Iran Occupational Health

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  Background and aim: Formaldehyde ( H₂C = O ) ,is a member of aldehyde family with the simplest organic molecules ,used in various industries. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the detrimental effects of formaldehyde on testicular tissue and sperm quality in mice.

  Methods : Thirty six mature male NMRI mice were randomly divided into three equal groups (n=12). Group F1 (low concentration) and group F2(high concentration) were exposed to formaldehyde vapour corresponding to inhalation chamber concentration of 10 and 20 ppm respectively for 10days(8 hours per day),while the third group received fresh air as the control group. Following exposure ,half of the experimental animals in each group (n=6), were sacrificed after 24 h to detect short-term effects and the other animals (n=6) after 35 days to detect long term effects,, the epididymal tissues were taken for sperm analysis as well as testes removed for histological examination .

  Results : The results of long-term effects study showed that the epididymal sperm concentration and the percentage of progressive sperm motility significantly decreased ( P < 0/01 ) , the abnormal sperm rate significantly increased( P < 0/01 ) in both experimental groups compared to the control group. Testicular histology analysis, 35days after exposure showed that formaldehyde induces alterations such as epithelial vacuolization and seminiferous tubles atrophy.

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  Conclusion : The inhaled formaldehyde can destroy testicular tissue and decrease sperm quality .

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  Background and aims: one of the most important elements in the HSE-MS quality management system is “Audit”. Audit is the conformity of the subject with the standard requirements and regulations. The goal of this research is to design an audit procedure for health, safety and environmental quality management system based on HSE-MS in the field of printing industry considering its special condition and requirements.

  Methods: Considering the importance of audit methods and related results, in this study we have analyzed and investigated the weakness and strengths of three major methods of Auditing (D&S ,MISHA,OGP)and based on this we have developed and designed an audit method for print industry (AMPI) with five major criteria and twenty five sub criteria. Afterward the criteria were tested and weighted using ANP and DEMATEL methods with 15 questionnaires filled by field specialists, which later were analyzed by “super decision” software.

  Results: the output results from “super decision” software shows that the indicator of “management and commitment” with the normal weight of 0.249 has the highest priority, “risk management” indicator with normal weight of 0.237 is the second, “performance Monitoring” with normal weight of 0.196 is the third and “personnel Management” with normal weight of 0.164 is the forth, and “workplace technology” with normal weight of 0.153 is the fifth indicator. The effectiveness “showed by D” of management and commitment has the highest value compared to the other indicators.

  Conclusion: results of this research showed that the most important and effective indicator in the field of auditing the health, safety and environment quality management system in print industry is the indicator of “management and commitment”, and by implementing effective methods of management and commitment we can achieve standards more successfully in the field of auditing.

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Background and aims: The effective human resources are the main factor for realization, resuming and success of organizational purposes.In the organization milieu, human exposure to different kinds of mental and psychological stress and pressure. In fact, stress associates with many physical and mental diseases, or has a role on making, development and mutation of them and it decreases general health of staffs, innovation and creativity abilities and also staffs' efforts. For this reason, stress studying is important regarding both personnel health and psychological hygiene; and investigation of personnel performance. Therefore, main purpose of this study is to investigation the effect of job stress on general health and job performance on Air Traffic Controllers (ATC).

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive- correlation study. Statistical research community included all workers of ATC in Tehran, and then 103 individuals were selected as sample using stratified random sampling method. Flip L.R. (1992) questionnaire used for gathering of data’s in job stress section and to collect data for General Health section, used Goldberg & Hillier questionnaire and Paterson questionnaire used for gathering data in job performance section. The software SPSS19 with multi regression and simultaneously Baron and Kenny (1986) quadruplet process used for data analyzing.

Results: The results show that there is a negative and meaningful relationship between the stress which is produced in workplace and job performance. This means that increased job stress reduces job performance. Also general health has a mediating role between workplace stress and job performance.

Conclusion: Based on the results of research that confirms the negative impact of stress on job performance and considering the mediating role of general health between stress and job performance in ATC. Regarding to get better the personal performance, it is an essential thing to design and to implement a comprehensive program in order to manage staffs' stress, to improve general health, as well as to handle the promotion and occupational safety and to accrete their participation necessities in decision-making, and these should be a priority.

