Survey of the relationship between Quality of Work Life with Musculoskeletal Disorders and Hearing Loss

Background and Aims: Measuring and determining the components of quality of work life is one of the most important concerns of human resource management. This study examines the relationship between quality of work life with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and hearing loss as indicators of HSE in an automobile manufacturing company.Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-analytical study consists of 392 employees of company who were randomly selected from different departments using Morgan table. Required data was collected using an improved NIOSH quality of work life questionnaire, body map and audiogram.  SPSS software (version 23) was employed for descriptive and regression analyses. All stages of this research were conducted ethically.Results: The findings showed that the mean score for quality of work life was 171.13, ranging from 101 to 212. The greatest sensation of pain, based on the results, was at the end of the lumbar region with a frequency of 40.31 percent and the least was reported in palm left hand with a frequency of 6.38 percent. Furthermore, 6.3% of respondents showed hearing disability. Statistical analyses showed that there is significant relationship between the quality of work life and musculoskeletal diseases (p = 0.000) as well as the quality of work life and the rates of hearing loss (p = 0.000).Conclusion: Also, statistically significant relationship were noticed between the quality of working life and the level of health and safety, mental health, physical health, and employment in a noisy environment . If correct management issues of quality of work life were implemented, improved health indicators and subsequently improved quality of work life could be seen in an organization.Keywords: Quality of Work Life, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Hearing Los

Evaluation of Health, Safety and Environment status using SWOT matrix to provide continuous improvement strategies: A case study in municipality of Qazvin

AbstractBackground and aims: According to the identification of more than one hundred types of jobs in the municipalities, evaluation of adverse factors that each job face with them isn’t possible without systematic model of identifying hazards. In this study, weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats (SWOT) to the health, safety and environment (HSE) management was introduced. Based on the results obtained, the HSE situation in Qazvin municipality (12 units) was evaluated.Materials and methods: Two tables concerning internal and external factors are used in the SWOT analysis. The sum of scores in both tables is in the range of 1 to 4, and the status is appraised as positive when the score is higher than 2.5. All necessary arrangements made well in advance. Ethical issues were also all considered in all stages of research.Results: The scores obtained in the evaluation of internal and external factors were often less than 2.5. The mean scores of internal and external factors evaluation were 2.37 and 2.42, respectively. The highest score in internal factors was 2.95 belonging to Qazvin municipality's parks and green spaces. Also, the highest score of external factors was 3.1 belonging to the organization of transport and traffic administration of Qazvin municipality.Conclusion: The HSE situation in half of Qazvin municipality's units was considered undesirable based on SWOT matrix (district 4); and therefore, they should adopt defensive strategies to improve their HSE status. Other organizations were in the shift (2 units) or diversification (4 units) strategies. The results ofpresent study revealed that SWOT analysis can be used as an effective management tool to determine thestatus and management of HSE as well as continuous improvement strategies.Keywords: HSE, Strategic management, External factors, Internal factors, SWOT matrix, Qazvin municipalityFor downloading the full text please click her

ارزیابی و مدیریت مخاطرات شغلی در پروژه تونل انتقال آب در غرب کشور به روش فرایند مدیریت مخاطرات و پیامدها

