1,354 research outputs found

    Identification of Musculoskeletal Disorder among Eco-Brick Workers in Indonesia

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    Introduction: Plastic waste is considered one of the common vital waste problems in developing countries such as Indonesia. One proposed alternative way to reduce plastic waste is by reusing and recycling it into bricks. Eco-bricks are a form of recycled plastic waste that can be used as an alternative building construction material. Unfortunately, manufacturing workers do not ergonomically perform this work during their working hours. Therefore, it causes inappropriate body postures and leads to musculoskeletal disorders easily. This study intends to identify the posture of workers in the manufacture of eco-bricks in Indonesia Methods: A cross-sectional study was done with purposively selected 32 eco-bricks workers from 10 waste bank communities in Central Java and Yogyakarta. Sampling was done by snowball method. This research was conducted by interviewing and collecting data on body complaints using a Nordic Body Map (NBM) questionnaire. Results: All respondents (100%) experienced musculoskeletal disorder complaints while producing eco-bricks. Based on the results gained from the Nordic Body Map Questionnaire, the common complaints perceived by eco-bricks workers are upper neck, lower neck, back, waist, buttock, and bottom. In addition, workers also perceived complaints on the right side of the body, particularly the right shoulder, right upper arm, right elbow, right lower arm, right wrist, and right hand Conclusion: Working postures that are not well-organized in terms of ergonomics during the production process of eco-bricks will provoke complaints on the limbs caused by the continuous load on the muscles on the right side of the body

    Study of the Environmental Implications of Using Metal Powder in Additive Manufacturing and Its Handling

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    Additive Manufacturing, AM, is considered to be environmentally friendly when compared to conventional manufacturing processes. Most researchers focus on resource consumption when performing the corresponding Life Cycle Analysis, LCA, of AM. To that end, the sustainability of AM is compared to processes like milling. Nevertheless, factors such as resource use, pollution, and the effects of AM on human health and society should be also taken into account before determining its environmental impact. In addition, in powder-based AM, handling the powder becomes an issue to be addressed, considering both the operator´s health and the subsequent management of the powder used. In view of these requirements, the fundamentals of the different powder-based AM processes were studied and special attention paid to the health risks derived from the high concentrations of certain chemical compounds existing in the typically employed materials. A review of previous work related to the environmental impact of AM is presented, highlighting the gaps found and the areas where deeper research is required. Finally, the implications of the reuse of metallic powder and the procedures to be followed for the disposal of waste are studied.This research was funded by the European Union through the H2020-FoF13-2016 PARADDISE project under Grant 723440 and the Basque Government through the ADDISEND project under Grant Elkartek-KK00011

    Sustainable Circular Economy for the Integration of Disadvantaged People: A Preliminary Study on the Reuse of Lithium-Ion Batteries

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    The circular economy is attracting the attention of governments and companies who recognize the importance of promoting a sustainable approach toward social and industrial development. The European Union requires EU State members to support a sustainable approach to improving the production and consumption of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This paper supports the conceptualization of a sustainable circular economy model, proposing the reuse of lithium-ion batteries from WEEE. The aim is to define a circular economy-based production model for the reuse of waste lithium-ion batteries and support the inclusion of disadvantaged people in the recovery process, breaking the barriers of social discrimination. The activities introduced in this paper are part of a circular economy project for the social integration of disadvantaged people. In this paper, the preliminary results of the project are introduced, proposing a methodology for the disassembly of waste lithium-ion batteries. The disassembly line balancing proposed in this paper focuses on the need to include workers with physical, psychological, sensory, or intellectual limitations, as well as people experiencing communication difficulties. Future steps of the project will focus on the design of the assembly line to produce battery packs for pedal-assisted bicycles from the recovered lithium-ion cells

    Adaptation of the SBTool for Sustainability Assessment of High School Buildings in Portugal - SAHSBPT

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    The European Union objectives in the Horizon 2020 program aim to reduce environmental impact through strategies such as the improvement of energy efficiency and the use of renewable technologies. With regard to the goal of sustainable development, which integrates environmental, social, and economic dimensions relating to the preservation of the planet and the integrity of consumers, several types of sustainability certification tools are currently used in the construction industry e.g., Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and the Sustainable Building Tool (SBTool). There are international sustainability methodologies designed specifically for high schools and methodologies specific to the Portuguese reality, such as Natura Domus, LiderA (Liderar pelo Ambiente para a construção sustentável - Leading the Environment for Sustainable Construction) and SBtoolPT (Sustainable Building Tool, Portugal). Currently, with the concern in Portugal to requalify schools, it has become necessary to develop a specific methodology for school buildings according to the Portuguese reality. This work highlights the SBTool methodology that is employed in several countries and can be adapted to basic education institutions as the basis for the formulation of responsible citizens and the development of a country. The main aim of this study is to adapt an already existing assessment tool of sustainability (SBToolPT), maintaining some indicators while modifying and adding others, in order to develop a methodology specifically for conducting a Sustainability Assessment of High School Buildings in Portugal?SAHSBPT. In order to achieve this goal, other methodologies that already incorporate parameters relating to the school environment are analyzed, such as LEED BD + C Schools (LEED Building Design and Construction School), BREEAM Education 2008, and the SBTool for K?12 schools

