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Background and aims: Lead is one of the most dangerous toxic metals in the world. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and assess the health risks of welders’ occupational exposure to lead fumes. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 47 automobile welders. In this study, sampling and analysis of air lead concentration (ALC) were performed using the NIOSH 7082 standard and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Then, the blood lead concentration (BLC) was measured using the NIOSH 8003 method via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Additionally, the health risk assessment of people was conducted using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method. Results: Among the workers, 12.8% were smokers, and 66% used appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The average ALC and BLC of automobile welders were equal to 0.0458±0.0296 mg/m3 and 9.89±7.32 μg/dL, respectively. Although the Pearson coefficient showed a positive correlation between ALCs and BLCs, this correlation was not statistically significant (P=0.38, r=0.18). The value of chronic daily intake (CDI) and lifetime cancer risk (LCR) for lead fume exposure was 74×10-5 and 31×10-6, respectively. Conclusion: This study found higher average BLC levels in smokers, those who did not use PPE and in individuals over 30 years of age compared to those under 30 years. The mean BLC and ALC were consistent with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) standards, and the carcinogenic risk of exposure to lead fume was within the possible risk range.

Abstract The firefighting profession carries a heightened risk of musculoskeletal disorders. A firefighter’s job is physically demanding and includes activities such as running, climbing, dragging, and lifting. Often, these tasks are unpredictable, performed in harsh environments, and have been found to cause psychological stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of occupational stress on work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) in firefighters. In addition, the mediating effects of depression and job burnout on proposed relationships were examined. Data informing this study were collected using a survey questionnaire. The survey questionnaire included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Inventory (PCL), and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling approach in AMOS. The results of the 2339 responding firefighters suggest that work related stress is positively related to WRMSDs in firefighters and can lead to musculoskeletal symptoms through four paths, being emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, CES-D total score, and depersonalization. Through depersonalization, job stress had the most significant impact on musculoskeletal symptoms (coefficient = 0.053). Furthermore, the results showed that post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) can affect musculoskeletal symptoms through ten paths, again through depersonalization, PTSD had the most significant impact on musculoskeletal symptoms (coefficient = 0.141). The results of this study suggest that organizations should design interventions and policies to prevent and manage occupational stress, depression, and job burnout to negate its undesired consequences on firefighters’ health (i.e. WRMSD).

Abstract Introduction Job stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and negative psychological outcomes in firefighters can be caused, or aggravated, by their work. These mental disorders can impart musculoskeletal symptoms. This study aimed to investigate relationships between musculoskeletal and psychological disorders in a population of firefighters using a Bayesian network model. Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2022, included 2339 firefighters who completed questionnaires during their rest periods. The questionnaires comprised of demographical information, the Occupational Stress Questionnaire-HSE, the PTSD Checklist, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression scale (CES-D), and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. GeNIe academic software was used to analyze the Bayesian network. Results High job stress and high PTSD each increased the probability of musculoskeletal symptoms by 34%. When combined, high job stress and high PTSD increased the probability of musculoskeletal symptoms by 37%. Among the mediator’s burnout and depression, depression had the highest association with musculoskeletal symptoms. Conclusions Job stress and PTSD can increase musculoskeletal symptoms and are influenced by psychological mediators (like burnout and depression). Adopting preventive and therapeutic measures to mitigate job stress and PTSD, mitigate and rehabilitate WMSD, and manage associated mediators are critical for the mental and physical health of firefighters.

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) need to perform new preventive measures to protect themselves and patients against ongoing COVID-19 transmission, which can increase hand dermatitis (HD) among them. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of HD among HCWs and its possible risk factors in IRAN. Methods: A survey of 159 HCWS working in university hospitals was performed from August to September 2020 in a cross-sectional study. Research data were collected via standardized self-administered questionnaire. The history of HD was determined via standardized Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002). Results: The prevalence of HD in the study population was 51.6%. A significant association was found between the prevalence of HD among HCWs and sex, age, working hours per week, and wearing gloves (P

Currently, there is increasing concern about the safety and leakage of process industries. Therefore, the present study aims to prioritize control measures before and after the leakage scenario by using the Hendershot theory and MCDM techniques. In this study, two proactive and reactive layers were selected before and after leakage of tanks, respectively. Then, criteria and alternatives were selected to perform fuzzy TOPSIS (FTOPSIS) and find the best alternative based on the literature review and Hendershot approach. The linear model of the fuzzy Best-Worst method (FBWM) was constructed and resolved using Lingo 17 software. Subsequently, criteria were assigned weights based on thorough calculations of the inconsistency rate. The weight of study experts was equal to 0.25. The results of FBWM showed that the reliability index with a weight of 0.3727 was ranked first and the inconsistency rate ([Formula: see text]) was calculated to be equal to 0.040. Inherent Safety Design (ISD) (0.899) and passive safety (0.767) also ranked first before and after tank leaks, respectively. Using the FBWM method leads to fewer pairwise comparisons and at the same time more stability. Although ISD and passive strategies are more valid and strict, elements of all strategies are necessary for a comprehensive process safety management program.

