In the semiconductor industry, numerous potential occupational exposures exist as a result of the diversity of chemical and physical hazards unique to integrated circuit manufacturing. The hazards associated with maintenance tasks are challenging because the sporadic nature of the tasks make exposure monitoring difficult. In particular, vacuum pump maintenance is hazardous due to the close contact with chemical waste by-products. The purpose of this study was to characterize the chemical and physical occupational exposures associated with vacuum pump maintenance (VPM) in a semiconductor manufacturing environment. The study population consisted of 9 VPM technicians at a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Oregon. VPM tasks were observed and prioritized according to potential risk of exposure. For each task studied, an exposure monitoring strategy was developed to quantify both chemical and noise exposures. Personal and area air samples of potential waste gases were conducted during maintenance tasks. All air samples were below established governmental standards. Detectable levels were found for three tasks: 0.040 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m��) of hydrochloric acid, 0.014 mg/m�� of chlorine, and 0.08 mg/m�� of fluoride containing gases during tasks associated with the metal etch tool, polynitride etch tool, and tungsten deposition tool, respectively. Several bulk samples of waste residues collected during the tasks where corrosive having low pH levels. Representative noise sampling was conducted during a 12 hour shift to characterize noise exposures. Noise samples revealed that 43% of the samples were above the 80 dBA action limit thus requiring the VPM technicians to be involved in a hearing conservation program. Field observations revealed that there were many chemical hazards associated with waste gases and residues, therefore it is likely that occupational exposures occur even though they were not detected at significant levels in this study. In addition, there were several ergonomic risk factors associated with dismantling the pump during the maintenance activities. Specific improvements in personal protective equipment, general work practices, ergonomics, and engineering controls will help to reduce the potential for occupational exposures unique to VPM. Results from this study indicate the need to conduct in depth hazard evaluations of high risk populations such as the VPM technicians. / Graduation date: 1997

The study was designed to identify current levels of corporate health promotion and nutrition activities and to highlight the need for continued health promotion activities, in particular nutrition education, throughout corporate America.Five hundred surveys were mailed to the Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States. One hundred and twenty-one were completed, yielding a 24% sample for analysis.The wellness/health promotion activities reported to be a part of corporate wellness programs included exercise, nutrition education, CPR training, stress management and intramural sports. It appeared that size of the corporation influenced the nutrition promotion provided at the worksite. There appeared to be no difference between CEO support or lack of support to the wellness/health promotion program and the variety of health promotion activities. It was apparent that having a nutrition consultant resulted in greater and more varied nutrition health promotion activities at the worksite, and that in the future, America's Fortune 500 companies will need to hire a nutrition professional to disseminate nutrition and health promotion information at the worksite. / Institute for Wellness

Background: There is global concern about the impact of lifestyle related diseases which have been on a steady increase in recent years. Poor nutrition, reduced physical activity and cigarette smoking have been documented as the main lifestyle behaviors that result in an increase in prevalence of the three most common occurring chronic diseases of lifestyle namely: diabetes, hypertension and cardiac diseases. Healthcare workers are frontline personnel and are seen as role models by their family, friends and the community they serve. It is therefore important that positive healthy lifestyle behaviors are practiced and encouraged by healthcare workers themselves. Objectives: To develop an initial descriptive profile of hospital employees with regards to their general knowledge, attitudes and practices about healthy lifestyles and to make appropriate recommendations to the hospital management on how the workplace can support the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Methods: The study was conducted at one health institution using the permanently employed staff as the study population. An exploratory descriptive study design was used in context of the precede-proceed planning framework. Self-administered questionnaires and consent forms were distributed in English and isiZulu. Collection boxes were placed in all wards and departments. Data was captured using the SPSS version 13 statistical package. Results: The response rate was 42%. Respondents were classified into the administrative, general staff and health professional categories. There was a significant difference (p=0.03) between the staff body mass index and their weight perception. Knowledge and attitude had mean indices of greater than 70% and the practice indices were lower for all three categories at less than 45%. A significant difference was found between certain staff categories in the knowledge and attitude indices but no significant difference existed in their practices. Conclusion: All categories of staff possessed adequate knowledge and attitudes but this is not transferred into positive health promoting practices. The possibility of workplace health promoting interventions was well supported by staff especially with regards to healthier meal choices at the staff dining room and an onsite gym facility. The main limitations of the study were the non-standardized data collection tool, and the poor response rate, which make the generalization of the study findings difficult. / Thesis (M.PH.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

