Journal of Research in Health Sciences
Volume:8 Issue: 2, Summer-Fall 2008

Welding is one of the most exercised industrial processes which welders are exposed to chemi cal and physical Hazardous agents. This study was conducted to evaluate occupational and environ mental exposures to aerosols generated by welding processes in a factory. A total of 28 samples of aerosols were collected at 4 different locations including indoor, out door, source of welding and the stacks using a high volume pump with a volumetric flow rate of 112 lit/min calibrated with a dry gas meter. The samples were collected on round 110 mm fiber glass fil ters, measured gravimetrically, extracted using nitric acid and analyzed with atomic absorption spectros copy method for heavy metals including Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr3+, Cr+6, Co, and Zn. Gravimetric measuring has shown the mean values of indoor air: 1.33 mg/m3, breathing zone of the welders using coated electrodes and CO2: 7.25 mg/m3 and 6.45 mg/m3 respectively and in ventila tion exhausts: 95.07 mg/m3. The mean values of Fe, Mn, and Ni were 0.8, 0.041, and 0.00 mg/m3 in indoor air, 2.7, 0.18, and 0.15 mg/m3 in breathing zone of welders used coated electrodes, and 1.75, 0.08, and 0.22 mg/m3 in breathing zone of welders used CO2 welding respectively. The concentra tions of Cr3+, Cr+6, Co, and Zn were too low to be detected. The welders were exposed to high concentration of metallic fumes, which raise the risk of pul monary dysfunction and other health disorders. Using suitable respiratory masks and Appling the ef fective local ventilation system may improve the working condition.

Design of school furniture is one of the contributing factors to back pain among pupils. Research has implicated that mismatch between school furniture and body size may be regarded as a causative factor for muculoskeletal disorders amongst pupils. To investigate the fitness between school furniture and pupils this study was designed and implemented in Hamadan City, west of Iran. This descriptive study was done on 1580 pupils from 11 to 18 years old including both gen ders, using cluster sampling. Anthropometrical dimensions including height and weight were measured and demographic data collected. According to ISO 5970 procedure, all studied pupils, divided into four groups. In the first group, including both genders in first grade of secondary school, size 3 was purposed for redesign of school furniture. In the second group, including boys in second and third grade of secondary school, size 4 was purposed for redesign of school furniture. Accordingly, in the third group including girls from second grade of secondary school to end of high school, size 4 was purposed for redesign of school furniture. In forth group including high school boys, size 5 was purposed for redesign of school furniture. Current design of school furniture is not compatible with the pur posed dimensions. In most cases, the same size furniture was in use from secondary schools to high schools.

The aim of this study was to identify the hazards, evaluate their risk factors and deter mine the measure for promotion of the process and reduction of ac cidents in the chemical unit of the power station. In this case and qualitative study, HAZOP technique was used to recognize the hazards and problems of operations on the chemical section at power station. To tally, 126 deviations were docu mented with various causes and consequences. Ranking and evaluation of identified risks indicate that the majority of de viations were cate gorized as "acceptable" and less than half of that were "unaccept able". The highest calculated risk level (1B) related to both the interruption of acid entry to the discharge pumps and an increased density of the acid. About 27% of the deviations had the lowest risk level (4B). The identification of hazards by HAZOP indicates that it could, sys temically, assess and criticize the process of consumption or production of acid and alkali in the chemical unit of power plant.

Noise pollution is one of the important issues of pollutant in workplaces and is almost one of the harmful agents for workers. At present, instrumental based inspections for determining the index levels of noise in workshops is performed. This method is requiring a time consuming and ex pensive in large scale inspection for workplaces. Classification of workplaces based on noise pollution is one of the necessaries for macro programming view of monitoring and controlling of noise. The Propose of this study was to submit a simply scientifically screening method for inspection of noise pollution in workplaces. In this experimental study, the results of instrument based and checklist based of noise in vestigation was compared. For designing of proposed screening checklist and instrumental measuring based, 30 workplaces with more than 20 workers in Hamadan industrial area (west of Iran) were stud ied. The suggested screening checklist containing a 3×10 matrix can use for recognition step of noise as sessment in a large scale investigations. Comparison of the results of the noise screening test with the outcome of a noise measure ment by sound level meter, gave a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 85%. The screening test will be useable, if we only want to estimate the global noise pollution in workplaces.

The objectives of this paper are three folds. First, an integrated framework for designing and development of the integrated health, safety and environment (HSE) model is presented. Second, it is implemented and tested for a large gas refinery in Iran. Third, it is shown whether the total ergo nomics model is superior to the conventional ergonomics approach. This study is among the first to examine total ergonomics components in a manufacturing system. This study was conducted in Sarkhoon & Qeshm Gas refinery- Iran in 2006. To achieve the above objectives, an integrated approach based on total ergonomics factors was developed. Second, it is applied to the refinery and the advantages of total ergonomics approach are discussed. Third, the im pacts of total ergonomics factors on local factors are examined through non-parametric statistical analysis. It was shown that total ergonomics model is much more beneficial than conventional ap proach. It should be noted that the traditional ergonomics methodology is not capable of locating the findings of total ergonomics model. The distinguished aspect of this study is the employment of a total system approach based on integration of the conventional ergonomics factors with HSE factors.