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Background and aims: However, both the implementation and establishment of the Health, safety and Environment (HSE) management system is successful, but there is no guarantee on the quality of its performance. Therefore, a comprehensive performance evaluation system is essential for monitoring, evaluating and continuous improvement of these systems. If this evaluations are based on company's strategic planning, they are on the right path. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) on improvement of HSE management system in one of a big production companies in our country.

Methods: This study is cross-sectional, in nature is applicable, and in methodology is a survey research. During the research, first some studies based on theoretical context were done and then BSC was implemented in HSE system of the company. Finally, a conceptual model to evaluate the performance of HSE management system in the form of Balanced Scorecard was designed and by this model the performance of HSE management system was evaluated and compared before and after the implementation of the BSC.

Results: The results show that after the implementation of the BSC, HSE management system through 67 performance indicators that evaluated, in 43 indicators (64/2%) had improvement and major progress is visible in terms of internal processes and customer. Poor performance is in terms of growth and learning than other strategic perspectives, so the company needs to insist more effort to provide a platform for learning and development in the field of HSE.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the implementation of BSC can improve the performance of the HSE management system.

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Background and aims: Noise is one of the harmful parameters of the industrial environments. It affects the human health in different aspects including harmful effects on hearing damage, vision, neurological and psychiatric, hormones, physiological and mental systems. Paying attention to the importance of hormonal effects on human body, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of noise exposure on variation of serum levels of Glucose and Cortisol at Syrian adult male mouse. 
Methods: 36 Syrian adult male mice were randomly selected in six experiment and control groups. The experimental group was at condition of exposure to noise with 90dB intensity in frequency range of 700-5700 Hz. The control group was at the same condition with injection of Streptozotocin (in amount of 60mg/kg). Cool Edit software was used for noise generation and control in 30days (8hours per day). Finally, the mice fasting Cortisol and blood pressure levels were measured 24h after finishing of the exposure period for mice of the both groups. 
Results: the present research indicated that the Glucose level had significant difference (P < 0.002) in diabetic and non-diabetic samples with noise exposure. Also, Cortisol level had significant difference (P < 0.002) in diabetic and non-diabetic samples with noise exposure. 
Conclusion: Exposure to noise with 90dB intensity at frequency range of 700-5700Hz can increase the serum levels of Glucose and Cortisol. Hence, variation indicated that diet with 1% of garlic has not affected the Cortisol hormone and blood sugar levels during the exposure period.

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Background and aims: In advanced management, human resources are the center of sustainable development. The main objective of the implementation of safety management systems, safety and the environment, ensure the deployment of these elements in the organization's strategies. Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) is a system which is as integrated and synergistic arrangement of human resources , facilities and equipment and try to create a healthy and environment away from the accident, damage and waste. Safety climate is a term that describes a common vision of staff of how the safety management is used in the workplace. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between safety climate with an awareness level among employees of the HSE management system in oil refinery in Kermanshah.

Methods: The study population was employees in one of the oil refineries in Iran. After designing and questionnaire psychometric assessment of staff knowledge of HSE management system, Loughborough safety climate questionnaire was used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22 software.

Results: The results of this study showed a moderate awareness of HSE Management System in refinery workers (mean of 20.85). The relationship between safety climate and awareness level of HSE management system got significant.

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed the importance of regarding to demographic and occupational characteristic on safety climate and awareness level of HSE Management System. In this regard, appropriate and proper management policy should strive to improve the situation. The results of this study present a profile of the safety climate situation in the surveyed refinery, which can be used as a preventive indicator for providing and promoting policy and safety performance evaluation and of its results ,they use to improve organizations safety.

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Background and aims: Thousands of people die in road crashes each year and several hundred thousand are disabled, as a result of road traffic accidents. Counts of fatal accidents were caused by drivers who are not comply with their jobs. Studies indicated that small percentage of people are more likely to have accidents in a similar situation, whom named as accident-prone drivers. This study aims to determine the effects of personality and demographic characteristics on accident proneness of Iranian bus drivers.
Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted in the winter of 2016, in order to identify the relationship between driver’s personality and demographic characteristics with accident proneness. To obtain demographic and personality characteristics, NEO questionnaires was used. All samples were selected through drivers of a transportation company with similar work schedule. In order to control environmental parameters all sample were collected during certain hours of the day with similar traffic and weather conditions, during 20 days. To investigate the relationship between parameters, spearman as a non-parametric statistical tests was used by SPSS version 19.
Results: Statistical analysis result indicated that in terms of personality neuroticism, extraversion, desire for new experiences, agreeableness, 72%, 33%, 69%, 41% and 100% of drivers were placed between 12-24, respectively, and 27%, 66%, 30%, 58% of them were categorized in the intermediate range 24 to 48. Results indicated significant correlation between the number of driver’s errors and each of the five measured personality inventory (P <0.05).
Conclusion: The number of driver’s errors and NEO questionnaire score correlation indicated that use of this questionnaire provide a great opportunity to identify accident-prone drivers, especially when historical data is not available.

