Steel Factory Workers Research Articles

Effects of occupational exposures on respiratory health in steel factory workers.

The steel factory work environment contains various chemical exposures that can affect indoor air quality and have impact on respiratory health of the workers. The objective of this study was to assess potential effects of occupational exposures in steel factory workers in Iran on the respiratory symptoms, occurrence and the lung function levels. This was a cross-sectional study of 133 men working in a steel factory forming the exposed group and 133 male office workers forming the reference group from a steel company in Iran. The participants filled in a questionnaire and underwent spirometry. Work history was used both as dichotomous (exposed/reference) and a quantitative measure of exposure, the latter measured as duration of exposure in the specified work (in years) for the exposed group and zero for the reference group. Multiple linear regression and Poisson regression were used to adjust for confounding. In Poisson regression analyses, an increased prevalence ratio (PR) of all respiratory symptoms was observed in the exposed group. Lung function parameters were significantly reduced in the exposed group (p < 0.001). There was a dose-response relation between duration of occupational exposures and reduction in the predicted value of FEV1/FVC level (0.177, 95% CI -0.198 to -0.156) in all models. The results of these analyses showed that occupational exposures in steel factory work increase the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and reduce lung function. Safety training and workplace conditions were found to need improvement. In addition, use of proper personal protective equipment is recommended.

Temporary Threshold Shifts among Iron and Steel Factory Workers in Tanzania: A Pre-Interventional Study.

Background:Workers in iron and steel factories in Tanzania are exposed to noise levels above recommended limit values, without using hearing protection devices. Exposure to noise levels above 85 dB(A) is associated with temporary threshold shifts (TTS) of human hearing. Nevertheless, there are few studies of noise and hearing from African countries.Objective:To determine whether the normal hearing workers in Tanzania experiences TTS after full-shift occupational noise exposure of 85 dB(A) and above.Methods:A total of 55 workers were included. Full-shift personal noise measurements were conducted. Pre- and post-shifts pure-tone audiometry were conducted for each worker. TTS was defined as a 10 dB or greater change at 1000, 2000, 3000 or 4000 Hz in either ear.Results:We found that 85.5% of the workers developed TTS across the work shift. There was significant increase in mean hearing thresholds across shift at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz among the workers exposed to an average personal noise exposure (LAeq,8h) of 90.4 dB(A) (SD = 2.7). The difference in mean hearing thresholds was higher at 4000 Hz [Arithmetic Mean (AM) = 10 dB SD = 4 dB] compared to that of 1000 Hz (AM = 4 dB SD = 3 dB), 2000 Hz (AM = 4 dB SD = 4 dB), and 3000 Hz (AM = 9 dB SD = 6 dB), respectively.Conclusions:Interventions to reduce occupational personal noise exposure are warranted to reduce the high risk of developing a permanent threshold shift with persistent high noise exposure. An intervention study is planned for this group of workers.

Oral Health Status and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among Steel factory workers of Visakhapatnam-A cross-sectional study.

Introduction:The occupational environment influences oral health to a greater extent. The unique environment in the steel factory might influence oral health and oral health-related quality of life of its workers, especially those who are exposed to its environment.Aim and Objectives:To determine oral health status and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among production line and administration workers of a steel factory and assess their relationship with occupation exposure.Method:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 533 production line and 517 administration workers of the steel factory aged 31–60 years using simple random sampling. The collected data includes information on demographic factors, adverse habits of the study subjects, and oral health-related quality of life using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). The oral health status was assessed using the WHO oral health assessment form 2013.Statistical Analysis:SPSS Version 20 was used for statistical analysis. A student t-test was done to compare means.Results:The prevalence of dental caries is 62.5% in the production line and 74.9% in administration workers, and the prevalence of periodontal status is 91.6% and 74.8%, respectively. The mean of OHIP-14 was 2.13 ± 0.73 in the production line and 2.33 ± 0.77 in administration workers. All domains of OHIP-14 were found to have high statistical significance with dental caries, periodontal pocket depth, loss of attachment, oral mucosal lesions, dental erosion, and dental trauma in both study groups (P < 0.001).Conclusion:OHIP-14 scores were related significantly with oral health status indicators in both study groups. The prevalence of the periodontal disease, oral mucosal lesions, and OHIP-14 scores was found to be significantly higher among production line workers.

