著者

Valentina PAOLUCCI Riccardo ROMEO Antonietta Gerardina SISINNI Giuseppina SCANCARELLO Luca VOLTERRANI Maria Antonietta MAZZEI Lucio BARABESI Pietro SARTORELLI

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:00198366)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.2017-0125, (Released:2018-02-26)

被引用文献数

4

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Health surveillance of asbestos exposed workers should be stratified according to the exposure level. Unfortunately there is a lack of information regarding asbestos exposure in many working places and markers of asbestos exposure are often needed. The aim of the study was to assess the reliability of different dose and effect biomarkers in the follow up of asbestos-exposed workers.Mineralogical analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as a biomarker of asbestos fibre burden was performed in a population of 307 male subjects occupationally exposed to asbestos. Using nonparametric statistical methods 8 variables were analyzed with respect to asbestos-related diseases and working sectors. The existence of a relationship between serum soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) and asbestos exposure levels was also investigated. Concentrations of amphiboles, chrysotile and asbestos bodies in BALF were higher in patients with asbestosis as well as in railway industry workers. A correlation between the onset of non malignant asbestos-related diseases and the levels of SRMP concentration was not found. This study confirms that fibre concentration in BALF may be considered as a reliable biomarker of previous asbestos exposure, whereas SRMP does not appear to be influenced by asbestos exposure levels.

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:18808026)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.2017-0041, (Released:2017-11-23)

著者

芳司 俊郎 杉本 旭

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

労働安全衛生研究 (ISSN:18826822)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.6, no.2, pp.35-41, 2013

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労働現場では様々な自動生産機械が用いられ,重筋労働や有害環境下での労働から労働者を解放している.一方,自動生産機械による労働災害も数多く発生しているところである.本論文では,自動生産機械の操作について災害防止の観点から考察し,機械の操作には迅速に行うことが求められる操作(遅れることが許されない操作)と,落ち着いて行うことが求められる操作(早まることが許されない操作)があり,操作ボタンにはこれらの操作に適した色や形状があるが,この特性は「時間軸上の非対称性」として評価されることを示した.また,労働者が生産機械のリスクを受け入れるためには危害の大きさが十分に小さいか,又は危険からの回避行動が容易であることが求められるが,時間軸上の非対称性を高めることにより,自動生産機械が持つ危険の受容を容易にする可能性について示した.

著者

冨田 一 崔 光石 中田 健司 本山 建雄

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

労働安全衛生研究 (ISSN:18826822)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.1, no.1, pp.27-36, 2008

被引用文献数

1

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既に100/200Vから220/380Vに昇圧された韓国と我が国との電気火災および感電事故を比較して,将来、我が国が低圧の配電電圧として230/400Vが採用された場合に想定される電気安全上の課題について留意点を抽出した.昇圧の進展と電気火災発生件数には相関性が見られ,電気火災の主因である短絡は,その発生過程の究明と防止対策が電気火災防止にとって重要になる.昇圧化後にも老朽設備を使用し続けると,電気火災が発生し易くなるので特に注意が必要である.昇圧の進展と感電死傷者数には相関性が見られない.この要因には,有効な接地方式の選定や漏電遮断器の普及が感電事故の抑制に寄与したことが考えられる.昇圧による電気事故を防止するには,配電方式や対地電圧に応じた適切な接地方式の選定や接地技術の開発,電気設備,漏電遮断器の安全性向上などのハード面の安全対策に加えて,電気安全関連法令の遵守,定期点検の徹底,老朽設備を適切に運用するためにメンテナンス体制の整備などのソフト面での安全管理体制の確立も重要である.

著者

榎本 ヒカル 池田 耕一 東 賢一 栃原 裕

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

労働安全衛生研究 (ISSN:18826822)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.2, no.1, pp.5-10, 2009

被引用文献数

1 10

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夏期における「クールビズ」実施オフィスの温熱環境条件およびその勤務者による性差を中心とした温熱環境評価の違いを明らかにするために,実測調査およびアンケート調査を行った.調査は2005年9月中旬に行われ,調査対象は東京都千代田区にあるオフィスビル及びその勤務者のべ84名であった.建物7階の執務室にて温熱環境条件の測定を行い,併せてそこで働く人を対象に着衣状況や主観的申告をアンケート形式で回答してもらった.その結果,今回測定されたオフィスにおける室温はおおむね28℃以下であった.勤務者の着衣状況はほぼ全員が軽装で,男性はジャケット着用者はおらず,ネクタイ着用率は1割程度であった.勤務者による温熱環境の評価については,女性はおおむね満足度が高いが男性は「快適」な人から「暑くて不快」な人まで様々であった.これは男女の着衣や代謝量,冷房に対する体質の違いに主として起因すると考えられる.また気温28℃におけるより快適な環境条件としてPMV=0.5となる条件の提言を行った.

著者

Heer VYAS Subir DAS Shashank MEHTA

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:00198366)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.49, no.5, pp.642-651, 2011 (Released:2011-10-15)

参考文献数

43

被引用文献数

15 25

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Mechanics are exposed to varied work stressors such as hot noisy environments, strenuous postures, improperly designed tools and machinery and poor psycho-social environments which may exert an influence on their health and safety. The study aimed to examine the occupational injury patterns and identify work stressors associated with injury amongst automobile mechanics. A descriptive ergonomic checklist and questionnaire on general health and psycho-social issues were administered to male workers (N=153). The relative risk factors and correlation statistics were used to identify the work stressors associated with occupational injury. 63% of the workers reported injuries. Cuts were the chief injuries being reported. Poor work environment, machinery and tool characteristics, suffering from poor health and psycho-social stressors were associated with injury occurrence amongst automobile repair workers.