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Background and aims: Knowledge of safety attitude is very important for managers of organizations, because it can be used to predict their employee safety behaviors. In this way, a further exploration about safety attitude and knowledge of workers as well as the relationship among the affecting factors is required. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between safety attitude and knowledge of workers and WAI in one of the large hospitals in Tehran.
 Methods: The research is cross-sectional and has been used of a random sampling method by a sample size of 340 people. In order to measure of safety attitudes and knowledge, Kumar questionnaire has been used, and the Occupational Safety and Health Institute of Finland WAI questionnaire has been used to evaluate WAI. Data analyses are also performed using SPSS 22 statistical analysis package.
Results: This study showed that mean of safety attitude and knowledge is 6.1 ± 39.7, and most people (45.3%) are in the category of good WAI. Also, with increasing age and work experience, safety attitude and knowledge and work ability index is reduced. There was no significant relationship between education and work shifts and the safety attitude and knowledge and WAI. Occupational health and safety training courses, increase safety knowledge and attitude and work ability index.
Conclusion: WAI has a significant relationship and direct and severe correlation with safety knowledge and attitude. Also educational courses in the field of occupational safety and health can be enhanced employee safety attitudes and knowledge toward safety.

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Background and aims: In spite of industrial safety’s developments in Iran, construction safety is not in desirable level and needs to be evaluated from different aspects. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety climate structure in construction projects and its effect on safety performance and accidents frequency rate.

Methods: This study was conducted at 4 construction projects. Safety climate measured using a validated safety climate questionnaire between 226 workers of these projects. Safety and health performance evaluated using the method of south pars Gas Company’s tool that consists of several safety and health items that are important in construction. Safety climate structure was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. The relation between safety climate factors, safety performance dimensions and accidents frequency rate evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results: 31 variables of the main questionnaire formed 8. Total safety climate score, had positive significant correlation with Dimention2 (Section one of safety level assessment). Other correlations between safety climate factors and safety performance dimensions in spite of being high were not significant. There was s negative significant correlation between total safety climate score, safety rules awareness factor, rules and regulations factor and Accidents frequency rate.

Conclusion: According the results of this research, safety climate and safety performance was related in construction projects. Factors 1 (Safety rules and regulations knowledge) and factor 7 (Safety rules and regulations) had more importance in work place’s safety and improved performance in this factors was associated with reduction in accidents. This study showed that 6 dimensions of Gas Company’s tool for safety performance assessment can be used in construction projects.

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Background and aims: All construction projects carry some levels of risk. The construction projects involve numerous uncertainties, multiple intricacies, varies techniques, and divergent environments. So that, workers in the construction industry are at greater risk because of the dynamic nature of the activities and momentous changes in working conditions in comparison with other industries. The construction projects involve many factors, interdependencies, and correlations, which makes determination of exact cause and effect very difficult. Therefore, these factors play a significant role in decision making and may affect performance of a project.
The construction process frequently requires workers to work at height. The risks associated with working at height are often increased by adding accessibility and mobility restrictions. Falling from height is one of the most important causes of workers' fatality in the construction industries and constitutes a paramount part of the safety plans in the construction projects. Identifying the effective factors and sub-factors in the occurrence of this accident will be helpful in setting priorities for preventing and providing solutions in reducing their severity. The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify the factors and sub-factors affecting falling from height accidents and to determine the cause and effect relationships among them in the construction projects, using the fuzzy-DEMATEL technique.
Methods: In order to carry out this descriptive-analytical study, information of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) department of five construction projects have been used. The statistical society of the present study was the workers of five construction projects of a gas refinery in the south of Iran, which 4000 people, on average, were involved in these projects from 2011 to 2015. After reviewing the scientific literature, project reports, and guidelines, factors and sub-factors affecting the occurrence of falling from height accidents in the construction projects were determined based on the experts opinions. Snowball method was used to identify experts and determine the statistical society. Fuzzy-DEMATEL technique, as one of the methods of decision making based on paired comparisons, was used to identify the cause and effect relationships among factors and sub-factors. Based on this technique, the pairwise comparison matrices of the factors and sub-factors were formed and sent to 10 health and safety experts. Next, the views of experts were aggregated via the mean fuzzy method, and then the cause and effect relationships were determined based on them. The step-by-step process of the research is as follows:
 
