Occupational beryllium exposure: Reconciling federal policies, regulations and contractor implementation guides to protect worker health

Beryllium is a widely distributed, highly toxic metal. When beryllium particulates enter the body, the body's defense mechanisms are engaged. When the body's defenses cannot easily remove the particulates, then a damage and repair cycle is initiated. This cycle produces chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a progressive, fibrotic respiratory involvement which eventually suffocates exposed individuals. ^ Beryllium disease is an occupational disease, and as such it can be prevented by limiting exposures. In the 1940s journalists reported beryllium deaths at Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) facilities, the Department of Energy's (DOE) predecessor organization. These reports energized public pressure for exposure limits, and in 1949 AEC implemented a 2 μg/m3 permissible exposure limit (PEL). ^ The limits appeared to stop acute disease. In contrast, CBD has a long latency period between exposure and diagnosable disease, between one and thirty years. The lack of immediate adverse health consequences masked the seriousness of chronic disease and pragmatically removed CBD from AEC/DOE's political concern. ^ Presently the PEL for beryllium at DOE sites remains at 2 μg/m 3. This limit does not prevent CBD. This conclusion has long been known, although denied until recently. In 1999 DOE acknowledged the limit's ineffectiveness in its federal regulation governing beryllium exposure, 10 CFR 850. ^ Despite this admission, the PEL has not been reduced. The beryllium manufacturer and AEC/DOE have a history of exerting efforts to maintain and protect the status quo. Primary amongst these efforts has been creation and promotion of disinformation within peer reviewed health literature which discusses beryllium, exposures, health effects and treatment, and targeting graduate school students so that their perspective is shaped early. ^ Once indoctrinated with incorrect information, professionals tend to overlook aerosol and respiratory mechanics, immunologic and carcinogenic factors. They then apply tools and perspectives derived from the beryllium manufacturer and DOE's propaganda. Conclusions drawn are incorrect. The result is: health research and associated policy is conducted with incorrect premises. Effective disease management practices are not implemented. ^ Public health protection requires recognition of the disinformation and its implications. When disinformation is identified, then effective health policies and practices can be developed and implemented. ^

PROTECTION FOR THE "TURNAROUND WORKER"

This document characterizes the types and magnitude of exposures to toxic substances faced by various turnaround workers in the petroleum industry. The safety and health professional is acquainted with the basic petroleum refinery, refinery equipment and causes for scheduled or emergency turnarounds. Common work procedures during the turnaround are discussed with emphasis on performing the job safely and without adverse consequence to worker health. A listing of commonly encountered substances with a corresponding summary of recognized exposure limits, recommended personal protection, hygiene measures and hazard information is provided to equip the safety and health professional with a ready checklist for worker protection.^ The use of this document was tested and found to improve the average prescription of work procedures and equipment from 38% appropriate (prior to receipt of information) to 84% appropriate (post receipt of information). All participants statistically improved their ability to protect the health and safety of the turnaround worker. ^

Ambiência aérea em alojamento de frangos de corte: poeira e gases

Air quality in animal production environment has been refereed as an interesting point for studies in environmental control systems with the focus both to the animal health which live in total confinement, as to the workers. The objective of this research was to determine the variation on the aerial environmental quality in two types of broiler housing: conventional (Gc) and tunnel type (Gt). The total dust values in both houses offered adequate rearing conditions to the birds; however, regarding the inhale dust in the air was above the limits recommended for humans. Carbon monoxide concentration in the heating phase during the evaluated period was above the 10 ppm maximum recommended, and it was higher during the cold season in Gt house (30 ppm) when compared to the Gc house (18 ppm). Ammonia concentration peaks in the air were above the 20 ppm recommended from the 20th day of production in both houses and in daily average, for a period higher in Gt (4h30) when compared to Gt (2h45). Only traces of nitrate oxide and methane were found while carbonic dioxide gas concentration evaluated during daytime met the limits allowed for both birds and labor.

