safety, and Environment-Management System (HSE-MS) in protecting these two infrastructure components, and of course, highly influential manpower and the environment in the field of industry and production and more importantly sustainable development, it is imperative to evaluate optimally and realistically its performance in industries and manufacturing centers. The effects and consequences of the devastation caused by the dangers and aspects of the HSE have become so tangible and visible that they have prompted national, and international agencies to respond these issues since the mid-1990s. These reactions occur in many forms, including the creation and dissemination of standards and management systems. The standardization approach in the field of HSE was a response to the needs of organizations and stakeholders that sought to manage HSE in a more sustainable and effective way in order to reduce the number of events (accidents), occupational injuries and diseases, mitigate environmental aspects and consequences. Ranking is a type of qualification criterion based on defined standards and is intended to guarantee the quality and quantity of contractors in providing services and defending the rights of stakeholders and users. Integrated fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and Taxonomy techniques as a method in multi criteria decision making (MCDM) helps decision maker(s) to organize and analyze problems, and to rank alternatives. Identification of criteria and indicators, selection of measures and weighting of indicators which with HSE-MS performance evaluation are the purposes of this study. Then, developed method is applied to rank the 5 actives organizations in boat industry. Methods: This applicable study was done as a descriptive-analytic procedure. Graduates of HSE related fields with career in HSE performance evaluation are the statistical population of this research. The number of samples was 8 experts that according to the sampling method-nonprobability, purposive (or judgmental) and convenience-was in correspondence with the purpose of this paper. To incorporate the experts' knowledge and experience in presenting their opinion, we weigh the experts based on their educational background, HSE experience and HSE performance evaluation and determine their significance coefficients and incorporate these coefficients into the data extracted from the questionnaires. ISO 14001: 2015 (Environmental Management Standard) and ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational Safety and Health Management) standards and collegiate related courses– industrial safety engineering, occupational hygiene engineering and environment engineering/management-were basement to identify the HSE-MS criteria and indicators. After identification, in order to quantify HSEMS performance evaluation, some measures were determined and made available for experts. Then, experts weighted them which weighting using FAHP approach with EA method. Finally, performance evaluation of HSE-MS is done by Taxonomy method in 5 actives organizations in boat industry. All experts have experience in the field of HSE performance evaluation. According to the content, approach and goals of the research, the data collection tool is a questionnaire. As ISO 14001: 2015 (Environmental Management Standard) and ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational Safety and Health Management) standards are used to identify indicators and indicators are derived from standard clauses and each standard clause represents a specific topic, so each indicator exclusively represents one of the standard clauses. This is also indicative of the validity of the indicators. The properties of a suitable criterion can be divided into two categories: inner and outer. Internal characteristics are related to the components and internal dimensions of a criterion, while external features refer to the type of relationship between the criteria. A good criterion should have features such as: quantitative, valid, representative, minimal variability of performance measurement results under the same conditions, sensitive to change, cost-effective, understandable to most users Considering the inner and outer criteria while selecting the features will lead to a comprehensive selection that will prevent the selection of additional indefinite features along with full coverage of the HSE-MS dimensions and elements. Based on ISO 14031: 2013 (Environmental Performance Assessment Standard), we considered two types of managerial and operational indicators for the comprehensiveness of HSE-MS performance evaluation. We determined managerial indicators according to the ISO 14001: 2015 (Environmental Management Standard) and ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational Safety and Health Management) and also operational indicators are set based on key courses of HSE related academic disciplines. To quantify the performance evaluation of the HSE-MS, we need to use quantitative indicators or in other words we should apply a measure for this purpose. The researchers suggested two measures in the HSE Qualitative Questionnaire for each indicator and experts had to select one of the two measures or introduce another one. In terms of weight of experts, the final measure is selected for each feature. In order to determine the effect or weight of each of the indicators on the performance evaluation of HSE-MS, we need to determine a method for weighting. Accordingly, the fuzzy analytic hierarchical process approach was developed to determine weight of the indicators. According to the selected method, a questionnaire called pairwise comparison matrix of indicators / measures was given to the experts based on triangular fuzzy numbers to determine each of the pairwise comparisons between the indicators according to the fuzzy linguistic expression. Results: By reviewing the literature and receiving expert’ s opinions, 10 general criteria and 54 indicators were identified so that the total number of identified management performance criteria and indicators are 7 and 28 respectively and also total number of identified operational performance criteria and indicators are 3 and 26 respectively. Management performance criteria include organizational environment, leadership, planning, support, operations, performance evaluation and improvement. Operational performance criteria include safety, health and environment. Nonetheless, the total weight of management and operational performance criteria is 40. 5 and 59. 5 respectively. Despite the higher number of management performance criteria, weights and importance of operational performance criteria for assessing HSE-MS performance is much more. Three operational performance criteria have largest weights based on experts’ opinions. The three operational performance criteria are assigned the highest weight followed by the management performance criteria. Among the management performance criteria, the improvement criterion is with the highest weight and the criterion of the organizational environment is with the least weight. Also, among the 54 identified indicators, the first six indicators (include product, particles, gases / vapors, machinery and equipment safety, biologically permitted hazardous agents, general safety (5S)) with the highest weight are all operational performance indicators and the last six indicators (include partnership, consultancy, organizational roles, responsibilities and organizational authorities, planning actions to achieve HSE objectives, internal audit, procurement and communications) with the lowest weight are management performance indicators. The obtained results using integrated method revealed that the organization 1 in boat industry has been placed in the top lists. Also, the results showed an influence of indicators weight on ranking of organization that considering this issue in performance evaluation of organizations especially in HSE-MS is the suggestion of this research. Conclusion: While confirming the need for management and operational performance indicators to realistically evaluate the HSE performance of industrial organizations, this study emphasizes that the weight of operational performance indicators is higher than that of management-despite the higher number of management performance indicators. Obtained results showed that the integrated fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and Taxonomy methods can be used to evaluate the performance of Health, Safety, and Environment-Management System successfully. It seems that, performance evaluation with multi criteria decision making methods with employee's collaboration can increasingly leads to effectiveness in using HSE-MS. In order to improve the HSE performance of industrial organizations, the implementation of the relevant standards, including ISO 14001: 2015 and ISO 45001: 2018, must be such as to ultimately eliminate, reduce or contain safety hazards, adverse health factors and environmental consequences.