No abstract available. / Thesis (MMed)-University of Natal, Durban, 1993.

A major goal when conducting worksite health promotion activities is to reach a high percentage of employees. Participation rates vary, especially between blue and white-collar workers. This study investigated perceived barriers to participation in both participants and non-participants, as identified by Support, Professional and Auxiliary Service employees (which include blue and white-collar) at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie Indiana. A questionnaire was sent through interoffice mail to a random sample of employees. It included five barrier categories: perceived physical barriers, lack of perceived self-efficacy, perceived psychological barriers, convenience factors and presence of social support. The categories were subjected to an F test and results in 3 of the 5 supported the research hypothesis that there would be a significant difference in the perceived participation barrier scores. For four of the five barrier categories the mean value was highest for Professional Service employees. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

The Purpose of this study was to compare the demographic characteristics, health behaviors, health beliefs, and motivation to exercise of participants and people intending to participate in a corporate fitness program with those of non-participants and people not intending to participate. Six hundred employees of Lands' End, Inc. were randomly selected and mailed a questionnaire. A total of 307 employees returned the questionnaires for analysis. Raw scores were calculated and graphed for all data of this study. The Hypotheses were then tested with a Chi-square analysis. Significant differences were found between participants and non-participants as well as between those intending to participate and those not intending to participate. Demographic characteristics proved to be of little importance as only job classification showed any difference. However, participants appeared to be slightly healthier as they had fewer sick days and visited the physician less often. Participants believed that physical activity led to good health and always used that as motivation to exercise more regularly than non-participants. Participants also used fun, self-discipline, and body attractiveness as motivation to exercise. However, even though the participants appeared to be healthier than non-participants, the development of the Activity Center led to an increase in their exercise level. Employees who indicated that they intended to participate in the next six months were most likely to be salaried and believed that eating nutritious was important for their health. Those intending to participate also listed health and fitness and fun as motivation to exercise more than those people not intending to participate. Further study is suggested. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

The purpose of this study was to determine behavioral risk factor prevalence at Lands' End, Incorporated, and to prioritize these risk factors for health promotion program intervention. A randomly-selected stratified sample of employees from three employee classifications were invited to participate in the study anonymously. Of the 493 subjects selected, 333 (67.5%) completed the Centers for Disease Control's Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Population Descriptive Statistics were used to determine prevalence estimates for nine risk factors. Sedentary lifestyle was found to be the most prevalent risk factor (47.4%), followed by obesity (29.4%), acute drinking (26.4%), and lack of safety belt use (22.0%).The Hanlon Method, a process to prioritize health interventions, was used to determine risk factor intervention priorities. This method combines four components; size of the problem, seriousness of the problem, solubility, and pertinent organizational factors, into an Overall Priority Rating formula. Sedentary lifestyle received the highest priority rating, followed by obesity, safety belt use, and smoking. / Institute for Wellness

