Individual Protection Equipment Research Articles

Evaluation of the chemical risk of the miners of the transfer station ET2 Zámbiza by heavy metals in the breathable particulate material

Introduction.The chemical risk was determined by heavy metals in the respirable air of the Handmade Environmental Managers, in the Zámbiza urban waste transfer station. Total PTS suspended particles were determined in the working atmosphere of the Managers. ObjectiveTo determine the quality of the breathable air in the work environment of the miners, fixing its objective in the concentration of Nickel, Cadmium, Zinc, Chromium, Barium, Lead. Materials and methodswill be used a high volume sampled, in order to perform a first sweep of metals: Nickel, Cadmium, Zinc, Chromium, Barium, Lead in the work environment. Resultswith respect to the VLA of suspended total particles that is 3 mg / m3, it can be seen that in none of the samplings this value is exceeded. DiscussionIt is important to minimize the duration and intensity of exposures to these metals, establish maximum dwell times at the same place of classification. ConclusionsEPIS individual protection equipment should be the last means to be used for the protection of workers.

Forensic investigation of incidents involving chemical threat agent: Presentation of the operating procedure developed in Belgium for a field-exercise

The GIFT CBRN project (Generic Integrated Forensic Toolbox for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents), funded under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission, has been set up to find solutions for investigating incidents involving CBRN agents. Regarding the forensic point of view, specific tools and procedures to assist forensic investigators to perform a crime scene investigation (CSI) and methodologies to enable the subsequent analysis of the evidences (contaminated with CBRN agents) seized at the crime scene have been developed. To validate the procedures and methods developed within this project and to test them, three field-exercises engaged with one type of agent at the time (i.e. a RN-agent, a B-agent or a C-agent) has been held. The Belgian Defence Laboratories (DLD) in collaboration with Royal Military Academy (RMA) and the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) has organized the chemical field exercise in Belgium. CSI teams of the Belgian Federal Police (experienced in crime scene investigation, fingerprints and digital forensics but at the time of the exercise not trained to perform their activities in CBRN conditions), SIBCRA teams (experienced in the sampling and identification of CBRN agents in hazardous environments) and the Civil Protection (experienced in entering zones with potential chemical hazards in full individual protective equipment) were involved. Since those teams never worked together in CBRN conditions, the exercise was used to establish the first operating procedure for CSI and laboratory analysis for CBRN and forensic materials in Belgium. The main steps of the procedure applied during this filed-exercise are described is this manuscript. The first step was the reconnaissance performed to (i) identify/quantify the threat agent involved, (ii) to document the scene and (iii) to collect priority forensic evidences. The second step focused on the collection of other forensic evidences, the sampling of DNA traces and the revelation of fingerprints at the scene. The collection of CBRN agents was performed during step 3. Step 4 concentrated on the decontamination and transport of evidences and traces sampled in the contaminated zone. The revelation of fingerprints in a glovebox (step 5) was finally demonstrated.In conclusion, this field-exercise was an opportunity for the different Belgium services to work together, to learn from each other, and to work towards the establishment of a national operating procedure to manage investigations in CBRN conditions.

Безопасность персонала электросетевых объектов при применении средств индивидуальной защиты от электрических полей промышленной частоты

In this paper have been considered the main principles of personnel protection against adverse influence of electromagnetic fields. The analysis of principles and criteria for protection of personnel performing service and operation of power supply network facilities and an overhead contact system has been presented. Have been tested several samples of individual protection equipment for protection of electrical personnel against electric shock, adverse influence of electromagnetic fields of industrial frequency and concomitant factors, as well as when working at railroads’ overhead contact system and overhead power transmission lines with voltage up to 1150 kV inclusively whether on the Earth or wires potential, in the case of human protection in accidental situation, triggering to pace voltage. The considered screening kits as individual protection equipment are domestic product in which have been implemented innovative developments as part of the import substitution program. Has been shown the efficiency of personnel security ensuring during works on the Earth potential and live working, including possible accidental situations.