Step 1: Identifying research factors and sub-factors
All of the reported events were investigated between 2011 and 2015 and 74 out of 377 occupational accidents were considered as falling from height accidents. Considering the information of OHS department and literature review of effective factors in the occurrence of construction accidents, 70 factors and sub-factors were identified as effective factors in falling from height accidents. According to the objectives of the study and status of the projects, the identified factors and sub-factors divided to 3 main factors (organizational, individual, and environmental factors) and 14 sub-factors (management commitment, safety culture, mutual understanding, supervision/inspection, and size organization/project as an organizational factors; education, training hours, personal protective equipment (PPE), age/experience, and psychological/occupational stresses as an individual factors; thermal stress, interference, level smoothness, work platform height as an environmental factors).
 
Step 2: Data analysis and use of DEMATEL technique
In this research, Fuzzy-DEMATEL technique was used to construct a sequence of extracted data. This technique is one of the decision making methods based on pair comparisons with the benefit of expert’s judgment. The concept of this approach is based on the assumption that a system consists of a set of criteria and the pairwise comparisons of relationships between these criteria can be modeled by mathematical equations. DEMATEL technique is an approach to identify the cause and effect relationships among multiple factors in order to properly understand the problem. In general, it is very difficult to determine the opinion of experts with precise numerical values, especially in terms of uncertainty since the results of the decision depend heavily on unclear and subjective arbitrary judgments. These uncertainty conditions have led to the introduction of a fuzzy logic in the metamaterial technique. Therefore, in the Fuzzy-DEMATEL technique, fuzzy language is used which facilitates decision making in uncertainty conditions [37]. All calculations were performed in Excel (version 2013). The steps to implement this technique have been presented step-by-step based on the study of Li et al.
 
I) Calculation the direct relation matrix:
After gathering the experts' view, a fuzzy direct relationship matrix ( ) was formed and the fuzzy mean method was used to aggregate the views of experts. Assuming that n experts have expressed their idea about the relationship between the indices and each component of the fuzzy direct matrix is displayed by then by can be calculated from Eq. (1) as follows:
 

 
II) Normalizing the direct relation matrix:
To normalize the values of the direct contact matrix, of each row must be calculated. Then, the fuzzy normal matrix ( ) can be calculated from Eq. (2) by dividing each component of by the maximum attained :

III) Calculation of the total-relation matrix
To calculate the total-relation matrix, the fuzzy normalized matrix is divided to three definite matrices as follows:

Then, the identify matrix is formed and the following operations are performed:

 
Then, the fuzzy total-relation matrix is computed by using Eq. (4).
 

Results: The results of this research showed that among the main factors, organizational and individual factors were known as causal factors, which indicates importance of these factors and their impact on other effective factors in falling from height accidents. On the other hand, among various sub-factors, the management commitment, safety culture, monitoring and inspection, organization/project size, education, and work platform height had the highest effects on the falling from height accidents and were considered as causal variables. In the present study, management commitment, as one of the organizational sub-factors, had the highest impact and was considered as a causal variable.
According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that four organizational sub-factors of mutual understanding, management commitment, safety culture and organization/project size, one individual sub-factor of education, and work platform height as an environmental sub-factor had the significant impact and were among the causal variables, while the rest of sub-factors were the effect variables. Also, the monitoring/inspection sub-factor has the highest interaction with and impact on other sub-factors.
Conclusion: Falling from height is considered as one of the most important accidents, leading to death and physical injuries in construction projects. The findings of this study showed that a greater attention to organizational factors and their dimensions (as hidden and effective causes to prevent falling from height incidents) is necessary since an organization plays an important role in the design of work processes, design and implementation of safety management systems, commitment to safety and employee participation, and choosing the best people according to the requirements for the health and safety programs of the projects. The results of this study also showed that it is necessary to pay more attention to the management commitment and awareness of the workforce by training them in the construction projects. Hence, a greater attention to organizational factors and their sub-factors in the construction industry is essential for preventing falling from height incidents. Therefore, more attention to the organizational factor and its sub-factors in the construction industry is required to prevent falling from height accidents.
Keywords: Falling from height, Fuzzy-DEMATEL technique, Construction projects, Workers.
 

