Search

Regarding the significant share of the automotive industry in both producing economic value added and employment, this sector is dominated in the industrial development approach. On the other side, different societies have focussed on the emissions, energy consumption and also waste production of road transportation as important risk threatening environmental health. So, the supply side is highly expected to deal with the expectations of stakeholders relating to sustainability concerns and related risks. To evaluate the implementation of environmental policies in the direction of sustainability and respond to the sustainability and environmental concerns of stakeholders, similar organisations need a uniform framework for performance appraisal. The present study aimed to identify, select and validate the environmental key performance indicators for sustainability assessment of the automotive industry to create a framework for selecting the indicators and using them as a uniform method for better comparison of the performance of car companies in the field of environmental sustainability. In this research, key environmental performance indicators are studied in accordance with sustainability evaluation in the vehicle industry and final indicators introduced using SMARTL criteria. The results showed that 41 indicators included in five categories of waste and waste water, soil contaminators and solid waste, carbon production and energy consumption and management are introduced according to ISO14031 model. Evaluating and monitoring these indicators, defined based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, can both reflect the quantitative improvement in the environmental performance. Additionally, using SMARTL key environmental performance indicators, the organization is able to comprehensively manage the environmental performance in accordance with environmental and sustainable development goals and policy. Using a uniform method for evaluating and monitoring the environmental performance allows us to compare the environmental performance of similar companies in line with sustainable development policies and creates a competition that allows the organisation to always increase its performance in a positive way.

Background: Driving accidents are global challenges, especially in developing countries, that have been introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the significant reasons for endangering human health. The most important reasons for driving accidents are the behavior and psychological characteristics of the vehicle driver. Aberrant driving behavior is considered as a major cause of driving accidents. The present study aimed the present study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence on driving errors. Methods: In the present research, 69 young students aged 20-35 years with a driving license were subjects of the study which had at least one-year driving experience and were assessed with the use of Bar-on emotional intelligence (EQ-i) questionnaire (90 questions) and valid Manchester Driving Behavior Questionnaire (MDBQ). Data analysis was conducted by SPSS version 20, descriptive tables, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Data analysis indicated that the mean score of emotional intelligence of the tested subjects was 329/62, and the maximum rating of individual errors was related to slips with the score of 21/04. Also, the mean score of their driving behavior was 50/97. There was a significant inverse relation between sub-components problem solving, independence and self-actualization, and driving errors. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results of this study, it can be concluded that emotional intelligence and its components affected driving errors. This meant that persons with lower levels of emotional intelligence would be more involved in driving errors.

Regarding the important role of occupational health in the continuous improvement of organizations, the aim of this study was to identify, select and prioritize key indicators for improvement of occupational health in an automotive company. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in three stages. First, a semi-structured interview as well as an inspection and a review of the company's documentation and studies were carried out, and a set of key indicators were identified and selected. Then, the validity of the indicators were determined by experts (N = 11). Following that, the indicators were prioritized based on SMART criteria. Following the study framework, we collected a set of indicators that included 45 health indicators and 17 educational ones. The results of examining their content validity showed that among the 45 primary health indicators and 17 educational ones, 12 and 9 indicators had acceptable validity, respectively, and a total of 21 indicators were suggested for the purpose of the study by the expert team. The results of prioritizing showed that the leading indicator such as the percentage of corrective and preventive health actions done with the weight of 0.146 was the first priority. A set of key indicators was proposed according to the results, based on the objective of the study, which can help managers and industrial hygiene experts to assess performance in the automotive industry.

The public concern of harmful effects of radiofrequency radiation exposure, especially with rapid increase in the use of wireless and telecommunication devices, is increasing. Some studies show fetal and developmental abnormalities as the result of radiofrequency radiation exposure. We aimed to investigate possible teratogenic effects of radiofrequency in 915 MHz on mice fetus and protective role of vitamin C. 21 pregnant mice were divided into 3 groups. Control group was in normal condition without any stressor agent. Exposure group was exposed to 915 MHz RFR (8 h/day for 10 days) and 0.045 µw/cm2 power density. The exposure plus vitamin C group received 200 mg/kg vitamin C by gavage and was exposed to 915 MHz RFR (8 h/day for 10 days) and 0.045 µw/cm2 power density. The fetus weight, C-R length were measured by digital balance and caliper. Tissues were assessed after staining with H & E. Our results showed significant increase in fetus weight and C-R length and also enlarged liver, tail deformation in mice fetus in exposure group. Although usage of vitamin C caused significant decrease in mentioned parameters. The outcome of this study confirms the effects of radiofrequency radiation on growth parameters such as body weight, length and some tissues in mice fetuses and protective effect of vitamin C. However more studies on non-ionization radiation in different frequencies and severity, during pregnancy are needed to clarify the exact mechanisms of these changes and better protection. Keywords: Radiofrequency radiation, Mice fetus tissues, Vitamin C, Fetal and developmental abnormalities

