Iranian Journal of Health, Safety and Environment (IJHSE)
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Occupational Class Groups as a Risk Factor for Genitourinary Cancer – A Matched Case-Control Study
Get PDFCancer is a disease with huge consequences for patients and their families. It has a high mortality rate in both developed and developing countries. Eleven to 15 percent of all cancers can be attributed to occupational risk factors. The aim of this pilot study was to define the risks of specific occupational classes based on the International Standard for the Classification of Occupations 2008 (ISCO-08) in causing genitourinary (GU) cancer.
A matched case-control study was designed and 208 cancer patients were interviewed by a single physician. Controls were selected from cancer patients with different cancers. For assessment of lifestyle, the simple lifestyle indicator questionnaire was. Years of working until 5 years before the diagnosis were questioned and later categorized by the ISCO classification
In total 156 GU cases and non-genitourinary cancer patients were selected. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 51.01 years for both groups. Except the platelet count, there was no significant difference between the groups. Some ISCO classes (1, 2, and 0) were eliminated because of low numbers. The difference between working in different classes of ISCO classification (3 through 9) was not associated with the occurrence of genitourinary cancer.
No significant difference was found between the occupational classes in patients with genitourinary cancer and controls
Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and its Quality in Student Canteens at Duhok University, 2015
Get PDFMaintaining and improving the health level of college students are important aspects for higher education, where the food security becomes the foundation of the health. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes about food safety and to evaluate the quality of food (Physical & Operational Standards) in the student canteen at Duhok University.
To achieve this goal, three questionnaires were developed. Concerning food safety knowledge and attitude for food handles (buying, storage and serving food) data was collected using these self-questionnaires. The study was conducted on (319) respondents. The obtained data were analyzed and statistically tested.
The results have shown that neither age nor education levels have significant impact on the food safety knowledge. However, significant difference between male and female was found for the age >41. For food quality evaluation, the results have also shown that canteen workers lack the physical and operational standards of food safety especially taste and healthy ways of food prepared. The analysis has shown that the positive attitudes of canteen owner toward food handlers were 66.25% for buying, 31.2% for storage and 42.5% for serving food. The overall positive attitude was 46.65% which is insufficient range.
Overall respondents had poor food safety knowledge. There was a significant difference between the mean score of knowledge according to gender for group >41 years. In male only, the age has to impact on safety knowledge. While educational levels had no significant impact. The untrained employees who manage the university canteen made their attitudes toward storage and serving food unwelcome
Can Emotional Intelligence be Used as a Tool to Control Occupational Accidents?Case Study in an Iranian Industry
Get PDFNowadays, in order to attain safety at workplaces, we must consider two factors: ethical adolescence and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence helps people to learn about regulations, experiences and revelation of emotions. This study aimed to survey the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) with occupational accident in a publication industry, in 2014. In a cross-sectional study, all operational employees (n=98) working at a publication industry were included. Demographics, Bradberry-Greaves questionnaires were tools for gathering data. Occupational accidents were self-reported and then checked against documents in the organization. Statistical analysis such as T-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation was used for data evaluation by SPSS V20. All workers were men and range of age was reported to be 24-61 with Mean 122.13±15.68. Also, 21.2% of personnel have experienced occupational accidents (0-5 cases). Also, Mean EI test score was calculated to be 122.13±15.68. There was no significant relationship between emotional intelligence scores among workers with and without accidents (p>0.05).Conditions in the view of emotional intelligence were suitable, but continuous improvement for total consideration and circumstances would be vital. Training program preparation free from workers of different educational levels is recommended. The company must provide a program that can afford workers the opportunity to review errors and gain cognitive systems in order to work with the improved conditions
Neck and Back Pain Prevalence in Workers of Iranian Steel industries at 2015
Get PDFWork related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are considered as the main cause of occupational complications and disability in developing countries. In Iranian steel companies, workers commonly are directly involved in the production process and physical activities such as manual material handling and awkward postures. Present study was performed for assessment of neck and back pain prevalence among workers of four Iranian steel industries.
Study participants in our cross sectional study, were randomly selected from workers of four Iranian steel industries. Data of neck and back pain were gathered by Nordic questionnaire. Logistic regression was used for controlling confounding variables and determining independent predictors of neck and back pain among study workers.
Among study workers, prevalence of neck and back pain in a recent year were 18.40% and 13.90% respectively. Age (p≤0.02) and job experience (p≤0.00) had significant association with neck pain. Age, sex, BMI, and job duration were not known as an independent predictor of neck or back pain.
Neck and back pain prevalence in steel industries were happened whit higher rate compared to most of other countries. Next studies will suggest for determining work related risk factors of WMSDs in workers and designing preventive strategies
Mental Health Status and its Relationship with Accident and Unsafe Behavior in a Printing and Press Industry, 2014
Get PDFPhysical and psychological health of workers is critical factors in the performance of their works. Also, the number of fatal occupational accidents is high in our country. Based on these facts assessment and control of accidental determinants as well as their relationship with behavior and mental health of workers is vital. This study aimed to survey the relationship between general health, occupational accident, behavioral safety and demographic variables in a printing and publication industry located at a central province of Iran in 2014. In this cross-sectional study, all operational employees (98 persons) were included. Demographic questionnaires, Goldberg general health-28, safety behavior checklist and self-reported accidents were tools used to gather data. Statistical analysis such as independent T-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used and evaluation of data was done using SPSS V20. All workers were men of mean age 41.79±6.77. Studied personnel who had experienced occupational accidents were in the case range of 0-5. Furthermore, 80.75% of the total observed behaviors (800) were safe. Mean score of GHQ test was equal to 50.38±10.39 which was over 23 as the cut-off point. There was no significant relationship between mental health with safe behaviors (p>0.05). In summary workers’ mental health status was unacceptable. Although, conditions of work which was based on the occupational accident and safety behavior have not shown any situation of caution, using ABC model (Activators-Behaviors-Consequences) can help promote personnel behaviors and anticipate accident control
The Role of the Implementation of National Building Regulations in the Fire Safety Improvement of Industrial Structures
Get PDFIn accordance with national building regulations, human safety and health should not be compromised in any way by the structures. Noncompliance with existing standards can increase the risk of fire in buildings. This study aimed to assess the impact of national building regulations on the reduction of the fire risk level in an industrial structure.
