Dissertations / Theses: 'Environmental and occupational health'

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Capuano, Ana W. "Constrained ordinal models with application in occupational and environmental health." Diss., University of Iowa, 2012. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2450.

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Occupational and environmental epidemiological studies often involve ordinal data, including antibody titer data, indicators of health perceptions, and certain psychometrics. Ideally, such data should be analyzed using approaches that exploit the ordinal nature of the scale, while making a minimum of assumptions. In this work, we first review and illustrate the analytical technique of ordinal logistic regression called the "proportional odds model". This model, which is based on a constrained ordinal model, is considered the most popular ordinal model. We use hypothetical data to illustrate a situation where the proportional odds model holds exactly, and we demonstrate through derivations and simulations how using this model has better statistical power than simple logistic regression. The section concludes with an example illustrating the use of the model in avian and swine influenza research. In the middle section of this work, we show how the proportional model assumption can be relaxed to a less restrictive model called the "trend odds model". We demonstrate how this model is related to latent logistic, normal, and exponential distributions. In particular, scale changes in these potential latent distributions are found to be consistent with the trend odds assumption, with the logistic and exponential distributions having odds that increase in a linear or nearly linear fashion. Actual data of antibody titer against avian and swine influenza among occupationally- exposed participants and non-exposed controls illustrate the fit and interpretation of the proportional odds model and the trend odds model. Finally, we show how to perform a multivariable analysis in which some of the variables meet the proportional model assumption and some meet the trend odds assumption. Likert-scaled data pertaining to violence among middle school students illustrate the fit and interpretation of the multivariable proportional-trend odds model. In conclusion, the proportional odds model provides superior power compared to models that employ arbitrary dichotomization of ordinal data. In addition, the added complexity of the trend odds model provides improved power over the proportional odds model when there are moderate to severe departures from proportionality. The increase in power is of great public health relevance in a time of increasingly scarce resources for occupational and environmental health research. The trend odds model indicates and tests the presence of a trend in odds, providing a new dimension to risk factors and disease etiology analyses. In addition to applications demonstrated in this work, other research areas in occupational and environmental health can benefit from the use of these methods. For example, worker fatigue is often self-reported using ordinal scales, and traumatic brain injury recovery is measured using recovery scores such as the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS).

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Gonzales, Melissa 1963. "Occupational exposure to azinphos-methyl: Correlating biological markers to environmental residue levels." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/291604.

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Peach harvester exposure to azinphos-methyl (AZM) residues estimated by the Transfer Factor (TF) ratio of Dislodgeable Foliar Residue (DFR) to Daily Dermal Exposure (DDE) was compared to estimates based on the relationship between dermal exposure and dialkylphosphate metabolite excretion. DFR was monitored in four orchards from the time of pesticide application through harvest. Eleven male harvesters wore cotton tee-shirt dosimeters and provided area-specific skin washes and wipes for DDE monitoring during work operations. Urinary dialkylphosphate metabolites of AZM were also monitored and compared to DDE results. During a later harvest for which DDE was not determined, the dermal exposure estimated by the TF (1,310 μg) was comparable to the estimates based on dialkylphosphate excretion (1,456-1,534 μg). A repeated measures ANOVA showed that harvesters' cholinesterase levels were significantly lower than 'non-harvesters'. No significant reductions in cholinesterase levels were detected over time.

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Fortune, Tracy. "Establishing an occupational milieu in aged mental health units : an occupational ethnography." Phd thesis, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5458.

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Kaplanis, Gina Ferra. "Harnessing Nature for Occupational Therapy: Interventions and Health Promotion." Diss., NSUWorks, 2019. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/66.

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Literature is beginning to emerge which states that participation in natural environments can be restorative, provide much needed physical activity and assist with health promotion and prevention of illness. Theories such as Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995) and Biophilia Hypothesis (Wilson, 1993) support the benefits for participation in natural outdoor environments. Health benefits of participation in nature including accessing Vitamin D, improving balance, attention restoration, reduced myopia, stress reduction are widely present in literature. Despite the health benefits of participation in nature, occupational therapists rarely complete interventions in the natural environment. Principles of adult learning and occupational adaptation were used to create a 12-hour continuing education for occupational therapists to develop skills to use in natural outdoor practice. Data was collected from course previews, surveys about continuing education at sea and using principles of adult learning to create the course and utilize a new format ReLAP, in which continuing education focuses on reflection on current practice, learning new information relevant to intervention, applying and planning to use that information in practice.

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Cartwright, Elizabeth 1959. "Malignant emotions: Indigenous perceptions of environmental, social and bodily dangers in Mexico." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/282765.

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This dissertation is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in San Pedro Amuzgos, Oaxaca and on La Coasta Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. In it I trace the movements of migrant farmworkers who come from southern Mexico to work in the grape fields of Sonora. Within that context of movement and change, I focus on understanding how illnesses are perceived and how they are healed. First I explore this issue, in depth, in their homeplace in rural Oaxaca. I follow specific illness events among residents of Amuzgos and I allow individuals actions and their reflections on those actions act as a corrective to static notions of the "Latino Folk Illnesses" that exemplify the way in which residents of this small village conceptualize their bodily problems. Local understandings of illnesses are embedded in the village as a specific Place where the topography of the village is inhabited by dangerous spirits that cause health problems for the Amuzgos. To heal, is to heal the Place where negative things occurred as well as the bodies that manifest negative symptoms. Following the Amuzgos up to the fields of Sonora, I focus on how the changing environmental context influences their perceptions of the sources of illnesses and the ways in which they treat them. In particular, I focus on the ways in which they conceptualize the health problems that arise from exposures to the pesticides that are ubiquitous in the fields and camps where they live and work.

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Gubernot, Diane M. "Occupational Heat-Related Mortality in the United States, 2000-2010| Epidemiology and Policy Recommendations." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3670444.

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Heat stress due to ambient outdoor temperatures is a workplace hazard that has not been well studied or characterized. The incidence of occupational heat-related illness is unknown. Heat-related morbidity and mortality have been well-studied at the population level, however it cannot be determined if these findings extend systematically to workers exposed to high heat conditions. Remarkably, there is no U.S. federal standard to protect workers from the peril of elevated environmental temperatures and few states have protective regulations. This dissertation research will add to the limited knowledge base of occupational heat-related illnesses, by characterizing worker fatalities due to environmental heat stress. Three independent, but related, research strategies were designed, executed, and completed to evaluate the current research, as well as knowledge gaps, and to thoroughly describe these fatalities based on available information.

This work was initiated with a thorough literature review to summarize research findings that characterize U.S. occupational heat-related morbidity and mortality and identify gaps in the existing research literature. This review of science, health, and medical databases found that few studies examine ambient heat stress or characterize the incidence of occupational heat-related illnesses and outcomes. Significantly more research examining the heterogeneity of worker and environmental risk factors to heat exposure is needed to identify unsafe working conditions and implement practical, evidence-based heat-stress policies and interventions. The subsequent study describes the epidemiological characteristics of heat-related deaths among workers in the U.S. from 2000 to 2010. Fatality data were obtained at the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the confidential on-site Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries database. Fatality rates and risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated by year, sex, age group, ethnicity, race, state, and industry. Between 2000 and 2010, 359 occupational heat-related deaths were identified in the U.S., for a yearly average fatality rate of 0.22 per 1 million workers. Highest rates were found among Hispanics, men, the agriculture and construction industries, the states of Mississippi and Arkansas, and very small establishments. This study provides the first comprehensive national profile of heat-related deaths in the U.S. workplace. Prevention efforts should be directed at small businesses, states, industries and individuals who may be at increased risk of heat stress.

Lastly, to further characterize these fatalities, research was performed to: 1) determine the ranges of heat index and temperature at which workers fatally succumb to environmental heat; 2) identify risk factors that may influence heat-related deaths; and 3) translate these findings to policy recommendations. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and the National Climate Data Center were used to identify worker heat-related deaths in the U.S., 2000- 2010, and to assign a maximum daily temperature and heat index to each case. Demographic, meteorological, and geographical variables were analyzed to evaluate any differences in fatal heat exposure. The National Weather Service temperature alert tools, the Excessive Heat Event warning and the heat index category chart, were utilized to assess community threshold suitability for workers subjected to exertional heat stress. Of the 327 cases that qualified for the analysis, there were no differences found in mean temperatures and heat indexes between the sexes, races, age groups, ethnic groups, and industries. Southern workers died at significantly higher temperatures than workers in the North. This study supports the use of heat index and temperature as a guide when evaluating environmental conditions for workers.

Population-level heat index threshold alerts are unsuitable for preventing exertional heat stress and new warning systems should be developed. Since heat-related health hazards at work can be anticipated before they manifest, preventive measures can be implemented before illness occurs. With no federal regulatory standards to protect workers from environmental heat exposure, and with climate change as a driver for adaptation and prevention of heat disorders, it is increasing sensible and imperative for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to take action. National leadership is needed to promulgate regulations, develop new heat alert tools using the heat index as a metric, and promote state-specific occupational heat stress prevention policies.

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POGNANT, FEDERICA. "Environmental sustainability and Occupational Safety and Health in the forest energy chain for small generation systems." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2671488.