Purpose Traffic noise can impair mental performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of traffic noise on the participants' mental performance. Methods Thirty-five male students participated in this study. The Eysenck questionnaire was used to assess personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) of the subjects. The participants were exposed to both quiet and traffic noise conditions and performed “S3”-type choice reaction time (CRT) test as a simple task, and “S1”-type determine test as a complex task using the Vienna Test System software. Results The results showed that, in simple task, the mean differences of motor time (p = .375) and reaction time (p = .316) were not statistically significant among stable/unstable individuals under quiet and under traffic noise conditions. In complex task, there was a significant difference in the number of correct response (p = .044) and incorrect response (p = .043) among stable/unstable individuals, while no such significant difference was found among other variables under study. None of the differences in the variables of simple and complex tests were statistically significant between introvert/extrovert under quiet and under traffic noise conditions (p > .05). Conclusion This study revealed that traffic noise had no effect on the performance of introvert/extrovert individuals in simple and complex tasks.

As the most of work-related accidents results from unsafe behaviors, there is clearly a need for research in this area. The purpose of this study was to assess safety culture among operation personnel of an Oil Refinery Company (ORC) in Tehran and design and implement a Safety Culture Promotion Intervention Program (SCPIP) based on an integration of Geller and HBM models. In this quasi-experimental study, as the first phase, 190 operational employees of an ORC were recruited. The data were analyzed and the SCPIP was designed. In the second phase, 90 employees were elected for the intervention (45 for the experimental group and 45 for the control group). The evaluation of SCPIP was conducted 2 months after intervention. The environmental factors were in a good condition. About 44% of the behavioral factors and about two thirds of the cognitive factors were rated as moderate/weak. Before intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups by the total cognitive factors and the HBM constructs. After intervention these differences were significant (p ⩽ 0.001). After implementing the intervention in the experimental group, the HBM total score was remarkably improved (Mean Difference = 11.25, t = 10.100, p = 0.001). The integrative application of the Geller and HBM Models was helpful in assessing the cognitive predictors of safety culture among the personnel of the ORC. SCPIP was useful in improving the employees’ perceptions on safety culture in the occupational setting. HBM may be utilized to promote the human component of Geller model.

The non-thermal plasma (NTP) technique, which suffers from low selectivity in complete oxidation of volatile organic compounds to CO2 and H2O, creates unwanted and harmful byproducts. NTP in concert with photocatalyst can resolve this limitation due to additional oxidation. TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles were coated on the surface of the expanded graphite and placed downstream of the NTP reactor under UV light. In this study, to compare the performance of NTP and the combined system, chlorobenzene removal, selectivity of CO2 and byproducts formation were investigated. The results showed that the combined system enhanced both the removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity. The output gas of the NTP reactor contained chlorobenzene, phosgene, O3, NO, NO2, CO, CO2, HCL and CL. The bulk of these byproducts was oxidized on the surface of the nanocomposite; as a result, the content of the byproducts in the output gas of the combined system decreased dramatically. The removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity increased by rising the applied voltage and residence time because the collision between active species and pollutant molecules increases. Based on these results, the combined system is preferred due to a higher performance and lower formation of harmful byproducts.

Among the most important complaints of people exposed to noise are the feelings of resentment and annoyance, and the changes in mental conditions, which are among the main psychological consequences affecting the concentration and accuracy of workers. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between annoyance and cognitive performance of workers exposed to chronic noise. This is a descriptive-analytical study conducted on workers in an automotive company. Three hundred workers exposed to noise were entered into the study in two groups: administrative (150 people) and industrial (150 people). The Tower of London and the Stroop computerized psychological tests were used to determine the cognitive status of the workers, and a questionnaire with numbered questions (numbered 1 to 11) was used in order to determine their level of annoyance. There was a significant correlation between the workers' cognitive performance and annoyance levels (P value