USE OF INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT IN CIVIL CONSTRUCTION

The use of individual protective equipment (IPE) is extremely essential for any activity that is prone to occupational hazards and / or illnesses that could threaten the safety and health of the worker. The construction market has grown abundantly in recent years, and consequently the risk of accidents in this work environment as well. There are several reasons for this growing increase in accidents at work, among them is the Contracting Company that does not provide correctly the equipment of personal protection for its employees and the lack of commitment and interest of the employees in the use of protective equipment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of individual protection equipment in the construction company in a given service rendering, which includes the construction of reinforced concrete wall and drainage network installation, observing the methods used for adhesion and control of the use of IPE. Although the work is short-term and the accident risk is high, in the course of the work up to the date of delivery, a satisfactory result was obtained both for the Company and for the employees involved in the activities, as it had no accident of job.

Audit of standardized precautionary and contact practices in the Intensive Care Unit.

To evaluate the structure and adherence to the standardized and specific precautionary measures of health professionals in the Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital in the Federal District of Brazil. A descriptive, cross-sectional and prospective study. A structured questionnaire was used via observations which recorded the practices of professionals with Individual Protection Equipment and indications of precautions. The chi-square test was applied, and the p-value was calculated. A total of 52 professionals participated in the study, and 445 care procedures were observed in 36 audit sessions. The average adhesion rate for equipment use was 72.72%, with 94.91% for gloves, 91.43% for aprons, 80% for masks and 24.56% for safety glasses. When there was no indication and no personal protective equipment was used, the average rate was 68.01%, with 30.77% for gloves, 87.58% for aprons, 57.58% for masks, and 96.13% for safety glasses. Contact precautions were unnecessarily indicated for 35% of patients. Good adherence to using gloves, aprons and masks were observed, but there was poor adherence to using safety glasses and unnecessary use of masks and admission contact precautions.

ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT BY SMALL CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF PRESIDENTE FIGUEIREDO

The uses of Individual Protection Equipment is fundamental to guarantee the professional safety, the objective of this work was to analyze how the small construction companies has been handling this subject in Amazonas, specifically in the Municipality of Presidente Figueiredo, where the research was carried out. A questionnaire was applied addressing topics of simple understanding for a better understanding of the interviewees. With the results of the research, comparative charts were elaborated. The research results reveal that employees have knowledge about the use of PPE, but there is a great lack of supervision and management of work safety in the participating companies.

Testing Methods of Assessment for the Chemical Resistance of Insulating Materials Against the Effect of Selected Acids

The Czech Armed Forces' soldiers of all specializations and mainly the chemical corps'specialist are prepared for task fulfillment in military and non-military operations within those a real threat of weapons of mass destruction employment and, occasionally, the real danger of toxic industrial materials leakage is present. They can solve problems caused by acids leakage in contaminated areas mainly during task fulfillment in non-military operations on the Czech Republic territory in cooperation with Fire Rescue Brigades' chemical specialists. Individual protective equipment which is established in the Czech Armed Forces were neither design for this purpose and, moreover, nor tested and thus there is no real data concerning their chemical resistivity. In recent time, some methods have been introduced into the Czech Armed Forces environment. They are useful for determination of chemical resistivity of barrier materials against toxic compounds detectable with acid-basic (colorimetric) methods and conductometric ones. The paper deals with the possibility of using the presented methods and compares the suitability of their application in relation to the protective garments designated for the Czech Armed Forces members' body surface.

SEGURANÇA E SAÚDE DO TRABALHO EM FUMICULTORES COM CERTIFICAÇÃO DO SISTEMA DE GESTÃO INTEGRADO

O Brasil é o segundo maior produtor de tabaco do mundo e o maior exportador do produto. No campo, há predomínio de produtores de agricultura familiar que produzem a matéria-prima, vendendo-a exclusivamente para a agroindústria do tabaco, sob Sistema de Integração de Produção. Nesse sistema, todos os trabalhadores envolvidos nos diferentes processos produtivos, inclusive fornecedores e subcontratados, devem seguir normas entre as quais as de Segurança e Saúde Ocupacional. O presente estudo objetivou verificar se a indústria fumageira com certificação do Sistema de Gestão Integrado está repassando as questões de Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho aos seus fornecedores de matéria-prima. O estudo foi conduzido em um município do Núcleo Regional de União da Vitória, PR. Para a coleta de dados foram realizadas entrevistas em 11 propriedades agrícolas, que comportam diretamente 29 trabalhadores rurais envolvidos na fumicultura. A metodologia utilizada foi de estudo de caso múltiplo, por meio de observação direta e entrevistas. As atividades realizadas nas propriedades pelos fumicultores na época de colheita e secagem do fumo caracterizaram-se pela carga horária média de trabalho de 11 horas. Observou-se falta de treinamento efetivo do modo de usar o Equipamento de Proteção Individual (EPI) e de procedimentos de sua manutenção. Os sintomas relacionados à Doença da Folha Verde do Tabaco (DFVT) ou intoxicações com agroquímicos informados pelos trabalhadores foram semelhantes nas diferentes propriedades. Os resultados obtidos demonstram a ausência de diferenciação no tema segurança e saúde do trabalho entre as indústrias com ou sem certificação do Sistema de Gestão Integrado na Região.