Saúde e capacidade para o trabalho de eletricitários do Estado de São Paulo

Apesar dos elevados riscos à saúde e capacidade para o trabalho dos eletricitários, há carência de estudos sobre o tema no Brasil. O objetivo desse estudo é identificar o perfil de saúde e capacidade para o trabalho de eletricitários de São Paulo. Foi feito um estudo transversal junto a 475 trabalhadores de uma empresa do setor eletricitário. A coleta de dados foi por meio de questionários sobre capacidade para o trabalho, estado de saúde, estresse no trabalho, atividade física, dependência ao tabaco e ao álcool. A consistência interna das escalas foi avaliada usando o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. Foi feita análise descritiva por meio das médias, desvios-padrão, valores mínimos e máximos dos escores e proporções para as variáveis qualitativas. O estado de saúde dos trabalhadores apresentou pontuação elevada nas dimensões analisadas, com médias entre 72,8 a 91,2 (escore de 0,0 a 100,0 pontos). A capacidade para o trabalho teve pontuação elevada, com média de 41,8 (escore de 7,0 a 49,0 pontos). Concluiu-se que os trabalhadores da população de estudo apresentaram elevados padrões do estado de saúde e da capacidade para o trabalho. Sugere-se o desenvolvimento de estudos longitudinais para avaliar relações causais e a existência de efeito do trabalhador sadio.

Exposição a partículas e eventuais efeitos sobre a saúde

Mestrado em Segurança e Higiene do Trabalho.

Modeling Of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders In Chemical Process Industry In India

In this modern complex world, stress at work is found to be increasingly a common feature in day to day life. For the same reason, job stress is one of the active areas in occupational health and safety research for over last four decades and is continuing to attract researchers in academia and industry. Job stress in process industries is of concern due to its influence on process safety, and worker‘s safety and health. Safety in process (chemical and nuclear material) industry is of paramount importance, especially in a thickly populated country like India. Stress at job is the main vector in inducing work related musculoskeletal disorders which in turn can affect the worker health and safety in process industries. In view of the above, the process industries should try to minimize the job stress in workers to ensure a safe and healthy working climate for the industry and the worker. This research is mainly aimed at assessing the influence of job stress in inducing work related musculoskeletal disorders in chemical process industries in India

Relación entre los hallazgos radiográficos y la sintomatología respiratoria en trabajadores expuestos a polvo de carbón en minería de socavón en el departamento de Boyacá, Colombia 2015

Introducción: La inhalación de polvo de carbón favorece el desarrollo de neumoconiosis, causa daños irreversibles al pulmón que se identifican radiológicamente. Los síntomas son tardíos y la patología se puede desarrollar tras varios años de exposición. Objetivo: Caracterizar los hallazgos radiográficos según la metodología de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) 2000 y relacionarlos con la sintomatología respiratoria en trabajadores expuestos a polvo de carbón en las labores de minería de socavón en el departamento de Boyacá, Colombia, 2015. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de corte transversal realizado en 232 mineros, se indagó características sociodemográficas, signos y síntomas del sistema respiratorio. Se realizó radiografías de tórax y se aplicó la metodología OIT para describir los hallazgos. Se estableció asociación estadística a través de la prueba Chi cuadrado de Pearson. Para el procesamiento de la información se utilizó el programa SPSS statistics 2.3 Resultados: Toda la población fue de sexo masculino, con una edad promedio de 40,8 años. El cargo de picador fue el más frecuente en 72,4% de los trabajadores. Las radiografías mostraron opacidades pequeñas redondeadas (q/q) en 42%. La expectoración fue el síntoma más frecuente 66,4%. Se encontró una relación estadísticamente significativa entre el tabaquismo con las anomalía parenquimatosas (p=0,002).Conclusión: La prevalencia de neumoconiosis para el departamento de Boyacá fue de 29.7% entre los trabajadores valorados según los criterios OIT para lectura de radiografías de tórax, por lo que se requiere poner en práctica medidas de control a fin de reducir al mínimo la exposición de los trabajadores.