著者

Swei-Pi WU Cheng-Pin HO Chin-Li YEN

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:00198366)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.1110130103, (Released:2011-10-20)

被引用文献数

1

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A wok with a straight handle is one of the most common cooking utensils in the Asian kitchen. This common cooking instrument has seldom been examined by ergonomists. This research used a two-factor randomized complete block design to investigate the effects of wok size (with three diameters - 36 cm, 39 cm and 42 cm ) and handle angle (25°, 10°, -5°, -20°, and -35°) on the task of flipping. The measurement criteria included the maximum acceptable weight of wok flipping (MAWF), the subjective rating and the subjective ranking. Twelve experienced males volunteered to take part in this study. The results showed that both the wok size and handle angle had a significant effect on the MAWF, the subjective rating and the subjective ranking. Additionally, there is a size-weight illusion associated with flipping tasks. In general, a small wok (36 cm diameter) with an ergonomically bent handle (-20°±15°) is the optimal design, for male cooks, for the purposes of flipping.

著者

Ken INOUE Hisashi TANII Tatsushige FUKUNAGA Shuntaro ABE Yukika NISHIMURA Hisanobu KAIYA Masayuki NATA Yuji OKAZAKI

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:00198366)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.45, no.1, pp.177-180, 2007 (Released:2007-02-07)

参考文献数

15

被引用文献数

6 7

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The number of suicides in Japan has increased from approximately 22,000 per year in 1988-1997 to over 30,000 per year since then. It has also increased in Mie prefecture during that period. In the present study, we investigated the correlation between annual suicide rates in Mie prefecture, Japan from 1996-2002 and the annual unemployment rate in Japan from 1996-2002 among males. Among the results, annual suicide rates in total correlated with the unemployment rate in Japan, but the relation was not statistically significant: r(7)=0.76, r2(7)=0.58, p=0.05 (y=3.54x+6.37); the rates in males, however, correlated significantly with the unemployment rate in Japan: r(7)=0.85, r2(7)=0.73, p=0.01 (y=5.72x+4.49). In addition, we found that annual suicide rates in total correlated significantly with the male unemployment rates. When a patient is unemployed and in a bad situation, the medical staff and the family should be aware of the correspondence between suicide rates and unemployment.

著者

Hannu ANTTONEN Anneli PEKKARINEN Juhani NISKANEN

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:00198366)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.47, no.3, pp.254-261, 2009 (Released:2009-06-16)

参考文献数

39

被引用文献数

28 51

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The questions related to safety at work in cold environments and prevention of cold stress in working life are described in this article. Working in the cold environment is more dangerous than the same type of work in a warmer climate. All researchers have concluded that the frequency of accidents/versus temperature curves follow the U-shape with the minimum near 20℃. The effects of low temperature can be divided into direct, typically frostbites, and indirect, of which the indirect effects, typically slipping accidents, are more common. In improving risk management in cold conditions the risk evaluation based on existing standards is the starting point. Prevention of risks in cold environments can be done by planning of work, technical measures like heating or reduction of cooling by protective clothing, training and other measures. Local heaters, shelters against bad weather, reduction of draught are good examples of means of improving working conditions and reducing accident risks. The local IR-heaters can increase skin temperature of fingers about 7℃ in normal cold work. The improvement of 3℃ can be reached by using insulating material in the handle of tools. By using these technical improvements we can reduce the health risks but also improve work performance and even energy savings at work places.

著者

Hiroko NAKAZAWA Hiroki IKEDA Toshio YAMASHITA Ichiro HARA Yuko KUMAI Ginji ENDO Yoko ENDO

出版者

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

雑誌

Industrial Health (ISSN:00198366)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.43, no.2, pp.341-345, 2005 (Released:2006-03-17)

参考文献数

19

被引用文献数

17 32

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The adverse health effects caused by indoor air pollution are termed “sick building syndrome”. We report such a patient whose symptoms appeared in the workplace. A 36-year-old female office worker developed nausea and headache during working hours in a refurbished office. After eight months of seeking help at other clinics or hospitals without improvement, she was referred to our hospital. At that time she reacted to the smells of various chemicals outside of the office building. Biochemical findings were all within normal ranges. Specific IgE antibody to cedar pollen was positive and the ratio of TH1/TH2 was 4.5. In the Eye Tracking Test (ETT), vertical eye movement was saccadic. Her anxiety level was very high according to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. Subjective symptoms, ETT findings and anxiety levels on STAI gradually improved during two years of follow-up. One year after the onset of her illness, the formaldehyde concentrations in the building air ranged from 0.017-0.053 ppm. Even though relatively low, chemical exposure from building materials such as formaldehyde induced a range of symptoms. Also, lack of recognition by superiors and doctors that sick building syndrome might have been the source of her illness coupled with her high state of anxiety may have exacerbated her symptoms and led to the onset of multiple chemical sensitivity. Thus psychosocial factors may contribute to sick building syndrome in the workplace.