Assessment of the prevalence of occupational accidents and their influential actors in an electricity distribution company during a five-year period

BACKGROUND: Occupational accidents have been considered as one of the most important crippling factors contributing to disabilities and life-threatening situations in many countries. This study was conducted to survey the prevalence of occupational accidents and the factors of that lead to injuries in an Electricity Distribution Company during a five-year period. METHODS: In this descriptive study, the accident report form included items asking about the season of the year when the accident occurred, the ages and the average age of those injured, the type of employment, work experience, nature of the injuries that occurred, parts of the body affected, treatments that were applied, average number of days lost per accident, the levels of education of those involved, and their marital status. Data was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 66 Electricity Distribution Company workers were determined to be suffering from injuries due to accidents. The accidents mostly occurred in the summer (33). Most of the injured workers (16.7) belonged to the age groups of 25 to 29 and 40 to 44; there were no accidents reported for workers who were less than 20. About 48 of the accident victims had to be hospitalized. Furthermore, 35 of the accident victims were treated in outpatient clinics, and 7.4 of the accident victims died. We demonstrated that there were significant relationships between: 1) marital status and accidental injuries (P0.05) or work experience and the distribution of the accidents (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that most of the injuries in these accidents were related to the nature of employment, marital status, and level of education. The results showed the necessity for providing appropriate safety training for the workers

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF CONFINED NANO-IMPINGING JET IN MICROSCALE COOLING APPLICATION USING DSMC METHOD

ABSTRACT In this study, we simulate rarefied gas flow through a confined nano-impinging jet using direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. The effects of geometrical parameters, pressure ratio, and wall conditions on the heat transfer from a hot surface are examined. Hot surface modeled via diffusive constant wall temperature. Various inlet/confining surface conditions such as specular, adiabatic, and constant temperature are implemented and the effects of them on the wall heat flux rates are studied. The results show that Knudsen number, velocity slip, and temperature jump are main reasons which specify magnitudes of wall heat flux rates. Among all geometrical parameters, H/W ratio has the greatest effect on heat transfer, where H is jet distance from the hot surface and W is the jet width. For different values of pressure ratio, the biggest quantity of wall heat flux rate relates to the lowest velocity slip case. Also for inlet/confining walls with constant temperature condition equal to coolant flow temperature, heat transfer from the hot surface was the maximum

Safety of nanotechnology in food industries

The arrival of nanotechnology in various industries has been so rapid and widespread because of its wide-ranging applications in our daily lives. Nutrition and food service is one of the biggest industries to be affected by nanotechnology in all areas, changing even the nature of food itself. Whether it's farming, food packaging, or the prevention of microbial contamination the major food industries have seen dramatic changes because of nanotechnology. Different nanomaterials such as nanopowders, nanotubes, nano-fibers, quantum dots, and metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles are globally produced in large quantities due to their broad applicability in food-related industries. Because of the unique properties of nanostructures and nanomaterials - such as a large surface area, high activity, and small size, there is some concern about the potential for harmful adverse effects of used nanomaterials on health or the environment. However, because of tremendous advances in different industries, this concern may be unnecessary. This paper presents some uses of nanomaterials in food and related industries and their possible side-effects. This review covers the various aspects of nanomaterials and their impact on human exposure, safety, and environmental concerns

Do bright-light shock exposures during breaks reduce subjective sleepiness in night workers?

Night work has many harmful effects on the health, efficiency and safety of workers. This study evaluates the effects of bright-light exposure (BL) on subjective sleepiness during night work. Ninety night workers who have more than a year's experience at a metallurgy production plant volunteered to participate in this clinical pilot study. Workers were divided into two groups and every group was exposed to either bright light (2500-3000 lux) or normal light (300 lux) during break times at night for two consecutive nights. Fifteen-minute breaks were initiated at 22.00 h (before starting work) 24.00 h, 02.00 h and 04.00 h. The range of subjective sleepiness was assessed by the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) at 23.00 h, 01.00 h, 03.00 h and 05.00 h. We used SPSS 11.5 for data analysis. The result demonstrated that there were significant differences in the rate of sleepiness between the two groups by paired t-test analysis (P < 0.001). These findings suggest that photic stimulation in industrial settings could increase adaptation to night work