Introduction: Exposure to noise is considered as one of the most important health problems in various industries, especially pharmaceutical industry, which can ultimately lead to significant negative effects on labor force and occupational performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between continuous noise exposure and occupational performance of the workers in the pharmaceutical industry and ampoule production line in Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted through a descriptive-analytical method in 2015. The subjects were 100 workers exposed to noise in an ampoule and vial manufacturing factory in Iran. The sound measurement was carried out in accordance with ISO 9612: 2009. The Hersey and Goldsmith questionnaire (ACHIEVE model) was used to investigate the workers’ occupational performance, and the seven dimensions of the questionnaire as well as the final score of occupational performance was determined for each individual. Results: The results showed that there was a low inverse relationship between noise exposure and occupational performance of the total workers in all the halls which was statistically significant (P-value = 0/01, r2 = 0/256). It was also found that there was an inverse relationship between exposure to noise and the seven dimensions, but the relationship was statistically significant only for the dimensions of ability, clarity, and evaluation (P-value

Background: Chronic exposure to noise in workplaces is one of the most important physical agents that affects workers’ health and causes social and individual problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between noise annoyance and blood pressure (BP) of workers of an automotive industry. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 250 workers were randomly selected. The subjects were classified in two groups based on the exposure to sound pressure levels lower and higher than 85 dB (106 and 144 workers, respectively). In this study, BP was measured using an ALPK2 mercury pressure gauge. To measure annoyance levels, an annoyance questionnaire containing a numerical question numbered 0–11 was used. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 36.19 (±3.75) years. The results showed that the systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the subjects exposed to the sound pressure levels higher than 85 dB were significantly higher than those exposed to a sound pressure level lower than 85 dB (P < 0.01). Also, the results of the multivariate regression showed a significant relationship between the annoyance and DBP and SBP caused by chronic exposure to noise and sound pressure levels (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the annoyance caused by exposure to chronic noise in the workplace causes stress in the workers and, in the long term, could increase the risk of high SBP and DBP.

Background: Sleep deprivation leads to fatigue and sleepiness among health care workers and can result in road traffic collisions (RTC) after their shift. Planned napping is one of the main solutions proposed to avoid this problem. Objectives: The present study aimed at assessing the effect of two nap times during the night shift on psychomotor driving skills among night shift nurses. Methods: A cohort study was conducted on 19 night shift nurses. The nurses completed the eight tests of the validated traffic psychological assessment battery of Vienna test system (VTS) before the night shift at 6 PM, and they repeated the same set of tests after the night shift at 7 AM. Data were compared based on nap times (00:00 - 03:00 AM versus 03:00 - 06:00 AM), which were chosen by the night shift nurses. Results: Nurses aged 23 to 36 years old participated in this study. Their driving experience was 6.1 ± 3.4 years, and 34% reported RTCs in the previous year. The nurses who chose to take naps from 00:00 to 03:00 showed a significantly improved time-movement anticipation ability in driving compared to those who napped from 03:00 AM to 06:00 AM (P value = 0.005). Conclusions: With respect to the time-movement anticipation test, napping during 00:00 to 03:00 AM provided better results compared to napping at 03:00 to 06:00 AM. Anticipation is a highly important psychomotor ability for safe driving.

Background: Undoubtedly, lack of good quality sleep is a major problem for students, affecting their educational success causing them academic failure. Therefore, this study is carried out aiming to determine sleep quality and its relation with educational status of Iran University of Medical Sciences students. Methods: This study is a sectional-analytic one performed on dormitory and non-dormitory students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. The criteria of entering the study include being student for at least one yea­r, non-affliction to special diseases and not using drugs and tobacco. People were selected in proportional stratified sampling method after determining the sample volume (400), and Petersburg sleep quality questionnaires were distributed among them. After completion of the questionnaires, their data were extracted and introduced into SPSS version 21. The data obtained via T statistical tests for which Pearson correlation was analyzed were independent. Results: The sleep quality mark was higher than 5 for majority of the students including the dormitory and non-dormitory ones; expressing weak sleep quality. Sleep quality was 7.36 for dormitory students and 7.97 for non-dormitory ones; expressing significant statistical difference (p=0.018). The results suggest that educational status of non-dormitory students (0.22) is better than the dormitory ones (-1.23), and the difference is statistically significant (p=0.000). moreover, the results suggest that there is no relation between good sleep quality and educational status of the students (p=0.232). Conclusion: The study results suggest that sleep quality is not related to educational status. Considering that educational status is a complex matter and is affected by multiple factors including: intelligence, motivation and hard work, sleep quality plays less significant role regarding educational status.