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Among the different renewable energies, there has been in recent years a great spreading of the use of wood biomass. In particular the short wood energy chain with the implementation of micro-generation plants supplied by near woods is considered a particularly sustainable solution for the production of heat. This solution, because of the limited economic resources and small size, has often management issues as regards the implementation of the best available solutions regarding the environmental sustainability and the Occupational Safety and Health. The aim of this work is the identification of a methodology to analyze the different design solutions that is exhaustive regarding the considered points of view but it is also easily applicable to small work activities and processes. This methodology is aimed both at business managers, which require an expeditious and comprehensive method of analysis, and at the local authorities, who need to be able to determine whether a territorial implementation of these solutions can be environmentally sustainable. Given the identified end user, moreover the method need to be usable and applicable also by people which do not have an in-depth knowledge in the field. The draft version of the method have been defined by analyzing the different activities and processes composing the forest energy chain. The developed methodology of analysis was implemented by applying it to several real cases different for type, work environment, processes and work activities. The resulting methodology allows a parallel assessment of the research subject both from the points of view of Occupational Safety and Health and environmental sustainability. The method has been applied also to a prototype plant in order to observe if it is suitable to the application in the design phase. To validate the method, codified and recognized methodologies for the analysis of the Occupational Safety and Health and of the environmental sustainability have been applied to the same prototype plant. The method highlighted the need of a further assessment of the cumulative impacts which can be caused by the presence of different source of emissions in the same territory. Regarding them, the results obtained with the first draft of the method have not been considered sufficient. Therefore the method has been integrated with a further analysis. Considering atmospheric pollutant emissions, one of the factors that can cause greater alteration of the territory for the considered design hypotheses, along with the consumption of forest resources, a model for the dispersion of pollutants was applied to determine the modifications caused on the air quality. This phase of the analysis is essential in a feasibility assessment done by the local authorities. The final identified method of analysis allows an exhaustive evaluation of the whole forest energy chain and the identification for each phase of the process of the best technological alternatives from the points of view of Occupational Safety and Health and environmental sustainability. It can be the basis of analysis to obtain quality certifications and the necessary documentation of compliance for the activities and processes carried out. According to the obtained results is possible to determine the technical interventions and the procedures to be put in place to minimize the risk for the workers and the responses to be implemented to reduce the impacts on the territory. To meet the targeted goals of direct use by operators of the forest energy chain, a document tool has been excerpted from the developed method. It can be provided directly to private managers, as well as to local government decision-makers.

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Lundblad, Perita, and Joanna Stassos. "Hur kan olika individers upplevda hälsa och fysiska krav i arbetet se ut inom skilda yrkesområden på Stockholms Stadsmission? : En kvantitativ studie." Thesis, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:gih:diva-57.

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Syfte och frågeställningar: Den här uppsatsens syfte var att ta reda på personalens upplevda hälsa och fysisk arbetskapacitet, fysiska krav i arbetet, samt motionsvanor inom Stockholms Stadsmission. Frågeställningarna var: Hur kan olika individers upplevda hälsa och fysiska krav i arbetet se ut inom skilda yrkesområden på ett och samma företag? Kan den fysiska arbetskapaciteten inom olika yrkesområden påverkas av motionsvanor? Kan rökning vara en faktor som påverkar upplevd hälsa och motionsvanor?

Metod: Datainsamlingen bestod av enkätundersökning, stegmätning samt steptest för beräkning av syreupptagningsförmågan. Undersökningen omfattade 48 personer från tre arbetsområden: administration, butik och restaurang. De utgjordes av 31 kvinnor och 17 män i åldrarna 19 till 63 år med en medelålder på 38 ± 14 år. På stegmätningen blev det ett bortfall på fem personer, och på steptestet ett totalt bortfall på 11 personer.

Resultat: Flertalet av deltagarna uppgav att de upplevde ett högt mått av glädje/lycka, kontroll/inflytande och meningsfullhet i sitt arbete. Upplevd hälsa skattades som ganska tillfredsställande eller högre. Upplevd fysik och hur den uppfyller kraven i arbetet skattades relativt högt och jämnt fördelat inom samtliga arbetsområden. Inom administration var arbetet mest stillasittande. Arbetet inom butik och restaurang var mer rörligt vilket bekräftades av resultaten från stegmätningen, och innebar även mer lyft. En arbetsställning där nacke/rygg var framåtböjd/sned el vriden var vanlig inom samtliga områden. Sju personer uppgav att de hade besvär i rygg/höfter och 12 personer att de hade besvär i nacke/axlar dagligen. Totalt svarade 12 personer att de rökte, varav åtta arbetade inom butik. Medelvärden på syreupptagningsförmågan från 37 genomförda steptest blev 39 ± 5 ml/kg/min, för butik 40 ± 5 ml/kg/min och för restaurang 42 ± 6 ml/kg/min.

Slutsats: Upplevd hälsa och fysik skattades relativt lika inom de tre arbetsområdena, trots stora skillnader i arbetsförhållanden. Den existerande besvärsförekomsten kunde inte kopplas specifikt till något arbetsområde. Det kan dock finnas en risk för framtida uppkomst och ökade besvär framför allt i nacke/axlar och rygg/höfter inom butik och restaurang. Trots att stegmätningen visade att butik och restaurang går nästan dubbelt så mycket på arbetet som administration, verkar inte syreupptagningsförmågan påverkas nämnvärt av att ha ett mer rörligt arbete. Det krävs sannolikt regelbunden fysisk aktivitet av högre ansträngningsgrad för att få positiva effekter på konditionen. Denna studies submaximala konditionstest ger inte en tillförlitlig uppfattning om studiedeltagarnas konditionsstatus, då de var få till antalet. Denna undersökning kunde se ett tydligt samband mellan rökning och lågt utövande av fysisk aktivitet.

Aim and questions: The aim of this survey was to study how the employees experienced their health, their work capacity, frequencies of injuries as well as exercise habits. The questions in the research were: How do different individuals experience health and working conditions in different professional areas within the same company? Could factors like exercise habits affect the physical work capacity within different professional areas?

Could smoking be a factor influencing how we experience health and exercise habits?

Method: The collection of data was performed by questionnaires, pedometer measuring and a step test for calculation of oxygen consumption. The survey included 48 persons from three different areas of work: administration, shop and restaurant. The group consisted of 31 women and 17 men between the ages of 19 to 63 years; the average age was 38 ± 14 years. In the pedometer testing there was a loss of five persons and in the step test there was a total loss of 11 persons.

Results: The participants declared that they experienced an important amount of joy/happiness, control/influence, and meaningfulness in their work. They valued their experienced health as fairly satisfactory or greater. Experienced physical performance and meeting the job requirements were relatively high estimated within all three areas of work. Within the administrative department the job was mostly sedentary. Test persons in the shop and the restaurant were more active which was confirmed by the pedometer testing and their work involved more lifting of things. The body bent forward or the back/neck twisted or flexed during work positions was occurring in all the studied areas. Seven persons described symptoms from back/hips and 12 persons described symptoms from neck/shoulders on a daily basis. On a total 12 persons said they were smokers, out of those, eight persons worked in the shop. The average test result of oxygen consumption during 37 step tests performed was 40 ± 6 ml/kg/min for women and 40 ± 5 ml/kg/min for men.

Conclusion: Within the three areas of work the test persons experienced a rather similar degree of health and physical capacity in spite of large differences in work conditions.

The prevalence of symptoms could not specifically be connected to any area of work.

Nevertheless there is a risk that the test persons working in the shop and the restaurant will show symptoms in the future predominantly from neck/ shoulders and back/hips.

Notwithstanding the fact that the pedometer measuring showed that people working in the shop and the restaurant walk almost twice as much as those within administration, the oxygen consumption is barely affected by a more active work situation. There is a probability that it requires a regular and higher level of physical activity in order to receive positive effects on a person's fitness status. The submaximal fitness test in this study does not provide a reliable conception of fitness status of the tested persons since they were too few. This study showed an obvious connection between smoking and low physical activity

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Larsson, Felicia. "Outdoor Office, for work in nature : Ett konceptuell idé med fokus på hälsa, distansarbete och service design." Thesis, Konstfack, Industridesign, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:konstfack:diva-7761.

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Allen, Andre Ramon. "A Technical Communication Internship at The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1102077601.

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Squillace, Mary. "Fine Motor Skills and the Occupations of Young Adults with Multiple Sclerosis." Diss., NSUWorks, 2018. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/62.

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Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological diseases affecting adults of working age, and those of younger ages of onset have been increasingly recognized. Twenty-seven percent of people with MS (PwMS) are age 30 years old or younger. The burden of MS for young adults puts them at risk for poorer outcomes regarding their education, family planning, vocation, and social skills as they transition to adulthood. Fine motor (FM) skill impairment might impede performance within the daily occupations of young adults who are transitioning into adulthood. Few studies focus on the occupations and occupational performance of younger adults with MS. Method: Forty participants with MS between the ages of 18 to 30 were recruited to participate in a study. Two standardized measures were used to identify possible FM dexterity deficits and one standardized self-report was used to measure the perceived satisfaction and performance of occupations for this population. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a subgroup of 18 participants to understand the lived experiences of young adults with MS (YAwMS) and their FM performance during their occupations. Results: With quantitative and qualitative analysis, a relationship was suggested between FM scores and both perceived performance and satisfaction scores of an adapted performance measure. Conclusion: Young adults with MS perceive difficulties with occupations that are influenced by their FM status. It is recommended that occupational therapy professionals consider the motor skill needed to perform and complete occupations that specifically require FM skills.

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Truskowski, Scott. "Leadership within Occupational Therapy : A Mixed Methods Study." Diss., NSUWorks, 2017. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/60.

