Accident prevention program in a glass factory in Shobra El - Khema district

An accident can be defined as an unplanned event that results in or suggests the possibility of personal injury, property damage, production interruption, diminished health or environmental damage. The accidents have a cost impact on the employees and the company itself. This Intervention study was carried out to decrease the accident rate in a glass factory in Shoubra EI-Khema district. A glass factory in Shoubra EI-Khema was selected to implement an intervention program. The program was done through three phases.1 A preliminary interview questionnaire. 2. Seminars of health education were done to all workers and managers with availability of health education posters, establishment of accident committee and a new reporting system, contract with a housekeeping company was done and also training of some leaders. 3. Concurrent and final evaluation of the program was done. The incidence rate, frequency and severity rate of accidents were decreased at the end of the year after the intervention program. The differences were statistically significant. The opinions of the workers and managers about the different causes of accidents were changed. The belief of the workers and managers about efficiency of health education program was changed. Some leaders were trained on skills of health education. Modification of reporting and notification system was done. This intervention study succeeded in decreasing accidents rates and increasing the awareness of the managers to decrease accident rates. The beliefs and thoughts of both workers and managers became near to each other. The production loss due to days lost by accidents was reduced. Upgrading process in the factory are recommended to eliminate the hazards at source. Sustaining and continuation of the established preventive program should be done. Trying to apply the program in similar factories is also recommended

Effect of occupational lead-exposure on blood pressure, serum aldosterone level and plasma renin activity

The present study aimed to investigate the association between occupational lead-exposure and elevated blood pressure as well as serum aldosterone level and plasma renin activity as parameters affecting blood pressure. Fifty occupationally lead-exposed [16 males and 34 females] and 50 non-exposed [15 males and 34 females] workers were selected after the application of certain exclusion criteria. All workers were admitted to complete clinical examination including standard blood pressure measurement. Also, blood lead level, serum aldosterone concentration and plasma reran activity were estimated. The results of both occupationally lead-exposed males and females demonstrated no significant differences regarding age, work duration, systolic and diastolic blood pressures when compared with occupationally non- exposed males and females, respectively. In addition, occupationally lead-exposed males and females revealed a significant increase in blood lead level and serum aldosterone concentration compared with controls. Moreover, plasma renin activity is significantly decreased among the lead-exposed male workers; while it is significantly increased among the lead-exposed female workers in comparison with the controls

Health hazards among workers in power stations comparative study between natural gas and mazout stations

This study was done on 65 workers working in power station I [Shoubra El-Kheima] where they are exposed to natural gas and mazout, 74 workers in power station II [El-Gharb] where there is mazout exposure only and 74 individuals acting as controls. All these individuals were admitted to a questionnaire, examined clinically and they were investigated to assess their respiratory, liver and kidney function tests. This is in addition to a complete blood picture. Air pollution inside these stations was assessed. The study aimed at determining the pollutants inside and outside the stations and to investigate the health hazards of the workers exposed to these pollutants. It aimed also to see if it is important and urgent to replace the mazout by natural gas as a fuel in these power stations. The results showed that by products of mazout have bad effect on the environment. When mazout is used alone as a fuel, it has an adverse effect on the respiratory system and the liver. There is a need for a prospective study to assess the causal relationship between mazout by-products and health hazards before taking the decision of replacing mazout by natural gas

Occupational lead exposure and kidney functions

Cases included 90 workers occupationally exposed to lead for a period of 15 +/- 3.2 years. An equal number of controls were selected from workers who had never reported occupational expoure to lead. Levels of current as well as remote exposure to lead were higher among exposed compared to the controls. Total urinary protein levels were nearly the same in both groups but urinary alpha 1 microglobulin was significantly higher in the exposed group. The high levels of the alpha 1 microglobulin were positively correlated with blood lead levels, urinary sigma amino levulinc acid, hair lead concentrations and duration of exposure to lead. All lead exposure parameters as well as urinary alpha microglobulin returned back to levels comparable to those of the controls after cessation of exposure for 120 days

