Ergonomics intervention on an alternative design of a spinal board

Nurses are often obliged to work in a 12-hr shift work system. We have decided to check whether such a working system constitutes an excessive load for nurses. On the basis of a questionnaire survey among nurses working in an 8-hr daytime shift system (169 nurses) and in a 12-hr shift (536 nurses), the amount of physical workload, work stress, and after-work activities were compared. Data analysis has shown that a 12-hr shift system is characterized by less significant physical workload but greater mental load. The nurses working in a 2-shift system were more tired after work, but they could spend more time on leisure activities and do housework. The data suggest that there are no significant contraindications for nurses to work in a 2-shift system.     

Assessment of Ergonomic and Occupational Health-Related Problems Among Female Prawn Seed Collectors of Sunderbans,West Bengal,India

Abstract

Sixty female prawn seed collectors and 60 female control subjects from Sajenakhali and Sandeshkhali blocks of Sunderbans, West Bengal, India, were randomly selected to evaluate and compare musculoskeletal disorders and physiological stress. The control group was engaged in domestic work involving minimum hand-intensive activities. The modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and rapid entire body assessment were used. Most subjects suffered from discomfort in different body parts, especially in the lower back (98%), knees (88%), shoulders (75%), ankles (70%) and feet (67%). This study reveals that female prawn seed collectors suffer from significant physiological load and extreme physiological stress due to prolonged working hours in a standing posture and excessive work pressure. Consequently, all these factors affect female prawn seed collectors ‘ health and work performance.     

呼吸防护用品的人机工效学问题分析

呼吸防护用品符合人的形态与生理特征,才能保证其防护效果和舒适性。笔者从人体的面部形态与生理机能角度,分析了呼吸防护用品与人体的适配性,系统提出密合性、呼吸阻力、死腔、视野等呼吸防护用品的人机工效学问题。该论文取得的成果,对进一步丰富呼吸防护用品人机工效学研究内容,指导呼吸防护用品的设计与生产,提升我国呼吸防护用品的防护效果与核心竞争力,以期发挥积极的推动作用。     

高温环境对煤矿井下作业人员影响的调查研究

本文就高温高湿环境对煤矿工人的生理心理危害程度进行调查研究。结果显示,在非高温矿井中,粉尘和噪声的影响居于首位,而在高温矿井中,高温成为影响煤矿井下工人生理和心理的首要因素。疲劳主观症状问询结果显示,高温矿井工人在身体症状、精神症状和感觉症状方面的反应都明显高于非高温矿井工人,尤以采煤工种更为突出。调查结果提示,煤矿井下高温高湿对工人的生理心理影响是相当严重的,企业应采取有效措施防治高温危害,保护广大煤矿工人的身心健康。     

氟化学工业项目环境影响评价的特点

本文在给出氟特性的基础上，分析了国际和国内氟化学工业发展的背景和趋势，氟化学工业的环境影响评价关注了从全球的到局部的生态环境问题，有其特殊的重点和内容，文章指出产业政策分析、生物监测、产品结构和产业链分析等氟化工项目环境影响评价的特点，结合其生产工艺和产品，提出了氟化工项目环境影响评价的重点。     

综合环境应力可靠性试验系统的配置设计及主要技术指标论证

综合环境应力可靠性试验系统是实施电子设备可靠性试验的重要技术手段，根据试验对象的试验技术要求编制试验设备系统配置及主要技术指标是关系试验设备能否完成试验任务的关键。正确合理地编制系统配置和技术指标无论于技术角度和经济角度都有着十分重要的意义。正确的配置设计和指标论证依托于对试验设备构成技术的深入研究和相关关系的准确把握。综合环境应力可靠性试验系统的配置设计和技术指标论证方法，对其他环境试验设备的选型论证也有一定的指导意义。     

Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Soy Protein Filled Elastomers