Occupational noise exposure and hearing loss: A study of knowledge, attitude and practice among Tanzanian iron and steel workers

We assessed Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) regarding occupational noise exposure, Noise-induced hearing loss, audiometry and use of hearing protection devices among iron and steel factory workers exposed to high noise level. A modified, validated, structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 253 male workers randomly selected from the four factories. The sum scores for each domain of KAP were computed. Scores above 75% were defined as good knowledge and positive attitude. For practice, scores of >50% were defined as good. Independent samples t-test and Chi-squared test were used to analyze association between KAP and continuous/categorical variables respectively. Majority of workers displayed poor knowledge and poor practice (94%), but 76% displayed a positive attitude. Most of the workers (86%) had never been provided with hearing protection devices. The mean scores for attitude and practice differed significantly between the four factories (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.001). Implementation of hearing conservation program with provision of hearing protection devices are suggested.

Prevalence of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Tanzanian Iron and Steel Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Iron and steel factory workers in Tanzania are likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to exposure to high sound levels. Studies on hearing status in this population are lacking. The aims of this study were to determine prevalence of NIHL among iron and steel workers and compare hearing thresholds at different frequencies with a control group. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 221 iron and steel workers exposed to average noise level of 92 dB(A), compared with 107 primary school teachers recruited as controls and exposed to average noise level of 79.7 dB(A). We used a questionnaire-based interview to collect information on socio demographic characteristics and other confounding variables. Hearing loss was defined as hearing threshold levels ≥25 dB hearing loss in either ear at 3000, 4000 or 6000 Hz. The prevalence of hearing loss was significantly higher among the exposed group than among the controls, i.e. 48% and 31%, respectively. There were significant differences in hearing thresholds between the exposed and control groups at 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz. Hearing loss was more frequent among workers exposed to higher noise levels than among the controls suggesting that iron and steel workers run a higher risk of developing hearing loss.

Dust Exposure Associations with Lung Function among Ethiopian Steel Workers.

Background:Booming industrial development in Ethiopia, including a growing steel industry, may result in increased prevalence of pulmonary conditions. In this study, we evaluated steel workers’ exposure to dust as well as its potential impact on lung function.Methods:Cross-sectional study of 75 steel workers in Ethiopia, interviewed from April to June 2015. We obtained information on respiratory symptoms and personal protective equipment use via interview and conducted spirometry testing to assess lung function. Dust samples were collected from different factory sections. Correlation analyses were used to assess associations between variables.Results:Maximum dust levels were recorded in the induction furnace, where both galvanized and non-galvanized metals are melted. Steel factory workers with higher levels of particulate matter exposure had increased rate of respiratory symptoms (r = 0.96). Forced vital capacity values showed a strong negative correlation with numbers of years at work (r = –0.86, p = 0.03) and responders age (–0.85, p = 0.49) and weak negative correlation with level of particular matter (PM) (r = –0.02, p = 0.07). Similarly, forced expiratory volume in 1 second was strongly negatively correlated with the number of years of exposure (r = –0.82, p = 0.05) and workers age (r = –0.85, p = 0.08) and weakly negatively correlated with PM level (r = 0.25, p = 0.67).Conclusions:Occupational exposure continues to be a major problem among steel factory workers in Ethiopia and is associated with lung function abnormalities. Ensuring the availability of proper personal protective equipment, regular factory inspections, and training may help mitigate the impact of occupational exposures among these workers.

Variability and Determinants of Occupational Noise Exposure Among Iron and Steel Factory Workers in Tanzania.