    The Development of a Health, Safety and Environment Management System for an Integrated Gender Separated Campus in the Middle East Region – A Case Study

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    In recent years, concerns regarding health, safety, and environmental issues increased. This led to the development of integrated Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Management Systems in many organizations, including universities. The study of the current HSE management system of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has been conducted as a typical National university in the Middle East Region with the added unique feature of a large integrated campus with gender separation. Emphasis has been given to the E-shared laboratories of the UAEU as the interface between the two sides (male/female) of the campus. The E-shared laboratories incorporate most of the teaching laboratories of the Colleges Food and Agriculture, Engineering and Science, and it is here that most of the chemicals and biological samples of the university can be found. At the same time, the E-shared laboratories present a physical bottleneck in the movement between campuses, also in emergency situations. Spatial Analysis has been conducted to model crowd behavior in the E4-shared laboratories building in emergency situations. In addition, about environmental concerns within the health and safety infrastructure, the waste treatment with silica gel and recycling of silica gel in educational and small research laboratories has been studied

    Sustainable design guidelines for new and existing schools in Egypt

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    As a global society, we are faced with an ever-growing number of sustainability challenges in the social, environmental and economic sectors. Visions for addressing such challenges have been put forward in international blueprints and policy agreements on advancing sustainable development. In these documents and agreements, education has been identified as a crucial avenue for pushing forward sustainable behaviors. Education is the fundamental element for the development of any nation, and its shortage has a direct effect on the social, environmental and economic development of the country (El Baradei & Baradei, 2004). Turning schools into sustainable schools has been a research and policy focus for years, especially throughout the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Building codes and practices play an important role in turning schools into places of sustainable learning and behavior. Previous research has addressed the concept of sustainable schools extensively, in the lights of the sustainable school design criteria and the positive impacts of having sustainable physical spaces for education. However, none cater for the Egyptian context, and are simultaneously based on building assessment standards, as well as the integration of appropriate social, environmental, and economic sustainability themes. The research project explores the requirements of Egyptian schools in the implementation of sustainable school designs and architectural changes. The thesis takes a qualitative research method with an inductive approach, in which theory development is based on and evolves with the study\u27s findings. The thesis will make suggestions for the content of a new guideline, based on the available literature as well as on the analysis of detailed data collected based on the observation of school grounds and daily school routines and procedures during a series of school visits. The directing parameters of the guideline are based on sustainable building assessment guidelines, Egypt\u27s pressing social, economic and environmental concerns, pedagogy of educational environments, students\u27 social, psychological, and developmental needs, in order to develop a holistic framework. The guideline is divided into two main sections; new and existing schools. The guideline is further divided into three main sustainability categories: energy, water, and habitat; which is following the same category division adopted by EGGBC in the Tarsheed guidelines. The procedures of the research use a case study approach that focuses on one public school in Cairo, Gamal Abd El-Nasser which is located in Boulaq El Dakrour (BD), one of the poorest informal areas located in the western urban area of Greater Cairo within the boundaries of Giza Governorate. Criteria for selecting the school as a case study included choosing a preparatory school where the overall school infrastructure and conditions were of medium quality standards, making the school a potential candidate for upgrading its school infrastructure and processes to become a sustainable school in the future. The developed guideline is implemented in the case study school to demonstrate the flexibility, affordability and simplicity of attaining the required credits within the guidelines. The school scores a total of 9 out of 26 points in the Energy category, 7 out of 18 points in the Water category, 3 out of 12 points in the Indoor Environmental Quality sub-category, 6 out of 6 points in the Materials sub-category, and 36 out of 41 points in Sustainable Sites sub-category. This provides a sum of 56 out of 100 points, which awards the school a silver rating

    Innovation Level of Sustainable Practices Adopted in Industrial Enterprises

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    This research aimed to identify the level of innovation of sustainable practices by industrial companies. This is a descriptive study that made use of a questionnaire answered by 50 industrial companies. The results show that environmental practices at full level by 68% of businesses are monitoring the risks and opportunities for the organization's activities due to climate change; 56% of companies surveyed are waste separation; followed by the realization of related health and safety training at work in 52% of cases surveyed; and 48% monitoring and recording of injuries, the injury rate, the rate of occupational diseases, lost days, absenteeism and number of work-related fatalities for all workers. Among the practices adopted not stand out incineration (burning mass) (80% of companies surveyed); hiring indigenous and tribal employees (68%); composting (64%) and use of surface water in the process. Therefore, the study contributed to the disclosure cleaner called production innovations and also pipe end technologies. Some social practices that signal a commitment of the organizations with human resources and the humanization and also economical focused on continuous improvement