Background and Objective: This study aimed to provide a risk assessment method based on a Fuzzy Bayesian Network (FBN) to prevent the failure of firefighting systems (FSs). Materials and Methods: In this research, the fault tree structure was validated, and the failure factors were identified. Triangular fuzzy numbers and the combined CoA/Sum-Product method were used to calculate the failure rate. Subsequently, deductive and inductive reasoning, as well as sensitivity analysis were performed using fuzzy logic and fault tree transmission in a Bayesian Network (BN). Results: The results of a case study on methanol storage tanks showed that the combination of FBN and validation of structures can be presented as a suitable method to evaluate the reliability of FSs. The content validity index of the final basic events was over 0.79. The highest and lowest failure rates were related to the foam system and valve, respectively. Moreover, the failure rate for the failure of FSs was 5.7×10-6 based on the fuzzy fault tree (FFT). After updating with BN, the previous rate of failure of FSs with FBN was calculated to be 0.022978, which was greater than the value of the FFT. The reliability of the system was equal to 0.77022. Conclusion: The present approach can help the decision-making process of managers and analysts of the petrochemical industry to prevent the failure of FSs in tanks due to changes in systems.

Background and aims: Noise has many psychological effects. Although different studies have so far focused on various psychological effects, they have not evaluated communication skills and cognitive triad. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of noise exposure and noise annoyance on communication skills and cognitive triad. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 65 workers in 2021. The equivalent sound level (LeqA) was determined using dosimetry. Based on LeqA, noise exposure was divided into permissible and impermissible types. Noise annoyance was measured by the numerical rating scale recommended by ISO/TS 15666:2003. The Communication Skills Questionnaire and Cognitive Triad Inventory were used for data collection. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed by SPSS 24 using an independent samples t test and Spearman correlation test. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) age of workers was equal to 33.87 (±5.95) years. The results of the correlation test showed a positive and significant relationship between LeqA and noise annoyance (P

The central oxygen unit of hospitals is considered a high-risk unit, requiring high safety standards to maintain the integrity of the system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The linear reasoning assumption of conventional risk analysis methods cannot adequately describe these modern systems, which are characterized by tight connections and complex interactions between technical, human, and organizational aspects. Therefore, this study presents a new and comprehensive approach to oxygen tanks in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, trapezoidal fuzzy numbers were used to calculate failure rates. After determining the probability of basic events (BEs), intermediate events (IE), and top event (TE) with fuzzy logic and transferring it into Bayesian Network (BN), deductive and inductive reasoning, and sensitivity analysis were performed using RoV in GeNIe software. The results of the case study showed that the IE of “Human Error” had the highest probability of fuzzy fault tree (FFT) and the probability of oxygen leakage was lower using FBN than FFT. According to the results, BE16 (failure to use standard and updated instructions) and BE12 (defects in the inspection and testing program of tank devices) had the highest posterior probability, while based on the FFT results, BE4 (defects in the external coating system of the tank) and, BE3 (Corrosive environment (acidity state)) had the least probability. According to the sensitivity analysis, basic events 10, 11, and 16 were the most important in the oxygen leakage event with a very small difference, which was almost in line with the results of posterior FBN (FBNPO). Updating the existing guidelines, fixing defects in the inspection of all types of tank gauges, and testing related equipment can greatly help the reliability of these tanks. Root cause analysis of these events provides opportunities for prevention and emergency response in critical situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accidents in process industries cause irreparable economic, human, financial and environmental losses annually. Accident assessment and analysis using modern risk assessment methods is a necessity for preventing these accidents. This study was conducted with the aim of Dynamic risk assessment of tank storage using modern methods and comparing them with traditional method. In this study, bow tie (BT) method was used to analyze the Leakage event and its consequences and model the cause of the outcome, and the Bayesian network method was used to update the probability rate of the consequences. Then, four release scenarios were used. Possible selection and release outcome were modeled using version 5.4 of ALOHA software. Finally, according to the degree of reproducibility of possible consequences and risk number modeling for the four scenarios were estimated. The results of modeling the cause and effect showed that 50 Basic events are effective in chemical leakage and Pool fire is the most probable consequence due to chemical leakage in both BT and Bayesian network (BN) models. Also, the modeling results showed that Leakage 50 mm diameter has the highest Emission rate (80 kg/min) and Leakage of 1 mm have the lowest emission rate. The results of risk assessment showed that the estimated risk number in both models is in the unacceptable range. In this study, an integrated approach including BT, Fuzzy Bayesian networks and consequence modeling was used to estimate the risk in tank storage. The use of these three approaches makes the results of risk assessment more objective than conventional methods. The results of outcome modeling can be used as a guide in adopting accident prevention and emergency preparedness approaches.

