Iranian Journal of health, Safety and environment
Volume:7 Issue: 3, Summer 2020

Today, occupational accidents, like one of the substantial agents in the damage of efficient human resources, money and time, are considered a menace to the extension and improvement of each state. These accidents have a massive stroke on the productivity of the laborer of different industries and eventually in the economy of society. The purpose of this study is to provide a model to improve safety value, according to productivity indicators in manufacturing industries. In most studies, the cost of each damage has often been used for the calculation of the safetyrelated costs in the workplace, and this important issue is still neglected despite the high impact of job productivity loss due to occupational accidents. hence, on the present etude, the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method has been used to present a model to improve the safety value according to the proposed solutions. The results showed that among the studied criteria, capital productivity had the most impact and holding classes and training courses for the workforce, according to the studied criteria was identified as the most appropriate solution to improve the value of safety

Climate is one of the most important structural factors on planet Earth and it is undoubtedly natural and all manifestations are at a wide range of levels. To recognize, control and adapt it, scientists have tried to improve life and well-being under various climatic conditions. Decreasing ambient temperatures can be common or annihilated by various diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible relationship between covid-19 (Corona virus) disease and temperature fluctuations in Iran during March 2020. This is, of course, a preliminary study, and further research may explore other aspects of the subject. The methodology applied was the chi-square statistic to evaluate the test of independence between the studied variables and linear regression analysis to find the possibility of the influence of temperature as an independent climatic factor in the increase or decrease of the number of patients. In case of failure of linear regression analysis, the quadratic fit estimation was used. Results of this study proved the slight significant correlation between the occurrence of Corona and the temperature changes in the study area during March 2020. Although the temperature element is considered to be an influential climatic factor in Corona-like diseases such as influenza or SARS, this study could not profoundly prove such a relationship. The prevalence of Corona in Iran can be affected by several other factors such as deficiency of medical equipment, the behavior of the Iranian people towards the epidemic and the spread of this virus, socio-political and cultural gatherings.

Individuals with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those without diabetes and when they do, it tends to be more extensive. This study investigated the knowledge and perception of cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM). This cross-sectional survey involved 125 patients with type II diabetic Mellitus aged 34-85 years. The heart disease fact questionnaire (HDFQ) and the Perception of Risk of Heart Disease Scale (PRHDS) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. The mean score of the knowledge and perception of cardiovascular risk factors among the participants was 11.68±6.71 and 57.47±8.37 respectively. There was a significant difference in the knowledge (p=0.011) and perception (p=0.009) of risk factors of cardiovascular disease between male and female participants. This study shows a fair knowledge and perception of cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type II DM and there was a distinction in the perception and knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors between male and female participants.

Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the major causes of disability around the world. We ought to determine the prevalence and risk factors of MSP among construction workers in Karachi, Pakistan. We carried out a cross-sectional study among 321 construction workers from five registered construction companies in Karachi, Pakistan. We administered an Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ-E) to determine the frequency of MSP and inquired about socio-demographic characteristics, occupational and ergonomic risk factors, knowledge and practices regarding MSP. Age-adjusted logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors that were associated with MSP. The mean age of participants was 29.6 (±10.6) years. Low back pain was the most common (27.8%) complaint. The MSP risk was higher in the poorest strata [OR= 1.85, 95% CI:1.10-3.12], and those exposed to vibrations [OR=1.63, 95%CI: 1.05-2.54] during their work activities. Moreover, the unmarried [OR= 0.56, 95%CI: 0.35-0.91] and the workers of Punjabi ethnicity [OR=0.46, 95% CI: 0.27-0.76] were at a lower risk of MSP compared to married men and Sindhi workers. Of the 319 workers, the majority [202 (62.9%)] had low knowledge about occupational hazards, and [194 (60.4%)] health hazards, [131(40.8%)] MSP prevention strategies. More than one third [124(38.6)] workers, were not using personal protective equipment (PPEs) during work. The construction workers in Pakistan suffer from a very high prevalence of MSP. The study reports MSP from five major registered construction companies in Pakistan. The young group of workers reported difficulty working due to MSP. There is a dire need to design contextualized occupational health and safety policies and interventions with a focus on workers at higher risk of MSP.

The aim of this study was to examine industrial waste minimisation through material and energy recovery at Hwange Power Station in Zimbabwe. This project is significant in that it envisages the opportunities of boosting power output through the use of industrial waste management at international and national levels. Most industries in Zimbabwe are facing challenges in the sustainable waste disposal and the nation at large is experiencing severe power shortages. A detailed descriptive study was undertaken to analyse the potential of boosting power output whilst sustainably managing industrial waste. The research administered 200 questionnaires which are approximately 30% of the entire population directly involved in the core waste generating activities. Out of the 200 questionnaires that were administered, a total of 182 were completed and returned in time for data compilation giving a response rate of 88.5%. The qualitative and quantitative research designs were used with direct field observations, interviews and questionnaires as primary sources of data. Secondary data was acquired from existing literature to boost and support the research findings. The main findings of the research divulged the types and quantities of waste from power generation activities, the effectiveness of the current methods of waste management and the definitive degree of waste management through material and energy recovery at Hwange Power Station. The study also revealed that energy and material recovery are essential methods of industrial waste management as well as opportunities for boosting power output. It was therefore recommended that Hwange Power Station needs to consider investing in energy recovery to boost power output at the same time sustainably managing waste.

Several studies confirmed the association of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity and high body mass index (BMI) on hearing loss among the general population. We think that same with the general population, we might have same association among workers that exposed with noise exposure in their workplaces. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and noise-induced hearing loss among workers of the Iranian automobile industry. The present survey was performed on 606 workers of an Iranian automobile product factory. According to Noise exposure measurement, we divided workers into the noise-exposed (≥ 85 dB) and unexposed (<85 dB). We compare demographic data, Anthropometric indices, Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum level of glucose and lipid profile between two groups. Metabolic syndrome in study participants was determined according to NCEP ATP III criteria. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome had a significant association with higher than 85 dB noise exposure. Moreover, logistic regression analysis showed that exposure with higher than 85 dB noise had an independent predictor of metabolic syndrome. Although there are different and controversial findings on this topic in the literature, we believed that exposure to equal or higher than 85 dB noise in the working population influenced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.

Air pollution and its increasing hazards are growing issues in Pakistan. The main reason is over population and efforts to provide luxurious lifestyles to people. So, changes in economic growth result in ever-increasing fossil fuels consumption, deforestation, industrialization, construction and urbanization. The activities are responsible for the enhanced level of airborne particles and ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere that is resulting in low air quality especially in winter as compared to summer. Since the last few years, it was noticed in Lahore, Pakistan, that the ambient environment condition of the city is rapidly changing, particularly in winter. The sun rays are blocked out and result in smog. Smog is a combination of fog and smoke and an important secondary pollutant that reduces visibility and enhances various health issues. It particularly affects children and older people causing high risk diseases such as eye-watering, skin allergies and respiratory infections. Even though preventive measures are taken to control the effect of smog every winter, there is still a need to focus on the causes to control the prevailing problem of winter smog for betterment in the future. The present review will discuss smog’s history, sources, effects and preventive measures in Pakistan along with other countries.