Dissertations / Theses: 'Environmental Health 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Diverde, Hannah. "The sanitary situation and its health effects on women exposed to occupational heat in Chennai, India." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-79406.

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The purpose of this study was to see how lack of toilets along with occupational heat affects health and prosperous. It is based on interviews made on women and men working in the surroundings of Chennai, India, with and without access to toilets, that all are affected by occupational heat. Questions about their perception of how their health is affected by working in heat are asked. There are also questions about how their work is affected by their toilet situation. Some of the interviewees have access to shadow and to toilets and some do not have any access to these facilities. Totally 72 people have been interviewed, 58 women and 14 men. 50 of them had access to toilets and 22 did not. All of the interviewees are affected by the heat and some of them have diseases that indicates on health problems caused by no or limited access to toilets. The workers with no access to toilets are the group that have most health problems and are also the group that go for urination and defecation least. The workers with access to toilets are the group that have least health problems and go to the toilet most. Men with no access to toilets go more often than women with no toilets and are more similar with the group with access to toilets. This report is a minor field study, funded by SIDA, and made in collaboration with Sri Ramachandra University, India.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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31

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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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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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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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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Schultz, Alma. "The working environment of occupational health nurses as a determinant for professional development." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24802.

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An investment in nursing education and staff development should consider the reasons for participating in continuing education and professional development in order to improve planning for long term continual professional development (Joyce&Cowman, 2007:626). The aim of this study was to investigate the working environment of occupational health nurses as a determinant for professional development. A quantitative approach was used for this research study. A non-experimental, descriptive survey was conducted to collect data for this study because it reflects accurate characteristics of the various environments of occupational health. Data was collected using a questionnaire which was distributed to four SASOHN (South African Society of Occupational Health Nursing Practitioners) regions (Eastern Cape, Vaal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga) as the principal method of data collection. In terms of the educational needs identified it was evident in the study that the occupational health nurse would attend professional development programmes more often if their learning needs are identified prior to the programme. The occupational health nurse preferred one day workshops as the preferred method of continual professional development. The psychosocial needs of the occupational health nurses highlighted that there was little support in the office while attending professional development programmes and that assistance with administrative tasks at work were lacking. The findings of this study revealed various professional development barriers such as financial constraints, frustrations with regard to daily workload, discrimination against the profession, lack of discussions with employers with regard to staff development programmes, training material not being readily available and insufficient facilities such as an on-site library. It is also clear from the findings of this study that continual professional development will improve the self esteem and self worth of the Occupational Health nurses. For the occupational health nurse to develop professionally they need support from their employers and colleagues. The findings were evident that the employers do support the occupational health nurse to develop professionally by granting special leave to attend professional development programmes. Key concepts: Staff development, Barriers, Occupational Health nurse, Need, Psychosocial needs, Educational needs, Professional development. Copyright
Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Nursing Science
unrestricted

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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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Tedestedt, Ronny. "An Occupational Health and Safety Conversation : The Swedish and New Zealand Perspective." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för pedagogik, didaktik och utbildningsstudier, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-216211.