Background and aims: Currently, as a result of research on laboratory animals, abundant information has been obtained on the impact of various environmental factors on the occurrence of congenital malformations, but there is still no comprehensive information on the causes of congenital heart malformations in human populations. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) constitute the major class of congenital anomalies. Although the incidence of CHDs is close to one percent of live births, its prevalence in the fetus is higher. The prevalence of CHDs is 0. 5-0. 8% in the live-term neonate, 2% in premature infants and 10-25% in the aborted fetus. The exact causes of CHDs are not clear. About 25% of all CHDs are attributed to the genetic factors. The interaction of genetic and environment is also considered in the etiology of the CHDs. Researchers say occupations such as pharmacy, chemical engineering, dyeing, increase the risk of neonatal eye, heart and intestinal defects and cleft lip and palate. Several studies have shown the effect of non-genetic factors such as environment and lifestyle on the occurrence of CHDs. In the Snijder study, no relationship was found between maternal occupational contact and CHD offspring, whereas fathers' exposure to phthalates increased CHD in neonates. According to the above mentioned content Identify paternal exposure to solvents and its relationship with congenital malformations heart defect can be effective in identifying the factors affecting the incidence of malformations. However, there is no consensus on the role of paternal and maternal exposures and susceptible window of exposure on the CHDs across studies. Additionally, the body of evidence on the association between occupational exposures and congenital malformations especially CHDs are limited. This study aimed to investigate paternal occupational exposure to solvents and congenital heart abnormalities in neonates. Methods: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences (Registration Code: ir. ssu. medicine. rec. 1359. 37). In this case-control study 200 children with congenital heart defect and 400 matched healthy infants were considered as case and control groups respectively. Cases were randomly selected from the medically diagnosed and registered CHDs newborns during 2015-2017 (1393-1395 Persian year) in Yazd, Afshar referral hospital. Controls were selected from healthy newborns of Yazd province referred to the Yazd city health centers for receiving their routine health care services. Controls were matched case by case with the cases in term of age. A researchermade questionnaire was used to collect the data by the telephone interview. The questionnaire comprised of three sections including a) general items regarding demographic characteristics b) lifestyle of parents and c) occupational and environmental exposures of the parents. Information on paternal occupation of questionnaires and paternal occupational exposure was performed using job exposure matrix. For this purpose, a matrix of occupational exposure assessment of solvents was prepared in Excel software. Exposure ratings of each job were solved based on the opinions of 10 experienced and well-known occupational health professionals. After completing the job matrix, the mean score of solvent exposure was calculated and the mean scores were used as fathers' exposure to solvents. Outcomes definition was performed according to international Classification of Disease version 10 (ICD 10). All refereed children with maximum three years of age which were diagnosed with at least one of CHDs according to the ICD10 classification were entered into the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software, descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency and percentage. STATA14 software was used to evaluate job contact and logistic regression tests were used to estimate odds ratios and odds ratios. 95% confidence interval and 0. 05 were considered significant. Results: Among the analyzed cases, ventricular septal defect with 31. 5% (n = 63) and patent ducts arteriosus with 24% (n=48), had the highest prevalence. Results showed that mothers of case group had lower level of education compared to control group (p-value <0. 001). In this study, the sex ratio of girls to boys was 1/1. 06. The BMI in mothers in the case group (26. 61± 5. 74) was significantly higher than the mothers BMI in the control group (25. 06± 3. 71). Eight percent increase in the risk of CHDs was found per one unit increase in the BMI in the crude model (95% CI: 1. 04: 1. 13). Eight percent increase in the risk of CHDs was found per one unit increase in the BMI in the crude model (95% CI: 1. 04: 1. 13). About 72% (n=144) of mothers in the case group and 83% (n=332) in the control group reported no history of a diagnosed medical problem during their pregnancy. Significant difference was observed between the frequency of heart problems in the newborns of mothers with and without health problems during pregnancy (OR: 1. 83; 95% CI: 1. 23: 2. 74). 26. 5% (n=53) of the mothers in the case group and 21. 25% (n=85) in the control group were a passive smoker. However, the risk increase due to passive smoking was not statistically significant (OR: 1. 34; 95% CI: 0. 90: 1. 98). Use of folic acid during pregnancy was associated with 41% lower risk of CHDs (95% CI: 0. 30: 0. 86). Use of Iron supplement during pregnancy was also associated with 40% lower risk of CHDs (95% CI: 0. 36: 0. 99). Familial history of other congenital anomalies and also CHDs was associated with increase in the odds of CHDs. The prevalent of Paternal occupational exposure to solvents was 66% and 55% in the case and control groups respectively in which relationship was statistically significant (OR=1. 53, 95% CI=1. 06-2. 21). After a removing the effect of confounding factors the significant differences was not observed between paternal exposure to solvents and heart defects in child (AOR = 1. 28, 95% CI=0. 84-1. 6). Investigation of the relationship between patent ducts arteriosus and occupational exposure to solvents showed that fathers' occupational exposure to solvents was higher in the case group (72%) than in the control group (58%), whereas between arterial openness and occupational exposure to solvents. With and without confounding factors, no significant relationship was observed despite high index ratio (OR: 1. 94 4-95% CI: 0. 97-94. 09 and OR: 64% CI95: 0. 76-3. 55 / 1: AOR)) Conclusion: The limitations of the this study were the small number of samples, the limitation of study to a specific timeframe, use of the job evaluation matrix alone and the lack of evaluation of solvent biomarkers in parental and fetal body tissues and fluids. Despite the limitations of the study, the findings of the study showed that one of the environmental factors affecting the fetal health was occupational exposure Father’ s with solvents. Therefore father's job may affect the child health. The results of Studies have also shown that exposure to chemicals reduces the quality of semen and can affect epigenetic planning during sperm cell maturation. These changes may lead to abnormal gene transcription in fetal tissue that may later lead to congenital defects. In addition, occupational exposure to chemicals is generally much higher than exposure to such substances in the diet and the environment, which may further impact such exposure. An animal study has also shown that the cardiovascular system in Fetal growth stage is highly sensitive to many environmental contaminants such as dioxins, polycarbonate biphenyls and some pesticides. In this way, training parents about compliance with occupational safety standards can increase the health of next generation. Also, since this study was conducted as a job and solvents are highly diverse, it is recommended to study the effect of each solvent on the biomarkers and the effect of each solvent.