Analytical models and the prediction of accidents and their consequences are important tools for preventing accidents in the industry. Therefore, the present study was conducted to review process accident consequence modeling in Iran (2006–2022), helping improve incident modeling, and creating a context for preventing these accidents. In this study, the articles of 5 international Embase Medline/PubMed databases, ProQuest, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, and four Iranian databases SID, MagIran, IranMedex, and IranDoc were examined using the PRISMA checklist. After reviewing the studies, 40 articles were included in the final analysis. The results showed that 25 studies used PHAST software, 11 studies used ALOHA software and 4 studies used ALOHA and PHAST software together. The highest number of studies was conducted in Imam Khomeini Port and Asaluyeh city, respectively. In addition, the number of studies published in Persian was more than in other studies. There was no similar agreement between the results of the two software in providing correct results at low concentrations. PHAST software also provided more accurate results than ALOHA over longer distances in stable and relatively stable weather conditions. The study and identification of hazards and scenarios in the studies that used PHAST software were more, more accurate and more coherent than in the studies that used ALOHA software. It is suggested that in future studies the same scenario can be compared with PHAST, ALOHA, and newer modeling software such as Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS).

This study aims to assess the risk of chemicals warehouse using a Bayesian networks (BNs) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A methodology combining Bow-Tie (BT), fuzzy set theory (FST), and Bayesian network was employed, in which the BT was drawn for chemical spill scenarios. FST was utilized for the estimation of the basic events (BEs) occurrence probability, and the probability of interaction among a set of variables was obtained using BNs. Pool fire scenario radiation heat flux was evaluated using CFD code, fire dynamic simulator (FDS), and the solid flame model (SFM). Fail in forklift brake system (BE1), was the most significant cause for a chemical spill. Based on the CFD model, the heat flux is 31 kW/m2 at a distance of 3.5 m from the fire, decreasing to 6.5 m gradually. The maximum safety distance of 4 m is predicted by the CFD for heat flux that exceeds 12.5 kW/m2; however, SFM predicts approximately 4.5 m. According to the results, the amount of posterior risk is higher than the prior value. The framework presented in the chemicals warehouse for consequence analysis and dynamic risk assessment (DRA) of pool fire could be used for preventing the accidents and domino effects in the chemicals warehouse.

Background: Visible light of short wavelength (blue light) can damage the retina cells, called blue light hazard. To protect the retina, permissible exposure limits have been determined by ICNIRP (the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) and other health and safety agencies. These limits include complex physical concepts, and their evaluation requires light measuring instruments equipped with a blue light hazard function filter, which is not available at the moment in developing countries. This study aims to assess retinal blue light hazard using the correlated color temperature of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light sources. Methods: In this study, a new method was proposed for evaluating the retinal blue light hazard using only the Correlated Color Temperature (CCL) of LED light sources for which concern on blue light hazard has currently been reinforced. In the proposed method, the radiometric quantity (blue light effective radiance) in W.m-2.sr-1 was converted to the corresponding photometric quantity (blue light effective luminance) in lm.m-2.sr-1. Then a computer code was developed for relevant calculations. Results: The estimated permissible exposure times applying the new photometry approach were highly reliable and supported by the literature. The proposed method is particularly useful because it eliminates the need to utilize any light measuring device. Conclusion: The new approach makes the concept of blue light hazard straightforward and understandable for all specialists dealing with optical radiation safety.