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ABSTRACT There has been a change in the nature of work over recent decades with an increase in the use of non-standard forms of work. Non-standard work includes for example the use of contractors and sub-contractors. These forms of employment lead to a greater vulnerability of the workforce. These workers are missing out on union representation, training opportunities and basic employment protection. This directly impacts the safety of the workers due to the confusing legislation over duty of care. It is often unclear who is responsible for providing occupational health and safety (OHS) training for these workers. It is for this reason the following report will attempt to gain a better understanding of the policies and regulations surrounding OHS in two countries. Sweden and New Zealand have been chosen as a focus for this research because they represent two different governing systems. The aim of this research was to describe what structures and policies regulate occupational health and safety matters in Sweden and New Zealand comparatively. It was also the aim of this research to seek insight into the policy conversation around OHS training in both Sweden and New Zealand. Three research questions have been used throughout the report to guide the researcher when selecting relevant documents collating the main themes and overall ensuring that the research stays on track. The questions are as follows: What structures and policies regulate occupational health and safety matters in Sweden and New Zealand? What characterises both the Swedish and the New Zealand work environment? What is the policy conversation around OHS training in Sweden and New Zealand? The methodology choosen for this research was a qualitative approach because greater in-depth understanding for OHS matters were sought after. The research was focused around policy documents from both Sweden and New Zealand. The documents from each country were chosen because of their current and topical relevance to each country. The main findings from this research were grouped into five themes based on key termes identified in both countries documents. The five themes are as follows: Work Environment and Regulation OHS Training and Attitudes Worker Participation OHS Research Longer Working Life Conclusions were made based on these themes. OHS regulation was found to be adequate in Sweden in contrast to New Zealand. In New Zealand there is a call for major reforms to be made to the OHS legislation because due to its lack of adequate coverage for the current workforce. The term work environment is used in Sweden and includes a more holistic view, compared to the term occupational health and safety which is used in New Zealand and focuses more on safety and the prevention of work-related harm. Inadequate training for safety representatives were found to be an issue both in Sweden and New Zealand. In Sweden safety representatives are entitled to sufficient paid leave to fulfill their duties including training, in contrast to New Zealand where the safety representatives are entitled to only two days paid leave annualy. OHS training was suggested to be a necessary component in many tertiary education programs both in Sweden and New Zealand. The suggestion was made to better prepare prospective managers who will have OHS responsibilities. Worker participation was found to be a necessary component of a well functioning OHS scheme in both the countries. It was not adequately regulated in New Zealand until the implementation of the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act 2002. In both Sweden and New Zealand new OHS research functions were suggested to be established. The changing nature of work is highlighted as a concern in both countries, because legislation does not adequately cover the new forms of work and is not conducive to OHS.

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Mielke, Sarah Rebecca. "A Pilot Study of Potential Public Health Hazards in the Animal Hoarding Environment." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429707141.

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Lysaght, Rosemary Margaret. "The impact of work environment on the competency maintenance activities of occupational therapists /." The Ohio State University, 1997. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487948440825169.

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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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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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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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Sjödin, Fredrik. "Noise in the preschool : health and preventive measures." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Yrkes- och miljömedicin, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-61442.