Background and aims: Inappropriate atmospheric conditions are harmful factors that cause particular problems in certain seasons (summer or winter). The occupation of confectionery in the regions like Ilam causes severe problems due to the heat generated by the nature of the work (synthetic heat-generating processes) and the heat resulting from the climatic conditions in the region. Exposure to excessive heat, in addition to disrupting the physiology and health of the individuals that may cause many diseases and complications, also affects their efficiency and safety. One of the indices of heat stress is the WBGT index, confirmed by various national and international organizations and institutions as the standard method for measuring heat stress. WBGT index engages important environmental factors directly or indirectly in its computational structure. The Discomfort Index (DI) has been recommended for more than four decades along with the WBGT index for the evaluation of warm environments. Today, the oral temperature is used to determine the heat stress and strain. In addition, oral temperature is one of the important parameters for the validation of indices. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of heat stress complications in occupational environments, a study was conducted to determine the amount of heat stress in the employees of confectionery workshops in Ilam city, so as to identify the factors affecting the heat stress of workers and to provide recommendations for the reduction of these risk factors and to create a healthy working environment. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 104 workers in 35 confectionary workshops in summer of 2017. The sample size was selected based on census method. Prior to the study, the workers were monitored through medical records and interviews, and, two of them did not qualify for inclusion in the study. Measurement of the study variables was performed at the hottest work hours (10 to 14), once for each worker, in the worst workstation (nearest to the heat source). In the present study, four groups of occupations, i. e. workers of oven, mixer, flattener, cleaning and packaging, three types of ovens, i. e. layered, winch and furnace, and three productions of wet and dry pastry, cake and French bread, Baghlava and Ka’ ak. Assessment of heat stress was performed by the WBGT (based on ISO7243 standard) and the DI indices. Metabolism and activity of workers were calculated according to the ACGIH standard. Also, the working pattern was 75% of the work-25% of the rest, and according to ISO 9920, the clothing insulation coefficient in WBGT calculations was 0. 6 clo. Along with the environmental parameters such as dry bulb temperature, natural wet bulb temperature, globe bulb temperature, relative humidity and dew point temperature, the oral temperature of the workers was measured by a digital medical thermometer. Finally, data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 22 and statistical tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation were performed. Results: Findings of this study showed that the mean of WBGT index in the workers of oven, mixer, flattener, cleaning and packaging was 33. 66± 3. 96, 29. 58± 3. 05, 31. 73± 3. 61 and 29. 87± 2. 4. Also, this index was 30. 94± 3. 86, 34. 14± 3. 89, and 32. 2± 2. 91 for the winch (wet and dry pastry), layered (cake and French bread), and furnace (Baghlava and Ka’ ak) ovens (products). These results show that the amount of heat stress in working with the oven and the cake and French bread product (layered oven) was more than others. Kruskal Wallis tests and one way ANOVA showed a significant difference between the mean of WBGT and DI indices with job variables, type of oven and products (p <0. 05). A 95% confidence interval was observed in terms of the WBGT index between the subgroups of the oven and flattener, oven and cleaning and packing, layered oven and winch oven, and French bread and the wet and dry pastry. However, in terms of the DI index, this difference was found between the sub-groups of the oven and cleaning and packing, oven and mixer with flattener, layered oven and winch oven, and French bread and the wet and dry pastry. Pearson correlation test showed that there was no significant correlation between oral temperature and indices and variables (p<0. 05). Based on the results of this study, the mean of WBGT index at the heights of head, waist and ankle was 32. 54± 5. 01, 31. 54± 3. 86 and 30. 49± 3. 12, respectively. Also, according to Kruskal Wallis statistical tests and one way ANOVA, there was a significant difference in WBGT index and dry bulb temperature, natural wet bulb temperature, globe bulb temperature and relative humidity at the heights of head, waist and ankle (P <0. 05). The results of the Mann-Whitney test indicated that there was a significant difference between the gender variable and the oral temperature (p <0. 05), with the mean of this variable was higher in women (36. 7± 0. 27) than men (36. 42± 0. 84). The results of this study showed that 85. 6% of the subjects had a “ severe” discomfort index (DI), and regarding the WBGT index, 14. 4% and 85. 6% were lower and higher than the threshold, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, almost all of the workers in the confectionary workshops are exposed to heat stress, but subgroups of oven, mixer, layered oven (cake and French bread), furnace oven (Baghlava and Ka’ ak) and the females were exposed to higher stress. So, these subjects have a priority when adopting control measures. It is recommended that measures such as pre-employment examinations, preparation of proper drinks, training the workers, reduction of working time, using thermal shields, using air conditioning system, and paying particular attention to reducing the wet temperature and relative humidity of the workplace are taken to minimize the exposure to heat and the resulting diseases.