Assessment of the prevalence of occupational accidents and their influential actors in an electricity distribution company during a five-year period

BACKGROUND: Occupational accidents have been considered as one of the most important crippling factors contributing to disabilities and life-threatening situations in many countries. This study was conducted to survey the prevalence of occupational accidents and the factors of that lead to injuries in an Electricity Distribution Company during a five-year period. METHODS: In this descriptive study, the accident report form included items asking about the season of the year when the accident occurred, the ages and the average age of those injured, the type of employment, work experience, nature of the injuries that occurred, parts of the body affected, treatments that were applied, average number of days lost per accident, the levels of education of those involved, and their marital status. Data was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 66 Electricity Distribution Company workers were determined to be suffering from injuries due to accidents. The accidents mostly occurred in the summer (33). Most of the injured workers (16.7) belonged to the age groups of 25 to 29 and 40 to 44; there were no accidents reported for workers who were less than 20. About 48 of the accident victims had to be hospitalized. Furthermore, 35 of the accident victims were treated in outpatient clinics, and 7.4 of the accident victims died. We demonstrated that there were significant relationships between: 1) marital status and accidental injuries (P0.05) or work experience and the distribution of the accidents (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that most of the injuries in these accidents were related to the nature of employment, marital status, and level of education. The results showed the necessity for providing appropriate safety training for the workers

Effect of executive programs of infection control committees on the prevalence of nosocomial infections in Kermanshah's Hospitals (2010-2011)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of executive programs of infection control committees on the incidence of nosocomial infections in hospitals affiliated with the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Kermanshah, Iran) during 2010 and 2011. The numbers of patients admitted in 2010 and 2011 were 8084 and 7166, respectively, and the average prevalence of nosocomial infections in 2010 and 2011 was 0.8 and 1.9 infections per 100 patients, respectively. In 2010, the mean scores obtained by hospital for regular Infection Control Committee meetings, regular gatherings, registration of program information analysis, and regular follow-up meetings were 19, 31, 30.5, and 41.7 (out of 100), respectively. In 2011, they were 20.2, 36.4, 38.1, and 50, respectively. The results of this study indicated that executive programs of infection control committees had no effect on the incidence of nosocomial infections; therefore, the experts who assess hospitals should pay more attention to the systems that are used to conduct surveillance of nosocomial infection control programs

Use of the Finnish method to quantify the ergonomic properties in an office environment among the workplaces in an Electricity Distribution Company in West Tehran Province

BACKGROUND: The workplace plays an important role in workers' performances, but most workplaces have not been designed and equipped in keeping with primary ergonomic principles. Ignoring these principles can cause ergonomic risk factors, difficulties for workers, and damage to workers' health. The aim of this study was to identify acceptable ergonomic properties in workplaces in order to determine and investigate the aspects of workstations that cause occupational discomfort. To accomplish this aim, we used the Finish method to evaluate workstations in an electricity distribution company in Tehran. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted for all of the workstations in an electrical power distribution company using the census method. The desired information was collected through objective observation using the Finish checklist of ergonomic issues in the workplace. Then, we used SPSS version 16 to analyze the information. RESULTS: In 11.2 of the workstations, none of the ergonomic principles was considered, so workers' bodied were not situated appropriately while they were working. In 31 of the cases, lighting ranged between 10 and 50 of the recommended amount, and some of the workers appeared to be in a slight daze. In 42.3 of the cases, the temperature in the workplace was in the range of 25 to 27 degrees C. In 42.3 and 52.3 of the cases, ratings of noise were 2 and 3, respectively, indicating that the noise levels were 60-70 dB and 70-80 dB, respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study can be used to determine ergonomic deficiencies in workstations so they can be resolved. Based on our investigation, it was found that the workstations, first and foremost, had significant defects in terms of work components. Furthermore, there were some irritating problems concerning noise and concerning comfort levels related to the high temperature

Investigation of Occupational Stress and its Relationship with the Demographic Characteristics of Workers in Ilam, Iran