BackgroundMachines, processes, and tasks in the iron and steel factories may produce noise levels that are harmful to hearing if not properly controlled. Studies documenting noise exposure levels and related determinants in sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania are lacking. The aim of this study was to document noise exposure and to identify determinants of noise exposure with a view to establishing an effective hearing conservation programme.MethodsA walk-through survey was conducted to describe the working environment in terms of noise sources in four metal factories (A–D) in Tanzania. Noise measurements were conducted by both personal, full-shift noise measurements (8 h) using dosimeters and area measurements (10-s measurements) using a sound level meter. A total of 163 participants had repeated personal noise measurements (Factory A: 46 participants, B: 43, C: 34, and D: 40). Workers were randomly selected and categorized into 13 exposure groups according to their job. Linear mixed effects models were used to identify significant determinants of noise exposure in the furnace section and the rolling mill section.ResultsThe average personal noise exposure in the four factories was 92.0 dB(A) (range of job group means; 85.4–96.2 dB(A)) (n = 326). Personal exposure was significantly higher in the rolling mill section (93.0 dB(A)) than in the furnace section (89.6 dB(A)). Among the job groups, the cutters located in the rolling mill section had the highest noise exposure (96.2 dB(A)). In the furnace section, furnace installation (below the ground floor), manual handling of raw materials/billets/crowbars, and billet weighing/transfer were significant determinants explaining 40% of the total variance in personal noise exposure. In the rolling mill section, the size of the cutting machine, steel billet weight and feeding re-heating furnace explained 46% of the total variance in personal noise exposure. The mean noise level of the area measurements was 90.5 dB(A) (n = 376).ConclusionWorkers in the four iron and steel factories in Tanzania were exposed to average noise of 92.0 dB(A), without using hearing protection, implying a high risk of developing hearing loss. Task and factory level determinants were identified in the furnace and the rolling mill sections of the plant, which can inform noise control in factories with similar characteristics.

The role of psychosocial and physical work-related factors on the health-related quality of life of Iranian industrial workers.

The role of psychosocial and physical work factors in predicting health related quality of life (HRQOL) has not been investigated among Iranian industrial workers. The present study is designed to assess these relationships among Iranian workers from steel and cosmetic factories. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 workers from two factories. Psychosocial and physical work factors and HRQOL were measured by the Persian translations of the following questionnaires: Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief). An instrument was developed to assess socio-demographic, health, and other work-related factors. The data were analyzed using independent t-tests, Pearson product moment correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. Results revealed that the respondents generally had poor HRQOLs especially in the environmental domain. The steel factory workers who were exposed to higher levels of occupational risk factors suffered from poorer HRQOL compared to the cosmetic factory workers. The results of hierarchical regression for all participants revealed that social support, sleep quality, work schedule, smoking and exercise were significant predictors of all domains of HRQOL. To improve the worker's HRQOL, intervention programs should focus on promoting social support, sleep quality, exercise and smoking habits. Moreover, reducing hazardous work environments should be considered an important intervention to promote HRQOL.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss in Steel Factory Workers

Background: Industrial noise is usually considered mainly from the point of view of environmental health and safety, rather than nuisance, as sustained exposure can cause permanent hearing damage. Objective: To assess the Noise induced hearing loss in steel factory workers.Methods: It was a cross sectional study done to evaluate the hearing status of factory workers, working nearby a rural hospital, which were then correlated with the duration of work and SPL (in dBA) of exposure at their workplace. Results: In this study, Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) was calculated in the workers by taking the average of the 4 frequencies i.e. 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz and 4000Hz in right and left ear separately. Results showed that 129 (37.83%) workers were having Mild SNHL in Right ear i.e. between 26- 40 dB. 203 (59.54%) of the workers were having normal hearing i.e. hearing loss not exceeding 25 dB. Only 9 (2.63%) workers had moderate (41-60 dB) hearing loss in right ears. Whereas in case of left ears results showed that 145 (42.52%) workers were having Mild SNHL in left ear i.e. between 26- 40 dB. 185 (54.25%) of the workers were having normal hearing i.e. hearing loss not exceeding 25 dB. Only 11 (3.23%) workers had moderate (41-60 dB) hearing loss.Conclusion: Duration of exposure of individuals was found in the range from 6 years to 20 years. Maximum number of workers i.e. 235 (68.92%) were exposed to a time duration of 16 to 20 years followed by 96 (28.15%) who were exposed to 11-15 years. There were 10 (2.93) workers who were having the exposure of 6 to 10 years.International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 4 No 2(2015) 34 – 43

Audiometric notching at 4 kHz: Good screening test for assessment of early onset of occupational hearing loss

