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Background and aim:Driving after a night shift imposes a risk on health care professionals and other road users. The aim of this study was to measure psychomotor performance of driving of night shift nurses compared to day-shift nurses. Methods:Forty-seven volunteer female nurses working at Sina hospital in Tehran, Iran, with a call in all departments of hospital, participated in this study (23 night shift and 24 day shift nurses) in 2016. The tests included RT for simple reaction time, ATAVT for perceptual speed, LVT for visual orientation and ZBA for time anticipation. Data collection tools were individual characteristics, 11-item circadian type inventory (CTI), Stanford sleepiness scale (SSS), and Swedish occupational fatigue inventory (SOFI-20) questionnaires. Psychomotor driving performance was assessed using validated computerized traffic psychological battery of Vienna Test System (VTS), before and after the shifts. Data analysis was performed using paired-samples t-test and Linear Regression. Results:The mean age of day and night-shift nurses were 31.4±5.6 and 28.7±3.9 years respectively, no significant difference between two groups. Thirty percent of night shift and 16.7% of day shift nurses reported traffic accidents in the past year. The results revealed that, scores based on viewing times in visual orientation test (p=0.005), and median reaction time score in choice reaction time and reactive stress tolerance test (p=0.045), had a significant association with a 12-hour night shift with a 3-hour nap. Conclusions:Twelve-hour night shift work impairs choice reaction time and visual orientation in nurses, even though they take a 3- hour nap during the shift. These skills are required for safe driving.

Byline: Iraj. Alimohammadi, Fakhradin. Kanrash, Shahram. Vosoughi, Soqrat. Shekaftik, Kazem. Rahmani, Mohammad. Chalak, Mohammad. Anbari Background: Chronic exposure to noise in workplaces is one of the most important physical agents [...]

Background and Objective: Individuals constantly hear different sounds that can affect their work and living place. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of traffic noise on cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase biomarkers. Materials and Methods: The subjects were men aged 18 to 35 who performed driving activities for one hour in the laboratory. The tests were performed in two conditions of background noise (35 dBA) and traffic noise with a level of 75 dBA and saliva samples were collected from the subjects before and after driving. Finally, saliva samples were analyzed with cortisol and alpha-amylase kits and by ELISA method. The statistical method used for data analysis was SPSS software (version 24) and data analysis was performed by Wilcoxon statistical test. Results: The results of this study indicated that the concentrations of both biomarkers cortisol and alpha-amylase in background noise conditions after driving were higher than that before the start, although this increase was not significant (p> 0.05). In the presence of traffic noise with a level of 75 dBA, the concentration of both biomarkers after driving was significantly higher than that before driving. (p<0.05) Conclusion: This study demonstrated that exposure to traffic noise can increase the concentration of salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol biomarkers while driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzo-α-pyrene is one of the most dangerous pollutants during working on asphalt, which is a carcinogenic. This study was aimed to perform health risk assessment of asphalt workers exposure to Benzo-α-pyrene using respiratory air monitoring data. The standard method of NIOSH 5515 (National Institutes of safety and health) was used for sampling and analyzing the Benzo-α-pyrene in the respiratory air. The sampling was done using polytetrafluoroethylene filter (PTFE) and XAD-2 sorbent tube (naphthylisocyanate) and the obtained samples were analyzed by Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). The results of the study show that the highest and lowest concentrations belong to the functions of finisher assistance (0.058±0.011 mg m-3) and roller driver (0.042±0.015 mg/m³), respectively. The statistical test showed that the concentration of Benzo-α-pyrene in the respiratory air of different tasks is significantly different from each other (P<0.001). The results of the health risk assessment showed that all tasks are at a high risk level. In addition, comparison of the results of the concentration of Benzo-α-pyrene in the respiratory air and the assessment of health risk indicated that merely monitoring the concentration of the pollutants in the breathing air and comparing it with the allowable limits of exposure are not appropriate and reliable criteria to ensure the absence of disease or health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way workers perceive noise exposure can play an important role in the adoption of safety behaviors. Therefore, the determination of the relationship among risk awareness, behavior, and exposure can be an extremely important issue in controlling noise exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between risk perception and practice of workers. Workers from 16 printing houses in Tehran province participated in present study. A questionnaire was used for determining the level of risk perception and practice about hearing conservation. The results revealed a significant relationship between risk perception and safety behavior adoption (P < 0.001). A positive and significant correlation was found between these two variables (P < 0.001; rs = 0.912). Also, the results showed that workers with hearing impairment had a better practice. In addition, attention should be paid to preventive principles and encouragement of hearing protection devices usage among employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here are several risk factors in dentistry. Repetitive movements and being in a position for long time due to muscle imbalances and work-related musculoskeletal disorders which can cause problems such as limited mobility, fatigue, job loss or even change job. Muscle imbalance between the stabilizers and mobilizers of the neck and shoulders in dentists leads to increased work-related disorders, superficial muscle fatigue, and deep muscle atrophy, which in turn; leads to many health problems, such as neck pain and disability. To prevent such disorders, a high endurance of the cervical stabilizer muscles is