Indoor Work Environments Research Articles

Work environments and HIV prevention: a qualitative review and meta-synthesis of sex worker narratives.

BackgroundSex workers (SWs) experience a disproportionately high burden of HIV, with evidence indicating that complex and dynamic factors within work environments play a critical role in mitigating or producing HIV risks in sex work. In light of sweeping policy efforts to further criminalize sex work globally, coupled with emerging calls for structural responses situated in labour and human-rights frameworks, this meta-synthesis of the qualitative and ethnographic literature sought to examine SWs’ narratives to elucidate the ways in which physical, social and policy features of diverse work environments influence SWs’ agency to engage in HIV prevention.MethodsWe conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative and ethnographic studies published from 2008 to 2014 to elucidate SWs’ narratives and lived experiences of the complex and nuanced ways in which physical, social, and policy features of indoor and outdoor work environments shape HIV prevention in the sex industry.ResultsTwenty-four qualitative and/or ethnographic studies were included in this meta-synthesis. SWs’ narratives revealed the nuanced ways that physical, social, and policy features of work environments shaped HIV risk and interacted with macrostructural constraints (e.g., criminalization, stigma) and community determinants (e.g., sex worker empowerment initiatives) to shape SWs’ agency in negotiating condom use. SWs’ narratives revealed the ways in which the existence of occupational health and safety standards in indoor establishments, as well as protective practices of third parties (e.g., condom promotion) and other SWs/peers were critical ways of enhancing safety and sexual risk negotiation within indoor work environments. Additionally, working in settings where negative interactions with law enforcement were minimized (e.g., working in decriminalized contexts or environments in which peers/managers successfully deterred unjust policing practices) was critical for supporting SWs’ agency to negotiate HIV prevention.ConclusionsPolicy reforms to remove punitive approaches to sex work, ensure supportive workplace standards and policies, and foster SWs’ ability to work collectively are recommended to foster the realization of SWs’ health and human rights across diverse settings. Future qualitative and mixed-methods research is recommended to ensure that HIV policies and programmes are grounded in SWs’ voices and realities, particularly in more under-represented regions such as Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2491-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Structural determinants of inconsistent condom use with clients among migrant sex workers: findings of longitudinal research in an urban canadian setting.

Migrant women in sex work experience unique risks and protective factors related to their sexual health. Given the dearth of knowledge in high-income countries, we explored factors associated with inconsistent condom use by clients among migrant female sex workers over time in Vancouver, BC. Questionnaire and HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing data from a longitudinal cohort, An Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access, were collected from 2010 to 2013. Logistic regression using generalized estimating equations was used to model correlates of inconsistent condom use by clients among international migrant sex workers over a 3-year study period. Of 685 participants, analyses were restricted to 182 (27%) international migrants who primarily originated from China. In multivariate generalized estimating equations analyses, difficulty accessing condoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-12.47) independently correlated with increased odds of inconsistent condom use by clients. Servicing clients in indoor sex work establishments (e.g., massage parlors) (AOR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15-0.77), and high school attainment (AOR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09-0.50) had independent protective effects on the odds of inconsistent condom use by clients. Findings of this longitudinal study highlight the persistent challenges faced by migrant sex workers in terms of accessing and using condoms. Migrant sex workers who experienced difficulty in accessing condoms were more than 3 times as likely to report inconsistent condom use by clients. Laws, policies, and programs promoting access to safer, decriminalized indoor work environments remain urgently needed to promote health, safety, and human rights for migrant workers in the sex industry.

The relationship between social, policy and physical venue features and social cohesion on condom use for pregnancy prevention among sex workers: a safer indoor work environment scale

BackgroundThis study aims to report on a newly developed Safer Indoor Work Environmental Scale that characterises the social, policy and physical features of indoor venues and social cohesion; and using...