Noise is considered as one of the most influential physical factors in working environments. The advancement of industries has made it a threat to the physical and mental health of individuals on a global scale. Over the past twenty years, there has been strong evidence of a relation between the impact of external factors, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status. The present research aimed to investigate the association between noise annoyance and the socioeconomic status of the employees in an electrical panel manufacturer. At the first stage, initial visits and a survey of the factory were carried out. At the next stage, the noise level the workers were exposed to was measured using a dosimetry method. Then, the annoyance and socioeconomic status questionnaires were distributed among the employees. Having been collected, the questionnaires were ranked and the data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between noise exposure and annoyance level, and between annoyance and socioeconomic status of the workers.

Background The noise annoyance depends on two factors including noise source and psychological and internal processes of the receiver person. Due to the importance of noise annoyance and the potential impacts of personality traits on that, this study aimed to model the effect of big five personality traits on noise sensitivity and annoyance. Material and method The present cross-sectional study was conducted on the 144 employees of an automotive company in 2020. The big five personality traits questionnaire: noise sensitivity questionnaire, and noise-induced annoyance scale were completed for the participants. The neural network and structural equation modeling were used to investigate the effect of personality on noise sensitivity and annoyance. Result The results showed that extroversion and neuroticism had the most importance in noise sensitivity and noise annoyance while conscientiousness and openness to experience were found to have the least importance in these variables. The difference in the importance of these traits can be attributed to the moral and behavioral characteristics of individuals. The structural equation model also showed that personality can directly and indirectly (noise sensitivity) affect the noise annoyance. Conclusion The existing evidence suggests that sociocultural differences significantly affect responses to noise. Since the effect of exposure to noise may vary from one person to another, these differences can apparently be attributed to the personality traits of individuals.

Noise is one the most common health hazards in the workplace. Noise-induced annoyance, as a measurable mental response, is one of the most significant adverse effects of noise. The level of annoyance from environmental noise is affected by several non-acoustic factors such as personality traits, hearing sensitivity, or attitude. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hearing conservation education program on noise annoyance among workers of the textile industry. This is a pretest–posttest quasi-experimental study conducted upon the case group and the control group. 162 textile-industry workers exposed to excessive noise (77 individuals in the case group and 85 in the control group) were randomly selected and studied. The sound pressure level was first measured in the above-mentioned industry. Then, the degree of individual's noise annoyance was assessed using the ISO 15666 questionnaire and their knowledge, attitude, and practice using the KAP questionnaire 1 . The educational package was developed based on expert opinion and the initial assessment, and the questionnaires were completed after the educational intervention. The results revealed that an educational intervention would increase noise annoyance among the workers in the case group. It also affects the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores and improves them. Based on the results, older individuals experienced more noise annoyance, and practice improved with individual's age. The results of the study suggested that an educational intervention would lead to an increase in noise annoyance among workers by affecting their attitudes. It also improves knowledge, attitude, and practice scores. This survey is one of the few studies that focused exclusively on the impact of an educational intervention on noise annoyance. Therefore, the relationship between education and noise-induced annoyance in this article needs to be validated for other industrial settings with excessive noise, especially other textile factories.

The noise exposure causes the secretion of different stress hormones, including cortisol. Since noise annoyance does not depend just on the level of noise, the main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between noise annoyance and salivary cortisol levels based on individual variables. 78 individuals from a car manufacturing company participated in this study which include two experimental groups (The first group was exposed to 75–85 dBA and the second to 85–95 dBA noise levels) and control group (the individuals in this group were exposed to 60–70 dBA noise levels). Saliva samples were taken once in the morning (6:30–7) and once in the afternoon (12–12:30) which were analyzed using IBL ELISA test kits. The degree of annoyance was measured using a noise annoyance questionnaire. The result shows that there was a significant relationship between cortisol level and work experience at the end of the work shift (P = 0.021). Also, there was a significant difference between the mean cortisol level at the beginning of the shift (15.50 µg per liter) and at the end of it (10.97 µg per liter) (P = 0.000). The study results showed that salivary cortisol levels were not significantly related to the annoyance level at the beginning of the shift (P = 0.942), but is significantly related to the level of noise annoyance at the end of the shift (P = 0.006). This study shows that there is a significant relationship between annoyance and cortisol secretion level after noise exposure.