Quality Management is one of the most effective strategies for improving the health sys tems performance in developed and developing countries. The main goal of this study was identifying the most important aspects of quality management and preparing an appropriate model for health system. This research was a comparative study on quality management models in the health systems of different countries. We have selected, as a sample, different countries in Asia, Africa, North America, Europe, and South America having a background in using various samples of total quality models in their health units. The studies also included the experiences of World Health Organization in different countries. The main goals for promoting quality in the countries are being studied includes service effi ciency increase, promoting services delivery, promoting quality of working life, and changing organiza tional culture. Total approaches used for the countries studied include quality Assurance, Cultural change, ISO 9001, TQM and improving services quality. There are not generally out comes criteria in 22 cases of the studies done in the developing countries. The most important problems revealed in estab lishing the quality management, organizational resistance against the change, lack of senior management commitments, lack of strategic planning and lack of required resources. The models for quality management should pay attention to the cultural change strategies, staff participation, strategic vision and Strategic planning. Strategic total quality man agement is the ap propriate model in this regard.

To compare the efficacy of two routes of prostaglandin E2 administration (Intravenous and Intramuscular) for treatment of missed abortion this study was conducted. Regarding the pilot cases of missed abortion admitted for termination of pregnancy intravenous administration of PGE2 that had higher efficacy compare to intramuscular route, investigators designed this study. In a randomized clinical trail, 50 women with confirmed missed abortion received 250-500? g prostaglandins E2 either intravenously or intramuscularly. Evacuation time set from drug injection to complete empting of uterus. Complete uterine evacuation was defined as empting of uterus from preg nancy materials without the need for surgical intervention and partial evacuation defined as incomplete empting of uterus that need further surgical management. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 13. All the data extracted with a checklist and compare by descriptive statistics and X2 and t-tests. There was no statistically difference between the results of two administration routes. The mean of evacuation time in intravenous administration routes was significantly lower in compare to in tramuscular administration routes (P< 0.5). There was no statistically significant difference in the demographic data in two groups. There was no preference between two administration routes except for evacuation time that occurred more rapidly in intravenous administration of PG E2.

The main objective of this research was to study photocatalytic oxidation of phenol in aquatic solutions by using of UV, TiO2 and the combination of them. Phenol compounds are widely used in industries and other daily life. Highly toxicity and carcinogenicity of these compounds can causal considerable adverse effects on the aquatic ecosystems and human health. The study was an experimental research and carried out by phenol 100 mg L-1 solution and contact time, pH and amount of TiO2 were considered in photocatalytic system as the basic variables affecting removal efficiencies. Phenol concentration in inlet and outlet samples was detected by spec trophotometery at 500nm. Combination of UV and TiO2 can cause higher efficiencies of phenol removal. The removal efficiencies of UV, TiO2 and UV/TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation system with various operation condi tions had a range of 1.8%-19.64%, 2.38%-17.8% and 34.65%-82.91%, respectively. It was found that increasing of TiO2 concentration and contact time and pH, increasing the amount of phenol that oxi dized in combined system and maximum removal coefficients obtained in pH=11, 9 h contact time and 0.2 gr of TiO2. Combinated UV/TiO2 process may be applied as an effective process for the removal of phenol from aquatic solutions such as industrial wastewaters and polluted water resources.

The aims of this study were evaluation of exposed to xylenes in low concentration and com pare urinary level of methyl hippuric acid in taxi drivers and petrol stations workers in West of Iran. This observation study was carried out on samples of the exposed men to xylenes in two oc cupational groups in Hamadan City (west of Iran) from March 2003 to March 2004. Subjects included 45 taxi drivers and 25 petrol station workers. The study group was selected from 54 workers at petrol sta tions and 300 drivers by simple random sampling. Xylenes was analyzed using gas chromatography equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (FID). The urinary methyl hippuric acid (MHA) was ana lyzed with High performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) equipped with an ultraviolet (UV) de tector. Total xylene exposure was 1.05±0.55 ppm (mean±SD) with a range of 0.20-2.55 ppm that was about 4 times more than taxi drivers'' exposure. The poor correlation coefficient was seen between xy lenes concentration and urinary MHA for drivers (r2= 0.09 to 0.42) but significant associations were noted between urinary MHA and xylene in the breathing zone of petrol station workers (r2= 0.69 to 0.77; P< 0.05). High xylenes levels are emitted in petrol stations at Iran. Urinary MHA level has a poor correla tion with exposure to xylenes in drivers but has good correlation in petrol station workers.