The purpose of this study was to identify familial, as well as organizational factors that support and inhibit the development or maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviors of Lands' End, Inc. employees. Participation by the twelve employees and eight spouses was based on employees' Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Questionnaire scores. Participants answered questions in during a 20minute semi-standard interview. The data was analyzed and interpreted, resulting in four emergent themes. The themes included: a perception of family support, a perception of organization support, a perception of barriers to family support, and a perception of barriers to organizational support for healthy lifestyle behaviors. The results of this study support the literature on support mechanisms for healthy lifestyle behaviors and provides suggestions which may be useful for future study in this area. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

p. 1-85 / Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2013-04-30T17:41:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 333333333.pdf: 250715 bytes, checksum: d0725f7bc52614bbf53110aff0346099 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Creuza Silva(mariakreuza@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-05-04T17:40:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 333333333.pdf: 250715 bytes, checksum: d0725f7bc52614bbf53110aff0346099 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-04T17:40:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 333333333.pdf: 250715 bytes, checksum: d0725f7bc52614bbf53110aff0346099 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o absenteísmo numa população de trabalhadores, submetidos as ações de um programa de consultoria e diagnóstico em saúde, implantado numa instituição financeira estatal, para reduzir o absenteísmo por doença, através da mensuração dos afastamentos do trabalho por doença e das principais causas de afastamento. A população de trabalhadores foi avaliada em dois momentos distintos, antes da implantação do programa e a partir de dois anos após seu início. Foram avaliados 438 trabalhadores num estudo seqüencial do tipo case crossover, onde cada trabalhador foi controle dele mesmo. Cada trabalhador, para participar da população do estudo, precisou ter sido submetido as ações do programa e ter pelo menos duas avaliações de saúde, através dos exames do PCMSO (Programa de Controle Médico e Saúde Ocupacional), antes e depois da implantação do programa. Verificou-se uma redução no número de afastamentos, após a implantação do programa, passando de 29,0% no momento anterior ao programa, para 25,0% na segunda avaliação (um declínio de 1,2 %). As doenças osteomusculares apareceram como maior responsável pelos afastamentos do trabalho no grupo estudado, seguido pelas doenças do aparelho respiratório, tanto no momento anterior quanto no posterior à intervenção. Esses achados foram discutidos à luz da importância da implantação desses programas pelas empresas, assim como da necessidade de serem avaliados sistematicamente, para medir o alcance dos objetivos propostos, buscando garantir melhores condições de trabalho e saúde para os funcionários. Também são discutidas as proporções de doenças osteomusculares nessa categoria, associados às características das atividades desempenhadas. / Salvador

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2018. / Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common health complaints in the working population and the advancement in technology is a big contributor. Many offices and work spaces have been revolutionised with technological advances, most notably through computer usage, which has become an integral part of life. Intensive use of computers has shown to result in MSDs. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of MSDs in a library setting at a University of Technology with the objectives of: determining the prevalence of MSDs in the library staff, to describe the workstations of the staff, and to describe any associations between the workstations and MSDs. This was a cross sectional study at two libraries at a University of Technology with a sample of 59 library staff. The study involved a two part process in which an observational assessment of the library staff was conducted by the researcher with each staff member individually, followed by a questionnaire completed by each participant. The observational checklist was used as a means to assess the ergonomic environment of the library staff. The questionnaire included demographic information, pain-related questions, psychosocial questions, and perception-based questions regarding the participants’ work environment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 24), including descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistics included frequencies, measures of central tendency, and variance and measures of association for example chi-square, Cronbach’s alpha and correlation statistics. The study indicated a prevalence of 96% for some kind of MSD. One out of every two participants had reported that the MSDs or pain interferes with their work. Certain risk factors were evident from the study, namely: inappropriate desk height, reaching for items in the work place, noise, inappropriate chairs and inadequate leg room. The most commonly reported MSDs related to neck (55.9%), shoulders/upper arm (55.9%), head (49.2%), and knees/legs (49.2%). The significant associations that were present included head and neck MSDs with noise and upper arm positioning in worker posture and hand pain. Significant rates of MSDs were reported by the participants with half of them reporting that pain caused interference with their work and only a small portion of participants seeking treatment for these conditions. It would be beneficial for the library staff to become more aware of MSDs and their ergonomic environments both at work and privately and to take corrective action to better equip themselves to mitigate MSDs and seek treatment when needed. / M