Student Number : 0215978H - MPh research report - School of Public Health - Faculty of Health Sciences / The study was conducted in the City of Mbabane and assessed Occupational Health and Safety in the informal car maintenance, welding and spray-painting industry. The objective of the study was to assess the risks workers are exposed to in the informal car maintenance, welding and spray-painting industry in Mbabane city in Swaziland. Data was collected by administration of a questionnaire to managers of the establishments and by personal observations of workers while on the job from walk through surveys that were conducted in the city. Seventy (70) workplaces were identified and sixty five (65) of them participated in the study, representing a response rate of 92.86%. There were twenty (20) workplaces doing car maintenance, twenty five (25) doing welding and twenty (20) doing spray painting. Fifty-three (53) The data was analysed using the EPI INFO software and results revealed that most workers in this sector were indeed at high risk of exposure to occupational health and safety problems. They worked under unfavourable conditions such as working in the open and subjected to adverse weather conditions, exposed to solvents, welding fumes and gases, strenuous work, improper postures, lifting heavy loads, exposed to spray painting aerosols and fumes and exposed to dust. The workers’ occupational health and safety was made worse by the fact that most of them did not have or use personal protective equipment. 90% of the workers were exposed to emissions while carrying out their jobs of spray painting and 10% of them were exposed to paint. All the workers that were doing spray painting were exposed to paint (95%) and solvents 5%). Although 75% of the workers, doing spray painting had some kind of personal protection provided however the usage rate was very low. In all the workplaces that were doing spray painting, there were no other existing control measures for protecting the workers from paint emissions 76% did not have any respiratory protection. However, only 33.3% of them were using the PPE provided and 66.7% were not using them. Therefore most of the workers were at risk of breathing in welding fumes and other welding related gases. This means 92 % of workers were at risk to welding fumes and gases. 68% of the workers did not have protection for the hands, only 32% had. Those workers that had hand protection (32%) had gloves with shorter cuffs and separate sleeves (12%). Others had leather gauntlet gloves with canvas or cuffs (20%). 75% of these workers who had PPE were not using them, only 25% did. Since most of the workers did not use hand protection, this means that their hands were not protected against heat, spatter, and radiation. Most of the workers (72%) did not wear eye protection when removing slag and that put them at risk of eye injuries. All welding operations were not done in a booth. This means that the workers and co-workers were at risk of exposure to welding gases and fumes. 48% of the workplaces had their surroundings with materials that could catch fire. 52% had their surroundings free from burnable material. Therefore almost half of the workplaces were at risk of catching fire. 76% of the working places had no fire extinguishers. Only 24% had fire extinguishers, but only two had been serviced accordingly. The workplaces were less prepared for outbreaks of fire. 68% of the workers took no precautions against burns; they had their sleeves rolled up and forearms without gloves or sleeves when carrying out their work. Only 32% of the workers took precautions against burns. 72% of the workers said that they did not know how to treat burns. Only 28% said they knew how to treat them. 72% of the workplaces did not have first aid kits. The means that they were not prepared for accident, only 28% had first aid kits. 71.4% of the work places had first aid kits without the necessary medicines, bandages, and equipment, only 28.6% had. This indicated a lack of preparedness for accidents on their part. A long-term strategy should be developed aimed at improving the occupational health and safety of the workers. Workers need to be empowered to perform their tasks safely. Workers and owners of informal industries should participate in the formulation of interventions aimed at improving occupational health and safety. The City Council should provide health and safety education and training to the Informal Sector.