Background and Aims: Digging and tunneling projects are among the most risky projects due to differences in project implementation conditions and insufficient knowledge of the geological situation of the region. Evaluation and management of occupational hazards in these projects are necessary in order to protect the health of the workforce and to preserve the financial resources of the organization. Materials and Methods: In this study, the Hazards and Effects Management Process was used to identify, evaluate and control occupational hazards in the water transmission tunnel project in west of Iran in 2018. After identifying the risks of each place and occupation, the ranking of risk levels was performed and corrective measures were taken based on the Hazards and Effects Management Process and then secondary risk assessment was carried out. Ethical considerations were taken into account at all stages. Results: The tunnel sector with 46% and the office sector with 5% had the highest and lowest occupational hazards, respectively. The general lighting of all stations was less than the standard value with the initial average lighting of 24.5 lux, which was upgraded to 58 lux. Respirable particles in two stations in the first stage were 18.5 and 11.02 mg/m3, which improved to 4.37 and 0.63 mg/m3, respectively. The highest improvements with 39%, 27% and 25% were related to the control indicators of lighting, noise, and chemical factors, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that the most dangerous place in the whole project was the tunnel unit and the most important occupational risk factor was H2S, followed by the noise of the work environment. The results of control indicators showed that the proposed method for managing occupational health risks in the project had an acceptable efficiency and led to proper identification of risks, classification and prioritization of risks and control measures and thus optimal spending of the control budget.زمینه و هدف: پروژه‌های حفاری و بهره‌برداری تونل به دلیل تفاوت در شرایط اجرای پروژه و شناخت ناکافی از وضعیت زمین‌شناسی منطقه، ازجمله پرمخاطره‌رین پروژه‌ها به شمار می‌روند و ارزیابی و مدیریت مخاطرات شغلی در این پروژه‌ها در راستای صیانت از سلامت نیروی کار و حفظ منابع مالی سازمان، ضروریست. مواد و روش‌ها: در اين مطالعه از فرایند مدیریت مخاطرات و پیامدها به منظور شناسايي، ارزيابي و کنترل مخاطرات شغلی در پروژه تونل انتقال آب در غرب کشور در سال 1398 استفاده شد. بعد از شناسایی مخاطرات هر مکان و شغل، رتبه‌بندی سطوح ریسک انجام و اقدام اصلاحی بر اساس روش فرایند مدیریت مخاطرات و پیامدها اجرایی و سپس ارزیابی ریسک ثانویه انجام‌شد. در تمامی مراحل ملاحظات اخلاقی مدنظر قرار گرفت. یافته‌ها: بخش تونل با 46% بیشترین و بخش ادارای با 5% کمترین مخاطرات شغلی را دارا هستند. روشنایی عمومی تمامی ایستگاه‌ها کمتر از مقدار استاندارد با متوسط روشنایی اولیه 24/5 لوکس بود که به 58 لوکس ارتقا داده شد. ذرات قابل ‌تنفس در دو ایستگاه در مرحله اول 5/18 و 11/02 میلی‌گرم بر مترمکعب بود که به ترتیب به 4/37 و 0/63 میلی‌گرم بر مترمکعب بهبود یافت. بیشترین بهبودی با 39% ، 27% و 25% به ترتیب مربوط به شاخص‌های کنترل روشنایی، سروصدا و عوامل شیمیایی بود. نتیجه‌گیری: نتايج پژوهش نشان داد که پرمخاطره‌ترین مکان در کل پروژه، واحد تونل و پراهمیت‌ترین عامل مخاطره‌آمیز شغلی، گاز H2S و در جایگاه بعدی، صدای محیط کار بود. نتایج شاخص‌های کنترلی نشان داد که استفاده از روش ارائه‌ شده به ‌منظور مدیریت مخاطرات بهداشت شغلی در پروژه مورد نظر، کارایی قابل قبولی داشته و منجر به شناسايي مناسب ريسك‌ها، دسته‌بندی و اولویت‌بندی مخاطرات و اقدامات کنترلی و صرف بهینه بودجه کنترلی گشته است

Photochemical of Polychlorinated biphenyl by the photolysis and solvent

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are one group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are of international concern because of global distribution, persistence, and toxicity. Removal of these compounds from the environment remains a very difficult challenge because the compounds are highly hydrophobic and have very low solubility in water. The photochemical reactor was of annular geometry with a cylindrical low-pressure mercury lamp. The whole Lamp was immersed in a reactor thermostat controlling the temperature at 32 ± 2 °C. The Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were analyzed by GC/ECD. The degradation of PCBs in terms of one, two and three lamp was 91.9%, 92.7% and 93% respectively. The degradation of PCBs in terms of use of 10% and 20% of total volume of solution of H2O2 were 88.8% and 93% respectively. The degradation of PCBs in terms of ratio to ethanol with oil transformer in 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 was 83.4%, 92.5% and 93% respectively. The experiments show that UVC-photolysis of H2O2 leads to a degradation efficiency of PCBs in the presence of ethanol. @ JASEMJ. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. December, 2010, Vol. 14 (4) 107 - 11

Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs in HSE management system using the EFQM Excellence Model Guide (case study: Center of Research and Training for Occupational Technical safety and Health)

Introduction: Today, with development of technology and the important role of human resources in the workplace serious attention is paid to the important role of HSE management that has a significant impact in immunization of workplace.In the past decade, the organizations' and researchers' attention have been increased in studying and applying the EFQM model. This model provides a comprehensive and non-prescription framework for self-assessment Therefore in this regard, the Technical Research Center for safety and health protectionas the custodians of the work safety training in the country has spread the HSE management training; so through this way it is attempted to evaluate the efficiency of mentioned tenures in applying the HSE management system in country's industry using the EFQM organizational excellence model. Method: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study and the target population studied, include students participating in HSE management training courses the target population in this study, includes 280 subjects and Using Cochran formula with a confidence level of 95%, the number of samples generated became 113 people. The Collection tool based on the EFQM model indices; lead to designing a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by 10 professors and also to determine its reliability. The provided questionnaires were given to samples based on Likert scale before holding period and also after the mentioned period Result: After the project it was found that, the population included 65.5% men and 34.5% women with the education of 6.2% Diploma, 77% B.A. and 15.9% M.A and 0.9% P.H.D. and then the gathered information were entered into SPSS software (v.21) and were investigated using the Descriptive and analytical chi-square tests and Spearman correlation coefficient at the significant level of 0.05. Dicusion: The results showed that the HSE MS courses held by the mentioned center have a significant impact in applying the HSE management system in country's industry

بررسي ارتباط كيفيت زندگي كاري با بیماری‌های اسكلتي عضلاني و افت شنوايي

Background and Aims: Measuring and determining the components of quality of work life is one of the most important concerns of human resource management. This study examines the relationship between quality of work life with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and hearing loss as indicators of HSE in an automobile manufacturing company. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-analytical study consists of 392 employees of company who were randomly selected from different departments using Morgan table. Required data was collected using an improved NIOSH quality of work life questionnaire, body map and audiogram.  SPSS software (version 23) was employed for descriptive and regression analyses. All stages of this research were conducted ethically. Results: The findings showed that the mean score for quality of work life was 171.13, ranging from 101 to 212. The greatest sensation of pain, based on the results, was at the end of the lumbar region with a frequency of 40.31 percent and the least was reported in palm left hand with a frequency of 6.38 percent. Furthermore, 6.3% of respondents showed hearing disability. Statistical analyses showed that there is significant relationship between the quality of work life and musculoskeletal diseases (p = 0.000) as well as the quality of work life and the rates of hearing loss (p = 0.000). Conclusion: Also, statistically significant relationship were noticed between the quality of working life and the level of health and safety, mental health, physical health, and employment in a noisy environment . If correct management issues of quality of work life were implemented, improved health indicators and subsequently improved quality of work life could be seen in an organization.زمينه و اهداف: سنجش و تعیین مؤلفه‌های کیفیت زندگی کاری از نگرانی‌های مهم مدیریت منابع انسانی است. هدف از این مطالعه بررسي رابطه بين كيفيت زندگي كاري با بیماری‌های اسكلتي عضلاني(MSDs) و افت شنوايي به‌عنوان يکي از شاخص‌هاي سلامت HSE در يك شرکت خودروسازی است. مواد و روش‌ها: مطالعه از نوع توصیفی – تحلیلی است. جامعه آماري ۳۹۲ نفر از کارکنان شرکت خودروسازی است که از میان کارکنان بخش‌های مختلف به‌طور تصادفی انتخاب شدند. با استفاده از پرسشنامه كيفيت زندگي كاري NIOSH، چارت بدن و نمودار شنوايي، داده‌هاي جمع‌آوری گردید. از نرم‌افزارSPSS23  به‌منظور ثبت داده‌ها و تحلیل آن استفاده شد. تمامی مراحل مطالعه حاضر طبق موازین اخلاقی اجرا گردید. يافته‌ها: ميانگين کيفيت زندگي کاري 171/13، حداقل و حداکثر آن به ترتیب 101 و 212 به دست آمد. بر اساس يافته‌ها، بيشترين احساس درد در انتهاي کمر با فراواني 40/31% و کمترين ميزان مربوط به كف دست چپ با فراواني 6/38% است. بررسي وضعيت معلوليت شنوايي نشان مي‌دهد كه 6/3% از افراد دچار معلوليت شنوايي مي‌باشند. بر اساس آزمون‌هاي آماري، بين کيفيت زندگي کاري و ميزان بيماري‌هاي اسكلتي عضلاني (p=0.000) و همچنين ميزان افت شنوايي (p=0.000)، رابطه معناداري وجود دارد. نتيجه‌ گيري: بين کيفيت زندگي کاري و سطح ايمني و بهداشت، سلامت روان، سطح سلامت جسمي و اشتغال در محيط پرسروصدا نيز ارتباط معني‌داري وجود دارد. در صورت مديريت صحيح مؤلفه‌های کیفیت زندگی کاری، امکان بهبود شاخص‌های سلامت در سازمان و به پیرو آن بهبود کیفیت زندگی کاری وجود دارد

