A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Technology: Radiography, Durban University of Technology, 2006. / The study will determine the sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels in the x-ray department and evaluate it’s effects on the health of the radiology workers. The aim of the study is to mainly create awareness of occupational hazards posed by processing chemistry to radiology workers. / M

Introduction Radiologic Technologists exposed to continuous low dose radiation may have an increased risk for spontaneous abortions. Although the federally mandated radiation dose limit to the developing fetus of an occupational worker is 5mSv, well below the documented threshold of 100mSv, some studies have suggested an increased risk for spontaneous abortions in occupationally exposed females. The effects of exposure to low levels of radiation are difficult to discern from the usual occurrence and are limited in the literature because of the large sample size needed to achieve statistical power. This study contains data from 152,439 self-reported pregnancies and possesses the appropriate sample size to assess the risk of spontaneous abortions incident to radiologic technologists who maintain fetal radiation dose levels within federal guidelines. Methods This non-experimental retrospective designed study uses data from the United States Radiologic Technologist Study (USRTS). The USRTS began in 1982 as a joint effort between the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT),UniversityofMinnesotaand the National Cancer Institute to study the radiation effects from low-dose occupational exposure. This longitudinal study follows more than 90,000 current and former technologists through periodic surveys and contains a sufficient sample size to overcome statistical power concerns. The provided data included the order and outcome of each self-reported pregnancy as well as the year of each live birth. The data were therefore manipulated to provide a likely gestational interval for both a reported live birth and spontaneous abortion. After calculating the spontaneous abortion rate for the final sample, a binary logistic regression was performed to determine if levels of estimated fetal radiation dose are associated with predicting the odds of a reported spontaneous abortion. A linear regression analysis was then performed to assess the relationship between the calculated odds ratios of a reported spontaneous abortion as a function of estimated fetal radiation dose, specifically to determine the significance of the linear relationship Results The overall spontaneous abortion incidence to the cohort reporting at least one live birth or spontaneous abortion was 14.8%, lower than the reported national incidence of 15-20%. Using up to 1mSv as the reference fetal radiation dose category, the odds ratios of a spontaneous abortion for 1-2mSv, 2-3mSv, 3-4mSv and 4-5mSv were calculated as 1.57, 1.82, 2.11 and 2.15 respectively. This increase in odds was linear with estimated fetal radiation dose as demonstrated by the significant regression equation (F=29.93, p = .01) and an R2 of 0.9089. Conclusions By demonstrating an increased risk at levels of radiation as low as natural background, and further demonstrating the risk increases linearly with radiation dose, the Linear Non-Threshold Theory appears to be the more likely risk model for predicting spontaneous abortions in lieu of the belief that a 100mSv threshold must first be exceeded for a radiation induced spontaneous abortion to occur. Application of this model demonstrates the risk of a spontaneous abortion is twice as likely in occupational workers whose fetal radiation doses are closer to the maximum allowable limit of 5mSv compared with those who maintain fetal radiation doses below 1mSv.

