A Novel Adjustable Concept for Permeable Gas/Vapor Protective Clothing: Balancing Protection and Thermal Strain
This study investigates the possibilities of adjustable CBRN-PPC, consisting of different layers that can be worn separately or in combination with each other. This novel concept aims to achieve optimization between protection and thermal strain during operations. Two CBRN-PPC (protective) layers were obtained from two separate manufacturers: (i) a next-to-skin (NTS) and (ii) a low-burden battle dress uniform (protective BDU). In addition to these layers, a standard (non-CBRN protective) BDU (sBDU) was also made available. The effect of combining clothing layers on the levels of protection were investigated with a Man-In-S...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 23, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
How to Quantitatively Assess Dermal Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds
Cretaet al. (2017) present a method to assess dermal exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using activated charcoal cloth (ACC Perma-TecTM pads). They clearly demonstrate that in a controlled environmental chamber charcoal cloth patches adsorb vapour in the same way as organic vapour monitors (3MTM 3500). There was a high degree of linearity between the response of the two measurement systems when tested against 181 different VOCs. However, the authors did not undertake any field tests of their system and, surprisingly for a sampler designed to measure dermal exposure, they did not test it using a liquid challenge....
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 23, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
On the Identification of Culturable Microorganisms for the Assessment of Biodiversity in Bioaerosols
AbstractTheAnnals of Work Exposures and Health recently published two interesting studies combining the use of culture and molecular methods. The method involves the cultivation of bioaerosol samples on agar media and the pick-up of grown colonies 16S rRNA gene amplification, subsequent cloning, sequencing, and identification of bacterial isolates through the assignment against known gene databases. The aim of the present paper is to discuss the contribution of the proposed method in regards with the already proposed approaches used for identification of cultured bacteria. It details the new proposed method and discusses i...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 20, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Development of a Job Exposure Matrix for Noise in the Swedish Soft Tissue Paper Industry
ConclusionsOur results highlight the continuing need for hearing loss prevention and noise control efforts at these and similar mills, and the completed JEM now represents a tool for use in epidemiological studies of noise-related health outcomes. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 16, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Impact of Fire Suit Ensembles on Firefighter PAH Exposures as Assessed by Skin Deposition and Urinary Biomarkers
This study was divided into two parts, those being to investigate the level of protection obtained by multiple garment layers and to assess exposure during a standardized smoke diving exercise. First, realistic work protection factors (WPFs) were calculated by comparing air concentrations of the full suite of gaseous and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs ) inside and outside structural ensembles, including jacket and thick base layer, during a tough fire extinguishing exercise using wood as the fuel. Second, during a standardized smoke diving exercise, exposure was assessed by measuring PAH skin deposit...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 10, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Correctness of Self-Reported Task Durations: A Systematic Review
ConclusionsThe correctness of self-reported task durations is, at the best, moderate at the individual level, and this may present a significant problem when using self-reports in task-based assessment of individual job exposures. However, average self-reports at the group level appear reasonably correct and may thus be a viable method in studies addressing, for instance, the relative occurrence of tasks in a production system. Due to the disparity of studies, definite conclusions on the quantitative effect on agreement of different modifiers are not justified, and we encourage future studies specifically devoted to unders...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 6, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Gaps in Workplace Education For Prevention of Occupational Skin Disease
ConclusionsWhile the study was anonymous and used self-reported of training experience, the study suggests there are gaps in skin protection training. Addressing these gaps may lead to improved prevention and reduction in OCD. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - December 5, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Predicting Forearm Physical Exposures During Computer Work Using Self-Reports, Software-Recorded Computer Usage Patterns, and Anthropometric and Workstation Measurements
ConclusionThe full prediction models, based on self-reported factors, software-recorded computer usage patterns, and additional measurements of anthropometrics and workstation set-up, show a better predictive quality as compared to the practical models based on self-reported factors and recorded computer usage patterns only. However, predictive quality varied largely across different arm-wrist-hand exposure parameters. Future exploration of the relation between predicted physical exposure and symptoms is therefore only recommended for physical exposures that can be reasonably well predicted. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 25, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Toenail Manganese: A Sensitive and Specific Biomarker of Exposure to Manganese in Career Welders
