Evaluation of Injuries among a Manufacturing Industry Staff in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Occupational injury is related to personal characteristics. This phenomenon is a controversial issue. This paper presents the relationships of certain occupational and individual characteristics with frequency of occupational injuries. METHODS: A standardized injury questionnaire was completed for 199 employees in a big Iranian industrial company (MAPNA Group) by the researcher in the presence of the subjects. The data were analyzed using zero-inflated Poisson regression with random effects. RESULTS: We demonstrated a significant relation between the marital status (P< 0.001) and score of injures (P < 0.001) with number of injuries by employees. Technicians and supervisors have high chance of "not to be injured at all" relative to workers (P< 0.05). Technicians and supervisors have less number of injuring than workers have (P< 0.05). In addition, increasing assessment score decreases the number of injuring of employees (P< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Due to being aware of the risks and remedial measures, married employees and workers should be assisted by occupational specialists.

The application of human factors engineering for evaluation of overall performance.

BACKGROUND: Total system design (TSD) factors are design factors, which have impact on overall performance of the power plants in context of total human engineering or macroergonomic. The evaluation of the impact of TSD factors was the main goal of this study. The main objective was human factors engineering on human performance in a power plant. METHODS: The systems being studied are the control rooms and maintenance departments of a 2000 MW thermal power plant in IRAN. By non-parametric correlation analysis and Kruskal-Wallis test of means, we can achieve between TSD factors and human performance. RESULTS: The selected TSD factors are related to procedures, work assessment, teamwork, selforganization, information exchange and communication. In a way we can say that various factors influence on human performance in the power plant is TSD factors such as organizational and safety procedures, teamwork, self-organization, job design and information exchange. CONCLUSION: The best way to increase human performance is TSD factors must be considered, designed and tested concurrently with the engineering factors at the design phase of the system developmental cycle.

Estimation of illuminance on the South facing surfaces for clear skies in iran.

BACKGROUND: Daylight availability data are essential for designing effectively day lighted buildings. In respect to no available daylight availability data in Iran, illuminance data on the south facing vertical surfaces were estimated using a proper method. METHODS: An illuminance measuring set was designed for measuring vertical illuminances for standard times over 15 days at one hour intervals from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at three measuring stations (Hamadan, Eshtehard and Kerman). Measuring data were used to confirm predicted by the IESNA method. RESULTS: Measurement of respective illuminances on the south vertical surfaces resulted in minimum values of 10.5 KLx, mean values of 33.59 KLx and maximum values of 79.6 KLx. CONCLUSION: In this study was developed a regression model between measured and calculated data of south facing vertical illuminance. This model, have a good linear correlation between measured and calculated values (r= 0.892).

An Integrated and Multivariate Model along with Designing Experiments Approach for Assessment of Micro- and Macro- Ergonomic Factors: The Case of a Gas Refinery.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this paper are three folds. First, an integrated framework for designing and development of the integrated health, safety and environment (HSE) model is presented. Second, it is implemented and tested for a large gas refinery in Iran. Third, it is shown whether the total ergonomics model is superior to the conventional ergonomics approach. This study is among the first to examine total ergonomics components in a manufacturing system. METHODS: This study was conducted in Sarkhoon & Qeshm Gas refinery- Iran in 2006. To achieve the above objectives, an integrated approach based on total ergonomics factors was developed. Second, it is applied to the refinery and the advantages of total ergonomics approach are discussed. Third, the impacts of total ergonomics factors on local factors are examined through non-parametric statistical analysis. RESULTS: It was shown that total ergonomics model is much more beneficial than conventional approach. It should be noted that the traditional ergonomics methodology is not capable of locating the findings of total ergonomics model. CONCLUSION: The distinguished aspect of this study is the employment of a total system approach based on integration of the conventional ergonomics factors with HSE factors.

Integrated health, safety, environment and ergonomic management systems for industry.

BACKGROUND: Conventional health, safety and environment (HSE) are a widely used approach to enhance availability and efficiency of complex systems. The integrated HSEE system is defined however as integration of conventional HSE with ergonomics approach. The presented HSEE system introduces a unique, effective and systemic mechanism, which integrates the structure of the human and organizational systems with conventional HSE system. It is utilized to enhance reliability, availability, maintainability and safety through the proposed integrated framework of this study. METHODS: The integrated HSEE is developed by integration of conventional HSE with job systems by re-engineering organizational structures and teamwork through electronic data interchange (EDI). To show the need for and superiority of HSEE over conventional HSE to gas Treatment Company was studied and questionnaires were collected and examined with respect to distinct components of HSEE. RESULTS: The main result of this study is a framework for development of integrated intelligent human engineering environment in complex critical systems. CONCLUSION: The presented HSEE system introduces a unique, effective and systemic mechanism, which integrates the structure of the human and organizational systems with conventional HSE system.

Modeling an integrated health, safety and ergonomics management system: application to power plants.

BACKGROUND: This study presents a framework for development of integrated health, safety and ergonomic (HSE) in complex critical systems. Total ergonomics model considers conventional ergonomics factors as well as management and organizational factors. METHODS: Control room operation and maintenance department of a thermal power plant was chosen as the case of our study. To achieve the above objectives, an integrated approach based on total ergonomics factors was developed. Second, it was applied to the thermal power plant and the advantages of total ergonomics approach were discussed. Third, the impacts of total ergonomics factors on local factors were examined through non-parametric statistical analysis. Moreover, the importance and impacts of total ergonomics factors were shown through statistical tests. RESULTS: It is shown that total ergonomics model is much more beneficial than conventional approach. It should be noted that the traditional ergonomics methodology is not capable of locating the findings of total ergonomics model. CONCLUSION: The distinguished aspect of this study is the employment of a total system approach based on integration of the conventional ergonomics factors with HSE factors.