Background and aims: Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations have been developed with the aim of crating safe conditions at workplaces. Employers are required by OHS laws to provide a safe working environments for employees. A common method to manage OHS in many workplaces is to enforce the requirements of the OHS regulations from inside and outside the organizations. Implementation of the OHS regulations plays a major role in enhancing OHS status, and safety management approaches emphasize on the compliance with the requirements of the regulations. However, studies show that OHS regulations are not fully implemented in workplaces, especially in the companies that located in developing countries. Therefore, assessing how organizations comply with the requirements of OHS regulations can help policymakers and managers to identify existing problems and to plan for better management of OHS. The Code of Committee for Technical Protection and Health at Work (CTPHW) has emphasized on the formation of committee meetings. According to the code, OHS issues in workplaces must be reviewed in the meetings so that decisions can be made to improve the status of OHS in organizations. The formation of OHS committees in workplaces has been associated with reduction of occupational injuries, facilitating senior management cooperation with workers, increasing worker participation in OHS affairs, and overall improving OHS status. Conversely, the lack of formation of OHS committees can lead to the absence of OHS policies and programs in workplaces. The collection, investigation, and reporting of occupational injury’ data is one of the important requirements of the CTPHW regulation. Recording and storage of OHS data can help to preserve the OHS knowledge of an organization and provide insights into the organization's OHS performance. However, occupational injuries as an imperative OHS data not properly reported to the relevant OHS enforcement agencies i. e., OHS authorities (Labor inspection offices and health centers) in Iran. Given the importance of establishing CTPHW in improving OHS, reviewing the available related documentation can lead to the identification of problems linked with the implementation of the regulation and providing comments for better implementation of it in the future. Analysis of OHS documentation in workplaces such as CTPHW’ minutes can be done using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Document analysis is a systematic way to study and evaluate paper and electronic documentation. Same as other qualitative research methods, document analysis is an important research method to study and interpret data in order to know the meaning, understand, and acquire empirical knowledge. The data is organized into topics, quotes, and categories, through content analysis. Content analysis is a technique that is used to infer the specific features of a text in a systematic and objective manner. It is a process of organizing information into categories according to the main research questions. Content analysis is also useful in providing a raw picture of the data that determines the number of words used in the text. Literature review has shown that no research studies have ever been reported on how to enforce the CTPHW regulation in organizations and to review the content of relevant documents in scientific journals. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the content of the CTPHW’ minutes using a quantitative approach in manufacturing companies. It also aims to discover how the companies fulfill the requirements of the CTPHW code. Methods: In this qualitative study, the records of CTPHW’ minutes related to the years of 2011-2015 were collected from the manufacturing companies i. e. 34 firms. The companies located in one of the northwestern city of Iran. Manufacturing activities in the companies include the production of food and dairy products, building materials, gloves, auto parts, electricity, furniture, mattresses, and metal equipment. All studied companies had been hired full-time or part-time OHS officers before the time of study. Most of the minutes used in this study were collected from the archives of an OHS authority and some were gathered from the archives of the manufacturing companies. The contents of paper and electronic documentations of CTPHW’ minutes were organized into topics and categories using a quantitative content analysis method and based on research questions. In order to analyze the data, each of the minutes was coded word by word. The terms and number of the words related to safety, health, and ergonomics and the type of related approved OHS promoting programs were determined. Also, the types of approved projects by CTPHW’ members were analyzed in three separate sections. In the first part, the projects were examined in terms of the types of methods used to control OHS risks, including engineering controls, administrative controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE). The projects were then reviewed for being routine or non-routine organizational practices for management of OHS. The plans were also examined according to the subjects of safety, health, and ergonomics. Each of the minutes was reviewed several times to determine the number and type of control plans approved by the members of the CTPHW in the companies, and then the plans were classified according to the type of control procedures. Results: The content analysis of the minutes showed that the highest number of them (241 cases) was related to 2015 and the lowest number (34 cases) was related to 2011. The total number of clauses was 4823; that the highest number of them (1431 clauses) was related to 2015 and the lowest number (383 clauses) was related to 2011. Thematically, the highest number of clauses was related to safety (2807 clauses) and the least was related to ergonomic (67 clauses). The total number of examined OHS related words was 4408; with the highest number (1271 words) was related to 2015 and the lowest number (515 words) was related to 2011. The highest number of words was related to safety (1353 words) and the least of the words related to ergonomics (31 words), and among the safety related words, fire-fighting word had the highest frequency. It should be noted that the number of ergonomic word in the years 2011 and 2012 was zero. The total number of approved projects was 2553, the most of them were related to engineering (958 cases) and the least were related to work practices (145 cases). The number of routine projects was 1217 cases and the number of non-routine projects was 1181 cases. Thematically, most of the projects were related to safety (1566 cases) and the least were related to ergonomics (41 cases). Conclusion: The requirements of the CTPHW regulations were not properly implemented in the manufacturing companies. The number of minutes, clauses, and words was the lowest in 2011 and the highest in 2015. The safety topics had the highest frequency, and ergonomics had the least frequency in the analyzed minutes. Most of the control schemes adopted to reduce OSH risk were engineering controls. These findings indicated an increase in the number of minutes, clauses, and OHS control plans in the 34 studied firms during the studied years. The finding also demonstrates gradually improved compliance with one of the requirements of the CTPHW. According to the findings, this study emphasizes on more follow-up of OHS authorities to better enforce the requirements of CTPHW regulation in manufacturing companies. Training and encouragement of manufacturing companies by the OHS authorities can help to fulfill the requirements of the CTPHW code and the promotion of OHS status in the companies through making a proper culture of safety