Effects of Ergonomic Interventions on Health Indicators in a Rubber Industry

Background: This study aimed to determine the impact of engineering, organizational, and individual ergonomic interventions on the percentage of workers complaining Musculoskeletal disorders, inappropriate work environment, exposure to manual handling, and the rate of sick-leave in workers of rubber industry. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical and retrospective study conducted in the production department of a rubber manufacturing industry. Ergonomic interventions, which have been fully implemented and have been stable in the industry, were included in the study. Health indicators were determined by reviewing completed Nordic questionnaires, insurance documents, and the documents about different methods of ergonomic risk assessment before and after each intervention. Before and after comparing the indicators, paired t and Wilcoxon tests were done. Results: Ergonomic interventions included 114 engineering, 20 organizational, and 7 individual interventions. Engineering interventions had a significant effect on all the indicators such as reducing total MSDs) 66%). Organizational interventions led to the improvement of the index of MSDs (60%), inappropriate posture (55%) and pain intensity (30%). Individual interventions had a significant effect on MSDs (85.71%) and sick-leaves (100%) (P<0.05). Conclusion: All the types of ergonomic interventions in the production sector of the rubber industry have been effective in reducing MSDs. Engineering interventions have had a significant impact on all the health indicators considered in this study; they are highly effective in the rubber industry, and it is better to implement them together with organizational or individual interventions for better results

شناسایی و اولویت‌بندی عوامل و مولفه‌های موثر بر انگیزش سلامت، ایمنی و محیط‌زیست (HSE) در صنعت ساخت و ساز با استفاده از روش دلفی فازی و فرآیند تحلیل شبکه‌ای (ANP)