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Background and aims: One of the major problems facing human societies in recent decades is the stress phenomenon, especially in the workplace. Job stress is the harmful responses that result from a mismatch between one's abilities and knowledge with job pressures and demands. Stress is one of the most important and effective factors in disturbing people's health, that makes a person unable to perform his or her individual, family and social duties and commitments optimally. Public health means complete physical, mental and social welfare (Not just lack of illness and disability). One of the most common disorders in general and occupational groups is mental disorders. The most important signs and symptoms of mental health include self-reliance, independence, the ability to cope with others, the ability to accept responsibility and the duty, to express love and affection, the ability to endure failure, and so on. Manpower is one of the most important resources and the most significant asset of any organization; also, staffs health is one of the key Scales of effectiveness of any organization. Today, university staff are exposed to workplace stress, their health has been harmed. In addition, it is essential for lecturers and staff to be healthy individuals to ensure that those who educate and deliver the community have adequate health and expertise. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between public health and occupational stressors and its influencing factors among staffs of Ilam University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This descriptive-analytic and correlation type study was conducted on 153 staffs (employees and faculty members) of Ilam University of Medical Sciences. The samples were selected using Cochran statistical formula and simple random sampling. Data collection tools were Goldberg and Hiller General Health Questionnaire, Philippe L. Rice Job Stress Questionnaire and Demographic Questionnaire. The GHQ questionnaire was designed by Goldberg and Hiller and localized by Taghavi in ​​Iran. The questionnaire consisted of 28 questions and 4 subscales of seven questions, including somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression, in which general health and its dimensions are divided into four domains: none or least, mild disorder, moderate disorder and severe disorder. In this study, 4-point Likert scale, from 0 to 3, was used to score GHQ-28 questionnaires; also, cut-off point 6 was used for each subscale and cut-off point 22 for overall score. The Philip L. Rice Job Stress Questionnaire is one of the validated job stress questionnaires approved by the American Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). This questionnaire was designed by Philip L. Rice and localized by Hatami in Iran. The Philip L. Rice Job Stress Questionnaire contains 57 questions and three subscales of interpersonal relationships (26 questions), workplace physical conditions (22 questions) and job interests (9 questions) that job stress and each of its subscales are divided into three levels of low, moderate and severe stress. Occupational Stress Questionnaire scores were scored on a 5-point Likert scale from one (never) to five (always). In the present study, in interpreting occupational stress (total), a score less than 120.96 indicates low stress, a score between 120.96 - 183.54 moderate stress and a score above 183.54 indicates severe stress. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and t-test, chi-square, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and regression tests.
Results: The total mean score of general health and occupational stress in the study population was 25.09 (14.81) and 25.152 (31.29), respectively. Also, 50.3% of the studied subjects had no or least impairment in scope of general health and 68.6% of the study participants had moderate level of job stress. In the survey of general health dimensions, the highest score belonged to social dysfunction with mean score of 7.49 (3.58) and also mean score of all three subscales of occupational stress was in average level, although, the highest score among the subscales belonged to the subscale of interpersonal relationships. Pearson correlation test showed a significant and direct correlation between job stress and general health (p<0.05). Also, the highest and lowest correlation coefficients were observed between severe depression with interpersonal relationships (r = 0.462) and severe depression with job interests (r = 0.250), respectively. The results of linear regression test showed that job stress was able to predict 22% of changes in somatic symptoms, 21.4% of changes in anxiety and insomnia, 19.1% of changes in social dysfunction, 18% of changes in severe depression and 27.5% of public health changes. According to the results of stepwise linear regression test, job interests subscale was not able to predict changes in general health and its dimensions (p> 0.05). Also, subscales of interpersonal relationships and physical conditions of workplace with 22.3% and 5.5% respectively are able to predict changes in public health. According to the results of this test, only the interpersonal relationship subscale predicted 20.9% of the changes in the severe depression subscale. T-test showed a significant difference between the mean score of the components of somatic symptoms, interpersonal relationships and job stress with marital status (p <0.05), so that the mean score of all three components was higher in single than married individuals. Also, according to the results of this test, there was a significant difference between the somatic symptoms subscales and the gender variables in the study population (p <0.05). The mean score of this subscale was higher in females than males. Chi-square test showed no significant relationship between all dimensions and subscales of job stress and general health with educational level and type of employment (p> 0.05). According to the results of analysis of variance (ANOVA), there was a significant difference between subscales of interpersonal relationships and age groups (p <0.05). This difference was found between the age groups under 30 years with 30-40 years and under 30 years with 40-50 years, so that the mean score of this component in persons with age group under 30 years was higher than the other two groups. Also, according to the results of this test, no statistically significant differences were found between mean scores of all dimensions and subscales of occupational stress and general health with work experience (p> 0.05).
Conclusion: The staff of Ilam University of Medical Sciences were in the range of unhealthy (mild disorder) and moderate level of general health and job stress, respectively. Marital status and age were identified as the most important factors affecting job stress and general health, and interpersonal relationships and somatic symptoms were determined as the most important subscales among job stress and general health subscales. To improve general health and reduce job stress, such as developing a comprehensive stress management program, avoiding the use of high-stress and with little experience people in high-stress and high-risk jobs, prioritized to married people and men when to operate in sensitive and stressful jobs, providing consulting services to staffs within the organization, as well as regular and periodic physical and psychological staff monitoring are recommended.
 