양돈작업자의 개인보호구 개발을 위한 소비자 인식조사

Objectives: A field survey was conducted in a hog-raising industry in order to help develop personal protective equipment for workers which would secure the safety and the health of these workers. The attempt by this study will help enhance safety in the livestock industry and contribute to the advancement of the industry. Method: The study first selected a total of 111 workers from the hog-raising industry as research participants and designed a survey with questions on general characteristics, indoor and outdoor working environments, how the workers would in practice wear or purchase the working clothes, what needs to be improved in these new working clothes, how much the workers would be likely to accept the working clothes and protective equipment, and lastly, conditions of the communicable disease control overgarment. The collected data underwent frequency analysis and cross analysis with SPSS 21.0. Result: The research targets' average age was 50 years. Work efficiency by environmental factor was normal, but all age groups had experience of accidents (79.3%). Major wounded parts were under elbow and under knee. Protective equipment most commonly worn was helmet (83.4%), gloves (98.2%) and boots (99.1%), and satisfaction with them was normal at 3.41. Working clothing most commonly worn was old clothing (31.8%) and everyday wear (17.6%) and satisfaction with it was low. Considering the improvement of working clothing, they required attached pouches, elasticity and deodorization. The acceptability of improved working clothing was high at 69.2%. Conclusion: After problems have been addressed in relevant future research, what has been learned from the concerned study will be referred to as a useful basic reference when the relevant field works to develop high-quality working clothing and protective equipment for workers in the hog-raising industry.

Relationship of the risk factors for indoor air quality, work environment, and occupational stress with the symptoms of employees working in office buildings

Nonspecific building-related symptoms, sometimescalled sick building syndrome, have emerged as an occupational and environmental health issue since the early 1970s. The Building Sanitation Manageme...

Indoor Climate Implications of Extreme Outdoor Climates

Background: Consensus climate modelling projects highly altered climates by 2100 with small but not low probabilities of reaching 6-9 deg mean annual increases in mean global temperature and much larger increases in some regions and seasons. Such temperatures imply increasingly large increases in areas where outdoor work is restricted because of physiological limits due to the local wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a function mainly of temperature and humidity, but also considering wind and radiation. A growing literature examines the implications for labour productivity in agriculture, construction, and other outdoor activities over time Aim: Here we examine the potential implications for indoor environments of a world in which outdoor work is increasingly difficult and, eventually perhaps, even impossible in some areas. Methods: We briefly review the existing literature on climate projections, the calculation of WBGT, and implications of extreme WBGTs for work productivity. We review also the implications for indoor work environments and energy demand of increasing demand for air conditioned workplaces as well as households. We calculate monthly indoor heat exposure situations in India, as an example, and discuss global implications. Results: We discuss implications for urban design, patterns of pollution exposures, physical activity for transport and recreation, and work practices in a world in which the human experience is increasingly confined to indoor environments. The effects are not only experienced outdoors as modelling shows seriously increasing indoor heat problems during lengthy periods each year and substantial increases in energy requirements for cooling to avoid serious health impacts and maintain productivity.

ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS FROM FORMALDEHYDE EXPOSURE

Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical agent, a part of our outdoor and indoor working and residential environment. Healthcare workers in difficult occupations are among the most affected by formaldehyde exposure. Formaldehyde is an ingredient of some dental materials. Formaldehyde is well-known mucous membrane irritant and a primary skin sensitizing agent associated with both contact dermatitis (Type IV allergy), and immediate, anaphylactic reactions (Type I allergy). Inhalation exposure to formaldehyde was identified as a potential cause of asthma. Quite a few investigations are available concerning health issues for dental students following formaldehyde exposure. Such studies would be beneficial for early diagnosis of hypersensitivity, adequate prophylactic, risk assessment and management of their work.

플랜트 기자재 업체의 효율적인 작업장 운영을 위한 실시간 모니터링 시스템 개발 및 적용

This study describes a real-time location monitoring system developed for efficient operation of workplace in plant equipment maker. This monitoring system can be applied for indoor and outdoor working environment respectively. By using the real-time tracking system based on RTLS, it is possible to track worker`s movement and location of working object under indoor working environment. For outdoor working environment, the real-time monitoring system based on IDGPS is applied for work safety and balanced workload. A case study is provided to evaluate the performance of the real-time monitoring system.