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PURPOSE: This sequential embedded mixed methods study first identified the ways in which occupational therapy leaders experience leadership, then explored the ways in which those same leaders utilized their professional training as occupational therapists within their practice of leadership. METHODS: The twelve participants held formal leadership positions in either academia, clinical practice, or professional associations. The ecology of human performance model of practice was utilized to frame the research study. Data was collected through an initial interview with all 12 participants and through leadership artifacts and a second interview with six participants. RESULTS: Three themes resulted from thematic analysis of initial interview: leadership journey, leadership deconstructed, and personal approach to leadership. The leadership artifacts were analyzed using a coding frame, which included four dimensions: occupational perspective of leadership, connections, leadership approach, and team mindset. Thematic analysis of the second round of interviews resulted in three themes: how they do leadership, leadership interaction, and reflection on leadership action. CONCLUSIONS: The participants described the construct of leader as a role consisting of contextually discrete leadership occupations. A number of parallels were identified between the practice of occupational therapy and the practice of leadership. The development of a personal leadership identity was found to occur over time and required some form of either internal or external recognition of leadership ability or outcome. The structure of this mixed methods design included a combination of two qualitative methods, which was novel to the occupational therapy literature.

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Scheiman, Nicole Renee. "Comprehensive Occupational Therapy in a Breast Cancer Program." NSUWorks, 2018. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/63.

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The purpose of this capstone project is to develop an evidenced-based, innovative, and comprehensive occupational therapy evaluation and intervention protocol for breast cancer care. The contents of this paper will include an introduction into the current care provided to survivors, literature review on best practice in breast cancer care, outline of the procedures completed to discover what best practice care should be, results of these procedures, discussion of the results, and conclusion with proposed program and recommendations for further investigation. The concern investigated is the inconsistencies in care provided to survivors from the time of diagnosis throughout their lifespan or survivorship. A body of growing evidence supports the important need to address functional performance from the point of diagnosis through treatment and survivorship. A model of rehabilitation-based care has been put forward by the American Cancer Society as an optimal construct, however, there are significant inconsistencies in how this model is being leveraged to support breast cancer patients. These inconsistencies occur from cancer center to cancer center and even from physician to physician within the same cancer center. Participants in this capstone project include experts from the on-site residency, interviews with subject-matter experts and survivors as part of a focus group. The essential features of the methods used to discover best practice include a literature review, onsite residency, participation in an International Cancer Summit, continuing education, and completion of a focus group. Results indicate that additional services are needed in order to have an evidenced-based, innovative, and comprehensive occupational therapy breast cancer program. Conclusions provided aim to diminish inconsistencies in the current care being provided to this population.

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Silver, Ken, Ying Li, Emmanuel Odame, and Yuqiang Zhang. "Effects of Global Warming on Work-Rest Routines for Crop Workers in Appalachia." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2629.

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Background: Workers in outdoor occupations are expected to be at high risk of increased morbidity and mortality, and diminished productivity, as a result of global warming in the 21st century. A previous modelling study of geographic variations in heat-related mortality risk in projected U.S. populations mid-century showed the states of Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina to be highly vulnerable. Methods: Under both the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emissions scenarios of IPCC AR5, we evaluate the effect of future warming on estimated Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer (WBGT) temperatures using model-simulated future climate variables that were dynamically downscaled by a regional meteorology model for years 2049-2052. Select Appalachian counties in the three states that are presently dependent upon agricultural crop production are the focus of this analysis. Results: Using predicted WBGT temperatures, together with estimated work loads for hand harvesting of crops, alterations in work-rest routines under heat stress prevention guidelines are presented. Conclusions: Assumptions needed to translate these altered work-rest routines into measures of productivity and economic loss are discussed. Issues in extending the modelling to heat-related morbidity and mortality in outdoor worker populations are considered in terms of data gaps and major sources of uncertainty.

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Miller-Scott, Cheryl. "Evidence-Based Health Literacy Training Program for Occupational Therapy Professionals : Program Development and Evaluation." NSUWorks, 2014. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/2.

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This capstone project is a training program development and evaluation project. The purpose of the project was to develop, pilot, and evaluate an evidence-based health literacy training program for occupational therapy professionals. Occupational therapy strives to be a science-driven profession, which provides client-centered care. Health literacy is a client-centered factor for which occupational therapy professionals require additional training to best serve their clients in all settings and across the lifespan. A review of health literacy literature was used in this project to develop the training program and offers a science-driven approach to this client-centered factor for occupational therapists to better serve their clients and their families. This program development project included pilot presentations of the training program at two locations, followed by the collection of feedback from the participants. The feedback was used to conduct a training program evaluation, which offered a platform for enhancements for future versions of the training program. The final objective of the project is to offer a program improvement plan and subsequently publish the evidence-based health literacy training program to make it available to all practicing occupational therapy professionals.

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Augustine, Steven. "Sound Attenuation Performance of Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composite Circumaural Hearing Protection Devices." Thesis, University of South Florida, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1595804.

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Personnel who work on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier are exposed to extreme levels of jet engine noise often in excess of 140 decibels (dB). The current circumaural hearing protective devices (CAHPD) employed by flight deck crewmen are inadequate for the level of protection required for these extreme levels of noise. Fiber-reinforced thermoset polymer composite (FRPC) materials such as aramid fibers used in body armor, have high theoretical values of acoustic impedance due to a fundamentally high modulus of elasticity and may offer a superior level of hearing protection over original equipment (OE) thermoplastic CAHPDs. The objective of this project was to measure and evaluate the attenuation of CAHPD’s constructed from FRPC materials. FRPC CAHPD ear cups were paired with OE thermoplastic CAHPD ear cups of equal shape and thickness, and the protected and unprotected A-weighted sound pressure level (SPL) was measured in continuous and impulse noise environments >80 dBA using a JOLENE manikin. These data were evaluated for paired differences between the protected and unprotected mean SPL, and OE protected and FRPC protected mean SPL and indicates that OE thermoplastic CAHPDs provide greater sound attenuation of continuous noise >80 dBA and aramid FRPC CAHPDs provide greater sound attenuation of impulse noise >80 dBA.

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Suder, Ryan Christopher. "Lived Experience of Adolescents with Chronic Pain: A Phenomenological Study." Diss., NSUWorks, 2016. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/53.

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The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of adolescents who live with chronic pain. All 10 participants were between the ages of 13 and 17 and have lived with chronic pain for at least 6 months. Data sources for the study were two interviews for each participant, participant drawn depictions of their chronic pain, and researcher journaling. The person-environment-occupation model was used to frame the research design. The study found four main themes among the data: pain identity, invisible disease, occupational loss, and uphill climb to regain life. Each theme described the essence of the common experience of adolescents living with chronic pain. Occupational therapists can benefit from incorporating this knowledge base into their practice when providing intervention for individuals living with chronic pain to improve their overall quality of life and occupational performance.

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Shockey, Taylor Morgan. "Analysis and Interpretation of Occupational Exposure Monitoring Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) and OSHA Information System (OIS), 1979 – 2015." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu155715411553358.

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Simon, Philippe 1964. "Long-term integrated sampling to characterize airborne volatile organic compounds in indoor and outdoor environments." Thesis, McGill University, 1997. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=34455.

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Sampling methods used for the assessment of exposure to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the workplace or for environmental studies are now limited to an upper integrative sampling time of 24 hours or less. Generally, these methods lack versatility and are difficult to use. A passive sampler that can extend sampling periods was developed as part of this research. This novel sampler relies on capillary tubes to restrict and control ambient air entry into an evacuated sample container.
A mathematical model was derived by modifications to the Hagen-Poiseuille and ideal gas laws. This model defines the relationship between container volume and capillary geometry (length/internal diameter) required to provide selected sampling times. Based on theoretical considerations, simulations were performed to study the effects of dimensional parameters. From these results, capillaries having 0.05 and 0.10 mm internal diameters were selected according to their ability to reduce sampling flow rates and to increase sampling times. Different capillary lengths were tested on various sampler prototypes. It was found that a constant sampling flow rate was delivered when a maximum discharge rate was established under the influence of a pressure gradient between a vacuum and ambient pressure. Experimental flow rates from 0.018 to 2.6 ml/min were obtained and compared with model predictions. From this comparison, empirical relationships between capillary geometry and maximum discharge rate given by the pressure gradient were defined. Essentially, based on these empirical relationships, capillary sampling flow controller specifications can be calculated to offer extended integrated sampling periods. On this basis, sampler prototypes were configured for stationary sampling and personal sampling.
Studies, based on theory, have indicated that factors such as temperature, humidity and longitudinal molecular diffusion are not likely to influence the passive sampling process. Subsequent experiments confirmed that temperature changes should not significantly affect flow rates delivered by controllers, and that molecular diffusion does not have any impact on the representativeness of long-term samples. Recovery tests provided acceptable results demonstrating that selected capillaries do not contribute to adsorption that could seriously affect the validity of this sampling approach.
Field demonstration studies were performed with both stationary and personal sampler prototypes in the indoor and outdoor environments. The performance of the sampler compared favorably, and in some instances, exceeded that of accepted methodology. These novel samplers were more reliable, had greater versatility and principally, allowed sampling periods extending from hours to a month. These inherent qualities will assist industrial hygienists and environmentalists in the study of emission sources, pollutant concentrations, dispersion, migration and control measures. This novel sampler is presently the only device available for the effective study of episodic events of VOC emission.
Selected capillary geometries acting as a restriction to the entry of ambient air into evacuated sample container can provide a simple, versatile and reliable alternative for the collection of VOCs. This approach can contribute to a better understanding of VOC effects on human health and the environment.

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Schmelzer, Laura. "Uncovering the complexities associated with promoting health : mothers' perceptions of the challenges and supports to raising healthy children in today's society." Thesis, NSUWorks, 2011. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/7.