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Background and Aim:
Noise pollution was the most common environmental factor and widespread physical harmful agent in the workplaces which large numbers of workers were exposed in various sectors of industry, agriculture, mineral and so on. In the 21st century, exposure to noise is recognized as one of the threats to the health of the community. Hearing loss (temporary or permanent), increased blood pressure, sleep disturbances, lack of concentration, and increased human error can be attributed to exposure to noise.World Health Organization has identified noise as the second environmental stressor in the world. In Iran (As a developing country in the Middle East), more than 2 million workers are exposed to a noise level higher than 85 dB. Stress caused by noise can affect the level of sex hormones. A study by Nadri et al., It was found that exposure to 100 dBA continuous noise significantly reduced the level of sex hormones (testosterone, follicular stimulatory and luteinizing hormones). Addiction is one of the greatest problems of human societies which not only causes social and behavioral disorders, but also affects various aspects of physical health, imposes huge financial losses on individuals, families and society. Opium comes from opium poppy and consists of more than twenty alkaloids (combination of seventy compounds). Among the diverse varieties of narcotics, opium and heroin, they have the highest global consumption. The most commonly used drug opium is oral (swallowing) (49.5%) and inhalation (drainage) ((59%). For various reasons, such as having a common border with Afghanistan (as a producer of 90 percent of the world's opium), opium drug abuse among Iranian industrial workers has a relatively high prevalence. Some people believe that long-term use of low-dose opioids may prevent chronic illness (Such as cardiovascular disease) and prolong life. Addiction is a problem that has spread increasingly amongst different populations around the world, and the labor community is no exception to this rule. A study in the Asalouyeh industrial region (Located in the southwest of Iran) showed that drug use among camp workers is between 15% and 25%, and the most commonly used opium. Reports indicate that opioids reduce the secretion of LH and FSH gonadotropins by inhibiting the release of gonadotropin releasing hormone secreted from the hypothalamus, while gonadotropins are crucial for the survival of testicular cells, and their reduction to planned cell death. The results of previous studies confirmed that exposure to noise and opium consumption alone had a downward effect on the level of sex hormones on human and animal samples. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to noise and opium consumption on sex hormones in male animal models (rat).
Methods: In this Experimental and cross-sectional study which was completed in 2018, 36 healthy adult male Wistar rats (purchased from the Tehran Pasteur Institute) were randomly divided into six groups (after initial screening from the point of view weight, age, etc.); control, exposure to noise (100 dB and 700-5700 Hz frequency range for 8h/day), consumption of opium solution(50 mg per case), consumption of opium solution(100 mg per case), exposure to noise (100 dB and 700-5700 Hz frequency range for 8h/day), consumption of opium solution(50 mg per case) and exposure to noise(100 dB and 700-5700 Hz frequency range for 8h/day) and consumption of opium solution(100 mg per case). The frequency range of 700 to 5700 Hz was chosen from a combination of 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz central frequencies in octave band spectrum (based on rat and human hearing sensivity in this range). Noise level (100 dB) was produced by signal software and implemented by Cool -Edit software. After boosting with an amplifier, with installation of four speakers on top of the chamber, the noise was broadcast in the reverberant chamber. The dimensions of the reverberant chamber (Plexiglas) were selected based on the Bolts chart, the required space per rat and the animal welfare (49×59×30 cm with 5 mm thickness). The noise level was monitored during exposure by calibrated sound level meter (model cel-450) hourly. The air inside the chamber was changed 12 times every hour. Opium was prepared by getting the necessary Legal licenses from the police and the Food and Drug Administration and then opium solution (dissolved in hot distilled water) was fed to animals at different doses (50 and 100 mg per case) through gavage