A banalização da injustiça social no cotidiano de trabalho : a propósito da violência no trabalho e ameaça à saúde do trabalhador

Analyzes the factors that unleash violence by banalization of the problems and health questions of workers in a federal public institution, in Natal/RN. It analyzes transformations in the world of the work, with its politic, social and economic determinatives and its relation to the worker health. Boarding the violence in the work enviroment and its implications to the worker health, focusing on the banalization of problems faced by the workers as a kind of violence in and with the work. It was chosen an analitic methodology with qualitative approach, through the collection tecnic and information analyzes according to the thematic oral history, with recorders of authorized personal narratives, through individual interview with a semi-structured guide. In the analyzis of results it were made empiric cathegories: the daily work enviroment and its influence to the worker profession and life; the violence presents in the work enviroment and its consequences to the worker life and health; the banalization of the social injustice, due to violence against the worker that broked their dreams concerned to the nursing contribution. The results revealed the ordinary work of these workers showing enviromental and organizational unhealthy conditions, caracterized by physical and tecnical insecurity; absence and disqualification of instrumental and human supplies; overload and complexity service; bad distribution of the duties and pressure to the deadline and productivity, producing tension, conflict and anxiety related to the users, colleagues, superiors and to the duties. In the work enviroment, it were identified a external violence, caracterized by physical and verbal aggresion, psychic suffering, worker depreciation; and internal, caracterized by: moral and psychological molestations and accupational structural violence. These kinds of violence bring consequences to the life, that is, professional, economic and moral order of factors and to the health by biological, mental and emocional factors. The banalization of social injustice during the daily work was discussed in the aspects of banalization of problems and work conditions, the health, qualification banalizations and professional valorization. The workers expectatives pointed out to the necessity of: secure conditions of work; trainning and tecnical assistance; politics of attention to the physical, mental and social health to the workers and their family. We conclude the enviromental and organizational conditions of the workers interviewed do not offer physical and tecnical security that they need to the execution of their activities, neither offer comfort or physical and psychological satisfactions. The politic the instituition has used points out to the depreciation and inhumanization of them producing feelings as unsatisfaction, frustation and indignation related to the institution and the work, bringing suffering and physical and mental sicking. We noticed the most terrible violence found in the work enviroment is the banalization of social injustice related do the problems and health of these workers, producing a slowly debility and simbolic death of their lifes. Therefore, it is necessary the implementation of a politic that promotes assurance, health and integral education, valorization and humanization of these workers

A relação trabalho e saúde no setor calçadista de Franca, São Paulo

Este texto busca evidenciar a relação trabalho e saúde em um lócus determinado: a produção calçadista em Franca, interior do estado de São Paulo. A discussão privilegia o processo sócio-histórico da referida atividade econômica em Franca, com ênfase na reestruturação produtiva que, a partir na década de 1990, disseminou parte da produção para as residências dos trabalhadores, constituindo as denominadas Bancas de Pespontos e de Corte em Calçados. Desse modo, a partir do conhecimento empírico, subsidiado pelas visitas a estes empreendimentos e de entrevistas com os trabalhadores e ainda com um relato de caso, enfatiza-se as relações sociais de trabalho que podem agredir à saúde. Todavia, diante da informalidade acabam não sendo consideradas na relação entre saúde e a atividade funcional exercida, ficando estes infortúnios distantes das negociações coletivas, fiscalizações, ou seja, de possíveis mudanças.

Gestão da segurança e saúde no trabalho em empresas produtoras de baterias automotivas: um estudo para identificar boas práticas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Administrative rationality and coping strategies in shift work

Shift work (SW) can affect worker health and productivity. Working at night, workers often accumulate fatigue and are less productive. In Brazil, laws have been drafted aiming to reduce night work and rotating shift hours. In order to slash costs, companies have been looking for new arrangements to improve productivity under these conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine management changes and their outcomes in a large glass factory located in an industrial region of Brazil. The results show that the management, seeking equal productivity among shifts, focused its efforts mainly on distributing employee expertise. The arrangement resulted in 12 different groups that combine to serve three fixed shifts. A same shift can be served by more than one group, and the members of a same group share days off on different days. There was no statistically significant productivity difference among the three shifts. The on-site examination showed that part of the production was held by the workers and transferred to the next shift in order for them to be able to meet the management's performance rate requirements. The finding shows how a Brazilian cultural trait (resistance without conflict) is used to drive coping in SW.

