Using the Potential of The Employees' Expertise and Awareness of Occupational Hazards in The Mining Industry

The paper highlights the results of a study that examined the employees' expertise andawareness of occupational hazards in their work environment. The research involved a survey conductedin the form of a short questionnaire among employees responsible for loading and hauling of excavatedmaterial in an opencast mine. Among 23 major hazards that were thus identified, there were global hazards(affecting the entire mining process) as well as local, task-specific hazards. Depending on the number ofresponses, 10 local and 3 global hazards were identified in the analyzed area, involving noise, stress anddust. Active participation of the crew in the risk identification process helped in the assessment of theircriticality levels, according to employees carrying out various task, highlighting the benefits of suchapproach for effective work safety management in a mining company. The conducted researchdemonstrated yet another goal to be achieved - i.e. the comparison of criticality levels of hazards asidentified by employees and those reported in occupational risk assessment reports in the mine.

FAULT TREE ANALYSIS (FTA) - FORMAL SAFETY ASSESSMENT (FSA) IN SHIP REPAIR INDUSTRY A MADE EASY APPROACH

Fault tree-Formal Safety Assessment (FT-FSA) is the premier scientific method that is currently being used for the analysis of maritime safety and for formulation of related regulatory policy. To apply FSA in this paper, all five steps are considered and critical information highlighted in each step as reviewed in the literature. A novel 15 steps approach of FT-FSA is introduced in the systematic accident scenario considered in this study as emergent phenomena from variability and interactions in shipyard (considered as a complex system).The results of this paper will be useful for guidelines and regulatory reforms in ship repair industry as demonstrated by identifying ‘fall from height in ship repair occupational hazards’ for recommendation in decision making.

Incidence and Knowledge of Occupational Health Hazards in Prosthodontic Practice at a Tertiary Hospital in Islamabad

Aim: To explore various occupational hazards and assess the level of awareness among dental students Methods: Data was prospectively collected from 80 under-graduate and post-graduate students on voluntary basis. A questionnaire pertaining to the occupational hazards was handed over to the subjects and their responses were then tabulated for statistical analysis. The study design was descriptive cross sectional. Results: Among 80 participants, chemical burns was reported by 18(22.5%), thermal burns via hot instrument by 72(90%), injuries from spirit lamp by 64(80%) , needle prick injury by 37(46.3%), injuries from sharp instruments by 74(92.5%), injuries from micro-motor by 48(60%), allergic dermatitis by 25(31.3%), hot material injury by 63(78.8%) and eye irritation by 31(38.8%). While performing daily procedures and handling patients, 100% wore gloves, 95% of the participants wore masks, 32% used protective eye wear, 97.5% followed safety protocols and 92.5% washed their hands post-operatively. Adequate knowledge regarding occupational safety was reported by 100% of participants. The source of knowledge was found to be electronic media among 50% participants, social media among 27.5% participants and social media among the remaining 22.5%. Alarmingly, only 7.5% participants had received training regarding occupational safety. 48.8% followed occupational safety protocols and 93.8% were aware of the system that existed in case of any accidents happened. Conclusion: The findings of this study are consistent with the previous studies indicating a high risk of occupational health hazards in dentistry. Keywords: Occupational accidents, Prosthodontics, Allergic dermatitis

Deworming the Grinder for Successful Extrication of a Mangled Hand: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Grinding machine injuries are known to cause severe mutilating injuries of the upper limb. In some cases, the machinery equipment may still be attached to the limb when the patient reaches the hospital. In treating these injuries, the patient’s hemodynamic status should be the first priority of resuscitation. Following this and whenever possible, a reversal of the grinding mechanism should be done to free the limb as this would allow assessment of the extent of zone-of-injury prior to starting the surgical procedure. We report a case of a 28-year-old male who sustained a mangled hand injury that was successfully extricated from an industrial grinding machine, thereby allowing preservation of precious length of the limb during surgery. This case highlights the importance of adhering to safety precautions at the workplace to reduce the risk of potential occupational hazards when dealing with machinery equipment.

Telomere length in peripheral leukocytes is a sensitive marker for assessing genetic damage among workers exposed to isopropanol, lead and noise: the case of an electronics manufacturer