Context: In noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), cochlear hair cells are damaged by exposure to loud sound. The basilar membrane is tonotopically organized with the lowest frequencies preferentially transduced at the apex and the highest frequencies at the base. On the basilar membrane, the outer hair cells area corresponding to the 4 kHz and the adjacent areas of 3 and 6 kHz are most susceptible to damage. Aims: To screen the factory workers for early onset of NIHL. Subjects and Methods: Study was done over a period of 2 years that is, from September 01, 2011 to August 31, 2013 on 341 steel factory workers. Workers having a minimum of 5 years of noise exposure were included whereas workers having age >45 years or with conductive hearing loss that is, air-bone gap >10 dB were excluded from the study. Results: It was found that factory workers showed normal hearing, when calculated as average of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz but they have started developing the early changes of NIHL in the form of notching at 4000 Hz frequency described as threshold shifts. It was seen that 198 right ears out of the total 341 studied showed threshold shifts >25 dB in 4 kHz frequency, even then 70 (35.35%) right ears showed hearing in normal range. In case of left ears 198 out of the total 341 studied showed threshold shifts >25 dB in 4 kHz frequency, even then 97 (48.99%) left ears showed hearing in normal range.

NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS IN BASRAH STEEL FACTORY WORKERS

Background: Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is irreversible sensorineural deafness in one or both ears which develops gradually due to chronic exposure to injurious noise in employement. Objective: To study the extent of hearing loss among steel factory workers as a result of their exposure to noise and to formulate an educational program for wearing a protective devices during the work. Methods: The study involved 121 subjects aged between 20-59 years. Fifty eight were working in Basrah steel factory as a case group and 63 were working in Basrah medical college as a control group, so (242 ears) were tested for pure tone using air conduction test audiometer. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups according to their ages.The ages of the first subgroup were ranging from 20 to 39 years and the ages of the second subgroup were 40-59 years. Results: In the subgroup 20-39 years, 93.8% of the workers had bilateral hearing loss, while only 17.3% from the control group had hearing loss, there is a significant difference between the two groups regarding hearing loss (P

A novel use of neural network model to determine the effects of multibiomarker on early health damage among Chinese steel workers

Coke-oven workers are exposed to many kinds of pollutants that can cause health damage even lead to carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is critical to identify biomarkers that predict early health damage in these exposed individuals in molecular epidemiological studies. We applied an artificial neural network (ANN) model to the identification of such predictors in a study of coke-oven workers. The study included 330 steel-factory workers who were exposed to different levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the workplace and their levels of early health damage were determined by cytokinesis-block micronuclei (CMN), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression, benzo(a)pyrene diolepoxide-albumin adduct (BPDE-AA), and olive tail moment (OTM). The ANN model was built to predict the early health damage index, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to illustrate the judged criteria and the ANN model. Trend Chi-square modeling was also performed. We found that there were 55 subjects with early health damage among 330 workers based on the multibiomarker criteria using the 95 percentile of the control group as the cut-off value, while there were 22-35 positive subjects if screening by any single biomarker. The Cochran-Armitage trend test for these findings were statistically significant (Z = 3.21, P = 0.0013). Six variables were selected to simulate the ANN model. The area under ROC (AUROC) was 0.726 ± 0.037 (P < 0.001), and the predictors included workplace, cholesterol, waistline, and others. Therefore, collective using CMN frequency, Hsp70 level, BPDE-AA level, and OTM with equal weights to make an initial screening test for early health damage in coke-oven workers is feasible and superior to any single biomarker. The determinants of the effects of multibiomarker on early health damage screening can be identified by the ANN model and ROC curve method.

From heaven to hell: The representation of the ThyssenKrupp tragedy in contemporary Italian documentary film-making

ABSTRACTThis essay focuses on the following documentaries: Simona Ercolani's La classe operaia va all'inferno/The Working Class Goes to Hell (2008), Pietro Balla and Monica Repetto's ThyssenKrupp Blues (2008) and Mimmo Calopresti's La fabbrica dei tedeschi/The Germans' Factory (2008). The three works portray what happened inside the ThyssenKrupp plant in Turin on 6 December 2007, when seven steel factory workers died after a deadly fire. To properly examine these documentaries, and to better account for their structural organization and narrative strategies, I employ Bill Nichols' theory on the different modes of representation in documentary film-making as discussed in his Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary. Following Nichols theory, I classify Ercolani's documentary as expository, Balla and Repetto's as observational and Calopresti's as interactive.