Orientador: Otávio José de Oliveira / Banca: João Candido Fernandes / Banca: Mario Cezar Rodriguez Vidal / Resumo: As organizações têm enfrentado desafios relacionados à produtividade, desenvolvimento sustentável, posicionamento estratégico, motivação e bem estar de seus empregados. Neste contexto, o desempenho de Sistemas de Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho (SSST) ganha um significado cada vez mais importante nos resultados das empresas por meio da redução dos riscos de acidentes e promoção da saúde e da satisfação dos trabalhadores. No entanto, para que um SSST obtenha bons resultados, as organizações precisam estar atentas às dificuldades comumente encontradas durante o seu processo de implantação, procurando solucioná-las de maneira antecipada e estruturada. Pelo exposto, esta dissertação tem como objetivo elaborar recomendações baseadas no referencial teórico e nas boas práticas e dificuldades evidenciadas nos estudos de caso, que contribuiam com a implantação de sisteamas de segurança e saúde no trabalho em empresas fabricantes de baterias automotivas. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa optou-se pelo método de pesquisa qualitativa com base na elaboração de dois estudos de caso em empresas localizadas na cidade de Bauru. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados utilizados foram entrevistas semi-estruturadas, análise de documentos e observação in loco. Ao final da dissertação são propostas recomendações para implantação deste sistema relacionadas aos seguintes elementos: alta direção, estratégia organizacional, cultura organizacional, departamento de segurança e saúde do trabalho, técnicos de segurança e saúde do trabalho, recursos humanos, treinamentos, equipes multidisciplinares para solução de problemas de segurança e saúde do trabalho, comunicação interna, resistência à mudança, indicadores de desempenho, ferramentas gerenciais para solução de problemas, gestão de projetos, recompensas e incentivos, e integração dos sistemas. / Abstract: Organizations have been facing challenges related to their employees' productivity, sustainable development, strategic positioning, motivation and welfare. In such a context, the occupational health and safety systems gains an ever-present major relevance in the companies' results, through the reduction of occupational hazards and the fostering of their workers' health and self-fulfillment. Nevertheless, for the occupational health and safety systems to achieve good results, organizations must be attentive to the difficulties they frequently have to overcome along their implantation process, by seeking to solve them in a structure in-advance manner. As already outlined, this dissertation has a its main purpose the development of suggestions based upon the theoretical referential and on the good practices and difficulties avidenced in the case studies, wich may contribute towards the implantation of the occupational health and safety systems in those companies which manufacture automotive batteries. The qualitative research method was chosen for the development of this work, relying on two case studies in companies in the city of Bauru. The data collection tools used were semi-structured interviews, documents analysis and in loco observation. At the end of this dissertation, suggestions are given for the implantation of such system, related to the elements which follow: high administration, organizational strategy, organizational culture, a department of the occupational health and safety with its respective technicians, human resources, training, multidisciplinary teams for solving the occupational health and safety problems, internal communication, resistance to changes, performance indicators, problem-solving managerial tools, management of projects, rewards and incentives, and also integration to the systems. / Mestre

