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Background: Noise is one of these factors and it is considered as a concern through the world. The purpose of this study is to provide information about the rate of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among workers in one of the cement. Methods: 283 workers were randomly selected from different production units in a cement factory. Equivalent Sound Level (Leq) was measured by using a Casella CEL-320 ‎ dosimeter and Sound Pressure Level (SPL) was measured by using a TES-1358 sound level meter (SLM) (sn: 090717269), with high accuracy. Audiometric tests were conducted by using an AVA C88 audiometer. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS.16 software and statistical tests. Results: The mean Hearing threshold limit (HTLs) ‎ at frequencies (3 and 4 KHZ) in the study group is significantly higher than the control group (P

Background: An effective process for preventing industrial accidents basically requires a thorough study of the environment, data collection, evaluation, and analysis of this information, determination of corrective action, and its implementation. Risk management provides an integrated framework for this important process. The purpose of this study was to identify the parameters of the risk management process, combine these parameters by fuzzy logic and construct a fuzzy model to obtain the risk management index and finally design a questionnaire with Likert scale to obtain the inputs of this model to evaluate the risk management process. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 in Tehran. First, based on library studies and experts' opinions, Jaques non-linear crisis management model was selected, and based on this model, the parameters of the risk management process were extracted. Then, a questionnaire with 22 questions was designed to measure these parameters, the content and face validity of which were evaluated. Also, to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire, the test-retest method and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used. Then the parameters were defined as fuzzy numbers, the Fuzzy inference engine was programmed using fuzzy rules, and its validity was evaluated. Results: The fuzzy model has three stages, in each of which sixteen rules are used. In this fuzzy model, the defuzzification step was performed by four methods with the same results. The designed questionnaire contains twenty-two questions, the content validity ratio (CVR) for this questionnaire is 0.89, and the content validity index (CVI) for all questions was above 0.79. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for this questionnaire was 0.713. Face validity was determined quantitatively by calculating the impact score (more than 1.5). Using intraclass correlation coefficient and Pearson correlation coefficient, the existence of reliability between test times (test-retest) was confirmed, so that their values were 0.84 and 0.88%, respectively. Conclusion: The proposed fuzzy model has a high validity giving a correct evaluation of the risk management process and expressing the final result in the form of an index between zero and one hundred. The risk management process evaluation questionnaire has good validity and reliability with the interpretation that the item has good face validity and is understandable, simple, and fluent for the sample group. Using this tool, industry managers can evaluate the safety risk management process, making them able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this process, and finally take steps to eliminate the defects and improve this process continuously.

Background: Styrene is one of the chemicals used in industries, especially the petrochemical industry, which affects health. Singaporean methods and the WHO use different parameters to assess the carcinogenic risk of the substance. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the level of carcinogenic risk due to exposure to styrene using the Singapore Department of Occupational Health with the risk levels provided using the WHO to achieve high-reliability results. Methods: In this study, 150 air samples were collected from the respiratory area of 50 employees by NIOSH1501 method, after identification of styrene emission units and preparation of identical exposure groups. The samples were analyzed by Varian-cp3800 gas chromatograph. Finally, the risk of styrenechr('39')s health effects on petrochemical staff was calculated using the method of the Singapore Department of Occupational Health, and the results were compared with the risk levels of styrene presented by WHO. Results: The carcinogenicity of styrene was higher in polybutadiene latex (PBL) (2.3 ) and the fire department (1.3 ) in comparison with the other units. The World Health Organization-defined risk levels predicted 22% of staff to be a "definitive" carcinogenic risk. While the Singapore Department of Occupational Health approached a "low" risk rating. Conclusion: A "low" risk rating was obtained through the Singapore Department of Occupational Health. But the WHO method for 30 years of exposure to styrene predicted "probable risk" and "definitive risk." This showed a high difference in the results of the two semi-quantitative methods used.