A Validação de Limpeza é um requisito das Boas Praticas de Fabricação, podendo ser definida como o ato documentado que atesta que qualquer procedimento de limpeza conduzem aos resultados esperados. Alguns dos pré-requisitos fundamentais para validação de limpeza de uma linha de produção são: definição das etapas do processo produtivo; especificação dos insumos utilizados na produção; definição dos pontos críticos de processo; qualificação dos equipamentos da linha de produção; definição dos agentes de limpeza a serem utilizados e validação da metodologia analítica e de amostragem. A validação da metodologia analítica e de amostragem utilizada na análise de resíduos presentes em equipamentos de produção é um dos primeiros passos para a validação de limpeza, pois garante a correta definição de agentes de limpeza e procedimentos adotados. O método de amostragem direta da superfície é o mais empregado para análise de resíduos, realizado pelo esfregaço com \"swab\" em área pre-estabelecida da superfície do equipamento que entra em contato com o produto. Após a amostragem, o resíduo é removido e analisado por metodologias analíticas específica como a cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE), a cromatografia em camada delgada de alta eficiência (CCDAE), e metodologias não-específicas, como a análise de carbono orgânico total (COT). A Validação de Limpeza torna-se ainda mais crítica quando são envolvidos produtos que apresentem alto risco a saúde, que mesmo em quantidades residuais podem exibir alta atividade farmacológica, gerando efeitos adversos graves. Produtos como os antiretrovirais, imunossupressores e outros que são utilizados no tratamento de doenças crônicas e de difícil controle são extremamente críticos se considerados como possíveis resíduos em outros produtos. / The Cleaning Validation is a requirement of the Good Manufacture Practices, defined as the registered act that certifies that any procedure of cleanness leads to the aimed results. Some of the requirements for cleaning validation of a production line are: definition of the stages of the productive process; specification of the materials used in the production process; definition of the critical points of the process; qualification of the equipment of the production line; definition of the agents of cleaning to be used; validation of analytical methodology and sampling process. The validation of the analytical methodology and sampling used in the analysis of residues in production equipment is one of the first steps to be considered in the cleaning validation, therefore it guarantees the correct selection of cleaning agents and adopted procedures. The method of direct sampling from the surface is used for analysis of residues, carried out by using a \"swab\" on the surface area of the equipment that is in direct contact with the product. After the sampling, the residue is removed and analyzed by specific analytical methodologies such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), total organic carbon analysis (TOC). The Cleaning Validation becomes still more critical when high risk products are involved. That is the cause of residues with high pharmacological activity, generating serious adverse effects, such as products like anti-retrovirals, immunossupressents and others that are used in the treatment of chronic illnesses. The control of these substances are extremely critical if they are considered as possible contaminants in other products.

A Validação de Limpeza é um requisito das Boas Praticas de Fabricação, podendo ser definida como o ato documentado que atesta que qualquer procedimento de limpeza conduzem aos resultados esperados. Alguns dos pré-requisitos fundamentais para validação de limpeza de uma linha de produção são: definição das etapas do processo produtivo; especificação dos insumos utilizados na produção; definição dos pontos críticos de processo; qualificação dos equipamentos da linha de produção; definição dos agentes de limpeza a serem utilizados e validação da metodologia analítica e de amostragem. A validação da metodologia analítica e de amostragem utilizada na análise de resíduos presentes em equipamentos de produção é um dos primeiros passos para a validação de limpeza, pois garante a correta definição de agentes de limpeza e procedimentos adotados. O método de amostragem direta da superfície é o mais empregado para análise de resíduos, realizado pelo esfregaço com \"swab\" em área pre-estabelecida da superfície do equipamento que entra em contato com o produto. Após a amostragem, o resíduo é removido e analisado por metodologias analíticas específica como a cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE), a cromatografia em camada delgada de alta eficiência (CCDAE), e metodologias não-específicas, como a análise de carbono orgânico total (COT). A Validação de Limpeza torna-se ainda mais crítica quando são envolvidos produtos que apresentem alto risco a saúde, que mesmo em quantidades residuais podem exibir alta atividade farmacológica, gerando efeitos adversos graves. Produtos como os antiretrovirais, imunossupressores e outros que são utilizados no tratamento de doenças crônicas e de difícil controle são extremamente críticos se considerados como possíveis resíduos em outros produtos. / The Cleaning Validation is a requirement of the Good Manufacture Practices, defined as the registered act that certifies that any procedure of cleanness leads to the aimed results. Some of the requirements for cleaning validation of a production line are: definition of the stages of the productive process; specification of the materials used in the production process; definition of the critical points of the process; qualification of the equipment of the production line; definition of the agents of cleaning to be used; validation of analytical methodology and sampling process. The validation of the analytical methodology and sampling used in the analysis of residues in production equipment is one of the first steps to be considered in the cleaning validation, therefore it guarantees the correct selection of cleaning agents and adopted procedures. The method of direct sampling from the surface is used for analysis of residues, carried out by using a \"swab\" on the surface area of the equipment that is in direct contact with the product. After the sampling, the residue is removed and analyzed by specific analytical methodologies such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), total organic carbon analysis (TOC). The Cleaning Validation becomes still more critical when high risk products are involved. That is the cause of residues with high pharmacological activity, generating serious adverse effects, such as products like anti-retrovirals, immunossupressents and others that are used in the treatment of chronic illnesses. The control of these substances are extremely critical if they are considered as possible contaminants in other products.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographies. / by Sonia Sylvia Jasso. / M.C.P.