Unhealthy occupational exposure to noise in nightclubs and lack of employee awareness

Music is widely used in leisure activities, but environments with high sound intensity such as nightclubs may expose workers to the unhealthy level of sound pressure. Excessive noise has been associated with hearing impairment, difficulty in verbal communication, increased psychological tension and lower level of attention of workers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sound pressure level of electronically amplified music through 25 measurements in triplicate in the different nightclub environments installed in the city of Cascavel (Brazil) during the presentation of disk jockey and with live sound. By anamnesis, he verified the perception of the employees in the exposure unhealthy. The results showed that all employees exposed to unmitigated excessive noise, 18.8% said that the music and noise in the place affect their function and everyone perceives the buzzing after the end of the journey. No employee interviewed uses Individual protection equipment, with 27.1% complaining about the occupational discomfort caused by the protector, while 50% of the reasons characterized by the lack of awareness of the interviewees. It´s concluded that the noise agent in nightclubs is serious and imminent, culminating in occupational illness if isn´t mitigated by the use of protection equipment and the implementation of risk management programs and employee awareness.

Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of Polyurea-Based Hybrid Composites for Ballistic Individual Protection

During conûict situations, the combat staff is exposed to a wide variety of aggressions, such as temperature and pressure variations and dynamic impacts (from ammunition or fragments). Textiles used in the manufacture of the military uniforms and devices have always played an important role in defending the military against these hazards, and an adequate level of individual protection equipment is required. In this respect, novel fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials for military application, such as reducing blunt trauma for ballistic protection equipment, have been studied in terms of thermal and mechanical properties and ballistic protection, obtaining very good results.

Quality of cross-infection control in dental laboratories. A critical systematic review

To identify reported practices for cross-infection control in dental laboratories and to quantify the importance of the flaws encountered. Systematic search (cross-infection AND dental laboratory) at EMBASE, PubMed, SciELO and Scopus databases. Papers reporting on cross-sectional studies providing original data about cross-infection knowledge, practices and attitudes of dental technicians. Papers reporting on a single laboratory or institution were excluded. Data extraction was undertaken independently by three reviewers using a purpose made form. The outcome of this study was analyzed in five aspects, namely process organization, disinfection, working environment, use of individual protective equipment and vaccination policy. The systematic search output was 1651 references and 11 papers were finally selected. Flaws were more frequently identified in terms of vaccination policy, biological safety of the working environment and use of individual protective equipment (100%). Slightly better results were found in terms of organization of the cross-infection control process (89.47%) and disinfection practices (85.71%). The application of the formula for disclosing the relative importance of the flaws identified in the literature prioritizes the need for interventions aimed at improving the organization of the cross-infection control procedures, followed by training in item disinfection. The control of the working environment together with the use of individual protective equipments rank closely in importance, followed by the existence of a vaccination policy. Sub-standard cross-contamination practices seem to be a common finding in dental laboratories, which may well compromise the quality of certain dental treatments.

Analysis of hazards associated with injuries to the employee’s head during fall arrest

A fall from a height is one of the most serious hazards faced by employees in the work environment. It is present mostly at workstations in such industries as construction, power engineering, mining, storage, etc. Using individual protective equipment against falls from a height is a basic method of protecting workers under such conditions. The choice of this method carries specific risks associated with the functioning of equipment during fall arrest. Hitting elements of the workstation during fall arrest associated with pendulum movement is a very serious threat. This paper presents conditions which trigger pendulum movement during fall arrest and the positions which a human equipped with a full body harness can assume then. Potential effects of the impact of the head against an obstacle during pendulum movement are discussed on the basis of the results of research with an anthropomorphic dummy. The article discusses methods of preventing swing movement and ways of mitigating the effects of collisions with obstacles within the workstation. It also presents the basic requirements for protective helmets intended for use with individual protection equipment against falls from a height.