Single-Particle Analysis in An Indoor Working Environment in Valencia, Spain

Actually is recognized the importance of indoor air environment and associated health risks. In order to evaluate indoor air quality and to characterize the particles in terms of size, composition and shape were done measurements of the suspended particulate matter in a mechanical workshop of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain). These measurements were performed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and image digital analysis. To differentiation of individual particles in the fine- ultrafine fraction, in some case, was used the atomic force microscopy (AFM). Multivariate statistics, such as hierarchical cluster analysis and factor analysis were appliqued and allowed to establish groups of elements and in this way to facilitate the identification of the natural and anthropogenic sources. It is confirmed that indoor air is influenced by outdoor surroundings and the anthropogenic sources due to the daily activity.

Microorganisms in Home and Indoor Work Environments: Diversity, Health Impacts, Investigation and Control edited by Brian Flannigan, Robert A. Samson, and J. David Miller

Risk AnalysisVolume 31, Issue 8 p. 1327-1327 Book Review Microorganisms in Home and Indoor Work Environments: Diversity, Health Impacts, Investigation and Control edited by Brian Flannigan, Robert A. Samson, and J. David Miller Charles N. Haas, Charles N. Haas Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering,Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street,Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;[email protected]Search for more papers by this author Charles N. Haas, Charles N. Haas Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering,Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street,Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;[email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 12 August 2011 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01665.xCitations: 5Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume31, Issue8August 2011Pages 1327-1327 RelatedInformation

Microbeam analysis of individual particles in indoor working environment

AbstractIn machine workshops and laboratories, specific materials and chemicals are processed and toxic aerosols may be released into air. For protection of the health of employees working in that environment, it is therefore important to gather knowledge about aerosol composition related to specific working activity and to monitor the aerosol concentration levels. An extensive study of this kind was performed in the machine workshop of Jožef Stefan Institute using a combination of time‐, particle size‐ and location‐resolved sampling. The majority of samples were analyzed by particle induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry (EDX) techniques and the main results have been described in a separate paper. Here, we concentrate on presenting the results of individual particle analysis of an aerosol emission that is related to a short, unexpected episode related to the restoration of old furniture. Although the activity was identified by a strong correlation of elemental concentrations in a series of samples taken with a 2‐h time resolution, the single microparticle analysis of the cascade impactor samples taken over the longer time period offered an additional insight into the corresponding aerosol composition. The analysis of the aerosol size‐selected samples revealed strong pair correlations among concentration levels of Ba, Zn, S, Pb and Cl in a number of individual microparticles. The result is explained by the emission of Ba‐ and Pb‐rich aerosol particles in course of removal of the old white paint layers. The former particles appear to originate from white pigment called lithopone, which is a mixture of BaSO4 and ZnS, and the latter group seems to be related to Pattinson's white lead PbCl·OH. Although the individual particle analysis by itself is in principle capable of assigning the emission source, in this case, it was used as an excellent tool to enhance the quality of source characterization. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Worldwide Increasing Incidences of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) has been increasing at a steady rate in fair-skinned populations around the world for decades. Scientists are not certain why CMM has been steadily increasing, but strong, intermittent UVB (290–320 nm) exposures, especially sunburn episodes, probably initiate, CMM, while UVA (321–400 nm) passing through glass windows in offices and cars probably promotes it. The CMM incidence may be increasing at an exponential rate around the world, but it definitely decreases with increasing latitude up to ~50°N where it reverses and increases with the increasing latitude. The inversion in the incidence of CMM may occur because there is more UVA relative to UVB for most of the year at higher latitudes. If windows, allowing UVA to enter our indoor-working environment and cars, are at least partly responsible for the increasing incidence of CMM, then UV filters can be applied to reduce the rate of increase worldwide.

Saving Energy and Improving Comfort at Boeing

ABSTRACT When the Boeing Company purchased a twenty-year-old building to expand its operations in the Houston area, it found itself in a situation that is all too familiar to many organizations—aging mechanical equipment with outdated controls, rising energy bills, comfort issues, and no magic pot of money to fix everything that needed to be fixed. By carefully focusing efforts on programs with the greatest payback, Boeing was able to cut energy usage at the site by approximately 19% (over 2 million kWh) in the first year of its energy initiative. Continuing to fine tune its energy program, energy use was cut an additional 8% in the second year and in the third year to date, an additional 7.5%, which puts the site on track for a 35% energy reduction since starting the program. Equally important, indoor working environment and comfort were improved while making these changes, with the equivalent of 5,182 metric tons of carbon dioxide in greenhouse gas emissions saved over this same period. This facility re...