Background and aims: The ceramics industry is one of the key industries in the economic development of any country. This industry has a large share of Iranchr('39')s non-oil exports so that in recent years it has consistently placed Iranchr('39')s position in the production and export of this product among other developing countries. However, there are many harmful factors in these industries, which threaten the physical and mental health of workers, the most important of which are environmental hazards, cooling, heating, vibration, noise pollution, and so on. Noise pollution is very important in the ceramics industry, as in other industries. According to research, about 600 million people worldwide and 30 million people in the United States face more than 85 dB noise in their workplace. According to the report, about 2 million workers are reported in Iran, according to a report by the Health Ministrychr('39')s Workplace Health Center. Also, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 14 percent of the total workforce is working in environments with noise levels above 90 dB. Consequently, exposure to noise in the world, including Iran, is a problem in the workplace. In addition, according to studies in the ceramics industry, it can be concluded that exposure to noise is high for the employees of the industry so that the study results Kargar et al. Found that about 45% of the ceramic industrychr('39')s employees are exposed to noise above the permitted level. As a result, personal exposure to noise will be of particular importance to employees in the industry, based on the results of past exposure research. Hair can work with noise in the workplace, except for hearing loss Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal, behavioral, mental and sleep disorders. On the other hand, acoustic disturbance is a new topic that has been considered by researchers recently as one of the negative effects on onechr('39')s health and comfort. The most common subjective response is measurable, and its effects may include physiological responses, central nervous system responses, and biochemical changes. These failures include various areas such as memory, distraction, forgetfulness, inadvertent errors. Also, due to interference with daily activities can cause serious harm to the person. As a result, the present study investigated acoustic annoyance as the most common measurable subjective response among people exposed to noise and cognitive impairment as an indicator of onechr('39')s ability to perform tasks that he or she is naturally capable of performing in a ceramic industry. At the same time, it is intended to examine the relationship between sound pressure level values ​​with acoustic annoyance scores and cognitive failure. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in the ceramics industry in 1998. To determine individual exposure to noise, we first examined the production sections and the annual results of the sound measurements, and then the loudspeakers were identified. In this study, the sample size was calculated using Cohenchr('39')s sampling formula with 80% confidence interval of 95% confidence level of 96 persons. Under 50 years of age, congenital hearing impairment, lack of sleep medications and CNS overdose, depression, and lack of a second job were considered. Thus, at the end of this study, after eliminating some of the study population, 50 workers were exposed and 50 administrative staff were placed in the control group. Also, volunteers were asked about the importance of the research subject. Then, to complete the questionnaires used in the study, a research session was held with the presence of the research population. Then the questionnaires were distributed to the individuals and their observation was completed. given. DOS 1354 TES was used to measure the sound pressure level. At the same time, the subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, noise annoyance and cognitive impairment (CFQ) questionnaire. Measurement was done in two groups of exposure and control. The TES-1356 calibrator was manufactured in Taiwan to obtain the exact results of the equipment used before each measurement. In accordance with ISO 9612 standard, a dosimeter microphone was installed on their collar at a distance of 10-30 cm from the outer ear canal. At the end, exposure dose calculations were performed, as production workers were exposed to the same noise levels during the shift, and a two-hour dosimetry was performed and generalized to the equivalent of the 8-hour balance calculations. There are four components that have the first component of distraction (2 items), memory problems (7 items), inadvertent errors (7 items), lack of recall of names (2 items). The acoustic annoyance questionnaire consists of three parts. These three sections include: The first part is heavily rated for workplace noise, the second and third are respectively for workplace noise disturbance and for determining the situations people experience throughout the day, such as fatigue, lethargy, loss of concentration, and so on checked. The questionnaire is divided into 0 to 10 levels of annoyance, with zero being non-annoying and 10 being excessive annoyance. The data were confirmed. Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze marital status with sound pressure level, acoustic distress and cognitive impairment. In addition, Spearman test was used to correlate the parameters of sound pressure level, acoustic annoyance and cognitive failure. The level of 0.05 was considered as the significant level. Results: The results of this study showed that 50% of the study population was 27-33 years old, 45% had a 3 to 5 year work experience, 64% were married and only 9% had university education. Qualitative in both exposure and control groups showed that there was no significant difference between work experience, marital status and education but there was a significant difference in age variable (p

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Introduction: Today, organizations need an integrated management system (IMS) to achieve global standards regarding the environment and employees. And one of the important goals of an integrated management system is to eliminate or reduce disasters to an acceptable level of organization. Therefore, in this study, we try to measure the efficiency of deployment of this system on safety performance monitoring indicators. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive-analytical study conducted during 2009 and 2010 (years before implementation of integrated management system) and years 2011 to 2014 (years when integrated management system was implemented in all units of one of the tile factories of Yazd city. In this study, all the information related to the events in this industry was collected. Then the variables of accident repetition coefficient (AFR), accident severity factor (ASR), repetition-intensity factor (FSI) and Safe-T-Score were calculated and analyzed. Results: The incidence of recurrence coefficient, accident severity coefficient and recurrence-severity coefficient decreased from 2009 to 2014. The safe T coefficient also shows that in 90 (the beginning of the implementation of integrated management system) and 91 the number of accidents has significantly decreased compared to previous years. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the implementation of integrated management system can increase safety indices and thereby increase the level of factory safety.