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This thesis is based on noise recordings and health evaluations carried out at preschools in the northern part of Sweden. Sound level recordings were made on individuals and by use of stationary devices in dining rooms and play halls. Health evaluations were based on ratings by use of questionnaires and by analyses of cortisol. The average equivalent individual noise exposure was 71 dB(A). The average equivalent noise levels in the dining room and playing halls were 64 dB(A). The hearing loss of the employees was significantly higher for the frequencies tested than in an unexposed control group. Symptoms of tinnitus were reported among 31% of the employees. Noise annoyance was rated as somewhat to very annoying, and the voices of the children were the most annoying noise source. The dB(A) level and fluctuations of the noise exposure were significantly correlated with the number of children per department. Stress and energy output were pronounced among the employees. About 30% of the staff experienced strong burnout syndromes. Mental recovery was low as indicated by noise fatigue and high levels of stress after work. Increased cortisol levels during work were associated with higher number of children present at the department. An essential finding of the thesis was that noise and noise sources may impair the pedagogic work, thereby increasing the work load of employees. It is concluded that noise exposure in the preschool, isolated or in combination with other stressors, plays a fundamental role in the building up of acute as well as long term stress. An intervention study implementing six acoustical and seven organizational measures was tested, aimed to improve the noise situation in the departments. Acoustical measures improved the noise situation as well as the rated noise experiences better than the organizational measures.
Avhandlingen baseras på ett samarbete med förskoleverksamheten inom Umeå kommun och har innefattat medverkan från 101 pedagoger i delstudie 1 och 24 pedagoger i en delstudie 2. Studie 1 som redovisas i tre delarbeten, I, II och III, har innefattat personburna och stationära bullermätningar i lekhallar och i matsalar. Påverkan på upplevelser samt hälsoeffekter av ljudmiljön har analyserats via frågeformulär och analyser av kortisol. Kontroll av hörselstatus har genomförts via audiometrisk screening. Studie 1 innefattar analys av bullrets effekter på såväl hörselrelaterad (Delarbete I) som stressrelaterad ohälsa (Delarbete II). Olika typer av åtgärder för att förbättra ljudmiljön och minska den bullerrelaterade ohälsan redovisas i delarbete III. Delarbete IV fokuserar på hur samverkan mellan buller och arbetsorganisation kan påverka den stressrelaterade ohälsan. Genomförda analyser av buller visar på förhållandevis likvärdiga bullerexponeringsnivåer förskolor och avdelningar emellan. Skillnaderna i exponeringsnivåer veckodagar emellan var små, skillnader mellan individer var däremot stora. Påtagliga skillnader i exponeringsnivåer förelåg som väntat under arbetsdagen. I synnerhet den personburna bulleranalysen pekade på en bullerexponering med påtagliga inslag av variation och transienter i exponeringen. Ljudmiljön karaktäriserades av medverkande pedagoger som den enskilt mest besvärande arbetsmiljöfaktorn. Barnens röster och ljud från deras aktiviteter klassificerades som de mest besvärande bullerkällorna. Personalen uppvisade sämre hörtrösklar för samtliga testade frekvenser jämfört med svensk ej bullerexponerad referenspopulation. De försämrade hörtrösklarna var relativt låga och föranledde inte i något fall remittering till hörselklinik. Prevalensen för tinnitus var 31 %, vilket motsvarar en överfrekvens på 15-20 %, jämfört med svenskt normalvärde. Ljudtrötthet efter arbetsdagens slut utgjorde ett uttalat symptom bland pedagogerna liksom försämrad sömnkvalitet och förhöjd sömnighet vid uppvaknande. Analyser av arbetsbelastning baserat på skattning och kortisolmätningar, indikerade höga energiuttag under arbete och inslag av utpräglad stress, och i flera fall utbrändhet. Signifikanta samband mellan upplevd dålig ljudmiljö, maskering av tal, försämrade förutsättningar för det pedagogiska arbetet och därmed ökad ohälsa kunde påvisas. Ljudmiljön, såväl nivåer som fluktuationer påverkades på ett uttalat sätt av antalet barn på avdelningen. Detta utgjorde också den enskilt viktigaste faktorn för att förbättra såväl ljudmiljön som den till ljudmiljön relaterade hälsan. Akustiska åtgärder visade sig genomgående mer framgångsrika för att förbättra ljudklimatet än organisatoriska åtgärder.

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Farmer, Ruan Alexander. "Improving occupational health and safety in a petrochemical environment through culture change / R.A. Farmer." Thesis, North-West University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4444.

