scholarly journals Cancer Risk Assessment for Workers Exposed to Pollution Source, a Petrochemical Company, Iran

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahram HARATI ◽  
Seyed Jamaleddin SHAHTAHERI ◽  
Hossein Ali YOUSEFI ◽  
Ali HARATI ◽  
Ali ASKARI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Petrochemical Industry ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Breathing Zone ◽  
Acceptable Standard ◽  
Safety And Health

Background: Air pollution have led to severe problem of adverse health effect in the world. This study aimed to conduct the health risk assessment, cancer risk analysis, and non-cancer risk for exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in petrochemical industry. Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 123 samples were collected in the ambient air in Iran during winter 2016. For sampling and analysis of VOCs and H2S, 3 methods (numbers 1500, 1501, and 6013) presented by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were used. For determination of risk assessment of chemical pollutants, semi-quantitative method presented by the Occupational Safety and Health Division, Singapore was used. Finally, for calculation of cancer risk analysis, Chronic Daily Intake (CDI) and calculation of non-cancer risk, Exposure Concentration (EC) were used. Results: Average concentration of benzene (2.12±0.95) in breathing zone of workers were higher than the Threshold Limit Values-Time Weighted Average (TLV-TWA) (P<0.05). Among chemical substance, benzene had very high rank of risk in petrochemical industry. Rank of risk for H2S, toluene, and xylene present in the breathing zone of workers was low. The mean cancer risk for workers exposed to benzene was estimated 8.78×10-3, in other words, 8.7 cancer per 1000 i.e. higher than the acceptable standard of 10-6 . In our study, non-cancer risk for BTX was higher than the acceptable standard of 1. Conclusion: In particular, overall cancer and toxic risk can be associated with long term exposure to benzene.

scholarly journals Biological risk assessment: A challenge for occupational health and safety practitioners during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Carlos Carvalhais ◽  
Micaela Querido ◽  
Cristiana C. Pereira ◽  
Joana Santos
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Biological Risk ◽  
Occupational Risks ◽  
Qualitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Medium Risk

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 global pandemic brought several challenges to occupational safety and health practice. One of these is the need to (re)assess the occupational risks, particularly, biological risks. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work is to promote guidance to occupational safety and health practitioners when conducting a biological risk assessment in this context. METHODS: The main steps of the biological risk assessment are explained with some inputs regarding the novelty posed by SARS-CoV-2 and an example of a qualitative risk assessment method is presented. Also, its application to two different activities was exemplified. RESULTS: In both cases, the assessment considered that vulnerable workers were working from home or in medical leave. The results showed low or medium risk level for the assessed tasks. For medium risk level, additional controls are advised, such maintain social distancing, sanitize instruments/equipment before use, use proper and well-maintained PPE (when applicable), and promote awareness sessions to spread good practices at work. Employers must be aware of their obligations regarding biological risk assessment and OSH practitioners must be prepared to screen and link the abundance of scientific evidence generated following the outbreak, with the technical practice. CONCLUSIONS: This paper could be an important contribution to OSH practice since it highlights the need to (re)assess occupational risks, especially biological risk, to ensure a safe return to work, providing technical guidance.

scholarly journals Development of risk assessment tool using damaging energy and argumentation theory for evaluating construction occupational safety and health risks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Haslinda Abas ◽  
Nick Blismas ◽  
Helen Lingard
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Damage Model ◽  
Argumentation Theory ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Risk Assessment Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safety And Health

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a risk assessment model to assess the occupational safety and health (OSH) risks presented by different construction approaches, namely traditional and industrialised building system (IBS). The development process applies the concept of argumentation theory, which helps construction designers integrate the management of OSH risk into the design process. In addition, an energy damage model is used as an underpinning framework for developing the model.Design/methodology/approachDevelopment of the model was achieved through two phases. Phase I involved collection of data on the activities involved in the construction process and their associated OSH risks, derived from five different case studies, field observation and interviews. Knowledge of design aspects that have the potential to impact on OSH was obtained from document analysis. Using the knowledge obtained in phase I, a model was developed in the form of argument trees (Phase II), which represent a reasoning template with regard to options available to designers when they make judgements about aspects of their designs. Inferences from these aspects eventually determined the magnitude of the damaging energies for every activity involved. Finally, the model was validated by panels of experts, and revisions and amendments were made to the model accordingly.FindingsThe risk assessment model development revealed that the concept of argumentation theory and energy damage model is suitable to represent design safety risk knowledge and effectively address the designer's role in making decisions in their designs and further illuminate the level of OSH risk their designs pose.Practical implicationsThe developed model provides best-practice reasoning support for construction designers, which help them to understand the impact of their designs decisions on worker's safety and health, and thereby assist them to further mitigate the risk to an acceptable level.Originality/valueThis study departs from the existing tool in that the model was developed based upon the combination of argumentation theory and energy damage model. The significance of the model is discussed.

scholarly journals Reevaluation of Historical Exposures to Ethylene Oxide Among U.S. Sterilization Workers in the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Study Cohort