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No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Márcia Maria Moraes Silva.pdf: 1202706 bytes, checksum: 3855b878d7ed7bcd7400aa0a294dc059 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-13 / Outras / This study examines the impact of productive restructuring in work conditions and their effects on health and safety of workers in the electronics center of the Industrial District of Manaus. The methodology used in the study was built based on the analytical-critical perspective with a qualitative and quantitative approach. Thus, the main source of quantitative data was the record of accidents in the work done by the Metalworkers Union in the years 2007 and 2008. Thus, the quantitative research consists of the document inventory through an? Analysis of communication of Occupational Accidents (CAT) of the Syndicate, which corresponded to 1311 records, which identified the main characteristics of workplace accidents recorded during the period being analyzed. To deepen the analysis of survey data was accomplished documentary mode of qualitative data collection in the field, which is aimed at analyzing the sight of injured workers in relation to the impact of productive restructuring in work conditions and their effects on safety and health workers. Even in this kind of qualitative study were interviewed actors and institutional CEREST Syndicate, which sought to ascertain the vile? The prevention policy in relation to accidents and diseases in Brazil and in enterprises. In synthesis, qualitative research was conducted through the application of forms of semi-structured interviews to 14 individuals, divided between: State Representative (1), representative of workers (1) and workers of the factory floor accident victims work (12). And relevant to mention that this work brings up the discussion of health and safety at work specifically in the Industrial Pole of Manaus (PIM), a topic rarely addressed. It was noted the intensification of exploitation of work and production restructuring, which consequently caused impacts on health and safety of workers. Furthermore, the issue of occupational accidents in PIM shows the lack of employers 'responsibility in relation to workers' rights and justice in the struggle of these workers to have a recognized right. / O presente estudo analisa os impactos da Reestruturação Produtiva nas condições de trabalho e seus efeitos na saúde e na segurança dos trabalhadores no Pólo Eletroeletrônico do Distrito Industrial de Manaus. A metodologia adotada no trabalho foi construída com base na perspectiva crítica-analítica com uma abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa. Desse modo, a principal fonte de dados quantitativos foi o registro de acidentes do trabalho feito pelo Sindicato dos Metalúrgicos nos anos de 2007 e 2008. Assim, a pesquisa quantitativa consubstanciou-se no levantamento documental por meio da análise da Comunicação dos Acidentes do Trabalho (CAT) do Sindicato, que correspondeu a 1.311 registros, o que permitiu identificar as principais características dos acidentes do trabalho registrados durante o período em análise. Para aprofundar a análise dos dados do levantamento documental foi realizada a modalidade qualitativa de levantamento de dados em campo, em que se buscou analisar a visão dos trabalhadores acidentados em relação aos impactos da Reestruturação Produtiva nas condições de trabalho e seus efeitos na segurança e na saúde dos trabalhadores. Ainda nessa modalidade qualitativa da pesquisa foram entrevistados os agentes institucionais do CEREST e do Sindicado, em que se buscou conhecer a visão em relação à política de prevenção de acidentes e doenças existentes no Brasil e nas empresas. Em síntese, a pesquisa qualitativa foi realizada por meio da aplicação de formulários de entrevistas semi-estruturada para 14 sujeitos, divididos entre: Representante do Estado (1), representante dos trabalhadores (1) e trabalhadores do chão-de-fábrica vítimas de acidentes do trabalho (12). É relevante mencionar que o referido trabalho traz à tona à discussão sobre saúde e segurança no trabalho especificamente no Pólo Industrial de Manaus (PIM), tema este pouco abordado. Constatou-se a intensificação da exploração do trabalho com a Reestruturação Produtiva, que conseqüentemente causou impactos na saúde e na segurança dos trabalhadores. Além disso, a questão dos acidentes do trabalho no PIM revela a falta de responsabilidade dos empregadores em relação aos direitos dos trabalhadores e a luta na justiça desses trabalhadores para terem um direito reconhecido.

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2005 / Refer to document

Dust creates health and safety issues in mining and there are several different ways to reduce the amount of respirable dust created. Dust particles also affect the operation and efficiency of mining equipment. One device currently used to reduce dust in a coal mine is a flooded-bed dust scrubber. These type of scrubbers are found on continuous miners and are designed to capture dust particles close to the cutting head. However, the fibrous screens on the flooded-bed dust scrubber clog easily reducing both production and the quality and quantity of air miners are exposed too. The flooded-bed dust scrubber was designed in the 1980s and has not seen any significant changes since. A Vortecone is a wet scrubber system designed to capture small particles in the air and can easily replace the flooded-bed dust scrubber system on a continuous miner. The Vortecone was initially developed to capture over-sprayed paint particles and due to the capture ability was converted over into the mining industry. The first design of the Vortecone had two outlets and a large pressure drop across the system. The Vortecone was redesigned to have one outlet in order to increase confinement time of particles and thus increase the capture abilities. Using CFD analysis and laboratory testing, the redesigned Vortecone has been proven to have a lower resistance than the original design as well as the currently used convention screens. The Vortecone also proved to have a high capture efficiency at high airflows. This maintenance-free wet scrubber device requires much less maintenance than a conventional screen and thus can be used continually without interrupting production. The Vortecone has been designed so it can easily be mounted onto a continuous miner in place of the currently used scrubbers.