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November 2011. "Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Occupational Therapy Department, College of Allied Health and Nursing, Nova Southeastern University." Childhood obesity has been identified as a serious public health concern for over a decade. To date, no one has examined the complex interactions which seem to be occurring within this epidemic using an exploratory approach. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the complex interaction between the decisions mothers make when attempting to promote health in their children and the environmental factors which influence these decisions. A grounded theory approach guided this exploration. Eleven mothers of children aged 7-12 participated in this study. Data collection included two semi-structured interviews, personal diary entries, a parenting style questionnaire, and a demographic data sheet. Constant comparative analysis resulted in six main themes. These include: Managing Time, Managing Chaos; Managing Health from a Distance; Cultural Infatuation with Food (food is always available); Fluctuating Challenges and Supports; Strategies; and Resulting Actions/Interactions. Additionally, this research resulted in a proposition and substantive-level theory which helps illustrate and explain the complex interactions between the mothers and the surrounding context as well as the resultant influence on performance.

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Popplewell, Ainslie. "Occupational health and safety in the workplace reform environment : striving for best practice occupational health and safety in the Email Washing Products divisions." Thesis, Federation University Australia, 1993. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/164910.

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Traviss, Nora M. "Integration of Analysis and Deliberation to Evaluate Biodiesel Occupational and Environmental Exposures." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1216924432.

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Palm, Peter. "Efficient methods for assessment of physical load at work." Licentiate thesis, Uppsala universitet, Arbets- och miljömedicin, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-278965.

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Wik, Christine, and Emelie Lander. "Organisatoriska orsaker till stressproblematik : Stressintervention i ett globalt verkstadsföretag." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för teknik och hälsa (STH), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-122200.

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Bakgrund:Arbetsrelaterad stress är något som orsakar problem i samhället, både för individer och för företag. I syfte att på organisatorisk nivå reducera orsaker till stress har ett globalt verkstadsindustriföretag beslutat att genomföra ett stressinterventionsprojekt. Syftet: Utifrån en kartläggning av den psykosociala arbetsmiljön identifieras organisatoriska, stressrelaterade faktorer. Företagshälsovårdens roll att tillsammans med personalavdelningen och cheferna i det aktuella företaget initiera förbättringar av den psykosociala arbetsmiljön observeras och analyseras. Avgränsningar: Magisteruppsatsen behandlar endast den inledande fasen av stressinterventionsprojektet, det vill säga kartläggningen av de stressrelaterade faktorerna i organisationen med fokus på cheferna och deras arbetssituation. Fasen som inbegriper att initiera interventioner och genomföra den uppföljande enkätundersökningen är utanför ramen för denna uppsats. Metod: Kartläggningen utgjordes av två delar, en kvantitativ ansats i form av enkäten "Det nya arbetslivet" och en kvalitativ ansats i form av observationer. Enkäten skickades ut till totalt 331 fast anställda, chefer och medarbetare, svarsfrekvensen var 76 procent. Observationerna ägde rum vid nio resultatrapporteringsmöten där gruppcheferna diskuterade enkätresultaten och tog fram fokusområden för de interventioner som genomfördes vid företaget under hösten 2012. Resultat/Slutsatser: Resultatet visar att både chefer och medarbetare har omfattande arbetsrelaterad stressproblematik. De stressrelaterade faktorer som enkätresultaten visar på var knutna till otydliga roller, brist på delaktighet vid beslut, frånvaro av närmaste chef, höga och motstridiga krav, IT-problem samt brist på resurser och tid. Under observationerna framkom att delar av denna problematik går att härleda till att företaget opererar i en global miljö med otydliga beslutsvägar och att organisationen har en utpräglad utmaningskultur. Dessa slutsatser hade inte kunnat dras utan de uppföljande resultatrapporteringsmötena och den interaktivitet som uppstod där. En viktig slutsats är att för att lyckas med intentionerna för stressinterventionsprojektet är en tydlig markering av legitimitet från företagets ledning nödvändig.
Background: Work related stress exists within all parts of our society and causes suffering for employees as well as organizations. To reduce stress at an organizational level, a major global organization within the engineering industry has decided to that implement a stress prevention project. Aim: To identify stress related organizational root causes from the results of mapping the psychosocial work environment. The occupational health care service and the Human Resources departments’ role, in cooperation with managers, was to initialize improvements of the psychosocial work environment within the organization. Limitations: This study has been limited to the initial phase of the stress prevention project, an analysis of the mapping results of the stress related root causes with a focus on managers working situation. The second phase, including implementing the interventions and the follow up survey, will not be addressed in this thesis. Method: The mapping consisted of two parts. A quantitative approach, the survey "Modern working life" and a qualitative approach, a non-participation observation. The survey was sent out to 331 permanent employees, managers and coworkers, with a response rate of 76 percent. The observations were conducted at nine meetings where the survey results were presented to the managers. During the meetings the managers discussed the survey results and listed stress related root causes which were to be focus areas for upcoming interventions during autumn 2012. Results/Conclusions: The results display stress related problems for both managers and employees. The main problem areas highlighted by the survey were: unclear work roles, lack of participation in decision making, absence of an immediate manager, high and conflicting demands, IT problems, lack of recourses and time. The results from the observations demonstrate that the root causes mentioned above are connected to factors such as the global nature of the company, with an unclear chain of decision-making and a company culture of setting challenges. These connections would not have been discovered without the stress prevention project including meetings where the managers were able to discuss the results. One important conclusion was evident: To succeed with a stress prevention project, the complete support from top management is imperative.

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Rossner, Alan. "The development and evaluation of a novel personal air sampling canister for the collection of gases and vapors /." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=84428.

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A continuing challenge in occupational hygiene is that of estimating exposure to the multitude of airborne chemicals found in the workplace and surrounding community. Occupational exposure limits (OELs) have been established to prescribe the acceptable time weighted average for many different chemicals. Comparing the OELs to the measured workplace concentration allows occupational hygienists to assess the health risks and the need for control measures. Hence, methods to more effectively sample contaminants in the workplace are necessary to ensure that accurate exposure characterizations are completed. Evacuated canisters have been used for many years to collect ambient air samples for gases and vapors. Recently, increased interest has arisen in using evacuated canisters for personal breathing zone sampling as an alternative to sorbent samplers. A capillary flow control device was designed at McGill University mid 1990s. The flow control device was designed to provide a very low flow rate to allow a passive sample to be collected over an extended period of time. This research focused on the development and evaluation of a methodology to use a small canister coupled with the capillary flow controllers to collect long term time weighted air samples for gases and vapors.
A series of flow rate experiments were done to test the capillary flow capabilities with a 300 mL canister for sampling times ranging from a few minutes to over 40 hours. Flow rates ranging from 0.05 to 1.0 mL/min were experimentally tested and empirical formulae were developed to predict flow rates for given capillary geometries. The low flow rates allow for the collection of a long term air sample in a small personal canister.
Studies to examine the collection of air contaminants were conducted in laboratory and in field tests. Air samples for six volatile organic compounds were collected from a small exposure chamber using the capillary-canisters, charcoal tubes and diffusive badges at varied concentrations. The results from the three sampling devices were compared to each other and to concentration values obtained by an on-line gas chromatography. The results indicate that the capillary-canister compares quite favorably to the sorbent methods and to the on line GC values for the six compounds evaluated.
Personal air monitoring was conducted in a large exposure chamber to assess the effectiveness of the capillary-canister method to evaluate breathing zone samples. In addition, field testing was performed at a manufacturing facility to assess the long term monitoring capabilities of the capillary-canister. Precision and accuracy were found to parallel that of sorbent sampling methods.
The capillary-canister device displayed many positive attributes for occupational and community air sampling. Extended sampling times, greater capabilities to sample a broad range of chemicals simultaneously, ease of use, ease of analysis and the low relative cost of the flow controller should allow for improvements in exposure assessment.

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Borg, Tornberg Anette, and Anna Hurtig. "Bärbara datorer, en möjlig källa för nickel- och koboltexponering av hud? : Direktvisande tester för nickel och kobolt på bärbara datorer och frisättningsförsök på en bärbar dator." Thesis, KTH, Ergonomi (Stängd 20130701), 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-106240.