Background and aims: Noise is one of the most effective exogenous factors affecting the processing mechanisms of the human brain, which has a major role in the occurrence of human error and occupational accidents. Low frequency noise is usually produced by sources such as ventilation systems, pumps, compressors, diesel engines and gas turbines, and so on. For this reason, the sound is in addition to industrial environments such as control rooms, in residential, office, etc., and compared to high-frequency sounds, low frequency sound is less attention and the rules associated with its control Not satisfactory Lowfrequency sound is one of the most important sources of sound-producing in the environment, and it is even annoying at low levels and affecting the cognitive function of individuals. These sounds are seen in both industrial and public environments. Because the levels of exposure to this sound are usually not very high, it does not attract much attention. Some of the individual differences, such as superiority, extroversion, neuroticism, and audible sensitivity, can reduce or increase the effect of sound on cognitive functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of handicapping on cognitive functions in the presence of low frequency noise. Methods: The present study is an interventional type. The research population was Hamedan University of Medical Sciences students. 120 of them were selected through purposeful sampling (40 right, 40 doubly capable and 40 lepers). All tests were carried out at the Faculty of Health of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in a room with acoustic and physical control in March 2012. The conditions for entry to the study include: Being between the ages of 20 and 30 years, not taking any drug that reduces the level of consciousness during the test, no color blindness, hearing loss (hearing loss below 25 dB), lack of background Cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and sleep disorders. In order to eliminate the interfering factors, an audiometric test was conducted at the Faculty of Health and Ishihara Blind test. Individual information and medical records were collected by a questionnaire and, if they did not have the criteria for entering the study, were removed from the community under study. After the final selection of eligible individuals, all tests were fully explained to the subjects. It should be noted that all the subjects participating in this study were verbally and oral. Chapman's hand-breaking questionnaire was used to determine the supreme hand. By simulating the real environment of each subject, exposure to high-frequency audibility in the industry (45 and 65dB) was exposed for 40 minutes. The environmental conditions were maintained under thermal comfort conditions, with an equivalent temperature of 18 ° C and a relative humidity of 50%, without constant disturbance of air flow. Also, with 500 lux and fluorescent lamps, the brightness level of the surfaces was well maintained and maintained during all experiments. In this study, the recorded sound of the industrial air conditioning system was used in the work environment using the Cool Edit Program In the desired frequency band, it was edited. This program is a powerful software for producing sound at different frequencies, especially low-frequency noise. When playing sound, the level of sound pressure level was measured at the ears of the subjects tested and sitting. The benchmark used in the SVANTEK research is the 971-based Polish-American company, which operates according to the IEC 61672 standard, which has the ability to analyze 1. 1 and one-third of the octave band. Spherical shaped speakers with a SWA-100 amplifier to amplify low-frequency noise that produces similar sound to the work environment. And during exposure to IVA PLUS CPT, the cognitive functions (reaction time, attention, balance, concentration, and processing speed) of the subjects were examined. The cognitive performance tests lasted 10 minutes, from the minute 30 to 40 people responded. After the implementation of each step, the groups changed to eliminate the effect of the exposure sequence, and the interval between each experiment was 24 hours in order to prevent cumulative fatigue at the second level. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 20 software, Kruskal-Wallis test and variance analysis. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 23. 94 with a standard deviation of 3. 35. The distribution of the tested subjects was only male, 85% of them were single and the rest were married. Most of the participants in the study were from health sciences and 80% of them were undergraduate. The results showed that there is a significant difference between cognitive functions of individuals with increasing voice level from 45 to 65 dB. Also, there is a significant difference between the components of cognitive function and hand holding (p <0. 05), so that the right subjects of the components Better cognitive listening, and leftover subjects had better visual cognitive components than others, and the two-way performance was higher at the higher level than the other two groups (p <0. 05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that there is a significant relationship between side advantage and cognitive functions, thus, it was observed that during exposure to voice in leftover subjects, visual components of cognitive functions are more than right ones. Voice is effective on the mental activity of individuals, so that the differences between the components of cognitive functions when exposed to two levels of sound 45 and 65 dB with sound are quite obvious. According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that by increasing the level of sound from 45 to 65 dB, the low-frequency sound (the intensities in the industry) can improve the cognitive functions in all three groups (right hand, left hand and two-way power). Slowly In the meanwhile, the performance of the two shafts is higher than the right-handed and left-handed ones. The results of this study indicate that exposure to low frequency noise was effective in the components of the cognitive functions of participants, and there was a significant relationship between the increase in noise and cognitive function components with hand holding. During the exposure to sound, the two sides had higher components of cognitive function. Accordingly, in work posts and sensitive occupational tasks requiring the use of cognitive functions, the effect of handicapping should be considered.

