Environmental and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination during Simulated Healthcare Activities
AbstractProviding care to patients with an infectious disease can result in the exposure of healthcare workers (HCWs) to pathogen-containing bodily fluids. We performed a series of experiments to characterize the magnitude of environmental contamination —in air, on surfaces and on participants—associated with seven common healthcare activities. The seven activities studied were bathing, central venous access, intravenous access, intubation, physical examination, suctioning and vital signs assessment. HCWs with experience in one or more activiti es were recruited to participate and performed one to two activities in the...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - June 5, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Peaks, Means, and Determinants of Real-Time TVOC Exposures Associated with Cleaning and Disinfecting Tasks in Healthcare Settings
The objective of this study was to estimate the peak, average, and determinants of real-time total volatile organic compound (TVOC) exposure associated with cleaning tasks and product-use. TVOC exposures were measured using monitors equipped with a photoionization detector (PID). A simple correction factor was applied to the real-time measurements, calculated as a ratio of the full-shift average TVOC concentrations from a time-integrated canister and the PID sample, for each sample pair. During sampling, auxiliary information, e.g. tasks, products used, engineering controls, was recorded on standardized data collection for...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - June 4, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Hearing Loss in Agricultural Workers Exposed to Pesticides and Noise
AbstractAgricultural workers who have concurrent exposure to pesticides and noise are at increased risk of hearing loss. We recruited 163 Thai conventional and 172 organic farmers to answer our questionnaires about personal demographics, agricultural activities, and pesticide and agricultural machinery use. This information was used to calculate the years of conventional (pesticide use) farming and the years of agricultural noise exposure, and to estimate semiquantitative metrics for pesticide exposure (cumulative intensity score-years) and cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years) for each conventional farmer. All participa...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - June 4, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Inter-assessor Agreement for TREXMO and Its Models Outside the Translation Framework
In this study, 18 assessors performed exposure assessment for six exposure situations within and outside the framework of this translation tool. In more than half of the evaluated cases, the results showed better agreement between assessors selecting the exposure parameters within the framework of TREXMO than when manually coding. The most affected were the parameters related to activity (such as “handling types” of Stoffenmanager) and exposure control (such as local controls). Furthermore, the agreement between the estimates calculated by different assessors was also improved when performing the translations between t...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 23, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Validation of an Asbestos Job-Exposure Matrix (AsbJEM) in Australia: Exposure –Response Relationships for Malignant Mesothelioma
ConclusionThe well-known positive exposure –response relationship between MM incidence and both estimated cumulative asbestos exposure and average exposure intensity was confirmed. The strongest relationship was found when the frequency of peak exposure in the AsbJEM was doubled from the originally published estimates. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 23, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Corrigendum to: A Source-Based Measurement Database for Occupational Exposure Assessment of Electromagnetic Fields in the INTEROCC Study: A Literature Review Approach
Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 2016; 60(2): 184. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 7, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Relative Differences in Concentration Levels during Sawing and Drilling of Car Bumpers Containing MWCNT and Organic Pigment
Subsequent to online publication, one of the project partners identified an error in the article. The pigment in the material from which the red car bumpers was manufactured contained 0.2% organic pigment, rather than the 10% stated in the original article. These numbers have now been corrected in the article in three places. Because this quantity was not used in any of the calculations, the interpretation of the results remains unchanged. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - March 10, 2019 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Exposure to Upper Arm Elevation During Work Compared to Leisure Among 12 Different Occupations Measured with Triaxial Accelerometers
AbstractRegarding prevention of neck and shoulder pain (NSP), unsupported arm elevation is one factor that should be taken into account when performing work risk assessment. Triaxial accelerometers can be used to measure arm elevation over several days but it is not possible to differentiate between supported and unsupported arm elevation from accelerometers only. Supported arm elevation is more likely to exist during sitting than standing. The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of whole workday measurements of arm elevation with accelerometers to assess potentially harmful work exposure of arm elevation, by comparin...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - June 26, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