Problems of the dynamic test method for individual protection equipment (shock absorbers)

This paper examines issues of safety of high-altitude works, using individual protection equipment to prevent falling from a height. In particular, the paper reviews personal protective equipment - shock absorber, its dynamic characteristics and related test methods to meet the requirements of Technical Regulations 019/2011 “Safety of Individual Protection Equipment”. The paper discusses the differences between the Russian and European standards for dynamic characteristic testing of shock absorbers, even as the former are harmonized texts of the latter, and the effect of such differences on protective performance of shock absorbers and ultimately on safety of works on heights. It have been shown that tests, conducted in accordance with the Russian regulative documents for dynamic performance of the shock absorbers, entail decreasing in safety usage of such type of IPE and increasing in injuries during falls from a height. It has been defined necessity to actualize the range of the testing system of shock absorbers, and to admit its larger value that will cause increase in protective properties of shock absorbers.

Facility infrastructure of primary health services regarding tuberculosis control: a countrywide cross-sectional study.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public health problem in many countries, including Brazil. Primary health care (PHC) services are a set of important services with infrastructure and resources to diagnose, treat, and cure several diseases, including the TB. The aim of this study is to analyse aspects of the facility infrastructure of Brazilian PHC, regarding the control and treatment of TB from a countrywide perspective. This is a cross-sectional study based on PHC services. Data were collected from 38,812 health centres and were assessed by means of the National Program for Improving Access and Quality Primary Care. The outcome was obtained by the presence and availability of the following infrastructure items: air circulation in the consultation room, refrigerator, individual protective equipment, plastic jar for sputum examination, and TB notification form of the primary care information system. Poisson regression was used to calculate the prevalence ratio. Of the 38,812 evaluated centres, only 1628 (4.2%) presented a positive result regarding the outcome. Primary health centres, among all types of centres, presented the highest quality of facility infrastructure for TB control. Centres with large workloads, as well as those that presented a list of offered services and a welcoming consulting room, also presented the highest quality infrastructure. The present study shows that major improvements should be made to the infrastructure to reach a satisfactory TB control in Brazil.

INCUBADORA TECNOSSOCIAL DE COOPERATIVAS E EMPREENDIMENTOS ECONÔMICOS SOLIDÁRIOS COMO ARTICULADORA DA EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL EM CERRO LARGO POR MEIO DA EXTENSÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA

Technological Incubators of Popular Cooperatives (ITCPs, Portuguese acronym) aim to promote sustainable development through outreach activities for enterprises of solidarity economy. The Techno-social Incubator of Solidarity Economic Cooperatives and Enterprises (ITCEES, Portuguese acronym) is a multidisciplinary laboratory from the Federal University of the South Boarder (UFFS, Portuguese acronym) that acts through the incubation of enterprises; an example of its actions is on Environmental Education. In 2016, ITCEES created the Social Management Forum, which seeks to solve the problem of urban solid waste (USW) through the collective discussion among several social actors in order to solve a problem that plagues the municipality of Cerro Largo (RS). The research adopted a qualitative approach. The outcomes that can be highlighted are the implementation of an environmental education project in municipal schools, the elaboration of a flyer about selective waste collection, the resumption of the saturated fat recycling project, the establishment of a waste collectors cooperative, and the acquisition of individual protection equipment in addition to courses to waste collectors.

Thermal protection study of bladder compensatory suit using a heat transfer model.

The bladder compensatory suit (BCS) is important individual protective equipment for pilots' activities in a high-flying environment. The layout and thermal diffusion ability of the bladder directly affects the thermal comfort of pilots in flight. (1) Established and verified a human-compensatory suit-environment heat transfer model; (2) Used the model to study the human thermal variation of each segment in hot conditions and clothing. To verify the two-dimensional heat transfer model, simulated data of body temperature were compared with experimental results under the same conditions (AT: 40/45°C, ordinary clothing). The model could be used to calculate the temperature variation of each body segment in three environments temperature (28°C, 35°C and 40°C) and three types of clothing (naked, ordinary clothing, BCS). The results showed that: (1) the bladder significantly affected sweating speed and skin temperature, as well as core temperature; (2) the skin temperature of the area covered by the bladder was difficult to reduce by the thermal regulation system. It was because sweat secretion was inhibited, thus, to limit evaporation. The model could be used as a reference for the thermal protection design of bladder compensatory suit. The bladder compensatory suit (BCS) is important individual protective equipment for pilots activities in a high-flying environment, and its layout directly affects the thermal comfort. Based on a two-dimensional thermal regulation system model, a body-clothing-environment heat transfer model was established. The model was used to calculate the temperature and sweat variation of each body segment in different environments and clothing.

