Particle size distributions and health-related exposures of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) of sinter plant workers

This study measured particle size distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in two workplace atmospheres of the sintering grate and rough roll shredder in a sintering plant, and to assess their workers’ health-related exposures. We found that the PCDD/F concentration of the sintering grate (site A = 14.47 pg m⁻³) was lower than that of the rough roll shredder (site B = 17.20 pg m⁻³). Particle size distributions of PCDD/Fs were in the form of the unimodal with the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 4.74 μm and 5.23 μm, and geometric standard deviation (σ_g) of 3.15 and 2.15 for the site A and B, respectively. The above results suggest that the workplace of the site A had a less fraction of coarse particles than that of the site B. The estimated PCDD/F concentrations of the inhalable fraction (11.0 pg m⁻³) and thoracic fraction (8.89 pg m⁻³) of the site A were lower than those of the site B (12.4 and 9.39 pg m⁻³, respectively). But to the contrary the estimated respirable fraction of the site A (5.05 pg m⁻³) was slightly higher than that of the site B (4.93 pg m⁻³). Our results clearly indicate the importance to conduct particle size segregating samplings for assessing human PCDD/F exposures.     

太原市焦炉工人尿中多种羟基多环芳烃浓度水平

以我国北方城市—太原市60名焦炉工人(男女人数比为2:1,年龄:40~50岁)为研究人群,分别在采暖期(2009年12月)和非采暖期(2009年9月)收集其工作8h的班前和班后尿液,同时以该市郊区60名农民为对照组,并统一采用问卷的方式收集其年龄、性别、工种、职业史、疾病史等信息,通过酶水解-高效液相色谱法分析测定尿样中6种OH-PAHs的浓度水平.该焦炉工人尿液中2-OHNap、2-OHFlu、3-OHPhe、9-OHPhe、1-OHPy和3-OHBap的平均浓度水平均高于对照组,分别为19.83、5.63、2.05、1.75、1.67和0.23μmol/mol肌酐,各OH-PAHs的浓度水平依次为2-OHNap>2-OHFlu> ∑-OHPhe(3-OHPhe+9-OHPhe)>1-OHPy>3-OHBap;男性尿液中OH-PAHs的浓度水平高于女性,采暖期的浓度水平高于非采暖期,但季节差异不大;焦炉工人尿中各OH-PAHs的浓度水平呈炉顶工>炉侧工>炉底工>对照组的趋势;焦炉工人在8h班后尿中各OH-PAHs的浓度水平均高于班前水平,其中高环的3-OHBap的浓度增加量最高,比班前增加了55%.焦炉工人尿液中的OH-PAHs的浓度水平与外暴露存在着正比关系,因此,建议进一步开展焦炉工人外暴露水平和内暴露水平之间关系的研究.     

Evaluation of soil microbial toxicity of waste foundry sand for soil-related reuse

The relationship between the chemical con- taminants and soil microbial toxicity of waste foundry sand （WFS） was investigated. Five different types of WFS from typical ferrous, aluminum, and steel foundries in China were examined for total metals, leachable metals, and organic contaminants. The soil microbial toxicity of each WFS was evaluated by measuring the dehydrogenase activity （DHA） of a blended soil and WFS mixture and then comparing it to that of unblended soil. The results show that the five WFSs had very different compositions of metal and organic contaminants and thus exhibited very different levels of soil microbial inhibition when blended with soil. For a given WFS blended with soil in the range of 10wt.%-50wt.% WFS, the DHA decreased almost linearly with increased blending ratio. Furthermore, for a given blending ratio, the WFSs with higher concentrations of metal and organic contaminants exhibited greater microbial toxicity. Correlation analysis shows that the relationship between ecotoxicity and metal and organic contaminants of WFSs can be described by an empirical logarithmic linear model. This model may be used to control WFS blending ratios in soil-related applications based on chemical analysis results to prevent significant inhibition of soil microbial activity.     

Exploring oil and gas industry workers’ knowledge and information needs

Many incident reports and much research literature have concluded that incident rates in high-hazard industries can be reduced by enhancing the knowledge and information sources available to workers. However, a sparsity of published research reporting workers' perspectives on the value of information and knowledge sources in different operational situations potentially limits the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving human responses to process safety performance. In response, this work seeks to understand how frontline oil and gas industry workers, responsible for managing process safety and other risks in their hazardous workplaces, rely on their own knowledge, the knowledge of others and information provided to manage different operating scenarios. A set of open and closed-ended survey questions were distributed to workers at several upstream and downstream oil and gas companies. Statistical analysis of 133 responses revealed interesting insights relating to participants’ experience levels, decision making practices and perceptions on the importance of various information and knowledge sources in different operating circumstances. The data revealed differences in the sources of knowledge relied upon by experienced and less experienced workers. Experienced workers rely on their own knowledge in both routine and potentially high-impact scenarios. Less experienced workers also rely on their own knowledge for routine decisions however they reported seeking out external knowledge and information in potentially high-impact scenarios. The data suggests that interventions to improve safety by enhancing the availability of knowledge and information sources are less likely to affect experienced workers and alternate strategies might be needed. However, such interventions might be effective if they are focused on supporting newer workers.     

Occupational injuries of immigrant and Finnish bus drivers

Problem

With baby boomers reaching retirement age, Western countries may need more immigrant workers to ensure productivity. Many studies have suggested a higher occupational injury frequency among immigrant workers, which could considerably reduce their contribution to society. The aim of this study was to examine whether immigrant workers have a higher injury frequency compared to Finnish workers when performing the exact same tasks under the same working conditions.