BACKGROUND: Workers are more susceptible to stress disorder for several reasons. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational stress among workers and other personnel at the ZardjinBaft Workshop in Ilam, Iran, and to examine the relationship between occupational stress and several parameters, such as age, gender, marital status, educational level, work experience, tobacco use, body mass index (BMI), and the type of work. METHOD: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study that was performed in June 2010. The sample population that was studied consisted of all of the workers and other personnel (130 people) at ZardjinBaft Workshop in Ilam, Iran. They were studied using Cooper's standard questionnaire for stress in the work environment, and we examined the relationship between stress, as the dependent variable, and the eight independent variables mentioned in the Abstract. RESULTS: In the sample population that was studied, severe stress was not observed in most of the sections of the workshop. In addition, using the analysis of variance test (ANOVA), no significant relationship was observed between the average degree of stress and the average demographic characteristics. However, the average stress level had significant relationships with the level of education, work experience, and the type of work, suggesting that stress increases as the level of education increases. In addition, in the beginning and early years of employment, medium levels of stress were observed, and the prevalence of stress decreased after the first 10 years of employment. In addition, workers in the ventilation section of the factory had the highest stress levels. The fear of losing their jobs was the main factor that caused stress among the workers at ZardjinBaft Workshop in Ilam. CONCLUSION: We suggest that managers consider the high importance of stress in the work environment. They should be able to recognize when workers are stressed and offer them assistance and training. They also can eliminate the factors that cause stress in the work environment by taking preventive action. In parallel, workers should try to interact well with their managers and talk to her or him about the conditions of their jobs

Determination of Job Stresses and Their Consequences in Drivers in Ilam

BACKGROUND: Human factors cause 60-70 percent of automobile accidents. Everything related to people that is involved in and interacting with a system is considered to be a human factor. These factors can be psychological, biological, or social, and all of them can affect drivers' behaviors. Therefore, one of the negative and unfavorable effects of these factors is that they cause accidents. According to previous research, increases in the job stresses result in increases in the incidence of car accidents. Drivers who feel stressed often do not to observe the rules, and they may not even notice the warning signs. By measuring the job stress among drivers and its adverse effects, this research aimed to provide an appropriate managerial solution to reduce these problems. METHODS: The sample in this descriptive-analytical study consisted of 250 drivers who were selected and investigated. A job stress questionnaire was used as a means for collecting data. Health conditions were assessed by referring to clinical documents provided for the drivers. Accident data were included in the study using accident-related documentation. Two hundred and fifty drivers from Ilam, Iran participated and were analyzed in this study. This research is a cross-sectional study that was performed by dossiers and personal memoirs. Data were analyzed by SPSS16 and the chi-squared test. RESULTS: The study showed that the main factors that cause medium- to high-level stress are the physical environment, workload and ambiguity of duties. It also showed that the incidence and severity of accidents increased as stress levels increased. CONCLUSION: This study shows high prevalence of job stress amongst drivers in Ilam. The main causes of the prevalence of stress among drivers in Ilam City are physical environment, workload and ambiguity of duties, responsibility

Analysis of electrical accidents and the related causes involving citizens who are served by the Western of Tehran

BACKGROUND: Electrical burns account for a significant percentage of fatal accidents. Each year, a number of consumers in Iran suffer from electrical injuries due to technical problems, equipment failures, and the unauthorized use of electricity. The aim of this study was to examine the root causes of accidents that involved electricity in the district served by the Western Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company. METHODS: This was a descriptive study in which incidents involving electricity-related injuries were investigated among customers served by the Western Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company. Therefore, we collected and analyzed incident reports filed by citizens from 2005 through the first half of 2009 in the Distribution Company's coverage area, including Savejbolagh, Shahriyar, eastern Karaj, Qods City, southern Karaj, western Karaj, Malard, and Mehrshahr. The reported events were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Exposure of electricity lines and unauthorized construction of residential houses in areas where there were medium- and low-voltage lines were responsible for 37 of the injuries. The findings showed that the highest rate of accidents occurred in 2008 and the first half of 2009. The highest rate of accidents occurred among people with a mean age of 35. CONCLUSION: The results from investigating the causes of electrical accidents emphasized the necessity of developing a culture of safety in communities, especially among employees who are engaged in occupations related to electricity, construction workers, and school children to reduce the rate of such accidents