    Hazards and Risks at Rotary Screen Printing (Part 6/6): Control of Chemical Hazards via Cleaner Production Approaches

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    This-current-study examined occupational-chemical-hazards, at a-finishing-department (printing-section), of a-textile-mill, via questionnaire/checklist-surveys; document-analysis; site-visits, and walk-thorough- investigations. The-study revealed that: absolute-majority, of the-respondents, reported, that they do routinely-handle and use hazardous-chemicals; 90.9 % alleged that they had been exposed-to the-organic-dusts; 72.7% reported that some-workers did not use personal-protective-equipment, even if provided; 63.6 % indicated that there were some-workstations, without local-exhaust-ventilation; 45.5 % of the-workers recorded, that hazardous-chemicals can-be-substituted for less-hazardous-ones, while the-rest said:” I do not know”; and 36.3 % stated, that they were using hazardous-chemicals, while not been-trained in their-proper-use and handling. It-was-also-observed, severally, that: the-departmental-floor had spilled-off-chemicals, from the-machines; in-roller-cleansing, workers used to-dip a-cleaning-rag, into an-unlabeled-container of cleansing-solvent, which was left-open, all-the-time;  and that shop/towel rags, used to-clean-up of machine-parts and spills, of chemical-substances, during printing-operations, were-routinely soaked, washed, and then, re-used. Overall, the-study revealed, that workers could-be exposed to numerous-hazardous-chemicals, particularly, highly-volatile-solvents. In-addition, lack of Democratic-control, and lack of training and awareness of safer-alternatives, to-hazardous-chemicals, as-well-as unsafe-working-practices, were identified.  To-eliminate, or to-reduce workers’ exposure to-chemicals, and to-protect the-environment, this-study provided numerous-general-recommendations (under Engineering and Administrative-control-methods), applicable to any-textile-printing-industry, as-well-as proposals, specifically-tailored to the-subject-department. The-recommendations were, largely, based on the-following-approaches of Cleaner-Production, such-as: input-substitution; better-process control; equipment-modification; on-site recovery/reuse; and good-housekeeping-practices. In-addition, areas for further-research was identified. Moreover, informative-synopsis on: Complex, and simple-definition for a-hazardous-chemical; The-United-Nations Globally-Harmonized-System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS); Volatile-Organic-Pollutants; Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs); Rotary-printing machine, its-operation, chemicals, involved, and their-hazards and emissions, were offered. The-study is believed, to-be important, not only for the-target-department and the-management, of the-mill, but also for the-textile-printing-industry-professionals. Keywords: VOC, MSD, MSI, MSDS, ventilation, air pollution, water pollution, flammability, PPE

    Value of Certification: The Occupational Safety and Health Professional

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    This presentation provides information about the importance and value of attaining certification to determine health and safety issues in the environment. It also explains the advantages of attaining certification from different organizations, salary-wise. Attaining a certificate gives individuals the standardized knowledge needed to determine if situations/substances are harmful to human well being or the environment

    Socially responsible business

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    Praca recenzowana / Peer-reviewed paperThe work is divided into three parts combined by the idea which points to the fact that irrespective of the kind of business activity and at every level of management social issues appear and should not be disregarded. The first part presents the idea, areas and conditions of using the concept of corporate social responsibility. There is a reference to other concepts such as sustainable development and total quality management. In the second part the authors indicate how corporate social responsibility is applied to selected sectors and specific activities undertaken in enterprises. There is a description of the assumptions, methods of action and outcomes concerning the use of CSR in the sphere of waste management and recycling. Another area presented in this section is the aspects related to the provision of a working environment which does not pose a threat to the employees’ occupational health and safety. The text also refers to the issues of trainings and development. The third part refers to the applications of the idea of CSR at the sectorial, national and international levels. It describes social aspects connected with mining, purchasing, transporting and producing energy using resources. International tensions in the political sphere have a serious impact on this market, and dialogue at different levels should be a significant element of CSR. Two other elaborations in this part are devoted to the analysis of working conditions, culture and organisational behaviour in the countries created after the disintegration of Yugoslavia. In the final part there is a discussion about how the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership currently under negotiation between the EU and the USA corresponds with the concept of CSR. The collection of papers is a result of a cooperation between the authors from Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University – Poland and researchers from University of Niš – Faculty of Economics (Project No. 179066 – „Improving the competitiveness of the public and private sector by networking competences in the process of European integration of Serbia”, which is funded of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology development of Republic of Serbia)
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