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Background: Since1994, the EU NickelDirective is limiting the release of nickel from objects that are in prolongedcontact with skin. Despite this, nickel is still the most common cause of contactallergy in industrialized countries. This could implicate that other productswith short contact to the skin, which are not restricted by EU´s legislation inREACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicalsubstances), could be a source of nickel or cobalt exposure. There is no limitfor cobalt release within REACH. To determine if there is cobalt or nickelpresent on the surface of a material and if metal can be released in contactwith the skin, there are quantitative and qualitative methods, such as the DMG(dimethylglyoxime)-test, the cobalt spot-test and a method for releasedetermination according to EN1811.Objectives: Laptops are not included in the REACH legislation. The purpose of thisstudy was to investigate whether nickel or cobalt can be found on computersurfaces and if nickel and cobalt can be released from surfaces that are incontact with skin, during work with laptops. Are there any variations betweendifferent models or different brands of laptops (two years old or less) andwhat levels of nickel and cobalt are released from different surfaces on a specificHP computer, that gave positive results for nickel and cobalt in the spot- tests? Methodand materials: In this study 30laptops (7 Hewlett Packard (HP), 18 Dell, 3 Sony Vaio, 1Fujitsu and 1 Macbook), weretested by using DMG-test and cobalt spot-test. To measure the release of nickeland cobalt on one specific laptop (HP2560p), the standard method EN1811 and amodified version of the method, were used. Results: Laptopsof different models and manufacturers were tested for nickel by using theDMG-test. The test turned out positive for all tested laptops from HP and 4 of18 of the laptops from Dell. For cobalt, onlyone laptop (HP) of the total 30 computers, gave a positive result. The resultsfrom the release test of a specific laptop, was lower than the limit thresholdvalue within REACH (0.5µg/cm2/week). The highest amounts of nickel,0.1μg/cm2/week, were measured for the computer components thatwere derived from the palm rest. All the cobalt levels, except one, were belowthe detection limit for the analysis. Conclusions: Our study indicatesthat laptops are a potential source for nickel deposition onto skin. In this study, computers from five differentmanufacturers have been tested, and it turned out that the tested models from HPand Dell released nickel. Cobalt was only released in very low concentrations,at a level near the LOD for the analysis.
Bakgrund och inledning: Trots att EU:s nickeldirektiv sedan 1994 begränsar nickelfrisättningen från föremål i långvarig kontakt med hud, är nickelallergi fortfarande den vanligaste orsaken till kontaktallergi i de industrialiserade länderna. Detta kan tyda på att även föremål, som är i kortvarig kontakt med huden, kan utgöra en möjlig källa för nickelexponering. Kobolt är mer sensibiliserande än nickel, men för kobolt saknas begränsningar inom EU:s kemikalielagstiftning REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances). För att undersöka om nickel eller kobolt finns på en yta och om metall kan frisättas i kontakt med huden finns ett antal kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder, exempelvis spot-tester såsom DMG (dimetylglyoxime)-test samt koboltspot-test och frisättningsförsök enligt standarden EN1811. Syfte och frågeställningar: Bärbara datorer omfattas idag inte av REACHs nickelbegränsning. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om nickel eller kobolt finns på/frisätts från ytor som kommer i kontakt med hud vid arbete med bärbara datorer. Om så är fallet, finns variationer mellan olika modeller och mellan olika tillverkare av bärbara datorer (som är maximalt två år gamla) och vilka halter av nickel och kobolt frisätts från ytor på en specifik dator, som uppvisat positivt resultat för nickel och kobolt i spot-tester? Material och metod: För att besvara på frågeställningarna screenades 30 stycken bärbara datorer (7 Hewlett Packard (HP), 18 Dell, 3 Sony Vaio, 1 Fujitsu och 1 Macbook) med direktvisande DMG-test samt koboltspot-test. Ett frisättningsförsök med en bärbar dator genomfördes, dels med en modifierad metod av EN1811 och dels med standardmetoden. Resultat: Olika märken och modeller av datorer spot-testades och samtliga testade datorer från HP och 4 av 18 testade Dell-datorer var positiva för nickel. Endast en av de totalt 30 stycken testade datorerna gav ett positivt resultat för kobolt. Genomgående är resultaten från frisättningsförsök med en specifik dator (HP2560p) under gränsvärdet för nickel inom REACH (0,5 µg/cm2/vecka). Den högsta uppmätta nickelhalten var 0,1 µg/cm2/vecka för handlovsstödet. Samtliga kobolthalter, förutom en, var lägre än detektionsgränsen för analysen. Diskussion och slutsats: Vår studie tyder på att bärbara datorer är en möjlig källa till nickelexponering av hud. I denna studie har datorer från fem olika tillverkare testats, varav modellerna från HP och Dell visade sig frisätta nickel. Däremot tycks kobolt inte finnas på eller frisättas i någon större utsträckning från bärbara datorer utifrån denna studie. Kobolt frisattes bara i låga halter, som dessutom låg i närheten av analysens detektionsgräns.

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Fishman, Benjamin. "Influence of Environmental Parameters on Mold Sampling Results." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6838.

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Mold is a type of fungus present in nearly all environments. Mold thrives under several environmental parameters such as high humidity and an adequate food source. A professional, such as an industrial hygienist, can measure mold in indoor and outdoor environments. Industrial hygienists commonly use a cascade impactor with a culture plate to capture air within a sampling area. While collecting air samples, environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide are recorded. A laboratory then cultures and analyzes the samples, identifying the types and amounts of viable mold found in the sampling area. In this study, a data analysis method is used to interpret lab results and compare those results to the environmental parameters measured during collection. The study aims to show the relationship between the environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide) and the types and amounts of mold that were measured in both indoor built environments and their surrounding outdoor areas. Among all 170 different sampling locations, the outdoor areas had higher counts and concentrations of mold. In addition, both indoor and outdoor areas saw Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium as the most prevalent molds, with Cladosporium having the highest counts. Lower temperatures and humidity had a very small influence on mold growth and thus, yielded the lowest counts. Furthermore, the highest concentrations of mold were found within the same temperature and humidity ranges for both indoor and outdoor environments.

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Hassan, Syed Ahmed. "Health, safety and environmental practices in the construction sector of Pakistan." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-183327.

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Many south Asian countries are deficient in appropriate documentation, legislation and surveillance related to occupational health and safety (OHS). All these countries have high OHS incidence rate and labourers working in these countries are constantly exposed to occupational accidents and diseases. Although occupational accidents and work-related concerns have been in debate for a long time, no concrete moves have been taken, making situations worse and posing consistent coercions to an increasing labour force. The current research was carried out to examine the main hazards faced by construction workers in Pakistan and the response of health, safety and environment (HSE) department in plummeting these hazards and in certaining sustainability in construction companies in Pakistan. Workers working in the construction industry are incessantly bared to unsafe working conditions and have to confront several kind of hazards. This embraces exposure to sound, dust and toxic substances, issues of ergonomics, stress etc. This study employed a comprehensive fact-finding design. Data was harbored using interviews, academic articles and reports from international and national organisations. Employer, administration and labourers all lack knowledge about OHS issues in Pakistan. The majority of the labourers are unskilled, uninformed and unregistered. There are no native directives, which are coupled with both OHS and the construction industry. There is an absence of safety ethics, and neither reporting nor monitoring is conducted in the construction business. Companies see HSE issues as an economic burden which will eventually end up mounting production costs. Labourers don’t follow safety instructions; they don’t wear personal protective equipment (PPE), they reckon wearing this equipment would cause obstruction in their work and would influence their productivity. The use of PPE is essential in the construction activity, as it is considered as the last line of defence. All this has affected the construction industry tremendously collectively in terms of financial loss, human loss and image loss, and injury incidence rates have increased alarmingly. Implementation of sustainable development is a core responsibility of an HSE department. Dearth of HSE means lack of sustainability in the construction sector. Today, sustainability is an important aspect of development. It means that development should not only be economically feasable but also socially and environmentally viable both for current and future generations. There is much need to formulate new strict policy and laws or to amend old ones, laws which are effective and practical in promoting HSE and sustainability norms in the construction sector of Pakistan. The main hazards that are faced by construction workers are falling from height, lifting activity and electrocution. HSE departments play a chief role in minimizing worksite accidents and in promoting sustainable development in work settings. For ensuring sustainable practices on construction sites, HSE departments formulate integrated working policy, keeping in mind social, environmental and econmical aspects and considering inputs from all stakeholders. In addition, they look for innovative green technologies and green materials which are more environmental friendly, economical and require less energy.

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Eales, Carole A. "Occupational stress amongst physiotherapists working within a National Health Service environment." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.287353.

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Postma, Julie Marie. "Environmental justice discourses in El Proyecto Bienestar (The Well Being Project) /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7314.

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BELGA, ILZA MARIA FRANCO. "PROCESS OF INTEGRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND SECURITY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEMS." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2007. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=10666@1.

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Esta dissertação propõe um processo de integração e implantação dos sistemas de gestão da qualidade, meio-ambiente e segurança e saúde ocupacional, os quais, atualmente, operam de forma isolada numa empresa. O negócio da empresa em questão é a produção de gases industriais e pretende que o processo de integração considere a cultura da organização e os esforços movidos nesta direção. A metodologia utilizada para a integração da gestão dos sistemas já é de uso e conhecimento das organizações e da academia e foi selecionada conforme equipe experiente e designada para este propósito, partindo do princípio que não se optaria pela reestruturação e sim pela adequação dos sistemas já existentes. São ainda comentados os pontos fracos identificados no programa de implantação dos sistemas isolados e que deveriam ser considerados quando da integração dos mesmos, assim como as necessidades que direcionam a integração e a expectativa com relação a responsividade, abrangência, resultados coletados, além da mudança cultural promovida. A estratégia é considerada diferencial na decisão da integração dos sistemas e a metodologia Seis Sigma a ferramenta que possibilita a mensuração de custos e a implantação da filosofia da melhoria contínua na busca em exceder as expectativas do cliente.
This dissertation proposes an integration process and the implementation of quality management systems, environmental and safety policies, and occupational health. These systems are presently operating separately in the company. The company´s core business is the production of industrial gases and its internal policies establish that the integration process should take into consideration the culture of the organization and also the efforts already taken to move in this direction. The methodology applied for the systems integration management is under knowledge domain and it is being used by organizations and by the academy. It was selected and adopted by a skilled team assigned for this purpose, and it was defined that, instead of restructuring, adjustments would be made to existing systems. There are also comments about weak points identified in the program of implementation of isolated systems that should be considered for the integration process, as well as the needs that drive the integration and expectations related to responsiveness, scope of work, collected results and also the outcome in terms of cultural change. The strategy is considered relevant when deciding for systems integration and for the methodology Six Sigma, which is the tool that allows costs measurement and the implementation of the philosophy of continuous improvement to exceed customer´s expectations.

