International Journal of Occupational Hygiene
Volume:5 Issue: 1, Jan 2013

Studies have determined that the application of technical safety measures is not adequate to protect human, economic and environmental assets in industries. Therefore, promoting Health, Safety and Environment (HSE culture), as an alternative approach, is of great importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate and manage HSE culture among employees of an industrial sector in Iran. This descriptive-analytic research was carried out during the years 2009 and 2010. The statistical population included ten subsidiaries of the industry. To gather the required data, an HSE culture questionnaire was developed. SPSS software was also applied to analyze the data gathered. Data analysis determined that the mean of HSE culture scores was 262.7. Considering the borderline between the negative and positive HSE culture (279), it is inferred that 79.4% of personnel culture scores was negative. Finally, the study concluded that to improve safety culture in an organization, not only psychological and personal factors but also organizational and environmental factors should thoroughly be investigated. In this way, the actual problems would be identified, appropriate problem-solving methodologies be implemented and, ultimately incidents rate be reduced

Heat stress is well recognized among the hazardous physical agents that might be present during work. This study aims to compare WBGT index at acclimated and unacclimated people to permissible threshold limit value and study the differences between physiological parameters at them. Twenty one healthy men were participated in the study. All of the subjects were monitored in two different weather and working conditions: the Kar site (the work site) and the Paziresh site (the office site). A set of physiological and environmental parameters, namely heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature and deep body temperature, dry temperature, wet natural temperatures, radiant temperature and relative humidity were measured and monitored simultaneously. The acclimated subjects were all of the ammonia-phase workers working in the hot-humid worksite. Other participants were selected from the work sites without risk of heat stress. Mean value of WBGT / TLV was less than one for the both acclimated and unacclimated groups at Paziresh site, while this value was more than one at Kar site and also mean of WBGT. For two groups, TWA / TLV were less than one during the working day. Mean physiological parameters were not significantly different between the acclimated and unacclimated subjects at both sites. However, physiological parameters such as heart rate and core body temperature showed statistically significant difference between two groups at Kar. Both groups of Paziresh were not exposed to heat stress, but Kar's operators continued work under conditions of heat stress.

Supervisors have critical role in the provision of support in workplace. The present study examined degree of perceived supervisor support related to experienced physical symptoms and psychological distress among employees of Isfahan Steel Company, Isfahan, Iran. The sample included of 189 employees of the Company in 2011 who completed questionnaires about supervisor support, physical symptoms and psychological distress. The data were analyzed by multivariate (MANOVA) and correlation techniques. The results showed that there was internal significant correlation between supervisor support with physical symptoms and psychological distress (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that supervisor support predicted significantly about 17% and 19% of the variances of variables of symptoms and psychological distress (C<0.01). Employees perceived less supervisor support tend to report more commonplace illness symptoms and psychological distress, thus require more time for medical actions.

Musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are of serious concern to many organizations, including health care centres. Low back pain (LBP) with no clinical cause is common in nurses. This study aimed to assess the prevalence rate of LBP in nurses. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out on a population of 351 nurses from educational hospitals of Yazd University of Medical Sciences; Yazd, Iran aged 20-45 years. Information on these potential risk factors for LBP was sought using a translated Nordic questionnaire. Two hundred sixty respondents (74.3%) reported experiencing pain at least in one of their nine body regions during last year. The highest prevalence of LBP was seen among nurses in orthopaedic surgery (80.6%), operation room (79.2%), neurology (75.3%) and general surgery (73.7%), emergency medicine (69.9%), paediatrics (59.2%), obstetrics and genecology (54.3%), internal medicine (52.7.5%), intensive care unit (51%), ENT (50.4%), and infectious disease (48%) sections, respectively. These findings suggest that hospitals should focus and attempt to improve the ergonomics of nursing activities. In addition, effective methods of implementing changes in work systems are needed.

Shiftwork is now a major feature of working life across a broad range of industries and circadian rhythms play an important role in shiftwork tolerance. So the aim of this study was examine the relationships between age, morning-type and rigidity sleeping habits with shiftwork tolerance among shiftworkers of Karun Oil and Gas Exploitation Company. The sample consisted of 295 shiftworkers of Ahvaz, Iran, selected according to the stratified random sampling. Survey of Shiftworkers (SOS) was used to measure the variables of this study. The results indicate that correlation coefficients between the shiftwork tolerance with age, morning-type and rigidity sleeping habits were negative and significant (p<.0001). Stepwise multiple regression analyses yielded R1=0.449, R2=0.532 and R3=0.547 between shiftwork tolerance and independent variable. The results showed the importance of age, morning-type and rigidity as predictors of shiftwork tolerance. At a more practical level the main implication would be that we should attempt to select people for shiftwork systems according to their circadian rhythms (morningness /eveningness), sleeping habits (flexibility/rigidity) and demographic variables (such as age).

Formaldehyde is a common indoor pollutant with irritant properties. The present case control study was undertaken among 37 exposed staff with formaldehyde and 19 non exposed (referent) ones to study the acute and chronic effects of it in two educational hospitals. All subjects were tested for respiratory function by a portable alpha Vitalograph-UK. In addition using a respiratory questionnaire, data on demographic information and respiratory symptoms were collected. The results showed that exposed medical staff had high prevalence rates of regular cough, wheezing and itching and burning sensations of the nose on acute exposure to formaldehyde. These effects were higher on chronic exposure. On the other hand, although the respiratory function parameters such as FVC (Forced Vital Capacity), FEV1 (Volume that has been exhaled at the end of the first second of forced expiration) and PEF (The highest forced expiratory flow measured with a peak flow meter) diminished in some exposed subjects, the respiratory function in two groups of subjects did not indicate any significant differences (p< 0.05). In conclusion the respiratory function test cannot be always exact criteria to demonstrate adverse health effect of formaldehyde exposure.

The term usability refers to a special index for success of an operating system. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the Software Usability Measurements Inventory (SUMI) questionnaire as one of the valid and common questionnaires about usability evaluation. The back translation method was used to translate the questionnaire from English to Persian back to English. Moreover, repeatability or test-retest reliability was practically used to determine the reliability of the SUMI questionnaire. The target population of the study consisted of all personnel of the governmental organizations in the city of Tehran, Iran, from whom 29 persons participated in the study to fill out the SUMI questionnaire. The Persian version of this questionnaire is available at designer’s data bases under the title of IRSUMI_31. The obtained coefficients of reliability were 0.838 in testing step and 0.722 in re-testing step, respectively. The coefficients represented a satisfactory proof for the content validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The Persian version of SUMI questionnaire is applicable for all domestic made software as a valid and applicable factor.