Background and aims: Clean air is one of the most important components of health and sustainable development. Every person breathes about 10 kg of air per day and if it contains pollutants, it will have a serious impact on their health. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the major health issues that have been addressed in recent years with changes in lifestyle patterns. Usually, due to the increased time of presence and activity in these environments and reduced air exchange with the outdoor environment, indoor air quality is poorer than outdoor environments. Toluene is a Volatile organic compound with widespread applications. VOCs has a high vapor pressure and high emission rate to environment. Due to its adverse effects on human and environment health, they must be controlled before discharging to the environment. Photo catalytic oxidation process is one of the environmentfriendly and effective methods for the remove the organic compounds from the air which likely to be better in combination with other methods such as adsorption. Through the process of PCO, UV radiation adsorption on TiO2 is associated with forming electron and holes from electron escape. The resulted electrons have got high levels of oxidation power and act as a strong oxidant producing superoxide ion. The resulted holes have good oxidation potential; with superoxide ions, they make good conditions for oxidation of most organic compounds to less hazardous compounds such as carbon dioxide and aqueous vapor. The most important limitation of Photo catalytic oxidation process is the dependence of the contaminant removal on the surface chemistry and the residence time of the contaminant on the photo catalyst surface. The most important limitation of the adsorption method is the decrease in adsorption removal efficiency and elimination capacity due to the filling of the adsorption sites. According to this, by combining adsorption and photo catalytic oxidation, it is possible to increase the time of contaminant presence at photo catalytic oxidation sites and to enhance the surface chemistry and on the other hand, to restore the adsorption sites. This study is conducted with the aim at examining the effects of combination Activated carbon and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the toluene removal efficiency. Methodols: In order to prepare samples, 5g of TiO2 and 5g of TiO2 and 1g of activated carbon dissolve in separate 100 ml distilled water under vigorous stirring. The surface modification was done by dip-coating method. The efficiency of the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene is evaluated in two separate reactors exposed to ultraviolet light. Additionally, to investigate the effect of initial concentration of toluene and airflow rate on the photocatalytic removal efficiency in photocatalytic and photocatalytic-adsorption beds, the RSM method was used to design experiments. Also, Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to determine catalysts surface morphology. First, to obtain the adsorption capacity in both reactors, with the UV lamp being off, the considered concentrations were added to the reactors in 2-5 L/m airflows. Then, adsorption capacity of adsorption beds were evaluated according to the time needed for the outlet concentration to reach 10% of the inlet amount, as the fraction point of the adsorbent and saturated capacity. Next, to compare the removal efficiency of toluene in the two reactors, the lamps were immediately turned on; concentrations were gradually decreased and when the outlet concentration was balanced, the data was collected. Results: Images from an electron microscope of surfaces of the two catalysts showed that the distribution of nanoparticles on glass wool was similar and the particle size in the noncombined catalyst were smaller than 95 nm, and smaller than 87 nm in the adsorbent catalyst. In other words, the size of nanoparticles led to more contact area of the pollutant with the catalyst, increased reaction as well as removal efficiency. SEM photography confirmed that, combining TiO2 with activated carbon, the pores in the activated carbon were occupied and it made a good place for TiO2. Controlling the process of photocatalytic elimination in photocatalysts indicated that in TiO2-AC reactor, removal efficiency and elimination capacity of toluene were higher than TiO2 reactor and combining adsorbent with photocatalyst may lead to enhanced photocatalytic oxidation efficiency of organic compounds. The results illustrate that the removal efficiency and elimination capacity of toluene in photocatalytic and photocatalytic-adsorption beds are Influenced by airflow rate and inlet concentration of toluene. In optimized operational conditions, the removal efficiency in both combined and non-combined reactors in inlet loadings of 84. 5 and 1. 65 mg/m3. s and retention time of 2 and 8. 5 s, was 99. 98% and 95. 14%, respectively. Also, elimination capacity in optimized operational points in the two absorbent and non-absorbent photocatalysts was 5008. 71 and 1204. 85 mg/m3. min, respectively. As the statistical analysis by Minitab indicated, in the concentration range of 10-40 ppm and the airflow of 2-5 L/min (in 2-8. 5 s retention time) in the combined reactor, the removal efficiencies were 90% (min. ) and 99% (max. ); however, in the non-combined reactor, the minimum of removal efficiency was 10% and the maximum was 90%. The results of this study also indicated that the retention time had a significant effect on the removal efficiency and the elimination capacity of toluene, that is, at the constant inlet concentration (25 ppm) increased with increase in retention time of the non-composite reactor. However, in the adsorbent reactor, lower retention time led to higher removal efficiency. According to the results, toluene removal efficiency and elimination capacity levels in the combined reactor in time retentions of 2, 3. 3 and 8. 5 s increased compared to the non-combined reactor. Also, evaluation of the effects of initial toluene concentration on removal efficiency and elimination capacity showed that they were higher in the combined vs the non-combined reactor. Removal efficiency of both photocatalysts was influenced by the initial concentration of toluene, so that, in TiO2 higher inlet concentration led to lower removal efficiency. Nevertheless, in the adsorbent photocatalyst, there was an increase in removal efficiency with higher concentrations. According to the findings, the production of CO2 was dependent on toluene inlet concentration and the airflow. In the combined photocatalyst, the minimum and maximum of the produced carbon dioxide were 40 ppm and 80 ppm, respectively. And it was 84. 82 in the optimum operational point (46. 2 ppm; 5. 62 L/min). However, in the non-combined reactor, the produced CO2 was 29. 2 ppm in the optimum operational point and its minimum and maximum were 10 ppm and 25 ppm, respectively. The results also reported that in the given concentration and airflow, production of CO2 in TiO2-AC reactor was higher than TiO2. Conclusion: Results of the present study indicated that combining titanium dioxide with activated carbon adsorbent is a useful method in removing toluene gas from air under UV and combining photocatalytic elimination with adsorption process by activated carbon led to increased removal efficiency. Self-cleaning photocatalyst had high efficiency in the present study and the use of photocatalytic-adsorption bed can as a suitable method with high removal efficiency causing adsorption and treatment of the pollutants. In other word, combination Activated carbon with Titanium dioxide improved the functionality of activity of photocatalytic oxidation through promoting adsorption sites and increasing residence time of the pollutant in the bed. Results also indicated that removal efficiency was influenced by initial concentration of toluene and retention time of pollutants on the bed and optimizing these parameters may lead to maximum efficiency in photocatalytic setups. The combined catalysts with surface adsorbents led to improved decomposition efficiency based on photocatalytic decomposition and it is likely that the improvement is mostly the result of increasing adsorption sites compared to limited adsorption sites found in the photocatalyst. On the other hand, with more adsorption site, the pollutant had much more time to have contact with photocatalysts and consequently improved circumstances for surface oxidation reactions.