The Missouri Poultry Cohort is a historical cohort investigation of mortality among workers highly exposed to the poultry oncogenic viruses which are suspected cancer causing agents in humans. Workers were also exposed to fumes from PVC-wrapping activities that contain chemicals known or suspected to produce cancer in humans The cohort mortality pattern is similar to what is often observed in occupational studies, where the healthy worker effect takes place As a group, cancer mortality also does not shows excess. However, cancer of bronchus, trachea & lung and cancer of kidney present statistically significant excess when the plants are introduced in the analysis. A positive dose response relationship was found for cancer of bronchus, trachea & lung, and cancer of kidney by means of latency and duration of employment analysis. In lesser extent, some cancers of the lymphopoietic system are also excessive: Lymphosarcoma & Reticulosarcoma, Leukemia & Aleukemia, and Cancer of All Other Lymphopoietic Tissues. Several other cancers also are excessive as cancer of stomach, cancer of large intestine, cancer of pancreas, cancer of bladder, cancer of cervix, cancer of thyroid, and cancer of central nervous system The cohort experienced an excessive mortality of Non-Malignant Respiratory Diseases. From the external causes of death, Motor Vehicle Accidents and Homicides & Other External Causes are also in excess. All other causes of death, covering a broad spectrum of diseases, also presents excess By taking race into consideration in the PMR analysis it was identified that the cancer of bronchus, trachea & lung excess is greater in the nonwhite female group. In lesser extent, it also suggests nonwhite-male excess of cancer of bronchus, trachea & lung The major limitations of this investigation are the relative short time of follow-up, the potential role of confounding factors that were not taken into account in the assessment of risk, and the small number of observed deaths in the cancers of interest The major strengths are the high intensity of chicken oncogenic viruses exposure in a homogeneous population, the assessment of missing information in the SMR analysis, and the consistency of the positive cancer results of this investigation with previous findings from occupational investigations in the Chicken Slaughtering/Processing Industry / acase@tulane.edu

There is growing evidence that natural disasters can trigger technological disasters, and that these joint events (also known as natechs) may pose tremendous risks to regions which are unprepared for such events. The recent floods across Europe in the summer of 2002 and the unprecedented multiple hazardous materials releases triggered by the Turkey earthquake of August 1999 were examples showing the potential danger of a natech disaster occurring near populated areas. However, there is scarce information available on the interactions between natural disasters and simultaneous technological accidents This dissertation provides an overview of the natech problem through the development of five related but independent research studies that identify natech disaster scenarios at industrial facilities subject to natural hazards, documents and analyzes natech incidents and risk management and emergency response practices for earthquake triggered hazardous materials releases during the Turkey earthquake of August 17, 1999, and assess risk management and emergency response for earthquake-induced chemical accidents in the US The dissertation demonstrates that the likelihood of joint natural and technological disasters is high, while preparedness for joint natechs is low Both the study of potential hurricane-triggered hazmat release scenarios and the study of hazmat releases during the Turkey earthquake demonstrated that joint natural disasters and technological disasters act synergistically to produce a much greater threat than either type of hazard alone. Furthermore, the different natural hazards associated with natechs all have the potential to produce a high amount of property damage, economic loss, and a high level of potential health threats to workers and the surrounding communities / acase@tulane.edu

Purpose. To determine the extent to which the MOR and PMR correctly identify true underlying associations between certain occupations/industries and mortality from specific cancers and what the important determinants are that contribute towards valid estimation of risk when they are employed Methodology. A literature review of relevant occupational risk factors for lung cancer, pleural cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and soft tissue sarcoma was conducted to determine the extent to which the study findings were supported by other studies. Death certificate data from 26 states in the United States that routinely code occupation and industry on the death certificates of decedents between 1985 and 1998 were used for this study. Both proportionate mortality and case-control studies were used to investigate the extent to which PMR and MOR were influenced by: (1) the choice of three different reference populations; and (2) reliability of the cause of death information as measured by detection and confirmation rates. It also determined whether the direction of bias remained consistent for cancers with well established (asbestos, benzene) and those with less established (solvents, diesel) carcinogens in certain occupations. Finally, similar but limited analyses were made using industry rather than occupation to determine whether estimates of the MOR and PMR differed Results. The results from the MOR and PMR investigation correctly identified risks for lung cancer, mesothelioma and acute myeloid leukemia, although they did not reflect the estimates published in the literature. An improvement in the odds ratio was observed for only lung and pleural/peritoneal cancer and soft tissue neoplasms when cancers caused by the same exposure under investigation were removed from the control group. In the case of the PMR, the proportionate cancer mortality ratio (PMCR) was an improvement over the PMR since it was possible to control for the healthy worker effect Both the MOR and PMR were influenced by the use of different measures of exposure (occupation titles, industry titles and a combination of both) Conclusions. The choice of reference diseases, type of exposure coding and confirmation and detection rates determines whether the MOR and PMR reliably identify associations between certain occupations and industries and mortality from specific cancers. Investigations based on exclusively on death certificate data ought not to be interpreted without substantial support of other rigorous investigations such as cohort studies, but are a valuable tool in epidemiological investigations for hypothesis generating / acase@tulane.edu