Background: Nowadays, safety management plans have an effective role in reducing the incidence of accidents. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the role of safety management systems on accidents and the status of safety performance indicators in a combined cycle power plant in 2011. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical research was carried out in two stages in all Yazd Combined Cycle Power Plant units on accident victims from 2004-2011, based on the documentation of the previous years and using census sampling. The Accident Frequency Rate (AFR), Accident Severity Rate (ASR), and Frequency Severity Rate (FSI) indices were derived from the OSHA standard using the formulas and data obtained from the completed questionnaires and interviews with the people. Results: The total number of accidents was 287 cases through the studied period (8 years). The results showed a significant relationship between age and work experience, as well as between age and marital status. The main causes of accidents were unsafe acts. The lowest level of personal protective equipment was used in 2004 (15.2%), whereas the highest rate was used in 2011 (30%). After the implementation of the Integrated Management Systems (IMSs), accident indicators showed a decreasing trend regarding the washing time. Also, the amount of AFR, ASR and FSI indices of the accidents in terms of work shift indicated a significant decrease in 2004 than after the implementation of the safety management systems. Conclusion: According to the results, due to the positive impact of safety programs (IMS), incident indicators had a downward trend and unsafe acts were decreased.

Introduction: The lack of anthropometric data in the design of work stations and equipment can lead to injuries associated with work musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate anthropometric and postural evaluation of Nurse's aide in Selected Hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed on the Nurse's aide working in the selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. In this study the Body Map questionnaire was used to assess musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and discomfort, and QEC (Quick Exposure Check) software was used to evaluate posture. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21 using descriptive statistics, independent T test and Pearson correlation with 95% confidence level.Results: The mean age and work experience of the two groups of men and women were (38.17±9.48 and 37.44±9.51) and (14.27±9.51 and 12.06±8.34) respectively. The QEC score was unacceptable and the results showed that men are more at risk than women, although this was not significant (P = 0.082). In the majority of anthropometric dimensions, there was a significant difference between men and women (pConclusion: Significant anthropometric differences were observed among men and women. Establishing anthropometric database of Nurse's aide in two groups of women and men and designing a work station suitable for anthropometric dimensions can reduce MSDs.

Introduction: Firefighting is one of the occupations that require high physical and aerobic power due to the nature of the job and the physical demands of this profession. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship among Work ability index (WAI), mental workload, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and their effective factors in firefighters. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study, which was carried out on 250 firefighters in Tehran. Data were collected using WAI, NASA-TLX and Body Discomfort Chart (BDC). Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, linear regression, Pearson correlation and Spearman tests. Results: The mean and standard deviation of the total WAI score was 38.85±1.17. Also, the highest amount of mental workload was devoted to the physical load dimension (93.49±8.93). Meanwhile, the total mental load was also 70.07 ± 6.58. The results showed that the WAI is increased by 0.14 by augmentation of one unit at the academic level of firefighters (P = 0.03). The most common discomfort was reported in the lower (20%) and upper (16.8%) regions of the back. The total WAI relationship with total mental workload was positive and insignificant (P>0.05). There was a significant and reverse association between WAI and discomfort in wrist, leg and ankle. Conclusion: Despite the low rate of MSDs, even mild symptoms of musculoskeletal pain should be considered. Given the high level of mental workload, improving physical, psychosocial and social working conditions is important in increasing the ability of employees and augmenting the ability of their occupational activity.

Purpose: To determine the relationship of illnesses and medical drug consumption with the occurrence of traffic accidents among truck and bus drivers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on truck and bus drivers in Tehran, Iran. The criteria for participating in this study were: married males over 30 years old, driving license in grade one, five years of job experience, mental health and non-addiction license. The criterion for not participating in this study was the lack of cooperation in responding to the questions. Six months was spent to collect the latest five years data of driving accidents from 2011 to 2016. A total of 323 truck and bus drivers in Tehran city and the suburbs, Iran were chosen. Among them, 112 were responsible for accidents (accident group) while 211 were not responsible for any accidents or involved in an accident in the last five years (non-accident group). A specially designed questionnaire was used to investigate the demographic information, medical drug consumption, medical backgrounds and history of accidents. Results: The results revealed that compared with healthy subjects, the occurrence of accidents among people with diabetes (OR = 2.3, p = 0.001) and vision weakness (OR = 1.7, p = 0.020) was significantly higher, while that among people with cardiac (OR = 0.5, p = 0.002) and hypertension (OR = 0.9, p = 0.048) problems was remarkably lower. Moreover, consumption of Gemfibrozil (OR = 1.8, p = 0.010) and Glibenclamide (OR = 2.2, p = 0.002) drugs resulted in significantly higher incidence of accidents than those without. Conclusion: Frequencies of illnesses like cardiovascular and hypertension were not higher in accident drivers than in non-accident drivers; but diabetes, vision weakness and consumption of Gemfibrozil and Glibenclamide lead to more traffic accidents. Keywords: Medical drugs, Illnesses, Driver, Traffic accidents