Although there are over 1,600 Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs)-containing consumer products available, our understanding of ENM safety is still limited. Airborne ENMs can readily enter the human body through inhalation potentially leading to many adverse health effects such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. The conventional in vitro submerged cell culture method was developed decades ago and has been widely used as a fast screening method to elucidate cellular toxicity upon exposure to hazardous materials; however, it has many limitations compared with the in vivo models. Our group has previously utilized and validated an integrated low flow system capable of generating and depositing airborne nanoparticles (NPs) directly onto cells at an air-liquid interface (ALI) condition, and our results confirmed that this exposure system produced reproducible toxicological data for ENMs including gold (Au), 16% silver coated onto silica (16% Ag-SiO2), and copper oxide (CuO). To further improve this ALI method for an even closer representation of the in vivo model, a co-culture model containing three cell lines (A549, THP-1 differentiated macrophages, and EA.hy 926) was established and validated for testing ENMs toxicity. The co-culture model was exposed to 16% Ag-SiO2 and CuO NPs under the same protocol (4 h ALI exposure with a concentration of 3.5 mg/m3) as monoculture (A549 only) for comparison. Toxicity was assessed by measuring cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and interleukin (IL) 8 level. Results showed that 16% Ag-SiO2 NPs induced higher ROS generation, and CuO NPs produced a significant level of proinflammatory response compared with monoculture. In addition, the co-culture model exhibited a similar response with the primary human bronchial epithelia cell line (HBEC) in terms of ROS and IL-8 responses after CuO NPs exposure, suggesting a more advanced refinement of the conventional model for in vitro inhalation study.

Work-related injuries are a persistent problem in the manufacturing industry. This research focuses on factors involved in the incidence, severity, and effective treatment of work-related injuries in a population of manufacturing workers. Data from a large Midwestern manufacturing facility were obtained with the aims of measuring the association between shift work and injury incidence, measuring the impact of injury reporting lag on injury severity, describing an intervention designed to provide expedited treatment to injured workers, and describing worker and injury characteristics associated with treatment success. Using injury and employment data from the Midwestern manufacturing facility for the years 2011 and 2012, we found that workers on second shift had a marginally significant increase in injury incidence compared to first shift workers. No differences were observed between third shift and first shift workers. Gender and job tenure were also found to be associated with increased injury rates. Job tenure was, in fact, a more significant predictor of injury than age. Using injury data from the years 2011 and 2012, we found that delayed injury reporting had a significant impact on injury severity. As the lag time increased between the date of injury and the injury report date, so too did the odds that the injury would lead to restricted work days. We did not, however, find the same association between reporting lag and lost work days. Injury type was a significant predictor of both restricted and lost days. Job tenure and body part injured were also predictors of lost days. Finally, we collected data from the years 2007-2009 on injured workers treated for musculoskeletal disorders through an intervention designed to reduce treatment lag time. The intervention, delivered by occupational health nurses and physical therapists, provided injured workers with a physical therapy visit within three days of reporting an injury. The intervention was designed to circumvent two barriers to timely care, the delay between the injury report date and the first occupational health physician visit, and the delay between the first physician visit and the first physical therapy visit. The most significant predictor of program discharge success was patient age. Older workers tended to have lower odds of being discharged to their baseline work duties compared to young workers. Overall, nearly two-thirds of the injured workers referred to the program were successfully discharged, regardless of gender, body part injured, cause of injury, or nature of injury. This project addresses the important issue of injuries in the manufacturing industry. We provide evidence on the factors associated with injury incidence and injury severity among workers in a large Midwestern manufacturing facility. We also show that workplace injury treatment interventions directed by occupational health nurses and physical therapists can be very effective in returning injured workers to their regular job duties. Our evidence suggests that future research and injury prevention efforts should focus on shift workers, low tenured workers, reducing delayed injury reporting, and reducing delayed injury treatment.