Background and Aims: Employees’ motivation to perform job duties safely plays an important role in reducing risk of occupational accidents in the construction industry. The aim of this study was to identify, weight and prioritize the main factors and components affecting health, safety and environment (HSE) motivation in the construction industry. Materials and Methods: First, a primary list of factors and components potentially affecting HSE motivation was prepared by literature review and face-to-face interviews with the experts (faculty members and executive experts) and important factors and components were identified using fuzzy Delphi technique. Then, weighting and ranking of these factors and components were performed based on three criteria of cost, effectiveness and feasibility by network analysis process (ANP) using Super Decision software. Results: The main factors affecting HSE motivation were organizational factors, individual factors, management factors, safety knowledge and safety climate, and the most important factors were respectively management factors (with a weight of 0.27), safety knowledge (with a weight of 0.25), and organizational factors (with a weight of 0.22). The prioritization of the components affecting HSE motivation showed that the components with the highest priorities are not only related to management factors and a combination of actions such as increasing awareness of existing risks, holding operational maneuvers, management's commitment to HSE, and fairness of encouragement and punishment can be more effective in promoting HSE motivation in the construction industry. Conclusion: Applying the results of identifying and prioritizing effective factors in HSE motivation in the construction industry and focusing on components related to safety knowledge, management factors, and organizational factors can improve the effectiveness of HSE management programs in this industry.زمینه و اهداف:&nbsp;انگیزه کارکنان برای انجام وظایف شغلی در حالت ایمن نقش مهمی در کاهش ریسک حوادث شغلی در صنعت ساخت و ساز دارد. مطالعه حاضر با هدف شناسایی، وزن‌دهی و اولویت‌بندی عوامل و مولفه‌های موثر بر انگیزش بهداشت، ایمنی و محیط‌زیست (HSE) در صنعت ساخت و ساز انجام شد. مواد و روش‌ها: ابتدا فهرست اولیه عوامل و مولفه‌های بالقوه موثر بر انگیزش HSE از طریق بررسی پیشینه تحقیق و مصاحبه‌های حضوری با خبرگان (کارشناسان HSE و متخصصین دانشگاهی) تهیه گردید و با استفاده از تکنیک دلفی فازی عوامل و مولفه‌های حائز اهمیت مشخص شد. سپس وزن‌دهی و رتبه‌بندی این عوامل بر اساس سه معیار هزینه، اثربخشی و قابلیت اجرا به روش فرآیند تحلیل شبکه‌ای (ANP) با استفاده از نرم‌افزار Super Decision انجام شد. یافته‌ها: فاکتورهای سازمانی، فاکتورهای فردی، فاکتورهای مدیریتی، دانش ایمنی و جو ایمنی به عنوان عوامل اصلی موثر بر انگیزه HSE تعیین شدند و مهم‌ترین عوامل، فاکتورهای مدیریتی، دانش ایمنی و فاکتورهای سازمانی به ترتیب با وزن 0/27، 0/25 و 0/22 بودند. اولویت‌بندی مولفه‌های موثر بر انگیزش HSE در صنعت ساخت و ساز با روش ANP نشان داد که مولفه‌های با اولویت بالاتر تنها مربوط به فاکتورهای مدیریتی نیست و ترکیبی از اقدامات نظیر افزایش آگاهی نسبت به مخاطرات موجود، برگزاری مانورهای عملیاتی، تعهد مدیریت به مسائل HSE و منصفانه بودن تشویق و تنبیه می‌تواند در ارتقاء انگیزه HSE در کارکنان صنعت ساخت و ساز اثربخش‌تر باشد. نتیجه‌گیری: بکارگیری نتایج شناسایی و اولویت‌بندی عوامل موثر در ایجاد انگیزه HSE در کارکنان صنعت ساخت و ساز و تمرکز بر روی مولفه‌های مربوط به دانش ایمنی، فاکتورهای مدیریتی و فاکتورهای سازمانی می‌تواند اثربخشی برنامه‌های مدیریت HSE در این صنعت را ارتقاء دهد

Study The role of latent variables in lost working days by Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Background: Based on estimations, each year about 250 million work-related injuries and many temporary or permanent disabilities occur which most are preventable. Oil and Gas industries are among industries with high incidence of injuries in the world. The aim of this study has investigated &nbsp;the role and effect of different risk management variables on lost working days (LWD) in the seismic projects. Methods:&nbsp;This study was a retrospective, cross-sectional and systematic analysis, which was carried out on occupational accidents between 2008-2015(an 8 years period) in different seismic projects for oilfield exploration at Dana Energy (Iranian Seismic Company). The preliminary sample size of the study were 487accidents. A systems analysis approach were applied by using root case analysis (RCA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Tools for the data analysis were included, SPSS23 and AMOS23&nbsp; software. Results: The mean of lost working days (LWD), was calculated 49.57, the final model of structural equation modeling showed that latent variables of, safety and health training factor(-0.33), risk assessment factor(-0.55) and risk control factor (-0.61) as direct causes significantly affected of lost working days (LWD) in the seismic industries (p< 0.05). Conclusion: The finding of present study revealed that combination of variables affected in lost working days (LWD). Therefore,the role of these variables in accidents should be investigated and suitable programs should be considered for them