Introduction. Both auditory and non-auditory health can be affected by exposure to occupational noise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of high occupational noise (at three lev...

Background: Background: Conversation over the cell phone while driving is a known risk factor for road traffic crash. Using handsfree to talk on the cell phone may remove visual and manual distraction yet not the cognitive distraction. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to better understand the mechanisms of cognitive distraction due to hands-free cell phone conversation (HFPC) while driving. Methods: Twelve male and 12 female University students in Tehran, Iran, were selected via the consecutive convenient sampling method, and randomly assigned to one of the following administrations of cross-over quasi-experimental study design, during year 2016: Administration 1, participants performed the tests while involved in HFPC, took rest for 60 minute, and then performed the tests another time without HFPC; Administration 2, participants performed the tests without HFPC, took rest, and then performed the tests another time with HFPC. Each participant moved to the other administration after 7 to 10 days. The Vienna test system (VTS) was used to measure simple and choice reaction time, selective attention, visual orientation, and visual memory. Linear regression analysis was used to study the change in test scores due to HFPC. Results: The mean age of participants was 27.1±5.3 years. A history of road traffic crash (regardless of severity) was reported among 9 (37.5) participants in the previous year. Hands-free cell phone conversation while driving was directly associated with mean time correct rejection score (P < 0.01) (selective attention), omitted response (P < 0.01) and median reaction time (P < 0.01) (choice reaction time), and mean reaction time (P < 0.01) (Simple reaction time). Moreover, HPFC was inversely associated with sum hits (P = 0.05) (selective attention), incorrect (P < 0.02) and correct response (P < 0.01) (choice reaction time), score based on viewing and working time (P < 0. 01) (visual orientation), and visual memory performance (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Using hands-free devices to converse during driving, impaired reaction time, selective attention, visual orientation and visual memory, which are essential for safe driving. Thus, the use of these devices does not preclude cognitive distraction and should be restricted. © 2018, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal.

Background: Traffic noise is one of the main important sources in urban noise pollution, which causes various physiological and psychological effects that can cause disturbs in performance, sleep disturbances, hearing loss and impact on job performance. This study was conducted to verify the impact of road traffic noise on reaction time in terms of extraversion and sex. Methods: Traffic noise was measured and recorded in 10 arterial streets in Tehran, and then the recorded noise was emitted towards participants in an acoustic room. The participants were 80 (40 cases and 40 controls) students. Personality type was determined by Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) questioner. Reaction time before and after exposure to traffic noise was measured. Results: Reaction time before exposure to traffic noise did not differ (P=0.437) significantly between introverts and extraverts. However, it was increased significantly in both groups after exposure to traffic noise (P

This paper presents a technique for identifying the best efficient method of noise reduction (BEMNR) by fuzzy expert system in the reverse osmosis (RO) water unit at Fajr petrochemical complex located in south west of Iran at north west of Persian Gulf shore. For this purpose seven methods have been chosen through consultation with health, safety, and environment (HSE) department as follows: enclosure design for pumps, enclosure design for control valve, simultaneous enclosure design for both control valve and pumps, wrapping pipes, using frequency convertor pumps, covering interior wall with sound absorber material and installing ceiling baffle. Noise reduction, cost, applicability, interference have been selected as the selection criteria. Finally, enclosure design for control valve (CV) (method 2) by scoring 72.92% has been proposed as the BEMNR. The results obtained by fuzzy logic had an acceptable level of compliance with experts' survey results.

Low frequency noise (LFN) as background noise in urban and work environments is emitted from many artificial sources such as road vehicles, aircraft, and air movement machinery including wind turbines, compressors, and ventilation or air conditioning units. In addition to objective effects, LFN could also cause noise annoyance and influence mental performance; however, there are no homogenous findings regarding this issue. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of LFN on mental performance and annoyance, as well as to consider the role of extraversion and neuroticism on the issue. This study was conducted on 90 students of Iran University of Medical Sciences (54 males and 36 females). The mean age of the students was 23.46 years (SD = 1.97). Personality traits and noise annoyance were measured by using Eysenck Personality Inventory and a 12-scale self-reported questionnaire, respectively. Stroop and Cognitrone computerized tests measured mental performance of participants each exposed to 50 and 70 dBA of LFN and silence. LFNs were produced by Cool Edit Pro 2.1 software. There was no significant difference between mental performance parameters under 50 and 70 dBA of LFN, whereas there were significant differences between most mental performance parameters in quiet and under LFN (50 and 70 dBA). This research showed that LFN, compared to silence, increased the accuracy and the test performance speed (p 0.01). There was no association between LFN and noise annoyance (p 0.01). Introverts conducted the tests faster than extraverts (p 0.05). This research showed that neuroticism does not influence mental performance. It seems that LFN has increased arousal level of participants, and extraversion has a considerable impact on mental performance.