Lessons learnt from Australian Defence Force trial of live physiological monitoring to improve soldier performance in both training and operational scenarios

Introduction: Currently, in the training environment, Defence personnel undergoing strenuous activities or activities involving the use of restrictive (individual protective equipment) apparel, are governed by the work/rest tables which provide non-specific application of activity level against ambient temperature (wet bulb globe temperature) for the average Defence member. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of a biometric or physiological sensor when combined with a real time delivery system, over distance (radio frequency to 1.5 km) to enhance directing staff/commanders decision making ability through greater situational awareness in the form of physiological status monitoring to provide, specific to individual, real time data minimising the risk of injury and heat related conditions and providing a more robust duty of care framework.

Surveillance and Analysis of Occupational Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the Paris Region.

Acute carbon monoxide poisoning is common and often severe. Domestic causes have been extensively documented, while occupational exposures have been reported less frequently. We analyse occupational carbon monoxide poisonings from the available data of the carbon monoxide poisoning surveillance network for Paris and its region, and identify predictive factors of severity for occupational poisoning in order to identify priority prevention actions. We retrospectively reviewed all events of acute accidental carbon monoxide exposures which occurred in the Paris region, at the work place, and notified to the surveillance network from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2011. Over the 7-year study period, 362 exposed workers were identified, representing 8.15% of all cases of carbon monoxide exposures. The largest number of events occurred in the building sector and most commonly affected occupations were craft and related trades workers. The most common sources of exposure were internal combustion engine equipment that was involved in almost half of cases. Minor severity was observed in 86% of cases, and 13% were moderate or more. We identify that the use of internal combustion engine equipment was significantly associated with increased severity. Occupational carbon monoxide poisoning is reported less frequently than domestic poisoning and has different and more numerous causes. It can be potentially severe, especially when it is caused by internal combustion engine equipment. Information about risks, compliance with instructions and cleaning rules, and establishment of collective and individual protective equipment would significantly reduce the frequency and severity of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Analysis of demand in the importation process for the trade of individual protection equipment

The organizations maintain excessive inventories as a way to anticipate the customer's need, taking, this way, competitive advantage. On the other hand, the lack of stocks can stop assembly lines; change the production schedule; increase costs and harm the marketing planning. However, there are costs in relation to these inventories;therefore, set an appropriate policy stock management is a critical factor for the success of a company, in addition to obtaining sustainable competitive advantage in the long term. Considered by many as the basis for managing the supply chain, inventory management depends on clear definitions for the following questions: how much to ask, when to ask, how much to keep in stock and where to find the stock. Therefore, there must be a balance in relation to demand and stock supply. Increased market competitiveness forces companies to lower their stock costs and may result in loss of orders due to lack of product. This paper describes the process of forecasting demand, and the methods of analysis forecasting as a tool to reduce costs by simulating the methods of demand forecasting in order to improve the level of stock. Thus, a case study was elaborated in the ABC Company, which acts in the imported PPE business for analyzing the process and simulating the techniques of demand forecasting. The results presented in the case study were satisfactory actually observed divergence between the process applied before the company and applied studies directly on demand obtained with this assertiveness in the forecast..

Influence of the Shock Wave on the Hybrid Ballistic Gelatin

Abstract Forensic ballistic tests involve the use of various ballistic gelatins and soaps. Their use is restrained due to several important factors: their synthesis strategy, their availability at room temperature and their rapid degradation even when kept in cold places. The importance of human torso surrogates translates in the facility to verify various ballistic factors impact, such as shock wave or fragments. In the first case, the use of piezoelectric transducers and accelerometers inside torso surrogates helps in defining safety distances and materials for individual protection equipment.