بررسی ارتباط ابعاد فرهنگ ایمنی و سابقه حوادث ناشی از کار و ارائه راهکارهای ارتقاء فرهنگ ایمنی در خط3 شركت بهره برداري راه آهن شهري تهران و حومه

Background and Aims: Preventive approach leads to reduce accident, create a safe environment, and increase productivity and protection of the workforce. The purpose of this study was to investigate safety culture and its relationship with accidents and to present strategies for promoting safety culture. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive research. The statistical population of the study consisted of the staff of operating and maintenance units in Tehran’s Metro Company. A questionnaire was used as the tool for data gathering. The Cronbach's alpha was calculated to be 0.7 and its content validity was confirmed. The data were analyzed by SPSS software. All the ethical considerations were observed in this study. Results: The work experience of about 50.4% of the staff was less than 10 years and about 5% of the staff had at least one occupational accident. The highest and lowest correlation coefficients were found between safety culture and management commitment (0.949) and making safety a priority (0.156), respectively. The average levels of information exchange, work environment and safety culture were poor. Conclusion: Based on the results, the management commitment was one of the most important factors in safety culture. The factors making safety a priority, level of information exchange and work environment were identified as the major factors reducing the safety culture score., The most effective measures for promoting the safety culture were determined to be establishing a system of independent safety proposals without threats and punishment, introducing top safety staff for technical analysis, and staff participation in safety meetings.زمینه و اهداف:&nbsp;رویکرد کنشگرایانه موجب ایجاد محیط ایمن، كاهش حوادث، افزایش بهره‌وری و صیانت از نیروی كار می‌شود. هدف مطالعه بررسي فرهنگ ايمني و ارتباط آن با حوادث كاری و ارائه راهكارهاي ارتقاء فرهنگ ايمني مي‌باشد. مواد و روش‌ها: مطالعه از نوع توصيفي-پيمايشي مي‌باشد. جامعه آماري، كاركنان بخش عملیاتی و نگهداری خط سه شركت بهره‌برداري مترو بودند. ابزار گردآوري داده‌ها، پرسشنامه فرهنگ ایمنی است و پايایی آن از طريق آلفاي كرونباخ مقدار 0/7 محاسبه شده و روايي پرسشنامه نيز از طريق محتوا تاييد شد. داده ها با SPSS 22 تحليل و ارزيابي شد. همچنین ملاحظات اخلاقی در تمام مراحل اجرای مطالعه رعایت شد. یافته‌ها: به لحاظ سابقه کاری 50/4% از افراد سابقه کمتر از 10 سال داشتند و 5% دچار حادثه شده‌اند. نمره کل فرهنگ ایمنی 3/45 از 5 محاسبه شد. بیشترین و کمترین همبستگی به ترتیب تعهد مدیریت با 0/949 و الویت به ایمنی با 0/156 بدست آمد. سطح تبادل اطلاعات، محیط کار و فرهنگ ايمني در وضعیت نامطلوب قرار دارند. میانگین نمره فرهنگ ایمنی بر حسب متغیر سابقه کار اختلاف وجود دارد و برحسب داشتن یا نداشتن سابقه حادثه اختلاف معنی‌داری مشاهده نشد. نتیجه‌گیری: وضعيت فرهنگ ايمني مثبت ارزيابي گردید. تعهد مديريت از مهم‌ترين عوامل مؤثر بر فرهنگ ايمني است و الويت به ايمني، تبادل اطلاعات و محيط كار به عنوان عامل اصلي در كاهش نمره فرهنگ ايمني شناسایی گردید. در ارتقاء فرهنگ ايمني، برقراری نظام پیشنهادات ایمنی مستقل بدور از تهديد و تنبيه، معرفی افراد برتر ایمنی برای تحلیل فنی و مشارکت در جلسات ايمني موثر مي‌باشد