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Loury, Sharon D., Ken Silver, Joe Florence, Steve Manock, Amy K. Liebman, Sean O'Connor, Alexis Andino, Nichole Manz, Sam Ashe, and Joe Florence. "Early Occupational Pesticide Exposure in a Migrant Farmworker Population." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/8203.

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Loury, Sharon D., Karin Hoffman, Ken Silver, Steve Manock, Amy K. Liebman, Sean O'Connor, Alexis Andino, Nichole Manz, Sam Ashe, and Joe Florence. "Early Occupational Pesticide Exposure in a Migrant Farmworker Population." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/8205.

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INTRODUCTION. The enhanced susceptibility of children and adolescents to the adverse effects of pesticides is a priority of regulatory agencies, whose primary concern is typically the development of risk-based regulations to protect consumers and the general population. An important subpopulation occupationally exposed to pesticides at an early age is the children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs). Because this group is difficult to access, information is sparse on their age distributions and chemical exposure. EPA pesticide regulations do not adequately address these younger workers. METHODS. The regular summer health screenings performed on tomato Farms in East Tennessee by Rural Medical Services Inc., a Community and Migrant Health Center, afforded and opportunity for Students in her professions to engage in community-based research to query MSFWs on issues childhood and adolescent pesticide exposure. RESULTS 132 adults participated, with 19 providing information about 33 of their children. MSFWs began working in agriculture in Mexico or Central America did so at younger ages, with 58.8% age 1838.1% of those who started in U.S. (p=0.038). Weather in the US or in Mexico/Central America the proportion of survey children under 12 years old and they began working around pesticide-treated crops was 13.1%. Wars in tomatoes fields in Southeastern U.S.CONCLUSIONS Children under 12 maybe occupationally exposed. The capital MSFW population is a largely intact source of data on childhood and adolescent occupational exposure to pesticides.

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Almario, David R. "The Ability of the U.S. Military’s WBGT-based Flag System to Recommend Safe Heat Stress Exposures." Scholar Commons, 2019. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7727.

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The U.S. military currently uses a flag system based on wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and metabolic rate to recommend heat stress exposure limits. This paper addresses the ability of the flag system to recommend safe heat exposures in a non-military population. Two progressive heat stress studies provided data on 528 observations of safe or unsafe exposures of 4 hours over a range of WBGT conditions and metabolic rates using 29 participants wearing woven cotton clothing. For the two studies, range of WBGT conditions was 25 to 42C, and the range of metabolic rates was 100 to 650 watts. These exposures were compared with the flag system’s recommendations of safe exposure to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the flag system. A separate study provided 62 observations with participants undergoing a time-limited protocol at constant WBGT conditions. Observed durations of safe exposure time were compared to the flag system’s recommended safe limits to determine sensitivity and specificity. Based on the progressive protocol, sensitivity and specificity of the flag system for five ranges of WBGT and three categories of metabolic rate were 0.98 and 0.25, respectively. For the time-limited protocol, which applied only to the highest range of WBGT and light and moderate metabolic rate, both sensitivity and specificity were zero. This study suggests that the flag system has high sensitivity but low specificity for long duration exposures, along with low sensitivity and specificity for time-limited exposures. However, the WBGT exposures in the time-limited trials were substantially higher than the threshold for the highest WBGT range in the flag system, which may account for the system’s unexpected performance in the time-limited protocol.

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Brandford, Arica A. "RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION, OCCUPATIONAL STRESS, AND DEPRESSION IN BLACK REGISTERED NURSES." UKnowledge, 2019. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/nursing_etds/46.

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The purpose of this dissertation was to examine depression, experiences of work-related racism, and occupational stress among black nurses. Nursing is a highly stressful and demanding profession that can negatively affect health. Underscoring this is the high rate of depression experienced by nurses. In fact, nurses experience depression at a rate twice that of individuals in other occupations. Examining depression in nurses can provide insights that can inform measures addressing the psychological health of this group. This may be particularly important in black nurses who, in addition to the already high occupational stress associated with nursing, may experience additional stress due to experiences of racism in the work environment. To better understand these factors, the specific aims of this dissertation were to: (1) evaluate the current state of the science of depression in registered nurses; (2) examine the psychometric properties of the two racism on the job subscales of the Perceived Racism Scale in black registered nurses; and (3) evaluate whether past-year or lifetime experiences of work-related racism and occupational stress predicted depressive symptoms and whether, controlling for depressive symptoms, past-year and lifetime experiences of work-related racism predicted occupational stress in a cohort of black registered nurses. For specific aim one a systematic review of the literature on depression in nurses was conducted. This review highlighted factors that underlie the high rates of depression among nurses, and the individual as well as work-related variables that contribute to nurses’ susceptibility to depression. For specific aim two the psychometric properties of two subscales of the Perceived Racism Scale in a sample of black registered nurses were evaluated. The two subscales were past year experiences of racism on the job (ROTJ-Y) and lifetime experiences of racism on the job (ROTJ-L). Reliability for each of the subscales was assessed by examining internal consistency. Construct validity was examined using principal components analysis to evaluate the factor structure of each subscale and by testing the hypothesis that job-related racism is predictive of workplace stress. These analyses demonstrated that the ROTJ-Y and ROTJ-L are valid and reliable instruments for the measurement of yearly and lifetime experiences of racism on the job in black registered nurses. Specific aim three was addressed by examining whether past-year or lifetime experiences of racism on the job and occupational stress were predictive of depression and whether work-related racism predicted occupational stress in a sample of black nurses. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine if (1) either past-year or lifetime experiences of work-related racism, and occupational stress predicted depression and (2) either past-year or lifetime experiences of racism predicted occupational stress, with control variables depressive symptoms, years of experience as a registered nurse, primary nursing practice position, work setting, work shift, and work status. Results indicated that experiences of work-related racism and occupational stress were not significant predictors of depression but that both past-year and lifetime experiences of racism were significant predictors of occupational stress. The results of the research conducted for this dissertation highlight the effects of depression on nurses as well as the relationship between race-based discrimination at work and occupational stress among black registered nurses. This evidence can inform the development of future strategies to improve the well-being of nurses in the workplace in general and especially of black nurses.

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Reynolds, Tiffany L. "Analysis of Occupational Safety Practices across Regional Campuses at Ohio University." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1398849131.

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Shetler, Michael Ray. "Waste minimization, household hazardous waste, and a model curriculum guide for regional occupational programs for the County of Riverside Department of Health Environmental Health Services." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1990. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/528.

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Juneby, Hans Bertil. "Sunlight - Essential for Health." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Yrkes- och miljömedicin, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-54040.

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Sunlight is recognized as one of the most important environmental factors that influence human health. There is strong evidence in the scientific literature that adequate exposure to sunlight is associated with many physical and mental health benefits, including reduced overall mortality, prevention of many deadly forms of cancer, as well as a number of metabolic, cardiovascular, autoimmune, infectious and neuropsychatric diseases. Vitamin D deficiency, which is mainly due to insufficient exposure to sunlight, is now one of the most common medical conditions, estimated to affect more than a billion people worldwide. Health professionals, patients and the general public should receive more evidence-based information about the many health benefits of sunlight, and how to use it in prevention and treatment of disease.

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Aquino, Theodore. "Comparison of Urinary PAHs among Firefighters and Asphalt Pavers." Thesis, University of South Florida, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10103851.

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Firefighters and asphalt pavers are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during various work activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate urinary PAH levels and compare these bio-monitoring levels among firefighters, asphalt pavers, and non-occupationally exposed individuals. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) urinary PAH levels were used for non-occupationally exposed controls. When compared to the NIST standard for smokers and non-smokers, firefighters demonstrated statistically significant differences in urinary concentration differences for the following metabolites: 2-OH-fluorene, 3-OH-fluorene and 1-OH-pyrene, which were lower in firefighters than the NIST mean for smokers. 1-OHphenanthrene, 2-OH-phenanthrene and 3-OH-phenanthrene were higher among world trade center exposed firefighters than the NIST mean for smokers. When firefighters were compared to the NIST non-smoker standard, firefighters demonstrated elevated levels in all tested PAH biomarkers due to a mixture of smokers and non-smokers in the firefighter cohort.

Asphalt workers had statistically significant higher urinary concentration elevations in 2OH-fluorene, 1-OH-phenanthrene and 3-OH-phenanthrene as compared to the NIST smoker mean. When asphalt pavers were compared to the NIST non-smoker mean, asphalt pavers had statistically significant increases in all tested PAH biomarkers, with the exception of 2-OHphenanthrene. While firefighters did not demonstrate a substantial change in urinary PAH metabolite levels compared to control populations of smokers and non-smokers, asphalt pavers experienced concentrations that were in some cases increased by orders of magnitude compare to NIST controls. Future research may be needed to evaluate any potential health risk posted to occupational exposed asphalt pavers.

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Fu, Xi. "Self-rated health and respiratory symptoms among civil aviation pilots : Occupational and non-occupational risk factors." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Arbets- och miljömedicin, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-318806.