O ambiente de trabalho no setor bancário e o bem-estar

Wich the big transformations at the world of labor, thus as the appearing of the negatives psicologicals consequencies? Publications in books and articles about the health of the workers have been seen in the last 40 years, pointing at the increase of occupational ills, increase of the absenteeism, reach the redation between the labor and the family. With the appearing of the neoliberal sistem, changed all the net of relations, thus as the temporary labor contract, the flexibility at the work timetable, and others, that privilege the capitalism, in detriment of the worker health. It was given emphasis to the banking worker, in time that the banks and the banking agencies were one of the departaments that more suffered the impact of the productive restructuring at the last years. 200 bank clerks shared the search, in that 41,9% was female and 58,1% was male, 60,9% presenting a civil state married, following of 28,4% of single. The participants answered the following instruments: Scale of Positives and Negative Kindness, General Health Questionaire GHQ 12, Scale of Organization, Conditions and Labor Relations, Scale of Desire (own authorship), Scale about economic situation and a social-demographic record car. With the objective of trying the instruments of measure, it was checking the psychometric parameter of the search scales. We could verify that it has been more positive than negative ones for the mental health, but it was found some kind of depression and unsatisfied with their lives in some pieces of the sample. We can finally say that the work place has an impact at the mental health of the bank clerks. So, some interventions actions to promote the worker health could be essential

Avaliação do programa de atenção à saúde do trabalhador: uma abordagem da atenção primária

The accelerated industrialization, coming with the Industrial Revolution, caused profound changes in the working world. These changes led to the households risks from work environment. Trying to assist comprehensively the health of workers, Brazil has a program of Health Care Workers in the Primary Care, and the Family Health Strategy is the main entrance for this system. The study sought to determine if the actions of the health care worker have been developed in primary care through the Family Health Strategy. This is a quantitative study with a methodological evaluation, focusing on normative assessment. The sample was formed by professionals from Team Family Health Strategy, in the municipalities of Pau dos Ferros, Caicó and Natal in Rio Grande do Norte state. The sample consists of 202 professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Assistant / Technician Nursing and Community Health Workers) in 52 Health Family Units from the 3 municipalities cited. The instrument used consists of a checklist, from Manual of Primary Care 5 - Family Health - Occupational Health, Ministry of Health. The data were analyzed describing the variables by its frequency and doing a classification of cities from the scores obtained by each. It was observed that the Family Health professionals know the program of health care worker, however do not know the Manual of Primary Care 5, which is a guidance tool. As a result of non-appropriation of the FHT professionals with worker health, these activities are not performed, mainly surveillance in occupational health and health education labor

Saúde do trabalhador: entre os dispositivos legais e as práticas efetivas

The health worker is seized in this research beyond the mere applicability of legal devices concerning the legislation of Labor, in order to be established correlations with activities alluding to the public power in the ambit of State of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). This dissertation is an cutting of analysis circumscribed in the research, "Accidents at work: law, citizenship and justice," of the Grupo de Estudos Seguridade Social e Trabalho (GESTO) of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The overall goal turned to apprehend and relate contradictory elements inherent compliance of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the supermarket which showed the highest occurrence of legal violations recognized by the Labor Justice of RN in the period between 2006 and 2008 . The specific objectives turned to identify, from the condemnatory sentences, violations inherent in the protective direction of the OH & S legislation; analyze the relationship of health damages to workers at the supposed recognition of rights claimed in condemnatory sentences and correlate violations inherent in the legislation OSH impacts on the health of workers, from data contained in expert reports. The justification for perform the research backed up, among other factors, in the fact that class of activity has been presented as the most recurrent in condemnatory sentences, since it chose to focus the analysis on documentary evidence from the supermarket which showed greater expression in relation to violations of the OSH legislation. From a qualitative perspective, the methodological approach was based on content analysis of thirteen condemnatory sentences, handed down by the potiguar labor justice, and three expert reports from a large supermarket in the city of Natal/RN. Aftermaths are evidenced relating to the cyclical processes of reorganization of capital, demanding requirements for labor organizations whose strategies for survival include identifying mechanisms to extract as much of the work force. Structural determination and ideological context that puts into question the historical achievements of workers, for example the legal devices aimed at preventing workplace accidents, expressed in this research as relativized, showing limitations of reach, as was inferred the indemnities, by material and moral damages, arising from Work-Related Musculoskeletal Diseases (MSDs'S), recognized by the laborite judiciary