The objective of this study was to determine whether improvements could be made to increase the capture distance of traditional local exhaust ventilation (LEV) hoods by designing a circular slotted-hood. The criterion of success for this study was to achieve increases in capture velocity at an upstream distance equal to the diameter of the hood (11 inches). By increasing capture velocity further from the face, contaminant capture could take place at distances more convenient to the circular slotted-hood operator while maintaining adequate suction. This was to be achieved by the addition of two slots and a flange to a traditional conical hood opening. Three plates were designed to change the geometry of a plain conical hood (slot area: 0.1334, 0.0963 and 0.0694 ft2). They were tested at different airflow rates (243, 347, 467, 647, 897 cubic feet per minute) for a set number of distances from the hood face using a thermal anemometer. Three-dimensional maps of performance were created for visual comparisons, and t-tests were conducted to analyze performance by comparison of velocity at any point upstream of the hood. Velocity contours illustrated that two of the three designs had greater capture velocities compared to the standalone conical hood, and paired t-tests confirmed the significance (p<0.05). Each of the new designs failed to significantly increase capture distance further than 11 inches from the hood. However, increased velocities occurred near the hood opening (within 5 inches). These modest improvements for the largest slot design increases operating pressures by approximately 0.1" wg @ 250 cfm but 1.1" wg @ 650 cfm. Implementing these new designs would increase capture velocities close to the hood, although this advantage is offset by the cost it would require to compensate for the pressure loss incurred.

Abstract Employees experience workplace stress that can affect their health resulting in chronic diseases such as diabetes, stress, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Stress also contributes to staff presentism, absenteeism, and high turnover rate. The employee wellness program (EWP) yoga class at a metropolitan teaching hospital has not been evaluated for its effectiveness in employee stress reduction and improvement in employee health. The practice focus question for this project explored employees' perception of the impact of a metropolitan teaching hospital's EWP yoga class on their stress reduction and health promotion activities. The theoretical framework for this project is Lazarus' transactional model of stress and coping. This model suggests that individuals assess the stressor and find strategies for coping with the stress as it relates to them and their environment. The evidence that guided this project included a comprehensive literature review and the analysis of data retrieved from semi structured interviews with 20 participants in the yoga class who responded to an open invitation. Audiotaped interviews with the participants were analyzed and coded for common themes and revealed that participating in the EWP yoga program helped to reduce their perceived stress and improve their mental and physical well-being. The findings of this project were used to inform organizational leadership and may provide opportunities to evaluate the current yoga program regarding employee stress reduction, improving healthy activities, expansion of the program to other work sites within the organization, maintaining a healthy workforce, and reducing health care costs.

Dental practice requires unique working conditions such as prolonged working hours, strained body postures and laborious, high finesse dental techniques. However, it can be more efficiently performed by the application of ergonomics, rather than physically forcing the worker's body to fit the job. Posture is highly influenced by factors such as inadequate working level, incorrect patient positioning, and poor visual comfort. In order to eliminate musculoskeletal disorders it is necessary to control these and other factors, and design the human work environment to be more ergonomic. The aim of this study was to assess ergonomics within Indian dental practice and elucidate factors that prevented application of ergonomics. An observational study was conducted among 58 Indian dentists, both from a private dental hospital and clinics. A questionnaire that consisted of 37 open-ended and closed-ended questions was used as a research tool for the study. Information on background characteristics, work environment, equipment, work administration, and ergonomic awareness was collected using the questionnaire. Sampling consisted of observing 37 male and 21 female dentists. A total of 58 individuals, 62 % ( 36), worked for a private dental hospital, and 38% (22) for dental clinics. A majority, 84.5% (49), of the dentists reported that they did not receive ergonomic training from their work administration. Most dentists, 96% (56), reported that there was no system of recordkeeping for workplace accidents. Lack of proper ergonomic training and no system of recordkeeping for workplace accidents were found to be the primary factors for not applying ergonomics by Indian dentists. Ergonomic training programs are needed in India to help educate dentists on workplace safety and health, and thus aid in reducing musculoskeletal pain. Finally, a system is needed in Indian dental practice to promote workplace safety and health by identifying workplace hazards that result in injuries.