tube between 6:30 to 7:00. In order to ensure that the rats were addicted (groups 3, 4, 5, and 6), at the end of the first week, with naloxone injection (2 mg per kg), the hangover symptoms of the animal were evaluated and the addiction was confirmed. The ambient temperature of the animal house was adjusted throughout the test period in the range of 20-24 ċ. After 50 days (cycle of spermatogenesis in rats), following anesthesia (Xylazine - ketamine), blood samples were collected (5 ml of the left ventricle). Using centrifuge, the serum should be discarded at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes. Level of sex hormones (testosterone, follicular stimulatory and luteinizing hormones) was determined by specific rat kits (producted by Zelbio Company) and ELISA technique. The ethics of working with animals, according to the Helsinki Statement and the Ethics Committee of Tarbiat Modares University, were observed at all stages of the study. Data analysis was performed with SPSS software (version 22 by using ANOVA test (Tukey Post hoc test).
Results: This study is a first study in the world that examine the effect of exposure to noise and opium consumption on sex hormone levels in an animal model. In this study, noise could significantly suppress the levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormones, but did not affect the level of follicular stimulatory hormones. The results of this study (about the noise agent) are consistent with studies by Swami et al., Paramanik et al. And Rafuli et al. Both doses of opium solution (50 and 100 mg per case) can significantly reduce the level of sex hormones (testosterone, follicular stimulatory and luteinizing hormones) However, no significant difference was found in the two doses in any of the examined hormones. In 2012, the study of Yasin Kahimin showed that levels of testosterone decreased significantly in opioid recipient groups, which were consistent with the results of the present study in relation to lowering the secretion of testosterone and LH. A study by Salman et al in 2010 showed that levels of testosterone, LH and FSH in opiate addicted men decreased significantly compared to control group. Sepehri et al. Study showed that levels of LH, FSH and testosterone levels in addicted people were significantly lower than those in the control group. Combining the two factors of noise and opium (with opium solution doses of 50 and 100 mg per rat) could have significant boosting effects in suppressing levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormones while this enhancing effect was assessed for an increase in follicular stimulatory hormones(Comparison of groups 5 and 6 compared to control group). Increasing the opium solution dose from 50 to 100 mg per rat did not make a significant difference in the level of sex hormones (comparison of groups 3 and 4 as well as groups 5 and 6). In this study, the noise and opium solution did not significantly change the rat weight in variouse groups compared to control group. In the first week of the study, gastrointestinal disorders (such as diarrhea) were observed in the exposed group, but over time, this disorder was eliminated.
Conclusion: The use of opium for medicinal or recreational purposes has a high historical background in many parts of the world. Due to the effect of reducing the effect of two factors of noise and opium addiction on the level of testosterone and luteinizing hormones, It is suggested that the reduction of the hormones mentioned in the periodic examinations of workers should be considered and emphasized by professional and medical professionals and considered as a prognosis for infertility. More studies are needed to determine the effect mechanism of noise and opium consumption on pituitary-gonad axis. In this study, only opium was used as one of the most commonly used drugs in the community Therefore, it is suggested that future studies on narcotics such as heroin, cannabis, etc. should be put on the agenda of researchers. In order to cope with the destructive effects of exposure to noise and other harmful physical hazards in the working environments, various methods of engineering, management, or use of inexpensive and available antioxidants, such as cinnamon, can be used. Based on the results, it can be concluded that chronic consumption of opium can significantly decrease the function of gonad-pituitary secretion, and this can lead to suppression of libido and infertility. It is suggested that the effects of opium in different doses should be considered in future generations.