Background: activity in hot environments is among the most common physical dangers in work environments that not only creates diseases resultant from heat which influences on staff’s health but also increases job injuries and accidents. Job injuries, diseases, and reduction in workerschr('39') efficiency in exposure to heat stress have caused increasing anxiety. Most of the study results are demonstrative of diseases as a result of heat and less related to job injuries and accidents. Therefore, the present study aims at reviewing previous studies in the field of job injuries and accidents in exposure to the work environmentchr('39')s heat stress. Methods: this review study has systematically reviewed publications and articles from 2000 to 2019 in databases. Keywords including "heat stress”, “heat strain”, “heat exposure”, “heat wave", "heat injuries”, “job accidents”, “job exposure”, “hot environment” and “air change" have been used and finally, 30 articles included into the study. Results: study articles consist of 29 jobs and 1 military environment. Study occupations consist of one study about military forces, textile, aluminum smelting, cleaners of oil reservoirs, two studies about mineworkers and metal and iron industries, three studies about building workers, four studies about agricultural workers and 15 studies about different occupations. Also, 11 studies conducted in open environments, seven studies in closed environments and 12 others conducted both in open and closed environments. 17 analytical studies, three correlational, cross-sectional, cohort studies, one cohort, and descriptive study and two descriptive-analytical studies have been conducted. Most job injuries and accidents happened during summer and men especially the young have involved in such problems and job injuries and accidents have increased due to extreme temperature increase. Generally, job injuries and accidents include burn, slip, collision with things and collision with mobile things. Conclusion: there is a strong relationship between temperature in hot environments and risk increase in injuries and accidents of work environments which differ based on employeeschr('39') features (such as age, gender, occupation, and industry). However, dominant mechanisms on the happening of such injuries have not been determined yet. It necessitates more expertise to determine especial injuries and accidents happening in hot environments. Policymakers and employers have to be more aware of job injuries and accidents in heat exposure and suitable educational resources have to be provided to prevent such injuries.

Background: Lead is one of the most widely used metals in the industries and is the amplest metal element on the Earth’s crust. This metal disrupts the physiological processes of the body due to its accumulation in various tissues. The present study aimed to determining the association of lead exposure with blood pressure and blood components of the lead mine employees in Isfahan City, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 187 workers were investigated; they worked in the lead mines of Isfahan from January to April 2016. The staff was divided into two groups: one was exposed to lead and the other was the control group. The participantschr('39') general information was collected in worksheets, including age, work experience, work shift, body mass index, blood pressure, and smoking status. Sampling was carried out by active sampling using the NIOSH 7300 method. Blood samples were taken from all participants and their hematological parameters were evaluated, including red blood cell, platelet count, percent of lymphocytes, and volume of red blood cells. Results: The participantschr('39') age means were 34.06 (8.8) and 37.04 (11.48) years in the case and control groups, respectively. The time-weighted average concentration of lead in the breathing zone air of workers was 0.0533 mg/m3. The average systolic blood pressure was 12.01 (1.3) mmHg in exposed workers, while it was 11.78 (1.1) mmHg in the control group. The average diastolic blood pressure was 7.84 (0.71) mmHg in exposed workers and 7.73 (0.54) mmHg in control group. Statistical test results showed a significant difference between the case and control groups with regard to their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P

Background: Nickel is a toxic metal used as a pigment in ceramics industries. The purpose of this study was to assess inhalation exposure to nickel in the breathing zone of glazers and non-exposed group of workers. We also compared pulmonary function between ceramic glazers and the non-exposed group. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 49 glazers and 55 office workers were investigated. Air sampling in the breathing zone of each glazer was taken on a cellulose ester membrane filter with 37-mm diameter. The samples were then analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). All the participants were required to fill out questionnaires on descriptive information. The parameters of pulmonary function were measured for both exposed and non-exposed participants. Results: The mean nickel concentration in the breathing zone of glazers was 0.09 mg/m3. Glazers had a significantly lower parameters of pulmonary function than office workers (p

Background: Process industries are very complex and defective, therefore they are prone to crisis. An industrial crisis is an event with a low likelihood of occurrence but severe consequences that threatens the survival of an organization .It is described by the cause or the reasons of ambiguous and unknown solutions. It is also believed that the decisions should be made as soon as possible and not under pressure from time to time. This study was aimed to analyze and to value factors affecting industrial crisis management in the process industries through fuzzy AHP. Methods: This study was conducted in Tehran in 1397. Following a library study and the use of experts, a comprehensive and suitable model for managing the industrial crises was selected. A paired comparison questionnaire was developed to allow the experts to compare the elements two by two and to express the relative superiority of one to the other. Finally, by using the fuzzy hierarchy analysis method, the importance of this criteria and sub-criteriafor crisis management was identified. Results: The results, compared with other factors in the research, showed that the crisis prevention factor had the highest relative weight (6 3/0). After this factors, disaster preparedness (22/0), crisis management (1 2/0), and post-crisis management (03/0) had the highest importance. “Risk management”, "training, simulation", "identity crisis" and "assessing, correcting" were respectively the most important sub-criteria for each phases of crisis management. Conclusion: The present study showed that crisis prevention was the most important criterion for the effective management of industrial crises and" rapid alert inspection", "risk management" and "response to emergency conditions " were considered to be the sub-criteria. So, in order to effectively manage the industrial crisis, the managers and investors need to pay most attention to the risk management sub-criteria (the most important sub-criteria was to prevent a crisis with relative weights 4- 4/0 compared with other sub-criteria of this factor).