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth T. Bogen ◽  
Patrick J. Sheehan ◽  
Ciriaco Valdez-Flores ◽  
Abby A. Li
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Ethylene Oxide ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Statistical Regression ◽  
Trend Prediction ◽  
Safety And Health

The 2016 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment for ethylene oxide (EO) estimated a 10−6 increased inhalation cancer risk of 0.1 parts per trillion, based on National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) epidemiology studies of sterilization facility workers exposed to EO between 1938 and 1986. The worker exposure estimates were based on a NIOSH statistical regression (NSR) model “validated” with EO levels measured after 1978. Between 1938 and 1978, when EO data was unavailable, the NSR model predicts exposures lowest in 1938 increasing to peak levels in 1978. That increasing EO concentration trend arose, in part, because engineering/industrial-hygiene (E/IH) factors associated with evolving EO-sterilization equipment and operations before 1978 were not properly considered in the NSR model. To test the NSR model trend prediction, a new E/IH-based model was developed using historical data on EO kill concentrations, EO residue levels in sterilized materials, post-wash EO concentrations in a sterilization chamber, and information on facility characteristics and sterilizer operator practices from operators familiar with pre-1978 industry conditions. The E/IH 90th percentile of 8 h time-weighted average EO exposures (C90) for highly exposed sterilizer operators was calibrated to match 1978 C90 values from the NSR model. E/IH model C90 exposures were estimated to decrease over time from levels 16 and were four-fold greater than NSR-estimated exposures for workers during 1938–1954 and 1955–1964. This E/IH modeled trend is opposite to that of NSR model predictions of exposures before 1978, suggesting that EPA’s exclusive reliance on the NIOSH cohort to estimate EO cancer risk should be re-examined.

scholarly journals Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment in Water Treatment Plant considering Environmental Health and Safety Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 06011
Author(s):  
Fajrul Falakh ◽  
Onny Setiani
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Environment Control

Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is an important infrastructure to ensure human health and the environment. In its development, aspects of environmental safety and health are of concern. This paper case study was conducted at the Water Treatment Plant Company in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Hazard identification and risk assessment is one part of the occupational safety and health program at the risk management stage. The purpose of this study was to identify potential hazards using hazard identification methods and risk assessment methods. Risk assessment is done using criteria of severity and probability of accident. The results obtained from this risk assessment are 22 potential hazards present in the water purification process. Extreme categories that exist in the risk assessment are leakage of chlorine and industrial fires. Chlorine and fire leakage gets the highest value because its impact threatens many things, such as industrial disasters that could endanger human life and the environment. Control measures undertaken to avoid potential hazards are to apply the use of personal protective equipment, but management will also be better managed in accordance with hazard control hazards, occupational safety and health programs such as issuing work permits, emergency response training is required, Very useful in overcoming potential hazards that have been determined.

scholarly journals Review and Improvement of Chemical Hazard Risk Management of Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9395
Author(s):  
Saemi Shin ◽  
Sang-Hoon Byeon
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
Hazard Risk ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Chemical Hazard ◽  
Hazard Risk Management

In 2012, the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency developed Chemical Hazard Risk Management (CHARM) as a risk assessment tool. This study aims to reorganize the CHARM technique by complementing its logical loopholes, while evaluating the risk to enterprises and verifying this technique by applying it to some enterprises in Korea. The optimized technique changed the method of quantitative assessment and evaluation criteria, matched the risk level with the required control level, and specified the use of control practice. For the target enterprises, for several assessment methods, risk levels, hazard bands, exposure bands, and the risk assessment results were derived, and the same types of options were compared. Fewer informational methods resulted in more conservative results of risk levels and hazard bands. Since the control status of the enterprises could not be confirmed and the substances handled at the target enterprises were limited in this study, a follow-up study should be performed with more target materials and additional information on the current control status of the enterprises.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of HOSHRA Index for Occupational Safety and Health Risk Assessment in Hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Jahangiri ◽  
Amirreza Mostafavi ◽  
Alireza Choobineh ◽  
Mahnaz Shakerisn ◽  
Hamid Reza Tabatabaei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Wide Range

Background: Despite huge advances in science, technology, and medical equipment, numerous concerns grow over healthcare workers (HCWs) since they are exposed to a wide range of biological hazards due to the nature of their work. Objectives: The current study aimed at developing and validating an index to assess the risk of occupational safety and health (OSH) in hospitals and healthcare settings. Methods: In the current cross-sectional study, an index called the hospital occupational safety, and health risk assessment (HOSHRA) was developed and validated through the face and content validity as well as internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Ultimately, the developed index was utilized to assess OSH risks in 36 teaching hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Results: The mean score of the HOSHRA index among the selected hospitals was 71.53 ± 5.93, indicating that the OSH risks were at a moderate level. According to the HOSHRA action levels, OSH risk level for ergonomic hazards was high, but it was moderate for physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological ones. In terms of physical hazard subcategories, the risk of electrical hazard, as well as fire and explosion, was high, but it was moderate for fall and slip, and radiation. Conclusions: The developed observation-based method showed an acceptable content validity and reliability for OSH risk assessment of hospitals. The HOSHRA index could also be used for hospitals as an applicable measure to improve their OSH.

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