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In spite of the vast technological progress and improvement in the standard of management systems within hazardous industries around the world, occupational health and safety incidents and fatalities continue to devastate thousands of lives each year. Throughout the last decade, significant improvement has been achieved in the reduction of health and safety incident rates across the South African petrochemical environment. However, a persistent roller-coaster fatality rate still prevails. Recent studies have shown that in order to conquer the relentless battle in realizing sustainable world-class health and safety performance, an organisation has to move beyond the traditional compliance orientated safety focus towards an interdependent safety culture in which safety is ubiquitous and embedded in the hearts of all employees. The root causes of more and more occupational health and safety incidents are no longer as a result of mechanical or systems failure, but instead originate from the attitude, values and beliefs of management and employees with regard to the significance of safety, also known as the safety culture. This has ignited a rising interest in the concept of safety culture among organisations because of the positive impact on occupational health and safety in reducing the potential for fatalities, injuries and workplace incidents. Hence the primary objective of this study is to determine the maturity of the current safety culture in the South African petrochemical environment by identifying particular culture shortfalls which could lead to hesitant progress towards the desired interdependent state. In order to reach this objective, three secondary objectives have also been set. Firstly, an understanding of the concept of organisational culture and safety culture is crucial. In simple terms, organisational culture can be described as the shared values, assumptions and beliefs in an organisation that ultimately direct employee behaviour. Organisational culture is characterised by three layers known as artefacts, espoused values and basic assumptions. These layers represent the manifestation of the organisational culture and vary in terms of outward visibility and resistance to change. Understanding and analysing these layers provide the reasons why employees behave in certain ways. Safety culture is a subset of organisational culture; in other words, it is the manifestation of the organisation?s attitude, values and commitment in regard to the importance of health and safety. Companies which have developed effective safety cultures have demonstrated unequivocal results in closing the elusive health and safety performance gap. Secondly, the fundamental components conducive of an effective safety culture were explored. These components include management and employee commitment to health and safety, accountability and involvement, communication and trust, risk awareness and compliance, competency and learning and finally recognition. Most of the components can be assigned to the artefact level or a combination of the level of artefacts and espoused values with only a small number more appropriately associated with the level of basic assumptions. The effectiveness within each of these areas ultimately dictates the nature of the safety culture and the success in preventing health and safety incidents. The focus of the last secondary objective was to determine the development stages leading to an effective safety culture known as an interdependent safety culture. Each of these stages represents the degree of maturity of the attitudes and commitment of management and employees in relation to the ongoing health and safety improvement in the organisation. The DuPont model suggests that in a reactive safety culture, safety is merely a natural instinct with no real perceived value for the individual or organisation. Moving towards a dependent safety culture, employees start to value safety but only so they do not get caught. The next stage called an independent safety culture is characterised by self preservation. In this stage, the mindset of employees changed towards an attitude of ?I do things safe so I do not get hurt?. In the final stage known as interdependent safety culture, employees embrace safety as a personal virtue not only for their own safety but also in contribution to the safety of their peers. In such a culture it is employees? desire to do things safely so that no-one gets hurt. An empirical study was conducted through a quantitative research approach in the form of a safety climate questionnaire. The target population consisted of first-line managers and non-managerial personnel within the production; maintenance; laboratory; technical, and the safety, health and environment departments in a petrochemical organisation. In light of the results emanating from the empirical study it can be concluded that an overall positive perception was observed towards the selected safety culture components indicative through the mean response scores above the neutral scale of 3. Older and more experienced employees demonstrated a more positive response to the safety compared to younger employees. However, several distinctive safety culture shortcomings were also identified. In the current safety culture, health and safety is sometimes overlooked due to productivity or cost implications. Employees tend to withhold safety related information to themselves as a culture of guilt prevails and mere compliance to safety standards is considered adequate. Solutions to health and safety problems are most of a short-term nature and do not address the root cause. It therefore provides evidence that the organisation under evaluation has not yet reached the desired safety culture maturity stage of interdependence. Although the study population is limited to a single organisation, the shortfalls identified could relate to the larger petrochemical environment and thus could explain the recent fluctuating health and safety performance. This assumption, however, can only be validated through further research within a much greater sample size inclusive of more than one organisation in the petrochemical environment. It is thus clear that the existing safety culture within the petrochemical organisation could lead to potential health and safety incidents if the shortcomings are not appropriately addressed.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

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Grobler, A. D. "Occupational exposure of health workers to electromagnetic fields in the magnetic resonance imaging environment." Thesis, Bloemfontein : Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/49.

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Ince, Elif. "Perceptions Of Turkish Contractors Toward Iso 9001 Quality, Iso 14001 Environmental And Ohsas 18001 Occupational Health And Safety Management Systems." Master's thesis, METU, 2006. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12607843/index.pdf.

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The objective of this thesis is to reveal the perception of the Turkish contractors toward ISO 9001 Quality, ISO 14001 Environmental and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems using questionnaires. All of the companies participating in the survey have already been ISO 9000 certified. Thus, the questionnaire prepared included more details for the Quality Management System. The results of the questionnaire outcomes are statistically analysed. Analysis of the survey results show that the most common motivators of Management Systems for Turkish contractors are to qualify to tender for local and international projects and to increase competitiveness in overseas markets, however the vision approach of top management is not less important than the financial issues. Most of the companies stated that they implement Management Systems as a part of their improvement strategy as well. This proves that the companies are aware of the benefits of certification in the long term period. Although the most expected advantages of the systems are qualification to tender for projects both locally and internationally, as well as gaining competitive advantage, it has been observed that other benefits are realizedby the Turkish contractors such as
more systematic record keeping, higher company prestige, increased client satisfaction. The major disadvantages realized by practicing the Management Systems are increased documentation and workload. The solution is proposed as to set an internal network and to integrate the systems to reduce paperwork. In conclusion, all of the Management Systems were believed to be as useful tools and Turkish contractors think that their advantages overcome disadvantages.