Dynamic mechanical properties including temperature effect, stress softening, and Payne effect are studied on the elastomer composites filled with soy protein or carbon black. The comparison of protein composite with well-known carbon black composites provides further insight into the protein composites. The elastomers filled with soy protein aggregates give substantial reinforcement effect when compared with the unfilled elastomers. Approximately 400 times increase in shear elastic modulus was observed when 40% by weight of protein is incorporated into the elastomers. The sample films were cast from the particle dispersion of soy protein isolate and carboxylated styrene–butadiene latex. At the higher temperatures, the shear elastic modulus of soy protein-filled composites does not decrease as much as that of the carbon black-filled composites. The behavior of elastic and loss modulus under the oscillatory strain of different magnitude is similar to that of carbon black reinforced styrene–butadiene rubber. However, carbon black composites show a better recovery behavior after eight cycles of dynamic strain. The reduction of shear elastic modulus with dynamic strain (Payne effect) was compared with Kraus model and the fitting parameter related to the aggregate structure of the soy protein. A reasonable agreement between the theoretical model and experiment was obtained, indicating the Payne effect of the protein-related network structure in the elastomers could also be described by the kinetic agglomeration de-agglomeration mechanism.     

Aberfan and the management of trauma

This paper is a case study of the management of post-disaster trauma in 1960s Britain. It explores the traumatic aftermath of the 1966 Aberfan disaster (where 116 children and 28 adults were killed when a colliery spoil heap collapsed on top of a school in a small Welsh mining community) which had a devastating impact on the village. The professional and voluntary services made available to help the bereaved, survivors and wider community are documented and assessed. The paper demonstrates how limited finance and the popular and professional contemporary understanding of trauma and disasters hindered those services, and how the actions of government and media had a negative impact on the community's recovery. This case study of disaster management in the 1960s illustrates many of the pitfalls that continue to haunt the response to man-made tragedies in the UK.     

Ecological Integrity Assessment of Lakes Using Fish Communities: An Example from Traunsee Exposed to Intensive Fishing and to Effluents from the Soda Industry

In order to analyse potential influences of soda industryeffluents on the ecological integrity of Traunsee (TS) weinvestigated the fish community of the lake in comparison witha reference lake (Hallstättersee HS) and used a reconstructionfrom the (older) literature concerning the original speciescomposition of Traunsee. Published `Index of Biotic Integrity(IBI)' metrics were considered to be of limited value due tothe relatively low species number in the oligotrophic, Alpinelake. Therefore we included, in addition to speciescomposition, studies on egg distribution, larval fishdensities, life-history parameters (i.e. growth, maturity,fecundity, age and size composition), stress levels and heavymetal content of the dominant whitefish (Coregonuslavaretus), as well as overall fish density and biomass (usinghydroacoustics) to assess the ecological status of the fishcommunity. Two of the original 18 species have disappearedfrom the lake, presumably in connection with the introductionof non-native eel (Anguilla anguilla) and theconstruction of a power plant in the outflow. Silt from grindedlimestone together with highly alkaline pore waters is emittedvia industrial wastewater from Sodaworks and covers part of thelake bottom. We observed that eggs of whitefish were spawnedmainly in the main inflowing river and close to the shore, thusavoiding the silty areas and making the anticipated damage tothe reproductive potential of whitefish neglectable. This wascorroborated by larval surveys done weekly on both lakes fromJanuary to May, which showed halve the density of whitefishlarvae in TS compared to HS. Estimates of potentially spawningfish from hydroacoustic surveys resulted in a ratio of 1(TS) :3 (HS). Analysis of whitefish revealed that they are growingfaster in TS and have higher fecundity leading to somecompensation of lower abundance. High levels of fishing in TSmight have led to this pattern and to depressed yields asindicated by the age composition. Level of oxidative stress andheavy metal content were not discernible from the referencelake. Therefore we concluded that negative impacts on theecological status of the fish community resulted from fisheriesmismanagement and a power plant situated in the outflow of thelake, considered to have damaged spawning places for somespecies, but not from soda industry effluents.