Background and aims: Workplaces with poor lighting conditions often cause occupational accidents or illness. Indoor lighting conditions, as one aspect of the work environment, Influence on occupant’ s mood, well-being, task performance and work engagement. Greater satisfaction in case of lighting conditions at workplace is usually depending on higher work plane lighting, lighting uniformity, absence of glare, light directionality (ratio of horizontal and vertical illumination), as well as the presence of a window. Thus, selecting suitable lighting system is an important part of increasing productivity in the office work plan. Although Fluorescent lighting is a conventional system in a range of industrial and domestic applications, but newer technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LED) have begun to attract as one of the most promising candidates for sources of general illumination in the near future. This is due to variety of advantages such as lower power consumption, longer usable lifetime, greater eco-friendliness due to do not contain mercury and easier processing due to their small size and adaptable shape. Due to significant growth of the LED technology and the possibility of their replacement with Fluorescent technology, it is important to evaluate the effects of these modern lighting options on worker performance. In fact, lighting can cause acute emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems. These effects of light may be dependent on parameters such as intensity, power, and type of light source. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of fluorescent and LED light sources on the alertness, cognitive performance and visual comfort level among student in a laboratory environment. Methods: Twenty-eight participants (19 to 35 years of age) were recruited to participate in this study. All participants were screened for health problems, especially about neurological diseases, mental and visual disorders. Test environment is a room with dimensions of approximately 2 x 3 x 3 meters and without natural light (with no window). All lighting sources were installed on the ceiling of room test. 4 fluorescent tube lamp on the right side and 9 white LED lamps on the left side of room were installed. Under each of lighting source a table and chair to carry out the defined tasks were placed. Turn on/off button each of lighting source also is separate. This characteristic is extracted from the booklet of lamp Manufacturers. For each participant in the study, a series of tasks and tests to measure the level of alertness, cognitive performance and visual comfort was designed. EEG method was used to measure the level of alertness. For this purpose, NeXus-4 device was used for data collection. The NeXus-4 is a small and high-end biofeedback and neuro-feedback system which is totally suitable for professional grade physiological monitoring, and clinical applications. Data processing, digital Signal filtering, Trends report and statistical analysis is done by the Bio Trace software that is compatible with the device. Using this device, signals the brain activity of the participants were recorded. Nexus-4 takes advantage of active Noise Cancellation technology, where artifacts and external interference were reduced and provides high-quality EEG signals. Electrodes were placed on subjects’ scalps according to the International 10-20 system. According to the instructions of device, reference electrode on the left ear was placed. Ground electrode (white) on the right ear and red electrode on the point Cz of the head (located in the occipital region) was placed. Gamma frequency range 35-45 Hz, beta frequency range 13-21 Hz, alpha frequency range 8-12 Hz, was set on the device. One goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of two different lighting sources (LED and fluorescent) on participant’ s performance during a computer-based visual task. For this purpose, “ Freiburg Visual Acuity & Contrast Test” (FrACT) was used. In this method, participants by viewing the computer screen determine the orientation of ring and give the appropriate response via the computer keyboard as soon as possible. Then for each step, a performance indicator for contrast and visual acuity test were determined as follow calculation: (Total number of correct responses / Total duration of step). In following, the contrast and visual acuity threshold was determined by the software itself for each participant. For carry out this task, an experiment was used that proposed in 1999 by the Courret. Just as computer-based tasks, Landolt rings were used for paper-based tasks. The participants of this study received a sheet of white paper on which 96 Landolt ring was printed in grey (very low contrast), and they were asked to determine as quickly as possible the correct orientations of all the 96 rings by writing down the number counted each ring in the bottom of the page. Then, the number of errors was counted as a performance of paper-based tasks for two lighting environments. In addition, participants in this study had to express our visual comfort under two lighting sources. For this purpose, Office Lighting Survey (OLS) was used to evaluation the satisfaction of participants during each lighting sources. OLS is a simple, valid, reliable questionnaire-based assessment method for human satisfaction regarding office lighting. This questionnaire was presented by Elkland and Boyce in 1996. Participants in this study were asked to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction of existing lighting sources with each statement by using the 4-point Likert scale with no neutral choice (yes, rather yes, rather no, no). Results: the results obtained during the computer-based tasks under two different lighting sources. For both fluorescent and LED lighting source, average performance efficiency is 0. 66 and 0. 64, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two different lighting conditions (p=0. 13). A comparison of the average contrast threshold obtained during the contrast test between the two sources of lighting. For both fluorescent and LED lighting source, average contrast tests obtained 0. 52 and 0. 45, respectively. Again no statistically significant difference was observed between the two different lighting conditions (p=0. 