per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 166 180 article Mehdi Velayatzadeh mahdivelayat27@gmail.com 1 mahbobeh cheraghi mahboobeh_cheraghi_env@yahoo.com 2 laleh roomiani laleh.roomiani@iau.ac.ir 3 Department of Health, Safety and Environmental, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran Department of Environment, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran Department of Fisheries, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran Background and Objective: The fisheries industry is complex and dangerous in terms of occupational risk due to the large number of active workers, diverse working conditions, and environment. The present study aimed to identify and evaluate the risks, occupational hazards, and injuries caused by them to help improve the safety and health of employees of sturgeon farms. Materials and Methods: A total of 180 fisheries science engineers and sturgeon farm workers were selected for interviews, and their demographic characteristics were studied in three provinces of Iran: Gorgan, Mazandaran, and Gilan. The identified risks were divided into five categories: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial. Moreover, the risks were identified based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) technique. The assessment of potential occupational risk hazards in sturgeon farms was conducted using the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) method. Some factors, such as the probability of occurrence, severity, and frequency of exposure to hazardous agents, were evaluated to determine the risk number. Results: Physical hazards accounted for the highest risk among other hazards in all three provinces. Respiratory issues were the most common injuries caused by chemical hazards for farm workers. Moreover, psychosocial risks were the most frequent (70%) in Golestan Province. The statistical results indicated that there was no significant difference between the identified risks for each risk (P>0.05); however, chemical risks were significantly different from other risks (P<0.05). The highest risk priority number for physical consequences related to slips and falls was 448, while the inhalation of chemical vapors had the highest risk priority number (224) for chemical consequences. Stress was identified as having the highest likelihood of occurrence for psychosocial risks (252), and skin infections had the highest risk probability number (294) for biological hazards. Conclusion: The present study indicated that aquaculture workers are at increased risk of various occupational injuries in the relevant environments. The results indicated that workers in the sturgeon fishing industry in northern Iran are exposed to physical, biological, and chemical hazards, with physical injuries being the most prevalent. Slips and falls were among the physical consequences, while lower back pain and shoulder pain represented the most significant ergonomic consequences. Therefore, identifying and raising awareness among workers regarding occupational hazards is essential for their health and safety. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-916-en.pdf Aquaculture Health Occupational accidents Occupational hazards Safety per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 181 195 article Mostafa Mirzaei Aliabadi mirzaei@umsha.ac.ir 1 Omid Kalatpour kalatpour@umsha.ac.ir 2 Mahnaz Mirzai mhn.mirzaie@gmail.com 3 Reza Mahmoudi mahmoudirz78@gmail.com 4 Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Background and Objective: Due to limited resources for risk reduction, prioritizing risks is crucial. Fault tree analysis (FTA) is one of the best-known methods, which faces uncertainty like other methods. On the other hand, despite its benefits and increasing use in industries, hydrogen poses significant risks. Given the lack of studies in the field of risk assessment of hydrogen tanks, this study aimed to develop a risk assessment method for a type of hydrogen tank. Materials and Methods: In this study, by using fuzzy logic, a connection was established between industrial experts and modern risk assessment methods; therefore, the uncertainty resulting from the lack of knowledge was mitigated as much as possible. Then, by transferring the fault tree to a Bayesian network, logical relationships between the system components were established, and obtaining updated probabilities became possible. By integrating fault tree analysis and these tools, the probability of fire and explosion in a hydrogen gasholder in one of Iran's industries was calculated. Results: The probability of fire and explosion was calculated to be 1.147E-05. The presence of sufficient oxygen and an electrical spark, a delay in inspection, and an open flame were identified as the most influential basic events in causing this incident. Conclusion: While calculating the probability of an accident, the proposed method improves the effectiveness of risk control plans by identifying the most important basic events. It also provides a framework for examining new cases. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-958-en.pdf Bayesian network Fault tree analysis Fuzzy Hydrogen Risk assessment Storage per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 196 206 article Shirazeh Arghami Shiargheiamiw@gmail.com 1 Fardin Zandsalimi fardin.zandsalimi@gmail.com 2 Khaled Rahmani Khalidereyhani@gmail.com 3 Khadijeh Hajimiri rrrrrr@yahoo.com 4 Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Liver and Digestive Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Department of Health Education and Promotion, school of public health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Background and Objective: Given the critical role of ambulance drivers in saving patients' lives and the severe consequences of ambulance accidents, as well as the lack of studies related to their driving behavior, the present study aimed to investigate the driving behavior and identify the individual factors affecting it among emergency medical services (EMS) personnel at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 240 EMS personnel from Zanjan city. Sampling was conducted using a convenience method that considered inclusion criteria. A two-part questionnaire was utilized: the first part collected demographic information, and the second part contained questions from the standard driving behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed using appropriate tests in SPSS version 22. Results: The mean age and work experience of the participants were 36.32 ± 7.90 years and 11.26 ± 6.25 years, respectively. The total mean score of driving behavior was below the median. The highest and lowest scores were obtained in the dimensions of deliberate violations (38.9±19) and mistakes (32.24±6.8), respectively. Overall, driving behavior scores had significant relationships with demographic information, such as age, marital status, education level, work experience, number of missions, and accident history. Conclusion: The driving behavior of EMS personnel was relatively safe, though deliberate violations had the highest score. Some individual factors studied affected driving behavior. Attention to educational courses and designing studies to identify other factors influencing driving behavior is suggested for future research. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-961-en.pdf Accident Ambulance driver Driving behavior Emergency medical services Traffic accidents Unsafe behavior per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 207 221 article Mohsen Aliabadi mohsen.aliabadi@umsha.ac.ir 1 Rostam Golmohammadi rezagol1344@gmail.com 2 Mohammad Oliaei rrrrrr@yahoo.com 3 Mohammad Babamiri mohammad.babamiri@yahoo.com 4 Javad Faradmal rrrrrer@yahoo.com 5 Ramin Rahmani 1raminrahmani@gmail.com 6 Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Health Sciences Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Department of Ergonomics, School of Public Health and Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Modeling of Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Background and Objective: The reduction in driver mental performance can lead to driving errors and accidents. Given the importance of mental performance in driving and the limited research background on the effects of physical environmental factors on drivers' cognitive performance, this study aimed to develop a method to analyze the short-term effects of exposure to noise, vibration, and unconventional temperature conditions on physiological and neurophysiological responses in driving using a simulator. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted in a laboratory setting with the participation of 43 drivers. After meeting the entry criteria for the study and receiving preliminary training, the drivers were exposed to traffic noise, whole-body vibration, and temperature changes both individually and in combination. The effects of these factors were assessed using cognitive tests and physiological measurements. Subsequently, a statistical model was developed to predict the impact of these factors on cognitive performance and arousal. Results: The results showed that the respiration rate increased with higher vibrations and noise, while systolic blood pressure rose in response to increased vibrations and decreased ambient temperature. The NN Mean, RMSSD, and SDNN indices were associated with vibration and temperature, while the LF/HF index was related to noise and temperature. In addition to environmental factors, age and body mass index were also significantly associated with changes in some of the studied indices. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it was found that environmental factors had significant effects on physiological and neurophysiological responses. The simultaneous use of both physiological and neurophysiological responses provides a better explanation for the mechanism of environmental factors on drivers' performance. The results of this study may serve as a foundation for field research. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-959-en.pdf Driving Heart rate variability Neurophysiological Noise Physiological Temperature Vibration per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 222 234 article sajad afshari sajad.afshari111@gmail.com 1 Iraj Mohammad Fam Ir.mohammadfam@uswr.ac.ir 2 Omid Kalatpour kalatpour@umsha.ac.ir 3 Department of Ergonomics, Health in Emergency and Disaster Research Center, Univercity of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Iran Department of Ergonomics, Health in Emergency and Disaster Research Center, Univercity of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Iran Department of Ergonomics, Health in Emergency and Disaster Research Center, Univercity of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Iran Background and Objective: Considering the high severity of accidents in process industries, determining the safety integrity level (SIL) is a necessity for adequacy and resistance of the used protective layers. The present study aimed to assess the SIL of emergency shutdown systems (ESD) in the oil lines of a field. Materials and Methods: In this study, the HAZOP method was used to identify dangerous scenarios, and layer of protection analysis (LOPA) was employed to determine SIL in ESD. Dangerous scenarios identified using the HAZOP method were extracted and entered into the LOPA worksheet (PHA Pro8). In the LOPA method, the frequency of the initiating event, independent protective layers, and the tolerable level of risk were determined, and SIL was determined accordingly. Results: The results demonstrated that the main dangers of the desalting unit are related to pressure increase, increase and decrease in surface area, leakage of hydrocarbon materials, dangers of H2S gas, ignition, and explosion. Independent protection layers in the oil line are adequate and, if needed, can significantly reduce the risk. The most important cause of fires and explosions in oil rows has been the reduction of the hydrocarbon liquid level in the desalter tank. Conclusion: The current research pointed out that the significant and fundamental difference between construction and design phases requires a review of the safety systems. Among these changes, we can refer to a change in the SIL of ESD. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-957-en.pdf Processing industries Hazard and operability study Layers of protection analysis per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 235 245 article Fereshteh Sadavipour fereshtehsadavipoor1374@gmail.com 1 Habibullah Dehghan ha_dehghan@hlth.mui.ac.ir 2 Master of Science in Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, Student Research Committee, Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, Faculty of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, Faculty of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Background and Objective: Appropriate lighting is one of the most valuable factors in optimizing physical conditions in workplaces, especially in industry, and it can increase efficiency and product quality. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the lighting condition and the factors affecting it in industrial workshops with less than 20 people in the northeastern region of Isfahan. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 industrial workshops with less than 20 employees in the northeastern region of Isfahan. The workshops were selected from 1000 existing workshops using a simple random sampling method. First, the initial information about the workshops and the factors affecting the intensity of lighting in workshops (e.g., cleanliness, color and reflectance of surfaces, and cleanliness of windows) were recorded. Then, the lighting was measured with a HAGNEREC1 model lux meter and the standard method mentioned in the Occupational Exposure Limits Manual, Fifth Edition. Finally, the data were analyzed using the ANOVA test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and descriptive statistics tools. Results: The results of measuring the lighting intensity showed that 73.6% of the workshops had a desirable lighting condition. The minimum and maximum lighting intensity were 65 and 1890 lux, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of the lighting intensity were 449.2 ± 321.81 lux. The average and standard deviation of the uniformity index were also 0.72 ± 0.24. There was a statistically significant relationship between the average lighting intensity and the number of healthy lighting sources (P=0.030), uniformity index (P=0.046), wall reflection coefficient (P=0.001), and ceiling (P=0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that 26.4% of small industrial workshops with a workforce of less than 20 people in the northeast region of Isfahan were deprived of desirable lighting conditions. The findings also indicated that the number of healthy lighting sources, surface color, uniformity index, wall and ceiling reflectance coefficient, cleanliness of the workplace air and lighting sources, and the cleanliness of windows and surfaces were effective in measuring lighting intensity. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-956-en.pdf Indoor lighting evaluation Industrial workshop Lighting intensity Lux meter Uniformity index per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 246 260 article Morteza Sobati tehran_hse@yahoo.com 1 Seyed Reza Azimi Pirsaraei azimi@zums.ac.ir 2 Ali Mohammadi ali@zums.ac.ir 3 School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Department of Health Safety and Environment Management (HSE), School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Department of Health Safety and Environment Management (HSE), School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Background and Objective: Considering the dramatic role of the safety and health system in the maintenance and productivity of the workforce, managers should take advantage of the latest opportunities in health and safety management when adopting strategies, goals, and executive measures to prevent accidents and diseases. One of these great opportunities is the resilience assessment of the health and safety management system. In this study, a tool was developed for resilience assessment of the health and safety management system using the ISO 45001 standard. Materials and Methods: In this analytical-applied research, a tool was developed for the resilience assessment of the health and safety management system in an automotive industry in 2023. First, a two-part questionnaire consisiting of 107 items was developed and evaluated by 20 industry experts in terms of face validity and impact factor method. Therafter, the content validity and reliability of the questionnaire were verified with the cooperation of five university professors and five industry experts. In measuring reliability, internal consistency was determind using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Impact factor of all questions was higher than 1.5. In the qualitative content validity stage, one question and in the quantitative content validity stage, 36 questions did not reach the acceptable level and were removed, and finally, 70 questions remained. The values of content validity ratio, content validity index, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α) were obtained as 0.73, 0.92, 0.99, respectively. Conclusion: This research provided a reliable and valid questionnaire in Persian with an ISO45001 standard approach for resilience assessment of occupational health and safety management system in the automotive industry. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-948-en.pdf Automobile industry ISO 45001 standard Resilience engineering Safety and health management system per Hamedan University of Medical Sciences Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering 2383-336x 2383-3378 2024-10 11 3 261 273 article hadi aeini Aeinihadi@gmail.com 1 Seyed Ali jozi sajozi@yahoo.com 2 Saeed Motahari sa.motahari@gmail.com 3 Health, Safety, Environment (HSE), Malayer Health Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran, Iran Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran Background and Objective: Ergonomically inappropriate postures and workstations, manual handling of loads, and working for long periods of time with little rest breaks cause postural and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as deformities and abnormalities of the spine and shoulders. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of postural disorders of kyphosis, lordosis, and shoulder droop among workers in the furniture industry in Malayer, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 148 workers working at the furniture industry in Malayer, Iran. A flexible ruler was used to examine the condition of the spine, which included measuring kyphosis and lordosis, and a shoulder droop measuring device was used for shoulder position. Moreover, the postures of the workers were also measured using the REBA assessment method. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22). Results: Out of the total participants, 18 (12.2%) cases had abnormal kyphosis, 75 (50.7%) subjects suffered from abnormal lordosis, and 122 (82.4%) cases had shoulder droop. The ergonomic assessment, conducted using the REBA method, with an average of 2.35, showed that the work postures had a medium to high-risk level. Conclusion: This study showed that shoulder droop, lordosis, and kyphosis were common among the workers in the furniture and woodcarving industry of Haji Abad Industrial Town, Malayer, Iran. According to the results obtained, workers in this industry need more support, and it is essential to provide appropriate working conditions in terms of postures and ergonomic workstations to reduce occupational posture injuries. http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-965-en.pdf Employees of the furniture and wood carving industry Kyphosis Lordosis Posture disorders Shoulder