Introduction: The goal of ergonomics science is to achieve an effective adaptation between the user and the workstation to improve productivity, increase the safety and reduce occupational injuries. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of studying knowledge about ergonomics, determining working conditions and occupational injuries of nurses in selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences by one standard questionnaire. Using descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-square, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA, data were analyzed.Results: The mean and standard deviation of age and work experience were about 32.67 ± 8.63 and 8.84 ± 7.46 years, respectively. Results showed the level of nurses 'knowledge about ergonomics with an average of 0.72 ± 3.14 was good. Also, the extent of occupational problems and injuries, such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), with a mean of 0.95 ± 2.10 was also weak. The results showed that there was a significant reverse relationship between the level of knowledge of ergonomic science and the level of occupational injury (P-value = 0.00, R = -0.299) and between working conditions and occupational injuries (P-value = 0.000, R = -0.357).Conclusions: There was a reverse relationship between the level of knowledge of ergonomic and occupational injuries. Also, there was a significant reverse relationship between working conditions and occupational injuries. Therefore, use of training and ergonomic interventions can be useful.

Background: Increasing the establishment of integrated management systems (IMSs) is done with the purpose of leaving traditional management methods and replacing them with modern management methods. Thus, the present study sought to analyze the events and investigate the impact of IMS on health and safety performance indices in an Iranian combined cycle power plants. Methods: This case study was conducted in 2012 in all units of the Yazd Combined Cycle Power Plant on accident victims before and after the implementation of IMS. For data analysis and prediction of indices after the implementation of IMS, descriptive statistics and Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Chi-square, linear regression, and Cubic tests were conducted using SPSS software. Results: The number of people employed in the power plant in an 8-year period (2004–2011) was 1,189, and 287 cases of work-related accidents were recorded. The highest accident frequency rate and accident severity rate were in 2004 (32.65) and 2008 (209), respectively. Safe T-score reached to below −3 during 2010–2011. In addition, given the regression results, the relation between all predictor variables with outcomes was significant (p

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Background: Process units, due to performance conditions at high pressure and high temperatures, are prone to many health risks that can lead to adverse effects during work. In order to identify health hazards, assess their risks and make appropriate decisions to control the risk and improve the health of individuals in this regard, the assessment of health risks is of particular importance. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess and prioritize health risks in a refinery. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a refinery in 2012. In this study, 14 important chemical substances were identified and analyzed. Excel analysis was used to analyze the data. To assess the health risks due to chemical exposure the methodology proposed by the Department of Health Care in University of Singapore was used. First, important chemicals were identified and then the degree of risk and degree of exposure to chemicals were calculated and finally the level of health risk due to exposure to chemicals was determined. Results: The results showed that from 14 identified cases, exposure to diglycol diamine had a risk level of 4.47 (very high), hydrogen sulfide a risk level of 3.87 (high level), and molybdenum and nickel base catalysts a health risk of 3.87 (high), all of which were in a range of unacceptable risk. Conclusion: In this study exposure to diglycol diamine, hydrogen sulfide, and molybdenum and nickel based catalysts was in the range of unacceptable risk. Using management and engineering controls such as personnel training, shortening the work shift of individuals, pre-recruitment and periodical examinations, designing a ventilation system, and the use of detectors and discovery equipment are recommended to reduce the level of risk.

Background: In order to protect human resources, health and safety management systems such as OHSAS 18001, which is based on prevention, are necessary in projects. Therefore, the present study analyzes the incidents and evaluates the monitoring safety performance indicators based on work experience before and after the implementation of OHSAS 1800. Methods: This descriptive analytical study was performed on all incident victims during 2004 to 2011 at Yazd Combined Cycle Power Plant by census method. Data were extracted from the incident report checklists as well as technical protection committee documents of the plant. The AFR, ASR, FSI, FR, and IR indices were calculated based on OSHA standard before and after the implementation of OHSAS 18001. Descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Chi-square were used for data analysis. Meanwhile, the significance level was considered equal to 0.05.Results: 287 work-related incidents occurred during an 8-year period (2004-2011(. The 44.9% of incidences (n=129) were reported in the age group under 30 years and the lowest incidence rate was observed in the age group over 50. 97% of the incidents were reported in men while 2.8% of the incidents were reported in women. According to the results, there was a significant relationship between age and work experience as well as age and marital status. There was also a significant decrease in the indices in the years after the implementation of OHSAS 18001. Conclusion: The results showed that the implementation of safety systems and deployment of OHSAS 18001 has reduced the incident indices based on work experience. Therefore, health and safety management systems are suitable tools for reducing incident rates and incident indices are also appropriate for monitoring the safety performance.