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There is concern about the indoor environment in aircraft but few stud-ies exist on self-rated health (SRH) and respiratory symptoms among pilots. Occupational and non-occupational risk factors for SRH, respira-tory symptoms and other symptoms among commercial pilots were investigated in this thesis. One cohort study and one prevalence study were performed among pilots in one Scandinavian airline company. Fungal DNA, furry pet allergens and volatile organic compounds of microbial origin (MVOC) were measured on board. Cat (fel d1), dog (Can f1) and horse (Ecu cx) allergens were found in all dust samples and allergen levels were 27-75 times higher in aircraft with textile seats as compared to leather surfaces. The sum of MVOCs in the cabin air was 3.7 times higher than in homes in Uppsala and 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol concentrations were 15-17 times higher. Asper-gillus/Penicillium DNA and Aspergillus versicolor DNA were more common in aircraft with textile seats. One fifth reported SRH as poor or fair, 62% had fatigue, 46% overweight/obesity and 71% insomnia. Poor or fair SRH was associated with overweight/obesity, lack of exercise, insomnia, low sense of coherence (SOC) and high work demand. Re-covery from work was worse among those with insomnia and low social support at work. Fatigue was more common among young or female pilots and related to insomnia and high work demand. Pilots flying MD80 or Saab 2000 aircraft had less fatigue. Pilots exposed to environmental tobacco (ETS) on board had more eye symptoms and fatigue which were reduced after the ban of smoking (in 1997). Pilots with increased work demand developed more rhinitis, dermal symptoms and fartigue and those with decreased work control developed more eye symptoms. The incidence of doctors’ diagnosed asthma and atopy were 2.4 and 16.6 per 1000 person years, respectively. Pilots changing type of flight got more airway infections. Those reporting decreased work control had a higher incidence of atopy. Risk factors in the home environment included ETS, dampness or mould, window pane condensation in winter and living in houses built after 1975. In conclusion, SRH and respiratory health among pilots are associated with specific occupational and non-occupational risk factors.

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Sun, Kainan. "Field calibration of the glass-based retrospective radon detectors for epidemiologic applications." Diss., University of Iowa, 2008. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/25.

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Byrne, Jill. "Occupational Heat Stress May Impact Surgeons' Thermal Comfort, Body Temperature, and Cognitive Performance." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1620764717903713.

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Mendy, Angelico. "House dust endotoxin: associated respiratory outcomes and effectiveness of environmental interventions." Diss., University of Iowa, 2018. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/6613.

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Background: Endotoxin is a lipopolysaccharide located on the outer membrane of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria that is widespread in the environment. Although domestic endotoxin has been found to be associated with asthma and wheeze, its association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. It is also unknown how environmental exposures influence the relationship between endotoxin and asthma and very few studies have investigated the effectiveness of interventions in reducing endotoxin in the homes of people with asthma. Goals: The goals of this dissertation were to examine 1) the association of house dust endotoxin with chronic bronchitis or emphysema, two phenotypes of COPD, 2) the influence on the relationship between endotoxin and asthma outcomes of environmental factors such as exposure to dog and cat in homes, climate regions, as well as co-exposure to ambient air pollution, and 3) the effectiveness of an environmental intervention in reducing home endotoxin and asthma symptoms in rural Iowa children with asthma. Methods: For the first two goals of this dissertation, data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was used. Dust sampled from the bedroom floor and bedding of 6,963 children and adult participants was evaluated for endotoxin at the University of Iowa Pulmonary Toxicology facility using a kinetic chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Data on asthma outcomes and chronic bronchitis or emphysema (CBE) was collected using questionnaires. Home exposure to dog and cat was considered by pet ownership and levels of dog (Canis familiaris 1) and cat (Feline domesticus 1) allergens in house dust. Annual average particulate matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations at participants’ residential location were estimated using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) and Downscaler (DS) models. In the third goal, data from the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project (LEIP) study which included schoolchildren 5-14 years-old with active asthma from Louisa and Keokuk counties in rural Iowa was analyzed. The households were block-randomized to receive extensive (education + professional cleaning) or educational intervention. Environmental sampling and questionnaire administration were done at baseline and during three follow-up visits. Results: In the NHANES, the median concentration of endotoxin in house dust was 16.2 EU/mg. In adjusted analysis, house dust endotoxin (log10-endotoxin) was associated with increased odds of CBE diagnosis (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.00-1.61) and chronic bronchitis symptoms (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01-3.12). Sensitization to inhalant allergens modified the relationship between log10-endotoxin and CBE diagnosis (P(interaction)=0.001), with stronger associations observed in sensitized participants (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.72-3.50). The association of endotoxin with asthma outcomes was different with climate regions of the U.S. Endotoxin was associated with higher prevalence of wheeze outcomes in the past 12 months in subarctic/very cold/cold regions (OR: 1.48, 95% CI:1.19-1.85) and in hot-humid regions (OR: 1.66, 95% CI:1.04-2.65). In hot-humid regions, endotoxin was positively associated with current asthma (OR: 1.56, 95% CI:1.11-2.18), but negatively with sensitization to any inhalant allergens (OR: 0.83, 95% CI:0.74-0.92). Exposure to dog and cat allergens enhanced endotoxin association with current asthma (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.04-3.83, P(interaction)=0.012) and wheeze in the past 12 months (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.32-2.66, P(interaction)=0.016). House dust endotoxin co-exposure with PM2.5 (CMAQ) was synergistically associated with emergency room visits for asthma in the past 12 months (OR: 5.01, 95% CI: 2.54-9.87) in general. In children, a synergistic association was found for co-exposure to house dust endotoxin and NO2 with the outcome (OR: 3.45, 95% CI: 1.65-7.18). In LEIP, 104 asthmatic children from 89 homes were included in the study. In the main analysis, extensive compared to the educational intervention was associated with decreased endotoxin load in farm homes (P-value of main effect for intervention <0.0001) and with less frequent nighttime asthma symptoms (Intervention x visit interaction P-value = 0.044). In exploratory analysis, endotoxin load reduction from baseline was associated with less daytime wheeze (OR: 0.59, 95%CI: 0.38-0.91) and daytime cough (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.40-0.97). Conclusions: House dust endotoxin is associated with obstructive pulmonary diseases. The association of endotoxin with asthma outcomes is stronger in cold regions of the U.S. and is enhanced by exposure to pet allergens and co-exposure to ambient air pollutants such as PM2.5 and NO2 in children. The LEIP study demonstrated that extensive cleaning interventions can be effective at reducing endotoxin in the homes children with asthma and can alleviate their symptoms.

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Gunnarsson, Kristina. "Entrepreneurs and Small-Scale Enterprises : Self Reported Health, Work Conditions, Work Environment Management and Occupational Health Services." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Arbets- och miljömedicin, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-126549.

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This thesis focused on factors contributing to improved work environment in small-scale enterprises and sustainable health for the entrepreneurs. In Study I, implementation of the provision of Systematic Work Environment Management (SWEM) with and without support was investigated. Two implementation methods were used, supervised and network method. The effect of the project reached the employees faster in the enterprises with the supervised method. In general, the work environment improved in all enterprises. However, extensive support to small-scale enterprises in terms of advice and networking aimed at fulfilling SWEM regulations had limited effect – especially considering the cost of applying these methods. Studies II, III, and IV focused on entrepreneurs’ health, work conditions, strategies for maintaining good health, and utilisation of Occupational Health Service (OHS). A closed cohort of entrepreneurs in ten different trades responded to two self-administered questionnaires on health and work conditions, with five years between the surveys: at baseline, 496 entrepreneurs responded, and 251 entrepreneurs responded at follow-up. Differences were tested by Chi2-test, and associations estimated with logistic regression analyses. Qualitative interviews on entrepreneurs’ strategies for maintaining good health were included. In Study II, the most frequently reported complaints, musculoskeletal pain and mental health problems, were associated with poor job satisfaction and poor physical work environment. In Study III, consistent self-reported good health, i.e. good health both at baseline and at follow up, was associated with self-valued good social life when adjusted for physical work conditions and job satisfaction. Entrepreneurs’ strategies for maintaining good health included good planning and control over work, flexibility at work, good social contact with family, friends and other entrepreneurs, and regular physical exercise. Study IV concerned entrepreneur’s utilisation of OHS. Entrepreneurs affiliated to OHS had either better or more adverse work conditions than non-affiliated entrepreneurs. Medical care and health check-ups were the services most utilised. Affiliation to OHS correlated with use of specific information sources and active work environment management. The entrepreneurs were not consistently affiliated to OHS over the five-year-period.

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Umukoro, Peter Eloho. "Fine Particulate Exposure and Cardiac Autonomic Effects in Boilermakers." Thesis, Harvard University, 2015. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:16121134.

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Background: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a research outcome has the potential for misclassification due to its inability to account for changes in the heart rate. HRV can be parsed into Acceleration Capacity (AC) and Deceleration Capacity (DC) which address these limitations. Objectives: To investigate the associations between AC and DC with short-term and long-term metal PM2.5 exposures; and examine if these associations are mediated by inflammation. Methods: A panel of 45-50 male welders, mean age 39-40 years, had continuous PM2.5 exposure during typical welding work shifts for 4-6 hours repeated 2-5 times over sampling periods in 2010-2012. We also obtained continuous recordings of digital electrocardiograms (ECG) over their work shift using Holter monitors during the same time; and analyzed blood samples before and after each welding shift for potential mediators of inflammation. In our first analysis, we used linear mixed models to assess the association between hourly PM2.5 exposure and each of simultaneously measured hourly AC and DC, controlling for covariates. Then, mediation analysis was done using linear mixed models to assess the associations between shift PM2.5 exposure, potential mediator levels, and AC and DC, controlling for relevant covariates in order to deduce the direct and indirect effects (via the mediator) of PM2.5 on AC and DC. In our final analysis, we used linear regression to assess the association between CEI PM2.5 exposure and each of current AC and DC, controlling for confounders. Results: Negative exposure-response associations were found for AC and DC with increased PM2.5 both in the short-term and long-term exposure after adjusting for covariates. In our mediation models, the proportion of the total effect of PM2.5 on AC or DC (indirect effect) mediated through IL-6 on AC was at best 4%. Conclusions: There are sustained acute and chronic effects of metal particulates on AC and DC even after exposure has ceased. These findings suggest that there may be more pathways that sustain response following exposure other than a direct effect of metal particulates on AC and DC. Furthermore, there may be complex mediating pathways involving interleukin 6.
Environmental Health

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Deadman, Jan-Erik. "Estimation of exposures to extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ29919.pdf.