Method

A total of 176 Finnish and 130 immigrant bus drivers were asked about their occupational injuries during the past 12 months via a questionnaire. In addition, the data contained 134 injuries reported by the transport firm to an insurance company.

Results

There was no significant difference in reporting occupational injuries by self-reporting or by company-records. Because there were more accident-repeaters among Finnish drivers, their injury frequency (114) was higher than that of immigrant drivers (78).

Application/Impact

This study showed that immigrant workers did not have a higher injury frequency than other workers when they worked in the exact same conditions. Immigrant workers can work as safely as native-Finnish workers, when their working conditions and job contracts are at the same level as those of the original population. Immigrant workers can compensate for the shortage of workforce caused by an aging population.     

新生代农民工市民化问题探析——基于生活满意度视角

新生代农民工市民化是我国当前重大社会问题,了解新生代农民工市民化的需求与驱动力对于促进其主动市民化,构建和谐社会具有重要意义。本文认为农民工市民化的过程就是其在城镇就业、定居进而构建并不断提高生活满意程度的过程,因而生活满意度是新生代农民工市民化的实质驱动力。利用四川省成都市的实地调查数据与实证分析,基于296份新生代农民工的问卷调查,采用多元回归分析技术,探讨了经济收入、社会福利、社会地位及社会关系等对新生代农民工生活满意度的影响程度。分析结果表明:新生代农民工具有追求平等、发展与融入城市的强烈愿望,其生活满意程度取决于经济收入、社会福利、社会地位及社会关系等方面与城市人的横向比较结果。最后提出了就业环境公平化、社会福利均等化及市民化教育等对策建议,从而有利于促进其从经济、社会到心理的城市融入。     

行为经济学视角的农民工隐性户籍墙分析

20世纪70年代滞涨后,大量无法解释应对的现实问题让人们意识到,主流经济学关于人的基本假设存在不足,在经济研究中结合人的心理的探讨是必要的。为解释现实中农民工不积极申请积分制入户,文章利用二元Logistic模型对武汉市数据进行了分析,并基于行为经济学中的失望/后悔效应、牺牲陷阱、偏见与错觉理论解释了结果,提出作为户籍制度衍生的社会屏蔽,隐性户籍墙应囊括由二元户籍导致的对农民和市民在社会生活一切方面的歧视,其对农民工农转非选择的作用不仅在于这些客观歧视,还在于农民工面对歧视时的主观心理。改革开放后,我国大规模的人口流动持续至今,未来相当长的时期内还会日趋活跃,尤以农民工的流动突出,凸显农民工市民化的重要性。当前,农民工对市民化的犹豫不愿意,反映户籍改革及其配套制度的建立完善不到位,其与促进农民工市民化、城镇化、实现城乡一体化的要求尚有差距。     

Psychosocial and ergonomic survey of office and field jobs in a utility company

Introduction. The effect of different kinds of work on the psychosocial assessment of workers under the same management and organizational environment is investigated. Methods. A voluntary assessment in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire (CoPsoQ) on two occasions, 1.5 years apart. Initially, 25 office workers (11 men and 14 women) participated, while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second assessment together with 32 field workers. The sewage, water treatment and maintenance workers, totaling 32 men, also participated in a field ergonomics assessment using the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist. Results. The longitudinal outlook was fairly stable, with sustained severe scores in many CoPsoQ subscales and intensification of severity of workers’ control over work and esteem for men. A significantly higher esteem score resulted for field rather than office workers. Workers subjected to foul odors showed similar severity of psychosocial factors. Discussion. For most psychosocial dimensions, the organizational design and management system in place, as well as the overall cultural environment in which it operates, create a much stronger and more decisive impact than job-specific factors.     

Effect of restaurant types on compensation claims for work-related musculoskeletal disorders in France

Objectives. The economic burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is industry specific. The objective was to analyse compensation claims for WMSDs among restaurant workers in France taking into account the type of restaurant. Methods. Data for 2014 were obtained from the French National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers. A chi-square test was used to compare claims, incapacity and lost work day rates in different types of restaurant. Results. Prevalence for WMSDs differed significantly by the type of kitchen: collective restaurant (7.2/1000 workers), traditional restaurant (1.7/1000), and fast food restaurant (1.0/1000). There were more male claimants in traditional restaurant workers (51.0%) than in collective restaurant workers (40.1%) but more female claimants in collective restaurant workers (50.1%) than in traditional restaurant workers (39.4%). Permanent incapacity was significantly more prevalent in collective restaurant workers (49.6%), than in traditional (41.9%) and fast food (8.5%) restaurant workers. In collective restaurant workers, as a percentage, claims, permanent incapacity and lost work days increased with age range or work experience. Conclusions. Prevalence for WMSDs and therefore incapacity and lost work days are different according to the type of restaurant. Preventive strategies should take these differences into consideration.     

农民工工伤保险先行赔付机制的可行性研究

由于我国现行工伤保险赔付机制的不完善,致使农民工在出现工伤之后由于企业没有缴费而得不到救助。为改变这种状况,现在政府推行的扩大工伤缴费覆盖面和简化工伤受理补偿的程序,固然能够取得一些成效,而配套实行先行赔付的机制,会更为便于操作和更为直接有效。这种机制的实质是,克服传统行政管理的不足,真正运用社会化的方式,实现工伤员工享受工伤补偿的普惠性,促使用人单位、政府和司法有关部门能够把工伤社会保障的责任切实承担起来。