AbstractManganese (Mn) is an essential trace metal. It is also a component of welding fume. Chronic inhalation of manganese from welding fume has been associated with decreased neurological function. Currently, there is not a universally recognized biomarker for Mn exposure; however, hair and toenails have shown promise. In a cohort of 45 male welders and 35 age-matched factory control subjects, we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of toenail Mn to distinguish occupationally exposed subjects from unexposed controls. Further we examined the exposure time window that best correlates with the proposed biomarker, and in...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 25, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Solvent Transfer —Efficiency of Risk Management Measures
AbstractA series of laboratory simulations were conducted in order to determine the airborne protection that might be afforded by different combinations of workplace exposure controls typically encountered when handling volatile solvents (e.g. solvent transfer). These conditions, referred to as risk management measures (RMMs) under the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals Regulation (REACH), are typically described using standard phrases in safety data sheets [and specifically those of the European Phrase Catalogue (EUPhraC)]. Ethanol was used as a model compound and its emissions were monitored continuo...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 19, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Assessment of Environmental Contamination with Pathogenic Bacteria at a Hospital Laundry Facility
AbstractLittle is known about exposure to pathogenic bacteria among industrial laundry workers who work with soiled clinical linen. To study worker exposures, an assessment of surface contamination was performed at an industrial laundry facility serving hospitals in Seattle, WA, USA. Surface swab samples (n = 240) from the environment were collected during four site visits at 3-month intervals. These samples were cultured forClostridium difficile, methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Voluntary participation of 23 employees consisted of nasal swabs for detection of M...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 10, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
When Does Race Matter?
Public consciousness of race in American society has been greatly heightened over the past few years with the revelation of black deaths during police actions, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and by various utterances, as well as policies against Mexicans and other immigrant groups by the current US President. The importance of race has long been observed by social epidemiologists studying wide disparities in health among race groups in the USA (US CDC, 2013). A key component of these disparities, and likely on the causal pathway between race and health, are the large and widening disparities in income, wealth...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 10, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Comparison of Respirable Mass Concentrations Measured by a Personal Dust Monitor and a Personal DataRAM to Gravimetric Measurements
AbstractIn 2016, the Mine Safety and Health Administration required the use of continuous monitors to measure respirable dust in mines and better protect miner health. The Personal Dust Monitor, PDM3700, has met stringent performance criteria for this purpose. In a laboratory study, respirable mass concentrations measured with the PDM3700 and a photometer (personal DataRam, pDR-1500) were compared to those measured gravimetrically for five aerosols of varying refractive index and density (diesel exhaust fume, welding fume, coal dust, Arizona road dust (ARD), and salt [NaCl] aerosol) at target concentrations of 0.38, 0.75, ...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 9, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Sarin Exposures in A Cohort of British Military Participants in Human Experimental Research at Porton Down 1945 –1987
ConclusionsThese results, drawn from high quality experimental data, offer a unique insight into the effects of these chemical agents on humans. (Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene)
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - November 9, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
Taking Multiple Exposure Into Account Can Improve Assessment of Chemical Risks
This study presents an approach that can better take into account multiple exposure when assessing chemical risks. Almost 30000 work situations, monitored between 2005 and 2014 and re corded in two French databases, were analysed using MiXie software. The algorithms employed in MiXie can identify toxicological classes associated with several substances, based on the additivity of the selected effects of each substance. The results of our retrospective analysis show that MiXie was able to identify almost 20% more potentially hazardous situations than identified using a single-substance approach. It therefore appears essenti...
Source: Annals of Occupational Hygiene - October 31, 2017 Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research