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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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Pondman, Lagerström Jessica. "Ju förr desto bättre : Arbetsmiljöingenjörens roll vid planering och projektering av nya kontorsarbetsmiljöer." Thesis, KTH, Ergonomi, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-199061.

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Bakgrund: Arbetsgivaren har det övergripande ansvaret för att arbetsmiljön är tillfredställande på arbetsplatsen - bruksskedet. Flertalet av de fysiska arbetsmiljöfaktorerna som arbetsgivaren har att ansvara för bestäms tidigt i byggprocessen, i planerings- och projekteringsstadiet. Arbetsmiljölagen beskriver vilka uppgifter och ansvar som åligger byggherre och projektörer som låter utföra ett byggnads- eller anläggningsarbete. Litteraturen beskriver en utveckling där arkitekter och andra projektörers ansvar för att beakta arbetsmiljöaspekten har ökat. Ett ansvar där deras insatser ofta är begränsade. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka vilken roll arbetsmiljöingenjören kan ha i att beakta arbetsmiljön gällande bruksskedet vid planering och projektering av nya kontorsarbetsplatser. Metod: Uppsatsen bygger på litteraturgenomgång samt intervjuer med huvudsakligen arbetsmiljöingenjörer och arkitekter. Resultat: Litteratur och intervjuer visar att arbetsmiljöingenjörer engageras sent i processen vilket resulterar i brister i arbetsmiljön och ombyggnationer som åtgärd. Här framträder också en situation där kunskapsläget runt arbetsmiljöfrågor hos arkitekter upplevs som svagt, vilket bekräftas av de intervjuade. Respondenterna menar att checklista som arbetsverktyg används i mer eller mindre stor utsträckning. Befintliga checklistor från Arbetsmiljöverket presenteras i uppsatsen, dessa rekommenderas som arbetsverktyg. Slutsats: Av intervjuerna framkommer att respondenterna menar att arbetsmiljöingenjören kan agera sakkunnig, utifrån sin kunskap och erfarenhet, i projekteringsprocessen. Arbetsmiljöingenjören utgör därmed med sin sakkunskap runt arbetsmiljöfrågor ett stöd för byggherre och projektör. Den ansvarsroll som Arbetsmiljölagen beskriver, Byggarbetsmiljösamordnare - planering och projektering (BAS-P), torde utgöra en naturlig roll för arbetsmiljöingenjören. I och med detta får arbetsmiljöingenjören en naturlig roll tidigt i byggprocessen. Nyckelord: Byggprojektering, arkitekt, arbetsmiljö, företagshälsa, checklista.
Abstract Background: The employer has the overall responsibility that the work environment is satisfactory in the work place, the usage stage. Most of the physical working environment factors which the employer has the responsibility for are determined early in the construction process, in the planning and design stage. Work environment legislation describes the tasks and responsibilities for the property developer and design engineers, how the work environment should be considered and who is responsible for the construction process from design to operation stage. The literature describes a development in which architects and other property developers responsibility to take into account the working environment aspect has increased. A responsibility where their efforts are often limited. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine which role the occupational health and safetey (OHS) engineer may have to take into account in the planning and design of new office workplaces. Method: The thesis is based on literature review and interviews with mainly working engineers and architects. Results: The literature and interviews shows that the OHS engineer is involved late in the process, resulting in shortages and rebuilding as a measure. It also emerges a situation where the knowledge of work environment legislation of architects are perceived as weak, which is confirmed by those interviewed. Respondents believe that checklist as a tool is used more or less often. Existing checklists from the Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket) are presented in the thesis and are recommended as tool to be used. Conclusion: The interviews reveal that respondents believe that the OHS engineer can act as an expert, based on their knowledge and experience in the planning process. The OHS engineer thus constitutes its expertise and supports the property developer and the design engineer. The role, described in Swedish Work Environment Legislation (Arbetsmiljöverket), construction work environmental coordinator - planning and design (BAS-P) would be a natural role for the OHS engineer. The OHS engineer is given a natural role early in the construction process. Keywords: Construction planning, Architect, Work Environment, Occupational Health Service, Checklist

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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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Abstract:

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.

Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Environmental Health and Occupational Health'

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