In this study, the fire risk level of the building and contents, occupants, and activities were calculated in a power plant control room using Fire Risk Assessment Method for Engineering (FRAME). In the following, by assessing the existing situation, the effect of the implementation of national building regulations was determined on the reduction of fire risk level.
The result showed that the fire risk level for occupants (20.64), building and content (1.02) that are above the acceptable level and corrective measures and design changes should be applied to reduce the risk level. Also, in case of application of the third chapter of Iranian National Building Regulations in power plant construction, the fire risk level will be reduced by 11.7% compared to the existing situation
This study showed that the implementation of national building standards and regulation can provide the occupants life safety by correctly predicting escape routes. Fire Risk Assessment Method for Engineering (FRAME) is a very effective tool for selecting the best control strategies for fire safety of industrial structures
Natural Occurrence of Aflatoxins Contamination in Commercial Spices in Iran
Get PDFA total of 80 sample of spices (red pepper, black pepper, turmeric and cinnamon), commercialized in Iran, was analyzed for aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 content using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector (FD). A mixture of acetonitrile–methanol–water (17:29:54; v/v) was used as the mobile phase and an immunoaffinity column (IAC) applied as a cleanup method. All kinds of spice samples were spiked with aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 at levels of 1, 10, and 30 ng/g and recovery values were determined. Results showed recoveries ranged from 76.4±5.6 to 98.3±3.2 for AFG1 in cinnamon (spiked at 1ng/g) and AFB2 in turmeric (spiked at 10ng/g) respectively. Thirty-two out of 80 (40%) samples were contaminated with aflatoxins ranged from 0.85±0.10 to 24.60±0.12. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in all of the contaminated samples at the highest concentration as compared with other aflatoxins. Red pepper was significantly (p≤0.05) more contaminated than other spices
Analysis of Individual and Environmental Factors for Road Traffic Accidents in Sirjan-Bandarabbas Road between 2010 and 2011, Iran
Get PDFSirjan -Bandarabbas road is one of the important commercial roads in Iran and for Sirjan’s area situation and relevance between Sirjan and other states in Iran so high percentage of goods that forwarded from Bandarabbas to other states transit from Sirjan .Therefore this road is as one important transition road and traffic road too .This study analyzed road traffic accidents were occurred between 2010 and 201in Sirjan- Bandarabbas road. Individual and demographic factors include Time of accidents, Drivers age, time of the days, seat belt and safety laws, Guilty vehicle, Mode of accident and education Level. Time of day analyses suggested that the highest percentage of road traffic injuries occurred in the time group between 12-18 hours. Drivers with the age group of 36-50 had more involvement in death accidents. The findings of this study also revealed that most of the collisions was front to back and front to side. Female drivers were found to be generally safer drivers than their male counterparts; male drivers had a higher involvement rate in road traffic accidents. This study indicated that Observe safety laws, Guilty vehicle and Mode of accidents have a meaningful relationship with Type of accidents in road traffic accidents in Sirjan Bandarabbas road
Quality of Life and Mental Health Status Among Iranian Blue Workers With Self-Reported Chronic Low Back at 2015
Get PDFMusculoskeletal disorders such as low back pain can cause a wide spectrum of chronic complications such as quality of life and general health impairment. Mental health is a wide spectrum of concepts that which those such as anxiety, depression or even quality of life had challengeable impacts on work related characters such as worker productivity, absensism. Present study was performed for evaluation of low back pain prevalence and its association with general health and quality of life status among blue workers of Fars ABFA Company.
In the present study we focused on low back pain among 451 blue workers and assessed their mental health status and quality of life status with general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) and short form questionnaire (SF-36) respectively.
In comparison one-year prevalence of low back pain was 44.2%. Mean of SF36 (63.90 ± 17.39 vs. 79.42 ± 15.01; P≤0.001) and General health subdomains (58.29 ± 19.63vs. 69.84 ± 18.63; P≤0.001) for workers with low back pain were significantly lower than other workers.
Findings of our study showed that low back pain had impact on mental health status and quality of life among workers and these changes must consider in the designing preventive program more than control of pain
The Relationship between Blood Lead Levels and Clinical Features among Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Isfahan, Iran
Get PDFLead (Pb) is one of the most likely toxicants that could be potentially a risk factor in the development of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) through changes in the immune system. The purpose of the study was to describe the clinical features of MS in general and for sub-groups stratified for gender, age, residence, disease duration, disability degree, clinical diagnosis in Isfahan, Iran and also, to elucidate the relationship between the blood Pb level and the development of MS. Blood samples of 48 patients (20 to 57 years) were selected from the department of neurology of the Kashani hospital in Isfahan, Iran and were analyzed for Pb using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The clinical and demographic characteristics in our study were similar to those in other reports. The blood Pb level in 70.83% of the total population wa