Malondialdehyde–Deoxyguanosine Adducts among Workers of a Thai Industrial Estate and Nearby Residents

BackgroundHumans living near industrial point emissions can experience high levels of exposures to air pollutants. Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Thailand is the location of the largest steel, oil refinery, and petrochemical factory complexes in Southeast Asia. Air pollution is an important source of oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species, which interact with DNA and lipids, leading to oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation, respectively.ObjectiveWe measured the levels of malondialdehyde–deoxyguanosine (dG) adducts, a biomarker of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, in petrochemical workers, nearby residents, and subjects living in a control district without proximity to industrial sources.DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the prevalence of malondialdehyde-dG adducts in groups of subjects experiencing various degrees of air pollution.ResultsThe multivariate regression analysis shows that the adduct levels were associated with occupational and environmental exposures to air pollution. The highest adduct level was observed in the steel factory workers. In addition, the formation of DNA damage tended to be associated with tobacco smoking, but without reaching statistical significance. A nonsignificant increase in DNA adducts was observed after 4–6 years of employment among the petrochemical complexes.ConclusionsAir pollution emitted from the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate complexes was associated with increased adduct levels in petrochemical workers and nearby residents. Considering the mutagenic potential of DNA lesions in the carcinogenic process, we recommend measures aimed at reducing the levels of air pollution.

Heat Exposure Control Using Non-refrigerated Water in Brazilian Steel Factory Workers

To test an economically reasonable method to reduce thermal stress, we performed an alternated intervention-control study on 2 groups of 8 male steel workers performing the same jobs, using 2 l of water at ambient temperature (23.5 degrees C +/- 1.4), poured on the head and hands. Each group participated for 2 d as control and 2 d as intervention during 4 consecutive summer days in Brazil, 5 h per shift per day. Testing was done by: 1) recording of temperature by thermistors placed on the external ear canal through earplug, skin (chest, upper arm, inner thigh, outer calf) and clothes; 2) recording of heart rate; and 3) Wet Bulb Globe Temperature recording. The intervention was held hourly, when body weight and water intake were evaluated. Symptoms and subjective sensations were evaluated in the beginning and at the end of each shift. No differences were observed in external ear canal and skin temperatures. Subjective thermal sensation (p = 0.018), sweat perception (p = 0.043), and tiredness (p = 0.028) presented positive statistically significant results when comparing intervention to control measurements. In conclusion, our results could not provide evidence that the proposed method cools the analyzed temperatures, although the subjective evaluation suggests a decrease in the head skin temperature, which could be a useful comfort measure.

Level of Problem Drinking, Health Status and Perception of Need for Moderate Drinking by Male Blue-collar Workers in Steel Factory

Level of Problem Drinking, Health Status and Perception of Need for Moderate Drinking by Male Blue-collar Workers in Steel Factory

Combined effect of smoking and occupational exposure to noise on hearing loss in steel factory workers

Background: Evidence has accumulated concerning the adverse effects of smoking on hearing acuity, but it is not clear whether smoking modifies the association between exposure to noise and hearing loss....

The prevention of heat disorders in sports.

Athletes are at risk to certain heat disorders that are created by deficits in body water (Table). These result from failure to replace large or recurrent sweat water losses. These disorders are as follows. Heat are painful and vigorous muscle contractions that most commonly involve the gastrocnemius or hamstring muscles. These are most common early in the season and affect the underconditioned athlete; they result from inadequate circulation to the exercising muscle. The early season hot weather suffered by athletes are distinctly different than the miner's cramps and stoker's cramps studied in industrial settings early in this century. Miners and steel factory workers were found to be electrolyte depleted through profuse sweat losses during eight- to 12-hour work periods day after day in hot environments. There is no evidence that the early season hot weather in healthy young athletes are in any way related to electrolyte

Measurement of lung-retained contaminants in vivo among workers exposed to metal aerosols.

In Finland the amount of lung-retained contaminants has been measured among welders, foundry workers, and iron and steel factory workers. About 300 subjects have so far been measured since 1976. The method of measuring is based on the magnetic properties of metal aerosols. At the very beginning the method resembled the one suggested by D. Cohen. The original method was too slow, and data processing was not suitable for clinical or hygienic work. Therefore, the automatic and computerized instrument for measuring lung-retained contaminants was developed in cooperation with Outokumpu Oy. The resolution of the magnetic measurement is better than 0.05 nT corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.5 mg of magnetic contaminants in the lung in the form of magnetite. These figures mean that, in practice, a shipyard welder has enough contamination for measurement after one month's exposure. In addition, the present paper reviews the magnetic properties of metal aerosols briefly and summarizes the results of measuring different occupational groups.