356). The results obtained during the paper-based tasks under two different lighting sources. The average of error in the identification of ring’ s orientation is more in LED lighting source than fluorescent lighting source. There was no statistically significant difference between the two different lighting conditions in orientations of up (P = 0. 074), down (P = 0. 896), right (P = 0. 713) and left (P = 0. 246). Also, the average number of error for all Landolt-ring orientations under two lighting sources. On average, under the fluorescent lighting, 3. 93 rings and under the LED lighting, 4. 93 rings were incorrectly identified by the participants. Comparing the average error in orientations of Landolt-ring show was no statistically significant difference between the two lighting conditions (p=0. 1≥ 0. 05). The results of subjective visual comfort represented that the maximum difference between tow lighting source in the second question (Q2) (In general, the lighting in this office is comfortable), Q3 (This color of light allows me to carry out the different tasks) and Q4 (My skin looks natural under the light. ) were observed. Also statistical analysis showed a significant difference to these questions Where p-value was equal to Q2 (0. 001), Q3 (0. 011) and Q4 (0. 003). The results of questionnaire analysis (subjective preferences and visual comfort) showed that the fluorescent lighting (66. 83 points) was most preferred by the participants than LED lighting (51. 83 points). There were statistically significant difference among the two lighting source where fluorescent light was significantly better preferred to LED light (p = 0. 002). In terms of visual comfort, fluorescent light (68. 1 points) was most comfortable than LED light (67. 33 points) but there was no statistically significant difference between two lighting conditions (p = 0. 6). Electroencephalograms mean relative power for alpha, beta and gamma frequency band at the CZ electrode were recorded. The mean relative power of frequency bands of all participants for LED lighting condition is more than fluorescent lighting condition. Also, in between three frequency band, alpha and beta bands were the biggest values. For gamma frequency band, T-test revealed that each lighting condition showed no statistically significant difference on alertness level of participant (p=0. 24). Statistical analysis for alpha and beta frequency band showed a significant difference between two lighting source. Conclusion: In general, participants in this study reported that they most comfortable in fluorescent lighting conditions and more preferred this lighting source than LED lighting source. Performance of participants in paper-based task was significantly better under the fluorescent lighting condition than under the LED lighting condition. Under fluorescent lighting conditions, participants on average 3. 93 rings and under LED lighting condition 4. 93 Ring incorrectly identified. This results show that Participants to carry out paper-based tasks under the LED lighting sources more likely commit to make errors. Even though these errors were not statistically significant, it can be inferred that the light source (fluorescent or LED) have a little effect on the carry out of paper-based tasks and the most important cause of error during cognitive tasks is the brightness level and individual variables such as age. The participant’ s performance in the computer-based tasks under fluorescent lighting source was better than LED lighting source. Visual acuity and contrast threshold of participant’ s under fluorescent lighting conditions is better than LED lighting conditions. But, no statistically significant difference was observed. In other words, we can conclude that participants while performing computer tasks did not show better or worse performance under both lighting source. These conclusions indicate that the light source (fluorescent or LED) does have little impact on computer-based tasks. Also similarly studies carried out by Linhart et al. (2011) and Shamsul et al. (2013) that don’ t show significant difference in visual acuity and contrast thresholds users and this may indicate that the FrACT test is not appropriate for this particular field. During the assessment of subjective visual comfort, the first question (I like the lighting in this office) scored satisfaction of 75% for fluorescent lighting source and 61% for LED lighting source. The second question (In general, the lighting in this office is comfortable. ) scored satisfaction of 74% for fluorescent lighting source and 52% for LED lighting source and there were statistically significant difference among the two lighting source for this question. As a matter of fact, only the differences in statements of Q2, Q3 and Q4 are statistically significant that’ s shows participants in this study subjectively most comfortable in fluorescent lighting conditions than LED lighting source. However, the absence of significance in other cases may be due to the small number of study participants. As regards the questions of visual comfort questionnaire was designed based on two dimension preference and visual comfort, the results of comparison these two dimension show that fluorescent lighting to LED lighting is the most preferred and the results are statistically significant. Comparison the visual comfort result of the participants also showed that fluorescent lighting to LED lighting is the most comfortable sources but this was not statistically significant. The results suggest that 50% of the participants prefer fluorescent light to LED light for carry out cognitive tasks. In this study, we analyzed the EEG spectral power measured on the participants in order to compare the effects of LED and fluorescent lighting on alertness. In our study, results showed that the EEG power for alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands for LED lighting are more than fluorescent lighting. This increase in the range of alpha and beta frequency bands was significant. This indicates that LED lighting could disturb human alertness in compared with fluorescent lighting. Hawes et al. recently shown that, the LED lighting in compare with the fluorescent lighting may have positive effects on perception, cognition and affective state. However, our results proved the opposite of this report. In contrast, our results indicate that the LED lighting have significantly effect on the alertness, cognitive performance and visual comfort level. As we examined only some short-term effects of LED lighting in a small community and long-term effect should be studied in the future.