Relationship of Benzene Concentration, ECR Benzene, Malondialdehyde, Glutathione, and DNA Degeneration in Shoe Industrial Workers in Osowilangun, Indonesia.

In the shoes industry, benzene constitute as one of the source of chemical hazard especially used in the gluing section. This compound is metabolized by the liver, forming free radicals in the body which can ultimately reduce the concentration of glutathione and increased malondialdehyde causing DNA degeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between benzene concentration, excess cancer risk (ECR), malondialdehyde, glutathione, and DNA degeneration among workers in shoes industry in Osowilangun, Surabaya. This is an observational study with a cross-sectional design. The number of research samples was 25 respondents. The average concentration of benzene in workers was above the threshold (10.31 ppm). There were 15 (60%) respondents with ECR >0.0001 who experienced DNA degeneration. There was no relationship between benzene concentration, malondialdehyde, glutathione, and DNA degeneration. However, there was a relationship between benzene ECR, malondialdehyde, glutathione, and DNA degeneration in the shoe industry workers in Osowilangun.

Development of new hard hat dimensions using user-centered design approach among oil palm harvesters.

BACKGROUND: Hard hats are among the personal protective equipment (PPE) used in many industries to reduce the impact of any falling object on the skull and also to prevent head and brain injuries. However, the practice of wearing a safety helmet during working hours is still low. This is due to the physical discomfort perceived by safety helmet users. OBJECTIVE: Given the unpopularity of the current hard hat, the general perception of workers concerning its use and its measurements are the determining factors in the development of a new hard hat. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 132 male oil palm harvesters between 19 and 60 years of age were selected from among the employees of the same oil palm harvesting company. A set of questionnaires was developed to collect their socio-demographic information as well as their perceptions of comfort and the prevalence of head injury. In addition, a set of measuring instruments, including Martin's anthropometry set, was used for head measurement and data collection in respect of the current hard hat. In this research, six respondents were randomly selected to attend an interview session for qualitative assessment.RESULTSBased on the questionnaires, the unpopularity in the use of the hard hat was largely influenced by factors related to poor design, in general, and, specifically, poor ventilation (64%), load (67% ), and physical discomfort (42% ). The measurements of the anthropometric parameters and the dimensions of the hard hat also showed a significant mismatch. CONCLUSION: The unpopularity of the current hard hat among oil palm harvesters stemmed from the discomfort from wearing, which showed that the development of a new hard hat could lead to better usage and the greater likelihood of wearing a hard hat throughout the working day.

Knowledge, attitude, and perception of risk management of steam boilers among workers in palm oil mills.

BACKGROUND: People who work with the steam boilers in palm oil mills are vulnerable to accidents, notably to explosions, whenever failures of any kind occur during their operation. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study was conducted in palm oil mills to determine the knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) concerning the risk management of steam boilers among workers in palm oil mills. METHODS: A total of 50 workers who were working with steam boilers and/or involved in managing the operation of steam boilers with at least three years of working experience in the palm oil industry were purposively sampled. A self-administrated questionnaire consisting of four main parts - socio-demographic and occupational information, knowledge, attitude, and perception of the risk management of steam boilers was distributed. The knowledge, attitude, and perception were calculated based on a Likert-type scale. RESULTS: This study found that 56% of boiler workers had a good level of knowledge (mean score = 77.22±19.6), 72% had a good attitude toward risk (mean score = 83.17±5.85), and 64% had a good perception of risk (mean score = 79.50±11.22). The prevalence of accidents was 16%, and, for near misses, it was 24%. The cause of the reported accidents was largely attributed to carelessness, specifically at 80%. Apart from that, there was a positive association (χ2 = 6.56; p = 0.010) between attitude and accidents. CONCLUSION: This study found that the workers had good KAP levels of risk management of steam boilers in palm oil mills. However, there is a need for the employers to revise the training of workers and ensure its effectiveness in heightening the awareness of risks and accidents despite the high level of KAP.