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Balkhyour, Mansour. "Factors that affect respirator fit-testing programs." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289239.

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Respirators are used to minimize the exposure to air contaminants. A good fit is essential for the effective functioning of a respirator. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires an annual respirator fit testing. Respirator fit can be assessed either qualitatively or quantitatively. Two studies were conducted to assess the fit testing program with specific objectives to: (1) assess leak rates in full and half mask respirators; (2) assess the effectiveness of "feedback"1 on the quality of fit; (3) evaluate the effect of daily beard growth on respirator leak rates. In the first study, it was found that the half mask respirator has a significantly lower leak rate than the full face respirator. A significant reduction in leak rate in both respirator types with "feedback" was also observed. The finding that half mask respirators have lower leak rates directly contradicts American National Standard Institute's (ANSI) guidelines of higher Assigned Protection Factor (APF) for full mask respirator. Further studies are necessary to determine these findings and to amend respirator recommendations in the future. As expected in the second study, beard growth was associated with respirator leak rate. The effect of daily growth on leak rate over a period of twelve days could be defined by a second order regression equation. An attempt was made to describe some characteristics of beard that affect the leak rate. After 12 days of beard growth, it was found that the aspect ratio (length/diameter) of hair was inversely correlated with leak rate (r = 0.64). 1Feedback: A numerical value measuring the minimum leak rate that can be gotten from a respirator fitting with a normal donning.

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Hed, Ekman Annika. "Effects of an intervention to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary time in workers with neck pain : A randomized controlled study." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för arbets- och folkhälsovetenskap, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-21892.

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Background: Chronic neck pain is a problem that may be prevented and treated by physical activity. Little is known about effective interventions to increase physical activity in workers with neck pain. Objective: To evaluate the effects of an intervention aimed at increasing physical activity among workers with chronic neck pain. Design: A 10-week randomized controlled study in a population of 35 (intervention n= 19, control n= 16) workers. Physical activity was assessed using a tri-axial accelerometer pre and post the intervention. Outcomes: Daily steps, metabolic equivalent, proportions of time spent sitting/lying, standing and walking, and sit-to stand transitions. Linear mixed model was used to analyze the intervention effect (group × time) adjusted for the baseline value for each outcome. Results: There was no significant intervention effect on steps, metabolic equivalent, walking or sit-to stand transitions. There were significant intervention effects on decreased time spent sitting/lying (p=0.010) and increased standing (p=0.017). Conclusion: No differences between intervention and control groups were found in parameters of total physical activity. However sedentary time decreased substantially in intervention group and was replaced by standing time. Larger studies using objective assessments of physical activity and sedentary behavior, investigating the effects of changes in PA and sedentary behavior on pain and health outcomes, in a working population with chronic neck pain are recommended.
Bakgrund: Kronisk nacksmärta är ett problem som kan vara möjligt att förebygga och behandla med fysisk aktivitet. Det finns begränsad kunskap om effektiva interventioner för att öka fysisk aktivitet hos arbetstagare med nacksmärta. Syfte: Att utvärdera effekten av en intervention riktad mot att öka fysisk aktivitet hos en grupp arbetstagare med kronisk nacksmärta. Design: En 10 veckors randomiserad kontrollerad studie i en population av arbetstagare med kronisk nacksmärta, n= 35 (interventionsgrupp n=19, kontrollgrupp n= 16). Fysisk aktivitet mättes med triaxiell accelerometer före och efter interventionen. Utfallsmått: Antal steg per dag, metabolisk ekvivalent, förändringar i proportionerna mellan tid i sittande/liggande, stående och gående och antal uppresningar från sittande till stående. Resultat: Det fanns ingen signifikant interventionseffekt avseende steg, metabolisk ekvivalent, tid i gående eller antal uppresningar från sittande. Tid i sittande/liggande minskade signifikant (p=0,010) och tid i stående ökade, också signifikant (p=0,017). Slutsats: Det fanns ingen skillnad mellan grupperna i total fysisk aktivitet. Däremot minskade tiden i sittande/liggande markant och ersattes av tid i stående. Större studier med objektiva mätningar av fysisk aktivitet och stillasittande beteende som också undersöker effekter av förändringar i fysisk aktivitet på smärta och hälsovariabler bland arbetstagare med kronisk nacksmärta rekommenderas.
STIMUL

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Vogel, Kyle. "Characterization of Waste Anesthetic Gas Exposures to Veterinary Workers in the Tampa Bay area." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5324.

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Veterinarians routinely conduct surgical operations on animals while veterinary technicians administer anesthetic gas to sedate the animal prior to an operation. One commonly used anesthetic agent in veterinary clinics is isoflurane. Veterinary workers have the potential to be exposed to this gas during surgical operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have a specific Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for isoflurane, however The National Institutes for Health (NIH) does advise that workers should not be exposed to isoflurane in concentrations exceeding 2 parts per million (ppm) for an 8 hour Time Weighted Average (TWA). Animal clinics vary in the amount of surgeries they perform. Some clinics specialize in surgical services and therefore conduct a high volume of surgeries, while others that perform general practice work may conduct a far lower volume of surgeries. The research objectives for this study were to determine if veterinary workers are exposed to isoflurane levels above the concentration recommended by NIH and to quantify any disparity that exists between worker exposures at two veterinary facilities. A portable infrared ambient air analyzer (Miran SapphIRe, XL, ThermoScientific) was used to measure area concentrations of isoflurane and sorbent tube sampling via OSHA Method 103 was used to determine personal exposures to isoflurane. For the three days that sampling took place at the low volume clinic, personal sampling (samples taken in the breathing zone of a worker) during surgery showed that isoflurane concentrations exceeded the NIOSH recommended limit for 3 of the 5 samples when assuming a 6-hour gas exposure. When assuming exposure only lasted for the 2 hours that sampling occurred, 1 of the 5 samples exceeded the NIOSH recommended limit. For the three days that sampling was conducted at the high volume clinic, none of the 6 samples taken exceeded the NIOSH recommended exposure limit. The average isoflurane exposure to workers at the high volume clinic was 1.72 ppm while the average for the low volume clinic was 3.77 ppm. The average isoflurane exposure for veterinarians was 2.05 ppm and the average for veterinary technicians was 3.16 ppm. These data provide evidence that veterinary technicians may face higher exposures to isoflurane gas than veterinarians. There is also evidence that workers at the low volume clinic may be exposed to greater concentrations of isoflurane than workers at the high volume clinic. The average isoflurane concentrations were lower for the high volume clinic likely due to the fact that they relied only on an injectable sedative and no delivery of anesthetic gas for most operations. The high volume clinic also used more sophisticated equipment than the low volume clinic for the capture of waste gases.

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Davis, Ruby T. "Occupational Stress Among Nurse Administrators in General Hospitals in Tennessee." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 1992. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2903.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the level of occupational stress among nurse administrators and to identify the types of strategies used by nurse administrators to deal with or manage occupational stress. The study examined the relationship between selected demographic variables, occupational stress, and strategies. The research design included five research questions along with seven null hypotheses testing the relationship between occupational stress and demographic variables--age, gender, marital status, years of professional nursing experience, years as a nurse administrator, educational attainment, and hospital bed capacity. There were seven additional hypotheses testing the relationship between the same demographic variables and three categories of coping strategies. The instrument used included the researcher-designed Demographic Questionnaire, the Health Professions Stress Inventory (HPSI), and a listing of 17 coping strategies. Nurse administrator's HPSI overall mean stress score was lower than the HPSI mean stress level scores reported for nurses in previous studies. Five subscales of stressors (Stress Factors) were identified by analyzing the HPSI using Principal Components Factor Analysis. A statistical significant difference (p $<$.05) was revealed for nurse administrators for: (1) overall stress level when tested by three of the demographic variables, years as a nurse administrator, educational attainment, and hospital bed capacity; (2) subscale level of stress when testing the HPSI five stress factors by marital status, years as a nurse administrator, and educational attainment. A statistical significant difference (p $<$.05) for strategies used by nurse administrators was revealed with testing: (1) Avoidance strategy by demographic variables--age, number of years of professional experience, number of years as a nurse administrator, and hospital bed capacity and, (2) Active Cognitive strategy by demographic--gender. The Spearman Rho correlation coefficient procedures used to correlate the HPSI five Stress Factors with Active Cognitive, Active Behavioral, and Avoidance strategies revealed: (1) Stress Factor 1, Professional Conflicts was significantly related to Avoidance strategy (r$\sb{\rm s}$ =.24). (2) Stress Factor 2, Lack of Recognition as a Professional, was negatively significantly correlated with Active Cognitive Strategy (r$\sb{\rm s}$ = $-$.22). (3) Stress Factor 3, Work Overload, was significantly related to Active Cognitive strategy (r$\sb{\rm s}$ =.23). (4) Nurse administrators overall stress was significantly related to Avoidance Strategy (r$\sb{\rm s}$ =.28).

Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Environmental and occupational health'

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