A Systematic Review of the Routes and Forms of Exposure to Engineered Nanomaterials
ConclusionThis literature review provides evidence that for ENMs, as found for other materials, the likelihood of the exposure depends largely on the physical form of the substance as well as the applied process and operational conditions. These results can be used to provide first indications of the likelihood of exposure and guidance for exposure controls in workplaces. However, there is a clear lack of high-quality exposure data, in particular for downstream use and end-of-life scenarios and in low- and medium-income countries. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - June 21, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Exposure to Wood Dust, Microbial Components, and Terpenes in the Norwegian Sawmill Industry
AbstractSawmill workers are exposed to wood dust (a well-known carcinogen), microorganisms, endotoxins, resin acids (diterpenes), and vapours containing terpenes, which may cause skin irritation, allergy, and respiratory symptoms including asthma. The health effects of most of these exposures are poorly understood as most studies measure only wood dust. The present study assessed these exposures in the Norwegian sawmill industry, which processes predominantly spruce and pine. Personal exposures of wood dust, resin acids, endotoxin, fungal spores and fragments, mono-, and sesquiterpenes were measured in 10 departments in 11...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - June 7, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Laboratory Validation and Field Assessment of Petroleum Laboratory Technicians ’ Dermal Exposure to Crude Oil Using a Wipe Sampling Method
We describe a study which aimed to further evaluate the wipe sampling method to assess dermal exposure to crude oil, with this assessment including extended sample storage periods and sampling efficiency tests being undertaken at environmental conditions to mimic those typical of outdoor conditions in Saudi Arabia. The wipe sampling method was then used to assess the laboratory technicians ’ actual exposure to crude oil during typical petroleum laboratory tasks. Overall, acceptable storage efficiencies up to 54 days were reported with results suggesting storage stability over time. Sampling efficiencies were also reporte...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 21, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Performance Comparison of Field Portable Instruments to the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer Using Monodispersed and Polydispersed Sodium Chloride Aerosols
This study compared the performance of the following field portable aerosol instrument sets to performance of the reference Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS): the handheld CPC-3007, the portable aerosol mobility spectrometer (PAMS), the NanoScan scanning mobility particle sizer (NanoScan SMPS) combined with an optical particle sizer (OPS). Tests were conducted with monodispersed and polydispersed aerosols. Monodispersed aerosols were controlled at the approximate concentration of 1 × 105 particles cm−3 and four monodispersed particle sizes of 30, 60, 100, and 300 nm were selected and classified for the monodispers...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 21, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Particle Concentrations in Occupational Settings Measured with a Nanoparticle Respiratory Deposition (NRD) Sampler
This study compared concentrations measured with the NRD sampler to those measured with a nano Micro Orifice Uniform-Deposit Impactor (nanoMOUDI) and respirable samplers in three workplaces. The NRD sampler performed well at two out of three locations, where over 90% of metal particles by mass were submicrometer particle size (a heavy vehicle machining and assembly facility and a shooting range). At the heavy vehicle facility, the mean metal mass concentration of particles collected on the diffusion stage of the NRD was 42.5 ± 10.0 µg/m3, within 5% of the nanoMOUDI concentration of 44.4 ± 7.4 µg/m3. At the shooting ran...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 18, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Testing of Disposable Protective Garments Against Isocyanate Permeation From Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation
ConclusionPermeation test data collected during this study indicated that each type of protective garment evaluated, provided a considerable level of protection (i.e. 10 –110-fold reduction from the level of direct exposure) against the isocyanate component of the SPF insulation mixture. Nitrile gloves and polypropylene coveralls demonstrated the lowest rate of permeation and the lowest cumulative permeation of total isocyanate for each garment type. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 12, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Does the Size of a Company Make a Difference in the Prevalence of Exposure to Asthmagens and in the Use of Respiratory Protective Equipment?
ConclusionOur results suggest that policy actions and regulatory measures should target micro/small companies in order to have the greatest effect. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - May 8, 2018 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