Background:The last strategy to protect workers' hearing against load noises is use of hearing protection devices. The efficiency of wearing headphone depends on its full time application. After education, we need to evaluate the efficiency of the conducted training course. One of the most important factors affecting a valid assessment is existence of an appropriate questionnaire to evaluate the course properly. Methods: In order to standardize and investiagte the validity of the researcher-made questionnaire, 12 experts were asked to review it. To determine the questionnaire's validity, we used the face validity and content validity. In order to determine the quantitative content validity, we applied the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI). Then, reliability of the questionnaire was investigated by Alpha-Cronbach method. Results: We designed 30 questions as the questionaire's items, containing five demographic questions, 10 response questions, four content questions, four learning questions, four behavior evaluation questions, and seven questions about the outcomes. In experts' content evaluation, questions with CVR of higher than 0.56 were selected; while, the CVI of the remaining questions was 0.91. The overall reliability of the research tool was 0.83 using the internal consistency.Conclusion: This study provided a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing the Kirkpatrick model. This questionnaire can be used as an appropriate tool to evaluate the training courses in accordance with the BASNEF model to increase the duration of using headphones by workers.

Background: Today, organizations need to comply with environmental standards, employees, customers, and others in order to achieve competitive advantage and performance globally. One of these standards is an integrated management system. One of the standards in an integrated management system is safety and health that is currently being considered as one of the most important worldwide issues, and emphasizes the goals of identifying harmful factors, evaluating, controlling, and managing. This study tries to measure the efficiency of an integrated management system by analyzing the annual report of work place damage before and after implementing this system. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was carried out in one of tile factories from 2009 to 2014 in Yazd. The data on the measurement of occupational harmful factors (sound, lighting, thermal stress, total dust) during the years of the study were collected and analyzed by the SPSS software version 19.Results: According to the results of measuring the harmful factors of the work place in this research, the establishment of an integrated management system on the environmental factors (sound, lighting, thermal stress and total dust) in the studied industry environment was positive and reduced issues out of standard and increased standard stations. Conclusion: The integrated management system establishment had positive effects on physical and chemical environmental factors and reduces costs, eliminates performance and ultimately improves the performance and efficiency.

Introduction: Risk assessment an organized approach to detecting risks and estimating risk has been acceptable to reduce risk. Also, due to the increasing trend of implementation of the integrated management system (IMS) in different industries to improve the level of safety, health and environment standards, we determined to measure the impact of this system's deployment on safety performance monitoring indicators using the FMEA methodology for estimating risk and calculating the RPN. Methods: This study is an interventional study. In this study, first all the high-risk activities of the organization were identified, then, the value of RPN was obtained using the product of intensity (A), probability (B) and discovery (C) depending on the acceptable level of the organization and the Pareto chart (80:20), the organization's unacceptable RPNs were identified and corrective action was taken. Results: The mean of RPN decreased significantly between 2010 and 2014. Considering the fact that the number of activities has increased with the expansion of the production line, the calculations show that in the years 91 and 93, the amount of RPN significantly decreased compared to the previous years (P

Background: According to the Labor Code, one of the important duties of employers in the field of safety and health is the provision of personal protective equipment and its training to workers. How to train workers who are willing to use the earmuff all the time is an issue that needs to be addressed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a training intervention with the BASNEF model in increasing the duration of the use of hearing protective equipment by workers. Methods: This is an evaluation study that was carried out in Yazd tile industry in 2015. The research population in this study was 50 workers who were trained according to the BASNEF model. After developing a questionnaire based on the structures of Kirk Patrick's evaluation model, with the acquisition of validity, trained workers completed the questionnaire. Results: The highest mean scores were respectively in the results 87.06 (12), behavior 86.30 (9.59), learning 84.87 (13.55), content 81.36 (10.70) and the response 81.28 (11.33). In general, the score of the evaluation domains is above 80.Conclusion: According to the findings, BASNEF‘s training course is effective in increasing the duration of workers' use of protective hearing equipment.