essential for repetitive movements in the distal and shoulder region. In this study the exercise program (including postural exercises, simultaneous training of shoulder-neck, scapular movements and co-contraction) were designed for 48 dentists. The statistical analysis showed that there was a significant decrease in the median frequency slope of the middle deltoid muscle (p = 0.004) and for the group who received the proprioception training along with posture correction exercises and exercise therapy (p = 0.004). Neck pain increased in the control group who received no exercises, after six weeks (p = 0.165). Conclusion: six week corrective exercises with ergonomic intervention balance muscles activity and can be used to decrease musculoskeletal disorders and muscle fatigue in person with Non-Specific Chronic Neck Pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAirborne particulates in iron ore mining are a risk factor for adverse human lung effects. In this study, fine particulates deposited on surfaces of about 1.5 m above the ground and 6 meters from a milling unit of the Gol-e-Gohar iron ore mine were collected through wipe sampling. Dust particles less than 5 µm in diameter were separated with an electronic sieve. Aliquots were prepared from the sieved iron ore dust estimated to be equivalent to respiratory exposure in the iron ore mill in the concentrations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 250 µg/mL, which were intended to represent equivalent inhaled doses from working one month to a working life (25 years) in the mine. The airborne concentration of respirable particles was about five times the threshold limit value given (TLV®) for iron oxide published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The in vitro toxicity range was estimated to be equivalent to an accumulated dose associated with working from one month to a working life in the mine. Treatment of the A549 cells resulted in decreased dehydrogenase activity and cell glutathione content and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane permeability, and cell apoptosis-necrosis rates. The results of this study revealed the possibility of lung damage at cell doses for respirable airborne iron oxide particles estimated to be equivalent to accumulated lifetime exposures among Gol-e-Gohar miners. Further studies are recommended to investigate the effect of actual contaminants in the workplace on the occurrence of health effects on workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Due to major constraints on time, implementation, and funding in every industry, one of the essential strategies for the management of noise control and selection of the best method is to prioritize noise control methods. The present study aimed to prioritize noise control methods in a battery factory using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted based on a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional design. After measurement of sound pressure level and identification of the main sources of noise pollution, Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) were used for screening the criteria and methods of noise control. The relative weight of each of them was calculated by two factors of Eigenvalue and Eigenvector to prioritize noise control methods based on the study criteria. Results: Based on the results, the Inconsistency Ratio (IR) in pairwise comparisons in all cases was less than 10%, and the consistency of the answers was confirmed. Moreover, among the study criteria, the acoustic efficiency of method with weight (0.1810), and among the proposed methods for noise control, the method of controlling the time of exposure to noise and training of workers with weight (0.1732) had the highest priority. Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the best criterion for selecting a sound control device is the acoustic efficiency of the method. Furthermore, based on the results, controlling the duration of exposure to noise and training workers in conditions of high noise exposure was the best method to control noise in a battery factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 levels) with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and salivary cortisol concentration in an automotive factory. Methods. This study was carried out on 78 male workers from a factory who worked in the warehouse unit (control group: 60–70 dB(A)) and assembly units (two test groups: 75–85 and 85–95 dB(A)). Data were collected through questionnaires and measurement of SBP, DBP, saliva cortisol concentration and body mass index (BMI), prior to and post occupational noise exposure. The measurements were performed twice/day and repeated after 10 days. Results. For each occupational noise level group, there was no significant association between cortisol level with age and BMI. The SBP and DBP in all groups increased significantly. Also, the average cortisol levels were similar in different groups before noise exposure, but were statistically different after occupational noise exposure. Conclusions. High occupational noise exposure increases the cortisol level and blood pressure, which are the major risk factors of cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental workload is an important issue in occupational health. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Rating Scale Mental Effort (RSME), Integrated Workload Scale (IWS), and Overall Workload Scale (OW) in Iran. This study was conducted on 100 male students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. The forward-backward translation method was used to evaluate the linguistic validity of the scales. Then the scales were presented to six ergonomics and occupational health experts to assess the content validity of the scales. Internal validity of the scales was assessed by correlating mental workload scale scores with reaction times on a criterion task. Finally, multiple sessions of a hybrid memory-search task were performed to determine the reliability of the scales. There was prefect agreement among the experts regarding of all three scales. Content Validity Index and Content Validity Ratio were 1 for each three scales. About the reliability of the scales, the Pearson correlation coefficients between the scale scores in the test and retest phases were 96, 88, and 84 for RSME, IWS, and OW, respectively. Finally, Validity and reliability of the scales were approved and It seems that these scales can be used for measuring self-reported mental workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]