Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 144 151 EN SAMANEH MOMEN-BELLAHFARD Department of Environmental Science, Graduate School of the Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. MOHAMMAD REZA MONAZZAM Department of Occupational Hygiene, School of Public Health and Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Environmental noise pollution is among the most urban problems which can be caused due to real sources like traffic, train and virtual sources provided by rigid surfaces. One of the urban structures in which can perform as a virtual noise source are the installed gutters alongside highways. These structures are mostly used to pass the wastewater or the rainfall. In this research, the acoustical performance of a gutter when the receivers are located on the top surface of gutter or in its shadow zone is investigated. To compute the acoustical efficiency of gutters, a 2D Boundary Element Method (BEM) is used. Investigation on the top surface of a simple gutter has shown that the total sound pressure has been changed and results in some disturbance. Various shapes have been studied to decline such disturbance. It was found that sound pressure of the model with curved basement was scattered steadier and the sound pressure for gutter models with wide basement was lower than the ones with narrow basement. Efficiency of some designed models was also compared in the shadow zone. Increase in depth and wide of gutter models either on the top or bottom surface has enhanced the performance of simple reference model. Considering the insertion loss computations, the amount of overall improvement in models with higher depths was more than widen models because of shifting effective performance toward lower frequencies. https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/81 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/81/81

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 152 158 EN MOHAMMAD JAVAD GOLHOSSEINI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. HOSSEIN KAKOOEI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. SEYED JAMALEDDIN SHAHTAHERI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. MANSOUR REZAZADEH-AZARI College of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. KAMAL AZAM Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Air quality inside commuting vehicles has seldom been evaluated in Iran. Accordingly, this study investigates the levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) during workdays characterized by heavy traffic inside taxis in Tehran- Iran between May 2009 and October 2010. The totals of 35 personal samples were collected onto solid sorbent tubes and the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analysed by gas chromatography technique equipped with flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The arithmetic means of personal monitoring of BTEX concentrations inside vehicles were found 72.77, 93.91, 9.90 and 4.23 ppb respectively. Exposures to BTEX during traffic flow in the evening were considerably higher than those measured in the morning. The weekdays BTEX level of inside vehicles illustrated significant differences among the studied months (p<0.05). The BTEX concentration ratios were estimated to be related to traffic emissions and similar for all the surveyed routes. In conclusion, the results confirmed that the emission of BTEX and their concentrations being highly associated with traffic jam as well as changes in meteorological conditions. https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/82 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/82/82

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 159 165 EN SUNKU VENKATA-SIVA-RAJA-PRASAD Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KL University)Vijayawada,India & Associate Professor, NICMAR, Hyderabad. YVSSSV PRASADA-RAO Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KL University), India. PASUPULETI VENKATA-CHALAPATHI Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KL University), Vijayawada, India. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Construction industry is the second most contributor of gross domestic product and the high rates of accidents /fatalities have tarnished the image of construction industry in India. The importance of safety at site cannot be underscored and it needs the combined attention of all stakeholders to address the issue of safety in construction industry in India. Although the construction industry plays an important role in contributing to the economic performance of the country, its contribution to the workplace accident is equally substantial. The unsatisfactory safety record of construction industry has always been highlighted since the safety management system is neglected area and has not been pursued and implemented systematically in the construction industry. Although the safety regulations imposed in the construction industry by Department of Labour through Building and other construction workers act, 1996 are quite comprehensive and most of the State Governments have not implemented the provisions mentioned under the act. Due to lack of enforcement from Government, majority of the construction organizations in India are certified under Occupational health safety assessment series (OHSAS 18001) to provide a safe and conducive working environment for their workers and subcontractors. The purpose of the study is to present a hierarchy decision model for assessing the priority of elements of goals of OHSAS 18001 in construction segments that is infrastructure and real estate in India by using the analytic hierarchy process(AHP) methodology. https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/83 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/83/83

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 166 171 EN AMIRHOSSEIN DAVOUDIANTALAB Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Behbahan, Iran. MOHSEN MESHKANI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University Of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. SEPIDEH NOURIAN Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. AMIRABBAS MOFIDI Department of Occupational Health, Faculty of Medical sciences, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Anthropometry is the study of human body dimensions and proportions among different races. In work environments, poorly designed workstations and tools reduce productivity and can lead to fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries. This study aimed to determine the anthropometric characteristics of Iranian workers in comparison to three other Asian countries. This cross-sectional study evaluated 400 male workers between the ages of 25 and 55 yr from all ethnicities working at Iran Khodro Automobile Factory. Results showed that the average height of the Iranian worker is 173.73±6.84 cm and the average sitting height 90.79±3.55 (cm). In comparison to Indian and Philippine workers, Iranian workers are 100% and 83% taller, respectively. This data can be useful for designing workplace space (e.g. height), work levels (e.g. elbow height) and peripheral equipment size, such as chairs (e.g. the width of hips and height of thighs). https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/84 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/84/84