Background Workers in electronics manufacturers may be exposed to various occupational hazards such as isopropanol, lead, and noise. Telomeres are special segments of cap-like DNA protein complex at end of liner chromosomes in eukaryotic cells. Telomere length is a potential marker of genetic damage. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of occupational hazards on the relative telomere length (rTL) of peripheral blood cells of workers in an electronics manufacturer, and to explore whether relative telomere length could be a biomarker for assessing genetic damage in the electronics manufacturing industry. Methods We investigated a large-scale electronics manufacturer in the Pearl River Delta Region. We ultimately collected 699 qualified workers (248 with isopropanol exposure, 182 with lead exposure, 157 with noise exposure, and 112 controls). During physical examination of the workers, we gave them questionnaires to understand their health statuses and living habits. We also collected peripheral blood samples from these workers to test exposure levels and rTL in the leucocytes. Results The concentrations of air isopropanol in all monitored workshops was 25.3 mg/m3 and air lead smoke was 0.020 mg/m3. The maximum equivalent continuous A sound level noise exposure position was 82.2dB (A). All were lower than those in the Occupational Exposure Limits in Workplaces in China. Urinary acetone in the isopropanol exposed group was 1.04 (0, 1.50) mg/L, and cumulative urinary acetone was 1.48 (0, 5.09) mg-years/L. Blood lead levels (BLLs) were 28.57 (22.77, 37.06) µg/dL, and cumulative blood lead levels (CBLLs) were 92.75 (55.47, 165.13) µg-years/dL. rTL was different between occupational exposed workers and controls: rTL was 0.140 units (95 % CI: 0.022, 0.259) shorter in lead exposed workers and 0.467 units (95 % CI: 0.276–0.658) shorter in noise exposed workers compared to the controls. There is no statistical difference in rTL between isopropanol exposure workers and the controls. In order to elucidate the relationship between rTL and occupational hazards exposure, we divided the isopropanol exposure workers into three groups (0, ~1.43 mg/L, and >1.43 mg/L). None of the rTL difference was statistically significant among exposed workers at different uroacetone levels (P>0.05). The groups with ≥100 µg/dL blood lead had shorter rTL than the group with blood lead below 100 µg/dL (F=4.422, P=0.013). We incorporated age, gender, birthplace, race, education level, smoking, and alcohol consumption into the linear regression equation. Only blood lead concentration (X) was entered into the regression equation, yielding a multivariate linear regression equation of Y=0.397-0.124X (F=8.091, P=0.005). Workers with different hearing loss also had statistically significant differences in rTL (F=5.731, P=0.004). rTL was a protective factor for the occurrence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The longer the rTL, the lower the risk of NIHL [OR=0.64 (0.42, 0.98)]. Conclusions rTL was shorter in lead exposed workers and noise exposed workers, and it was a protective factor for the occurrence of the noise-induced hearing loss. Thus, rTL of peripheral blood may be a sensitive marker of genetic damage among workers in environments with lead and noise exposure.

Embalming, Viewing and the Social Construction of the Corpse: Time for Another Look

Embalming of the dead is more common in the United States than anywhere else in the world. Battles far from home during the Civil War with concern for contagion from dead bodies being shipped home, compelled President Lincoln to direct the troops to use embalming to allow the return of the Union dead to their homes. Viewings were common with war heroes and culminated with the viewing of Lincoln himself. In the 20th century embalming became a tradition despite substantial evidence indicating environmental and occupational hazards related to embalming fluids and carbon dioxide generated from manufacturing steel coffins before placing in concrete burial vaults. Embalming is promoted and considered helpful to the grieving process when families are comforted by a the appearance of a peaceful death. Embalmers are expected to produce an illusion of rest, an image that in some ways disguises death for the benefit of mourners. The dead are carefully displayed in a condition of liminal repose where the 'true' condition is hidden, and death is removed from the actual event. In this paper we highlight the spiritual and cultural complexities of embalming related- issues. We also provide data on the lack of grieving families’ preparedness for the financial burden associated with the death of a loved one and the lack of knowledge of alternative options. We propose an innovative process to empower people facing serious illness, and their families to make shared and informed decisions, especially when death is the expected outcome.

Drudgery assessment and ergonomic evaluation of pedal operated Ragi (Eleusine Coracana) thresher

BACKGROUND: Ragi (Eleusine Coracana) is a major food crop for the tribal population of India. OBJECTIVE: This study emphasizes the need to consider ergonomics aspects in the design and development of a pedal operated ragi thresher (PORT) for tribal people, and assesses the drudgery as well as ergonomic evaluation of a developed thresher against the conventional practice. METHODS: Thirty subjects (male = 15 and female = 15) from the tribal region were evaluated ergonomically. The physiological responses of the subjects were studied and their performance was compared. RESULTS: The results revealed that the working heart rate, oxygen consumption rate and overall discomfort rating were significantly higher in case of traditional threshing as compared to those in case of PORT. Postural analysis identified the traditional method as the most fatigue one as the person has to lift the hand above shoulder level repeatedly and has to sit in a squatting posture for long period. CONCLUSION: The drudgery and occupational hazards to public health involved in the traditional method of threshing was reduced by using the pedal operated ragi thresher. Furthermore, the traditional method involved continuous stressed actions across the entire body, whereas the PORT involved only the lower limbs.

Robotics in neurointerventional surgery: a systematic review of the literature

BackgroundRobotically performed neurointerventional surgery has the potential to reduce occupational hazards to staff, perform intervention with greater precision, and could be a viable solution for teleoperated neurointerventional procedures.ObjectiveTo determine the indication, robotic systems used, efficacy, safety, and the degree of manual assistance required for robotically performed neurointervention.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of the literature up to, and including, articles published on April 12, 2021. Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane register databases were searched using medical subject heading terms to identify reports of robotically performed neurointervention, including diagnostic cerebral angiography and carotid artery intervention.ResultsA total of 8 articles treating 81 patients were included. Only one case report used a robotic system for intracranial intervention, the remaining indications being cerebral angiography and carotid artery intervention. Only one study performed a comparison of robotic and manual procedures. Across all studies, the technical success rate was 96% and the clinical success rate was 100%. All cases required a degree of manual assistance. No studies had clearly defined patient selection criteria, reference standards, or index tests, preventing meaningful statistical analysis.ConclusionsGiven the clinical success, it is plausible that robotically performed neurointerventional procedures will eventually benefit patients and reduce occupational hazards for staff; however, there is no high-level efficacy and safety evidence to support this assertion. Limitations of current robotic systems and the challenges that must be overcome to realize the potential for remote teleoperated neurointervention require further investigation.