The purpose of this investigation was to explore relationships between accidents and demographic variables, attitudes, values and opinions about safety held by workers, and to compare accident rates (and performance records) of workers. Identification of attitudes toward safety that differentiate safe from unsafe employees could assist organizations in enhancing the safety of the workplace through identification or specialized training of potentially unsafe workers This study utilizes field data, collected by an offshore drilling company, using its Offshore Questionnaire (OQ). Information for the predictor variables (Offshore Questionnaire, Demographics, and BMCT) was provided by the company. Analyses were conducted to evaluate the hypotheses and to examine the dimensions of the OQ The findings in this study serve both to confirm some and contradict other previous findings. Kunce (1967) found a relationship between tenure and accidents. In the present study those positions requiring more experience--and, therefore, tenure--did have a significantly lower accident rate than entry-level positions It would appear that workers in the offshore industry are experiencing some of the same changes that the industry itself is experiencing. Rather than pioneers exploring new frontiers, workers today are experienced, well-trained professionals involved in oil and gas production and extraction. Working offshore is still a risky occupation, however the maturity of the industry allows many of these risks to be anticipated. The identification of these risks, combined with the selection and training of workers, could provide the industry the opportunity to be a safer and more productive workplace / acase@tulane.edu

Findings from a cohort mortality study between 1949-1980 of 28,900 members of a meatcutter's union in Baltimore, Maryland, suggested that certain workers in the meat industry have an excess risk of death from tumors of the hemopoietic/lymphatic systems (HLS). The aim of the present case-control study, nested in the Baltimore cohort study, was to investigate whether any job-categories and related tasks are associated with an excess of death from tumors of the HLS, taking into account length of exposure, as well as potential confounding factors in the assessment of risk While the cohort study was being concluded, all subjects who died from tumors of the HLS in Maryland were identified, and their next-of-kin interviewed by telephone to provide detailed information on history of occupation, lifestyle, diet, medical conditions, use of medications, leisure, etc. Controls were randomly selected from deceased members who had never been diagnosed with cancer of the HLS. Inclusion of controls was restricted to those who had lived at least as long as an assigned case. Additional data from the employment records of the Union and medical charts were used to validate occupational exposures and the cause of death Consistent results were obtained with (1) different statistical approaches viz. unmatched analyses with one control per case (n = 106) or two controls per case (n = 159) and matched analysis with one control per case; and (2) different sources of information including data from the interviews of the next-of-kin and limited data from the Union's records. The main findings are as follows: (1) Increased risks of all tumors of the HLS were observed among workers in the meat industry in general, and in abattoirs, grocery stores/supermarkets, and chicken-slaughtering plants specifically. Workers in meatpacking plants were at decreased risk. (2) Meat-related tasks with high exposure to oncogenic viruses such as butcher, work in kill/dress areas involving slaughtering activities were highly associated with tumors of the HLS. (3) The positive associations between job-categories and specific occupational tasks and tumors of the HLS remained stable after controlling for exposure to pesticides, working/living on pig farms, and exposure to X-rays. (4) The excess risks of tumors of the HLS seen throughout the meat industry, except in meatpacking plants, were mostly due to lymphomas. In supermarkets, myeloid tumors and multiple myeloma also contributed to the excess risk. There was a suggestion also of an increased risk of myeloid leukemia in abattoirs. (5) There was no sex-related difference in the risk of developing all tumors of the HLS in the meat industry in general and within each job-category, except for supermarket workers. In this department, lymphomas and leukemias were predominant in females who are exclusively engaged in wrapping, while multiple myeloma was over-represented in men. (6) The observed risks generally increased for long duration of employment in abattoirs and chicken-slaughtering plants, except in grocery stores/supermarkets where an inverse dose-response relationship, or lack of it was observed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / acase@tulane.edu