Introduction: The use of hearing protective devices (HPDs) is the last way for noise control. It is important to know the information about the duration time using these devices to ensure protetion effectiveness. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing duration time of the using of the devices on hearing loss in tile industry workers with application of the BASNEF education model. Material and Method: Task Base Method (TBM) and ISO9612(2009) standard methods through a noise dosimeter device were used to exmine workers’ noise exposure level when they didn’t used of HPDs. Actual performance of HPDs was determined by using the NIOSH standard before and after training intervention and measuring time of use and protection device type. Data were analyzed using SPSSVv19 and conducting t-test and ANCOVA statistical tests. Result: Before training intervention, the actual noise level for case workers was 89.76 dBA. On the contrary, this value was 84.04 dBA for after intervention, with a significant difference with control group (P

Introduction: Patient safety is a basic principle of health care, and the purpose of the patient safety culture is to provide safe conditions for the care of patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the patient safety culture in the clinics and hospitals of Chabahar, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on three groups of physicians, nurses, and paraclinical staff in 2017. Data were collected by using the hospital survey on patient safety culture (HSOPS). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 21 using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Tukey’s post-hoc test. Results:In total, 255.85 subjects were enrolled in the study and equally divided into three groups (33.3%). The minimum and maximum work experience was one and 27 years, respectively. Among the participants, 116 cases (45.49%) were female, and 139 cases (54.50%) were male. Mean total score of the patient safety culture was 149.87±25.20. The lowest and highest scores were observed in the dimensions of ‘non-punitive response to errors’ (3.23±9.11) and ‘teamwork within units’ (3.86±15.41), respectively. The results indicated a significant difference between the three study groups in terms of the patient safety culture (P

Abstract Introduction: With ever improving technology and increasing the use of high voltage power in industrial environments, concerns about the destructive effects of electromagnetic waves on human health have increased. Thus the present study aims to evaluate the effects of electromagnetic waves on the general health of Zahedan gas power plant personnel. Materials & Method: The present case-control study investigated the health of people at one point of time and their amount of exposure to electromagnetic waves at the same time. The data collection tool in this study was 28-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-28). After measuring the electromagnetic waves at distances of 1, 1.5 and 3 meters at high voltage power substations and data extraction, the data were entered to SPSS software and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test and chi-square. Results: In this study, the age and experience variables were not significantly different in two groups (p> 0.05). The highest magnetic fields in high voltage power substations was at a distance of 1 meter in the substation 607 (28/1 mG) and in precision tool work units (7.03 mG). The results showed that the depressive and general health symptoms were significantly different between the exposed and unexposed groups (p = 0.04), however the difference was not significant in terms of physical performance, anxiety and social performance (p> 0.05). Conclusion: although the level of exposure was lower than standard level determined in Iran, the significant difference of the general health and depression between the two groups, explains the necessity of conducting more studies in this regard. Also by reducing the exposure time and increasing people’s awareness it is possible to take important steps to reduce exposure and complications.

Introduction: Patient Safety Culture (PSC) involves a harmonious pattern of individual and organization behaviors based on common beliefs and values. This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of healthcare providers toward PSC in the hospitals and clinics of Zabol city, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015. Sample population consisted of the physicians, nurses, and paraclinical staff (radiologists and laboratory experts) engaged in different healthcare centers of Zabol city, Iran. Data were collected using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.22 at the significance level of 0.05. Results: In total, 231 healthcare practitioners were enrolled in this study. Participants were divided into three groups of physicians, nurses, and paraclinical staff (n=77, 33.33%). Mean of age and clinical experience was 29.94 and 6.23 years, respectively. Among the main aspects of PSC, “general understanding of patient safety” had the highest mean score (13.53), and the lowest mean score was achieved in “non-punitive response to error” (8.89). In the aspect of “manager expectations and actions promoting safety”, a significant difference was observed in the mean scores of the study groups (P=0.030). Moreover, our results showed a significant difference between the mean scores of physicians and nurses in the aspect of “openness and honesty in communication” (P=0.023). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, improvement of PSC is necessary for the efficient management of hospitals and clinics. This is attainable through collaborative and instructive workshops, developing educational programs, and designing incident reporting systems.

Introduction: The goal of ergonomics science is to achieve an effective adaptation between the user and the workstation to improve productivity, increase the safety and reduce occupational injuries. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of studying knowledge about ergonomics, determining working conditions and occupational injuries of nurses in selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences by one standard questionnaire. Using descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-square, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA, data were analyzed. Results: The mean and standard deviation of age and work experience were about 32.67 ± 8.63 and 8.84 ± 7.46 years, respectively. Results showed the level of nurses 'knowledge about ergonomics with an average of 0.72 ± 3.14 was good. Also, the extent of occupational problems and injuries, such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), with a mean of 0.95 ± 2.10 was also weak. The results showed that there was a significant reverse relationship between the level of knowledge of ergonomic science and the level of occupational injury (P-value = 0.00, R = -0.299) and between working conditions and occupational injuries (P-value = 0.000, R = -0.357). Conclusions: Use of educational programs to increase nurses' awareness of the principles and rules of ergonomics in work environments and the use of ergonomic interventions to improve conditions and work environment can play an effective role in reducing nurses' occupational injuries.