Time-resolved measurements of aerosol elemental concentrations in indoor working environments

We have measured the elemental concentrations in aerosols with a 2-h time resolution in two different types of working environment: a chemistry laboratory dealing with the processing of advanced nanoparticulate materials and a medium-sized machine workshop. Non-stop 10-day and 12-day samplings were performed at each location in order to determine the concentration trends during the non-working/working and weekday/weekend periods. Supplementary measurements of PM10 aerosols with a 2-day sample collection time were performed with a standard Gent PM10 sampler to compare the elemental concentrations with the time-averaged concentrations detected by the 2D step-sampler. The concentrations were determined a posteriori by analyzing the x-ray spectra of aerosol samples emitted after 3-MeV proton bombardment. The PM10 samples collected in the chemistry laboratory were additionally inspected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to determine the chemical compositions of the individual particles. In the workshop, a total PM10 mass sampling was performed simultaneously with a minute resolution to compare the signal with typical outdoor PM10 concentration levels. A factor analysis of the time-resolved dataset points to six and eight factors in the chemistry laboratory and the machine workshop, respectively. These factors describe most of the data variance, and their composition in terms of different elements can be related to specific indoor activities and conditions. We were able to demonstrate that the elemental concentration sampling with hourly resolution is an excellent tool for studying the indoor air pollution. While sampling the total PM10 mass concentration with a minute resolution may lack the potential to identify the emission sources in a “noisy” environment, the time averaging on a day time scale is too coarse to cope with the working dynamics, even if elemental sensitivity is an option.

Smoke-Free Policies Among Asian-American Women: Comparisons by Education Status

California has significantly decreased racial/ethnic and educational disparities in smoke-free home and indoor work policies. California's ethnic-specific surveys present an opportunity to disaggregate data and examine the impact of California's smoke-free social norm campaign for Asian-American women. The California Tobacco Use Surveys for Chinese Americans and Korean Americans were conducted in 2003 and analyzed in 2008 to compare women with lower (<or= high school graduate) or higher education status for smoke-free policy adoption and enforcement. Lower-educated and higher-educated women had similar proportions of smoke-free policies at home (58%) or indoor work (90%). However, lower-educated women were more likely than higher-educated women to report anyone ever smoking at home (OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.06, 2.48, p=0.03) and exposure during the past 2 weeks at an indoor workplace (OR=2.43, 95% CI= 1.30, 4.55, p=0.005), even after controlling for ethnicity, smoke-free policy, knowledge about the health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure, and acculturation. There was no interaction between education and knowledge about secondhand smoke health harms. The intended consequences of California's tobacco-control efforts have resulted in similar rates of smoke-free policies at home and in indoor work environments among Asian-American women across educational levels. However, an unintended consequence of this success is a disparity in enforcement by educational status, with lower-educated Asian-American women reporting greater smoke exposure despite similar rates of knowledge about the health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure. Besides establishing policies, lower-educated Asian-American women may need to be empowered to assert and enforce their right to smoke-free environments.

Innovative green acoustic techniques to control noise ingress and sound propagation and to reduce energy consumption.

The current LEED rating system currently does not give credit for any elements of acoustic design within the point system. Too often, projects can become too focused on obtaining the points within the defined categories while sacrificing the basic elements of acoustic design (i.e., noise ingress from natural ventilation). The acoustic consultant must often find innovative ways to incorporate acoustic design into the building that will support the sustainability goals of the building and can be used to support and/or obtain a LEED point. Three innovative methods of green acoustic design in project case studies will be presented: natural ventilation techniques to maintain privacy, acoustic comfort in indoor working environments, and energy saving techniques for performing arts facilities. If applied to a project in an innovative method, the acoustics of a project need not be compromised and could be used as a LEED credit for innovation in design.

