Influencing factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders of workers in a cement plant in Guizhou Province / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) among workers in a cement plant. METHODS: A total of 196 workers in a cement plant were selected as study subjects using a judgment sampling method. A revised Musculoskeletal Injury Questionnaire was used to investigate the occurrence of WMSDs in workers in the past year. RESULTS: The detection rate of WMSDs in different parts of the body of workers in the cement plant was 18.4%-32.1%. The detection rates of WMSDs in all parts of the body from high to low was as follows: shoulder(32.1%), neck(30.6%), upper back(24.0%), ankle/foot(24.0%), lower back(23.5%), hip/thigh(22.4%), wrist/hand(21.4%), elbow(18.4%), and knee(18.4%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that keeping the neck in the same posture for a long time was a risk factor for neck WMSDs [odds ratio(OR)=2.29, P<0.05). Frequent turning around was a risk factor for WMSDs on the neck and lower back(waist)(OR were 3.06 and 3.32, P<0.05). Maintaining the same posture for a long time on the back was a risk factor for shoulder and upper back WMSDs(OR were 3.22 and 2.34, P<0.05). Hard work was a risk factor for shoulder and upper back WMSDs(OR were 2.60 and 2.58, P<0.05). Driving a vehicle was a risk factor for lower back(waist) and ankle/foot WMSDs(OR were 2.54 and 3.17, P<0.05). Carrying objects heavier than 20 kilograms and frequent overtime working were risk factors for ankle/foot WMSDs(OR were 3.03 and 2.54, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The most frequent parts of the body having WMSDs in the cement production workers are shoulders and necks. Occupational factors(turning around or keeping the same posture of neck and back) are risk factors of WMSDs on shoulder and neck.

Technical Evaluation of Selexol-Based CO2 Capture Process for a Cement Plant.

Cement industry accounts for the second largest emitter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the globe with 900 kg CO2 emitted into the atmosphere from producing one tonne of cement. Hence, the effort made to mitigate this issue seems not productive , which gives rise to the design of the carbon capture and sequestration [CCS] process which is one of the few ways obtained to greatly reduce CO2 production from the cement plant. The research work assessed the technology used for the cement plant by employing an old cement plant with post-combustion CO2 capture using physical solvent (Selexol). The Aspen Hysys simulation results show that the process can capture 97% of the CO2 and lean loading of 0.37. The Ashaka Cement Plant operates at maximum capacity of approx. 1 million tonnes cement /year with CO2 released at about 500,000 tonnes per year. The capture unit was able to reduce the CO2 released into the atmosphere from 4.86% to 0.13%. The overall result of the analysis shows that selexol has proven to be thermally and chemically stable under the operating conditions used. It is recommended that, the simulation results should be retrofitted into the Ashaka cement plant, in order to determine the best CO2 capture efficiency, performance which results to the choice of this capture technology.