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 172 176 EN SOMAYEH RAHIMI-MOGHADAM MSc Student of Occupational Health, Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. NARGES KHANJANI Assistant Professor, Research Center for Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran AND Honorary Research Fellow, Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Improvements in science and technology and the use of modern machinery in manufacture have led to increase in the number of workers exposed to hazardous agents including noise. This study evaluated the effects of occupational noise on hearing loss and blood pressure in welders after 4 years.In this cohort study, all of the welders working at one of Neyshabur's water heater producing factories were studied. A questionnaire including demographic data, history of diseases and certain drug use was completed for each worker. Moreover the workers audiometry results and blood pressure measurements from 4 years ago were compared with recent results. Data analysis was performed using SPSS18software.The average age of the welders was of 35.6 ± 6.25 and the mean years of employment was 7.66 ± 2.18 years. The equivalent noise exposure of workers on one business day was 97.8 dB and varied between 90-110 dB. After 4 years, there was a significant increase in hearing loss (6.04 dB) in the right ear of workers at 8000 Hz (p=0.0001) and in the left ear at 1000 (1.77 dB)(p=0.04), 4000 (2.29 dB)(p=0.02)and 8000 Hz (4.89 dB)(p=0.0001). During this time blood pressure also increased but was not significant. There was no significant relation between age, years of employment, smoking and education with individual hearing loss during these four years. Many neglected job groups such as welders are prone to hearing loss and possibly chronic increases in blood pressure due to noise exposure in their workplace and should use protective hearing equipment. https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/85 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/85/85

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 177 183 EN NEMATULLAH KURD Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. ABDULRAHMAN BAHRAMI Research Centre for Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. FARSHID GHORBANI-SHAHNA Research Centre for Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. MAHMOUD HEIDARI Department of Occupational Health, Faculty of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Acetonitrile used as a solvent in manufactures and affects to central nervous system from inhalation exposure. The aim of this study was to develop a micro-solid phase extraction method for  the determination of acetonitrile in the air matrix. The sampling was performed with a small diameter fused silica fiber coated with a thin film of stationary phase and was subsequently desorbed and analyzed by gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The effects of laboratory and sampling parameters were investigated and applied to the determination of acetonitrile in air matrix. The Carboxen/PDMS  as the coating fiber showed better analytical performances compared to the PDMS fiber. Analysis of the data by ANOVA test at a 0.05 level of accuracy showed that the peak area of the sampler was significantly affected by temperature and humidity so that the optimum temperature was 20°C and the optimum humidity was 35%. Besides, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for acetonitrile in the GC system were 0.05 and 0.15 μg/ml, respectively. The solid phase  microextraction (SPME) has been shown a suitable technique for sampling and analysis of acetonitrile in air. There was a good correlation between the SPME and national institute occupational safety and health (NIOSH) 1010 method under the optimum conditions. https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/86 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/86/86

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 5 4 2015 10 11 184 190 EN MEHDI JAHANGIRI Research Center for Health Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. ALI KARIMI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. SAMIRA SLAMIZAD Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. MOHAMMAD OLYAEI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. SEKHAVAT MOOSAVI Occupational Medicine Company of Sanaat Tebb Idehal, Shiraz, Iran. FATEMEH AMIRI Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 In many countries road crashes are the main cause of fatal accidents related to job. The aim of our study was to characterize a population of Iranian professional drivers with regard to history of drivers’ road crash incidents and some occupational factors. Using Swedish version of the Nordic Questionnaire information about musculoskeletal pain prevalence in last 12 months, demographic features, smoking habits, age, job experience, road crash, job consent, self-perceived job stress, working load and fatigue were obtained from 403 drivers. Ninety seven (25%) of the study population reported having one or more traffic accident during their driving job history. The association between self-report incident of road crash and driving duration, smoking, lack of exercise, fatigue, lack of health education and musculoskeletal complaints were statistically significant(p<0.05). Data analysis also revealed positive significant association between fatigue as dependent variable and driving duration, self perceived stress and lack of job consent as independent variables (p<0.01). The questionnaire data indilisherName> International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 6 3 2015 10 11 137 142 EN Fereydoun Azadeh Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Alireza Hemmati Center for Academic and Health Policy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research, Tehran, Iran. Javad Ghazi-Mir-Saeed Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tania Azadi School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Since the late 1990s, different web-based submission and peer review systems have emerged, and significant numbers of journals have shifted from their old paper-based systems to the web-based ones. Exploring the main features of these online systems might lead to better understand this flow. This study was performed to examine the features and capabilities of online submissions and peer review systems, with focus on the  author role,  which have been currently using by Iranian, approved medical and biomedical journals. This descriptive study was conducted during 2011-2012. The population of the study was peer review systems of approved medical and biomedical journals by Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Iran. In  this term, 199 journals were identified. Data were gathered by a standardized, researcher made checklist. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18 and Microsoft Excel 2007. 27 out of 199 journals were using no systems. 21 out of 199 were using 12 systems with inaccessible information or unknown status (which were removed from this study), and 151 journals were using 6 systems which were examined in this study. Evaluated systems were more than 80% in compliance with the research checklist. Due to rapid changes in information technology and information systems` designs, it is required for such systems to be constantly evaluated. It is of high value to investigate new demands of beneficiary groups like authors and researchers, editorial boards, and reviewers in this regard. https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/view/110 https://ijoh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijoh/article/download/110/110

Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008-5109 6 3 2015 10 11