Journal of Health and Safety at Work

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Introduction: Work-related musculoskeleta ldisorders (WMSDs) of upperlimbs (UL)in the last 35 years have become extremely widespread, reaching epidemiclevels, inalladv ancedindustrializedcountries. They are considered the main cause of disability, time off work, and requests for healthcare

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Method and Materials: For detailed risk assessment, ISO -11228-3 is the preferred method. It is recommended for the specific purposes of ISO -11228-3(2007) because, given the knowledge at the time of publication, it considers all the relevant risk factors, is also applicable to “multitask jobs”, and provides criteria - based on extensive epidemiological data - for forecasting the occurrence of UL-WMSD (upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders) in exposed working populations. In this method is the ratio between the number of actual technical actions, ATA, carried out during a work shift and the number of reference technical actions, RTA, for each upper limb, specifically determined in the scenario under examination.

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Results: Results shown in 4 workstations include 35 task in an automotive industry. One of them is red and another’s are green.

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Conclusion: This method is suitable, quickly and very easy to use for assessment of ergonomics situation in work.

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Introduction: In today comparative markets, the organizations and companies will be success that adopt the standards related to their all works and services. By thechnalization and machinism, we are witnessed of higher rate of industrial accidents as well as economic losses in everyday activities. Therefore, the need for occupational safety and health standards is future required, otherwise, a serious losses will rise for those organizations, accordingly.

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Material and Method: IIn this study, the threats, opportunities, weaknesses and strengths were evaluated by one of the tools named SWOT, in one of the assembly industries company in Iran, in order to controlling the operations in this company considering to safety and health standard (OHSAS18001). A comparison of the company’s performance in implementing the safety and health standards was done between years 1387 and 1388 contain in the Company considered, and weighted scoring weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities using the matrix of internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (treats and opportunities) then, the importance of each factor were determined in the company’s implementation and enforcement of those standards.

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Result: Focusing on the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, some strategies to improve the implementation were presented. Any points were weighted based on the most important weaknesses identified as the lack of monitoring contractors, lack of management commitment for implementation of OHSAS18001, no attempt to identify the risks of change, lack of training needs assessment, main strengths identified in the context of adequate budget health and safety, environmental efforts, identify risk for abnormal conditions, the most important threats for immediate delivery customer orders and the opportunity to support the safety and health plans, were determined.

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Conclusion: Sum of the weighted scores in year 87 were obtained for the external factors (opportunities and threats), 2.16 and internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) 1.66. Both of these scores were less than 2.5 (minimum amount of the acceptable rate) so, the company has been poor performance in the implementation of this standard for the year 87 and a weak reaction in the use of opportunities and the minimize threats has. In case of internal factors, it was worse than external one and the situation was more bold of the weaknesses companies to the strengths and of the organization. But, in the year 88, due to changes in the organizational structure of the company, the weighted score for external factors 3.2 and for the internal factors was 3.64, indicating an improvement in the companies conditions.

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Introduction: The most common standards being used for predicting the health risks of whole body vibrations are ISO 2631- and BS 6844, presenting frequency weighting anfd different coefficients for different sensivities in variuse axes. In yhis study, vibration was measured about 900 minutes on 9 trains in one of the active lines of tehran metro with the aim of comparing the mentioned standards in evaluating whole body vibation.

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Material and Method: In this research, in addition to evaluation of different kinds of vibration indicators, the differences of ISO 26331-1 and BS 6841 Standards have also been investigated. The amounts of r.m.s., vibration dose and daily vibration dose were measured in x, y and z axes for drivers seat and x axis for drivers back rest separately according to the instruction of the two standards.

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Result: The mean calculated values of r.m.s and vibration dose on a basis of 135 6841 standard were lower than those values calculated according to ISO 2631 standard. Moreover, the results showed that 3 cases, based on the ISO standard, had risk level of higher than 17 m/s1.75 and 3 cases, had risk level of higher than 15 m/s1.75 value, provided by BS 6841.

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Conclusion: Calculation according to the ISO 2631-1 standard show higher values. Indeed, ISO 2631-1 can provide a more secure criterion company to BS 6841, although the 15 m/s1.75 in BS is lower than the highest level of health guidance caution zone in ISO. Additionally, the association between r.m.s and vibration dose values in ISO 2631 is relatively lower than this association in BS 6841.

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Introduction: Adherence to the design values and ventilation standards (VS) after installing and also maintaining continuous work of ventilation system with maximum performance throughout its life are amongst the reasons of ventilation systems monitoring. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate performance of local exhaust ventilation system for control of dust by measuring the operating parameters and also to compare it with ventilation standards (VS) and design values.

Material and Method: The present research is a descriptive and cross-sectional study, conducted in three sections of measuring, monitoring and evaluating the operating parameters on hoods, channels and fan of ventilation system based on the current status of the system, documentation (design), and recommended standards (VS). Static pressure, velocity pressure, surface area, and flow rate were measured based on the recommendations of various sources and ACGIH industrial ventilation manual, and the data were compared with the design and recommended values, using the SPSS software version 16.  

Result: The results of paired sample t-test between flow rate and velocities of design and current status, showed significant differences in various parts. Accordingly, the results revealed a reduction of more than 50% in the design duct velocity compared to the current duct velocity, while design duct velocity is 1.3 more than the standard duct velocity of current status, and current duct velocity is about 65% of standard duct velocity.

Conclusion: The reduction and nonconformity of the results of measurements of operating parameters (after a minimum of two decades) with design and standard values are corroborant and sufficient reason for obstructions, abrasions, leaks, imbalance of system ducts and their inefficiency in some branches. Since there is no base line measurements for system (supposing that the system worked with maximum amounts of setup time), one of the reasons for these changes can be attributed to lack of schedule for regular and appropriate maintenance.

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Introduction: Nosocomial infection (NI) is an infection occurring in a patient after 48 hours of hospitalization or up to 72 hours after discharge from the hospital, which was not present or incubating at the time of admission.  Hospital accreditation standards have a significant impact on the prevention and control of NI. Nevertheless, Iran’s hospital accreditation standards face challenges. The aim of this study was to compare the accreditation standards of NI prevention and control in Iran and leading countries.
Material and Methods: This research was conducted using the comparative review method in 2020. Hospital infection prevention and control (IPC) standards of Iran Hospital Accreditation Program was compared with those of international accreditation programs in the United States, Canada and Australia. Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data.
Results: Iran and the United States had the highest share of nosocomial IPC standards. The Iranian Hospital IPC standards approximately comply with 62.1%, 46.6% and 49.9% of Hospital IPC standards of the United States, Canada and Australia, respectively. A hospital infection management system including constructs of NI leadership and management, NI planning, NI education, employee management, patient management, resource management, process management and outcomes is necessary for IPC. Iran Hospital Accreditation Program places great emphasis on process and resource management and less importance to leadership and management, planning, employee management, patient management and outcomes.
Conclusion: The Iranian Hospital Accreditation Program is progressing. However, its IPC standards need to be reviewed and updated. Using a systems approach including structures, processes and results in the development of hospital accreditation standards, leads to the optimal use of hospital resources and achieving better results.