The impact of light and colour on psychological mood: a cross-cultural study of indoor work environments

The aim of the study was to determine whether indoor lighting and colour would have any systematic impact on the mood of people working indoors. Earlier studies have mostly focused either on light, colour or windows in laboratory settings. The present study was carried out in real work environments at different seasons and in countries with different latitudes. A total of 988 persons completed all parts of the study. In the countries situated far north of the equator there was a significant variation in psychological mood over the year that did not occur in the countries closer to the equator. When all four countries were considered together, it became evident that the light and colour of the workplace itself also had an influence on the mood of persons working there. The workers' mood was at its lowest when the lighting was experienced as much too dark. The mood then improved and reached its highest level when the lighting was experienced as just right, but when it became too bright the mood declined again. On the other hand, the illuminance as measured in objective terms, showed no significant impact on mood at any time of the year. The relationship between mood and the distance to the nearest window was bimodal. The results also indicate that the use of good colour design might contribute to a more positive mood. It is suggested that in future research light and colour should be studied as parts of the more complex system making up a healthy building.

Chamber evaluation of a portable GC with tunable retention and microsensor-array detection for indoor air quality monitoring

The evaluation of a novel prototype instrument designed for on-site determinations of VOC mixtures found in indoor working environments is described. The instrument contains a miniature multi-stage preconcentrator, a dual-column separation module with pressure-tunable retention capabilities, and an integrated array of three polymer-coated surface acoustic wave sensors. It was challenged with dynamic test-atmospheres of a set of 15 common indoor air contaminants at parts-per-billion concentrations within a stainless-steel chamber under a range of conditions. Vapours were reliably identified at a known level of confidence by combining column retention times with sensor-array response patterns and applying a multivariate statistical test of pattern fidelity for the chromatographically resolved vapours. Estimates of vapour concentrations fell within 7% on average of those determined by EPA Method TO-17, and limits of detection ranged from 0.2 to 28 ppb at 25 degrees C for 1 L samples collected and analyzed in <12 min. No significant humidity effects were observed (0-90% RH). Increasing the chamber temperature from 25 to 30 degrees C reduced the retention times of the more volatile analytes which, in turn, demanded alterations in the scheduling of column-junction-point pressure (flow) modulations performed during the analysis. Reductions in sensor sensitivities with increasing temperature were predictable and similar among the sensors in the array such that most response patterns were not altered significantly. Short-term fluctuations in concentration were accurately tracked by the instrument. Results indicate that this type of instrument could provide routine, semi-autonomous, near-real-time, multi-vapour monitoring in support of efforts to assess air quality in office environments.

Dynamic field sampling of airborne organophosphate triesters using solid-phase microextraction under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions

A simple setup for dynamic air sampling using a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device designed for use in the field was evaluated for organophosphate triester vapour under both equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The effects of varying the applied airflows in the sampling device were evaluated in order to optimise the system with respect to the Reynolds number and magnitude of the boundary layer that developed near the surface. Further, the storage stability of the analytes was studied for both capped and uncapped 100-microm PDMS fibres. Organophosphate triesters are utilized on large scales as flame-retardants and/or plasticizers, for instance in upholstered furniture. In indoor working environments these compounds have become common components in the surrounding air. Measurements were performed in a recently furnished working environment and the concentration of tris(2-choropropyl) phosphate was found to be 7 microg m(-3).

Assessment of lead, zinc, copper, nickel and chromium in total suspended particulate matter from the workplace in Al-Rusayl Industrial Estate, Oman.

Total suspended particulates (TSP) were collected with a high volume sampler from the indoor work environment of 23 industries in Al-Rusayl Industrial Estate in Muscat, Oman. The values measured ranged from 39 microg m(-3) to 1033 microg m(-3). TSP in the ambient air of the area was found to have an average value of 1802 microg m(-3). TSP were analyzed for Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr. Compared to other metals, Pb emission was high with values ranging from 3 to 15 109 ng m(-3) with the mean value being 1 293 ng m(-3); Cu concentration varied from 3 to 2600 ng m(-3) with a mean value of 131 ng m(-3); Ni concentration ranged from 6 to 46 ng m(-3) with a mean value of 17 ng m(-3); Cr concentration ranged from 1 to 133 ng m(-3) with a mean value of 23 ng m(-3) while that of Zn varied from 0.01 to 1 978 ng m(-3) with the mean value being 464 ng m(-3). The concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, and Zn in the ambient air were also measured and found to have the following values: 122, 18, 16, 5 and 0.01 ng m(-3), respectively. These values indicate that the industries in the area do not contribute significantly to heavy metal air pollution.