Last data update: May 06, 2024. (Total: 46732 publications since 2009)
Records 1-6 (of 6 Records) |
Query Trace: Wassell JT[original query] |
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Workplace violence prevention for nurses
Hartley D , Ridenour M , Wassell JT . Am J Nurs 2019 119 (9) 19-20 An online NIOSH course raises awareness of workplace violence and offers preventive strategies. |
Protection factor for N95 filtering facepiece respirators exposed to laboratory aerosols containing different concentrations of nanoparticles
Rengasamy S , Walbert G , Newcomb W , Coffey C , Wassell JT , Szalajda J . Ann Occup Hyg 2014 59 (3) 373-81 A previous study used a PortaCount Plus to measure the ratio of particle concentrations outside (C out) to inside (C in) of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) worn by test subjects and calculated the total inward leakage (TIL) (C in/C out) to evaluate the reproducibility of the TIL test method between two different National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health laboratories (Laboratories 1 and 2) at the Pittsburgh Campus. The purpose of this study is to utilize the originally obtained PortaCount C out/C in ratio as a measure of protection factor (PF) and evaluate the influence of particle distribution and filter efficiency. PFs were obtained for five N95 model FFRs worn by 35 subjects for three donnings (5 models x 35 subjects x 3 donnings) for a total of 525 tests in each laboratory. The geometric mean of PFs, geometric standard deviation (GSD), and the 5th percentile values for the five N95 FFR models were calculated for the two laboratories. Filter efficiency was obtained by measuring the penetration for four models (A, B, C, and D) against Laboratory 2 aerosol using two condensation particle counters. Particle size distribution, measured using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer, showed a mean count median diameter (CMD) of 82nm in Laboratory 1 and 131nm in Laboratory 2. The smaller CMD showed relatively higher concentration of nanoparticles in Laboratory 1 than in Laboratory 2. Results showed that the PFs and 5th percentile values for two models (B and E) were larger than other three models (A, C, and D) in both laboratories. The PFs and 5th percentile values of models B and E in Laboratory 1 with a count median diameter (CMD) of 82nm were smaller than in Laboratory 2 with a CMD of 131nm, indicating an association between particle size distribution and PF. The three lower efficiency models (A, C, and D) showed lower PF values than the higher efficiency model B showing the influence of filter efficiency on PF value. Overall, the data show that particle size distribution and filter efficiency influence the PFs and 5th percentile values. The PFs and 5th percentile values decreased with increasing nanoparticle concentration (from CMD of 131 to 82nm) indicating lower PFs for aerosol distribution within nanoparticle size range (<100nm). Further studies on the relationship between particle size distribution and PF are needed to better understand the respiratory protection against nanoparticles. |
Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among employees at a poultry processing plant
Musolin K , Ramsey JG , Wassell JT , Hard DL . Appl Ergon 2014 45 (6) 1377-83 OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among poultry processing employees while taking into account non-occupational factors and assess any association between CTS prevalence and exposure groups. METHODS: Performed a cross-sectional survey to assess CTS (n = 318). A CTS case was defined as an employee with self-reported CTS symptoms, an abnormal hand symptom diagram, and an abnormal nerve conduction study (NCS). Log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios. RESULTS: Three hundred and one participants had sufficient symptom information or NCS data to be classified. 126 (42%) of 301 participants had evidence of CTS. In the adjusted analysis, the highest exposure group had CTS prevalence that was significantly higher than that for the lower exposure group [PR: 1.61; 95% CI = (1.20, 2.17)]. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing levels of hand activity and force were associated with increased CTS prevalence among participants. Recommendations were provided to reduce exposure to these risk factors. |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence among nonsmokers by occupation in the United States
Bang KM , Syamlal G , Mazurek JM , Wassell JT . J Occup Environ Med 2013 55 (9) 1021-6 OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among nonsmokers by occupation in the United States. METHODS: The 1997 to 2004 National Health Interview Survey data for working adults aged 25 years or more were used to estimate the COPD prevalence and to examine change in COPD prevalence between 1997 to 2000 and 2001 to 2004 by occupational groups. RESULTS: During 1997 to 2004, COPD prevalence was 2.8%. The COPD prevalence was highest in financial records processing (4.6%) occupations. There was a slight increase in COPD prevalence during the two survey periods from 2.8% during 1997 to 2000 compared with 2.9% during 2001 to 2004. CONCLUSIONS: No significant changes in the COPD prevalence between the two periods were found. Nevertheless, the elevated COPD prevalence in certain occupational groups suggests that other risk factors play a role in developing COPD. |
Coal dust exposure and mortality from ischemic heart disease among a cohort of U.S. coal miners
Landen DD , Wassell JT , McWilliams L , Patel A . Am J Ind Med 2011 54 (10) 727-33 BACKGROUND: Particulate exposure from air pollution increases the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality. Although coal miners are highly exposed to coal dust particulate, studies of IHD mortality risk among coal miners have had inconsistent results. Previous studies may have been biased by the healthy worker effect. METHODS: We examined the dose-response relationship between cumulative coal dust exposure, coal rank, and IHD mortality among a cohort of underground coal miners who participated in the National Study of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, smoking, and body mass index, risk of IHD mortality increased at higher levels of coal dust exposure. Mortality risk was also associated with coal rank region. CONCLUSION: There was an increased risk of mortality from IHD associated with cumulative exposure to coal dust, and with coal rank. The effect of coal rank may be due differences in the composition of coal mine dust particulate. The association of risk of IHD mortality with cumulative particulate exposure is consistent with air pollution studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. (c) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
Workplace violence intervention effectiveness: a systematic literature review
Wassell JT . Saf Sci 2009 47 (8) 1049-1055 This is a systematic review of literature published since 1992, to determine the effectiveness of interventions in preventing workplace violence and to suggest interventions that need further evaluation research. The health care industry is the topic of 54% of the papers, the retail industry is the topic of 11% of the papers, and the remaining papers address the workplace in general or other situations. This finding drives the organization of this review: the first group of papers discussed in this review evaluates interventions to prevent workplace violence in the retail industry - mostly to prevent robbery and violence to retail workers. Singly or in combination, environmental designs in the retail industry, such as increased lighting to improve visibility and a limited cash-handling policy, can make workers safer, but more research is needed to overcome the barriers to implementation of environmental designs, especially in small businesses. The second group of papers in this review is about interventions to prevent violence to health care workers - mostly training and techniques of dealing with combative patients, Training health care workers to better cope with violent patients and to avoid injury is becoming standard practice, but research is needed to identify specific aspects of training and patient management programs that are most effective. Published by Elsevier Ltd. |
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