Urinary excretion of copper and zinc among cigarette smokers

The urinary levels of cadmium [Cd], zinc [Zn] and copper [CU] were measured among eleven adult male non-smokers and thirty-eight adult male cigarette smokers to investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on the urinary excretion of Zn and Cu in relation to urinary Cd level. The cigarette smokers were classified into two groups according to the level of urinary Cd. The first group contained thirteen cases with urinary Cd levels within the normal range of non-smokers and the urinary levels of both Zn and Cu were observed also within the same range. The second group contained twenty-five cases with elevated urinary Cd levels. The latter was further subdivided into two subgroups according to the urinary levels of Zn and Cu. The results suggested that urinary Cd at a certain level may be accompanied by increased urinary excretion of both Zn and Cu among cigarette smokers

Early detection of nephrotoxic effects due to low-dose exposure of cadmium among cigarette smokers

The effects of low-level exposure to cadmium due to cigarette smoking on renal function were judged by the estimation of urinary levels of total proteins, cadmium, alpha-1-microglobulin [alpha1 M] and glutathione S-transferase [GST] activity among 50 males [38 smokers and 12 control. non-smokers]. Elevated urinary cadmium levels [2.408-28.160; 9.31 +/- 7.1 micro g cd/gm urine creatinine] were observed among the majority of smokers [24 cases, 63.16%] and these levels showed a positive correlation with age and smoking index. Furthermore, urine total proteins [115.18-652.14, 242.89 +/- 121.88 mg Protein/gm urine creatinine] were increased suggesting glomerular involvement among 20 cases [52.63%] of smokers. In addition, urinary alpha1 M levels [14.645-86.053; 34.05 +/- 16.83 mg alpha1 M /gm urine creatinine] and urinary GST activity [0.0-0.008; 0.00015 +/- 0.0002 micro mol/min/100 micro1/gm urine creatinine] were elevated among 18 [47.37%] and 20 [52.63%] cages of smokers respectively. Since urinary alpha1 M and GST originate from renal proximal tubules, the data of the present investigation could reflect early low-level cadmium exposure nephrotoxic effect on both the glomeruli and tubules

experimental study on impact of whole body gamma irradiation on liver function and kidney function

Five groups of rabbits were used to investigate the effect of increasing doses of radiation on liver and kidney function. One group acted as a control group. The other 4 groups were exposed to increasing doses of whole body gamma radiation. 1-5Gy. The kidney and liver function tests were affected one week after exposure, except bilirubin level that was decreased immediately after exposure within 24 hours

Workers knowledge of accidents' causes

Accident Constitutes a big problem occupational health It causes an economic loss to the work and worker. Six hundred workers were, investigated by a well standardized questionnaire through interview. Most workers believed that the most important causes of accidents are those belonging to environment and work pattern. They did not know or denied that there are many important personal factors that are considered to be a corner stone in increasing accident rate. Ninety one percent of the investigated workers believed that the improper guarded machines are one of the most important causes of accidents, only 23% of the involved workers considered the psychological and social disturbance to cause accidents, it is concluded that there should be a well prepared program of health education to learn the workers the different causes of accidents and the methods to prevent and decrease the accident rates

Epidemiological evaluation of oral polio vaccine efficacy in Cairo

A case-control study was conducted between November 1992 and May, 1993 to assess the effectiveness of routine oral polio vaccine [OPV] immunization against paralytic poliomyelitis among children aged 1-5 years in Cairo city. Cases of paralytic poliomyelitis at Imbaba Institute of poliomyelitis and Ain- Shams Pediatric Hospital fulfilling the study criteria were obtained. The diagnosis of cases was based on clinical grounds. Age and sex-matched controls were recruited concurrently from patients admitted for reasons other than poliomyelitis. There were 55 cases of poliomyelitis. Vaccination status of cases and controls was ascertained by asking the mothers through interviewing using a questionnaire that had been developed for the purpose of the study. Vaccine efficacy [VE] was 86% [95% CI : 39 - 97%] and 92% [95% CI : 64- 98%] for 3 and 4 doses of OPV respectively. For a vaccine like OPV with the potential of near 100% VE after 3 doses, the estimated level of protection [86%] is considered low especially when we realize the enormous efforts carried out by Ministry of Health and UNICEF in Egypt for upgrading the cold-chain. Higher figures of VE are supposed to be achieved if we are going to meet the challenge of poliomyelitis eradication by the year 1994. Potential biases in study design were also discussed