The non-thermal plasma (NTP) technique, which suffers from low selectivity in complete oxidation of volatile organic compounds to CO

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between psychological stresses and noise stresses on printery workers in Tehran, Iran. Hence, 267 workers were randomly selected. The Leq and Lmaxwere measured and the psychological stresses such as depression, anxiety, aggression and job satisfaction were also studied by the relevant questionnaires. The data were statistically analyzed by Pearson correlation test. The results demonstrated that there was no significant statistical relationship between noise and psychological stresses. In addition, by using Spearman regression method, the influence of variables such as age, gender and job history on psychological stresses caused by Leq and Lmax was studied and the results only revealed that the aggression caused by Leq increased in young personnel (P=0.02) as well as, anxiety caused by L increased accompanied by increasing the job history and age of the workers (P=0.002 and P=0.007). Therefore, more variables must be taken into consideration to judge about noise induced psychological stresses in workplaces.

The noise emission level associated with two types of speed reducers has been investigated numerically and experimentally for different dimensions and different speeds of vehicle (20, 40 and 60 km/h) and zero acceleration. Numerical analysis has been performed using an FEM method in the ANSYS environment. The experiments show that for a bump of height 0.04 m, the peak noise level is increased by between 1 and 14 dB (A) whereas, for bump of height 0.055 m, the peak noise level increases by between 1 and 19 dB (A). There is an excellent agreement between the numerical and experimental results.

It is believed that improved safety culture/climate is a fundamental element to accident prevention. Therefore, development a scale to assess safety climate is a step towards accident control. The purpose of this study was to construct a Persian safety climate questionnaire.The study took place in Tehran and Esfahan oil refineries in Iran in 2010. An initial questionnaire was formed from two previous studies. This tool was translated to Persian based on back translation. The 61-item questionnaire was tested on operational staffs (N=324). Principle component analysis and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization was used to extract factors, in statistical software package SPSS 11.0.The factors were obtained as Management Commitment to Safety and personnel collaboration 23 variables, 17.33 % of the variance, Safety communication five items, 6.97% of the variance, Supportive environment five items, 6.245% of the variance, Work Environment six items, 5.590% of the variance, Formal Training four items, 4.581% of the variance, Priority of Safety five items, 4.177% of the variance, Personal Priorities and Need for Safety three items, 3.333% of the variance.Achievement of a valid and reliable safety climate tool may bring enormous benefits to the refineries. However, a reliable and valid tool to measure safety climate could be useful in other refineries. Moreover, the generic nature of the safety climate scale may grant its use for other workplaces.

Background: Lead is a major environmental pollutant and can adversely affect humans and animals. There are conflicting data about the ototoxic effect of lead. This study experimentally examined the association between blood lead levels (BLL) and the subsequent hearing impairment in male rats. Methods: Twenty-two male rats were randomly categorized into experimental (exposed to lead acetate, 4 mg/kg by gavage) and control groups. We evaluated the groups by click and tone audiometric burst tests, comparing the data before and 30 days after exposure to lead acetate (4mg/kg). Also, blood samples were collected from the rats and analyzed for lead levels by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: The study findings demonstrated remarkable increase in hearing threshold in the lead-exposed group, compared to the controls (p

Background Noise is one of the more widespread pollutions of road transportation system, which can cause deterioration in performance. This experimental study was designed to assess the effect of road traffic noise on performance with regard to extra/introversion and sex of participants. The personality trait of extra/introversion has been remarked as relevant factor to mental performance. Results Thirty six (26 males and 10 females) medical sciences students of Tehran University participated in the study. The students were placed in an unechoing room and performed the Cognitrone test from Vienna Test System in quiet condition and under road traffic noise (71 dBA). The results of this study pointed out that noise increased the percentage of sum of correct answers but had no effect on the speed of performance. Furthermore this study showed that performance was enhanced in extroverts (P=0.001) but no significant difference was found in introverts (P ≤0.05). Conclusions The regression analysis revealed that extra/introversion was more important than sex to predict the performance parameters.