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Background and aims: Mining has always been recognized as one of the most hazardous occupations, and mining environments have been discussed as one of the most dangerous work environments. Thus, occupational safety and health is a major issue for the 13 million people or miners in the world, many of whom are working in surface mines.
Considering the slogan "Healthy humans are at the center of sustainable development" and given the need for maintaining the health of the workforce and protecting the environment, HSE management systems have currently been extended to most companies, organizations, industries, and mines to ensure workforce health and environmental protection. On the other hand, any organization and industry needs monitoring and auditing to determine the status and effectiveness of its HSE management system in order to identify and improve the strengths, weaknesses, and non-compliances of the system. So far, no comprehensive and coherent tool or mechanism has been provided for monitoring and auditing HSE in surface mines.
HSE audit is a systematic process used to assess the compliance with the guidelines, regulations, rules, and standard executive procedures developed in the field of HSE. The existence of a comprehensive HSE audit system makes it possible to identify and control all system defects before they may cause irreparable damage. In addition, regarding the importance of HSE in mines and despite the existence of the ISRS[1] for safety auditing in mines, as this method only deals with safety and does not address health and environment as well as the main issues on mining, and due to the lack of a comprehensive and specific tool in Iran for auditing health, safety and environment, the present study was conducted in 2019 to provide a valid audit tool for HSE management system for surface mines.
Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 stages:
A: Designing a preliminary checklist based on the HSE management system dimensions: Having reviewed the texts, standards, and regulations related to the health, safety and environment of the mines and also the related audit methods, the researcher developed the items for each dimension.
B: Checklist validity: Given that this study aimed to design a specific checklist for mines, face and content validity was evaluated. The convenience sampling method was used to ensure face validity, and 15 HSE experts (working in surface mines) were selected and invited to cooperate. Finally, according to the expertschr('39') opinions, the items were reviewed and corrected and a new draft was prepared.
To evaluate the content validity, qualitative and quantitative methods were used based on the Lawshe model. In a qualitative assessment of content validity, 15 HSE mining experts with work, research, and educational experiences were invited to participate as a panel group. They were then asked to read the checklist carefully and consider the issues such as the use of appropriate words, grammar, placement of items in their right place, and proper scoring, and to submit their corrective views in writing. Once the groupchr('39')s comments were collected, necessary changes were applied to the checklist.
To quantitatively examine the content validity, two indicators were used (content validity ratio and content validity index). Thus, the CVR[2] and CVI[3] were respectively used to ensure the selection of the most important and correct content and to ensure that the checklist items were best designed to measure the intended content.
C: Checklist reliability: Reliability shows how the measurement tool gives the same results under the same conditions. To determine the external reliability, the checklist was completed by HSE experts in 20 surface mines and was assessed using the test-retest method and correlation coefficient at a two-week interval.
Furthermore, the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to calculate the internal reliability (agreement between evaluators) of the checklist items. To this end, the checklist was completed by three auditors in 8 surface mines, and the results were analyzed using the ICC method.
Results: The results of this research are presented in the following sections: determining the items and designing the preliminary checklist, and evaluating the validity and reliability of the checklist.
A: Determining the items and designing the preliminary checklist: Having reviewed various texts and considering the opinions of the research team and experts, the researcher used the HSE management system dimensions to design the audit checklist of the HSE management system of surface mines. The dimensions included leadership and commitment; policy and strategic goals; organization, resources, and documentation; risk assessment and management; planning, implementation, and monitoring; and audit and review. In the next step, the items were designed for each dimension.
B: Checklist Validity: 1- Face Validity: Once the experts examined the sentences and items of the checklist in terms of appearance, word choice, and comprehensibility, necessary changes were applied. 2- Qualitative evaluation of content validity: After reviewing the checklist in terms of grammar, insertion of items in their right place, and proper scoring by the panel group (15 experts), the expertschr('39') opinions were collected and necessary changes were applied to the checklist. 3- Quantitative evaluation of content validity: The results of examining the content validity ratio (CVR) showed that 27 items of the checklist had a content validity ratio of < 0.49, and were removed from the audit checklist. Also, examining the content validity index showed that 191 items received a CVI score of >0.79, two items had a score of <0.70 and were removed from the audit checklist, and 3 items received a score of 0.70 - 0.79, which were corrected and revised and were then provided to 6 experts from the panel group. They were kept in the checklist with a score of >0.79.
C: Checklist reliability: To ensure the external reliability (reliability over time), the health, safety and environmental experts completed the checklist twice at a two-week interval in 20 surface mines, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The interclass correlation coefficient (reliability over time) of the dimensions and the total score of the audit checklist were favorable (> 0.8). Thus, the lowest and highest correlations after two weeks were estimated to be 0.970 and 0.995, respectively, which were associated to the policy and strategic goals and the risk assessment and management dimensions, respectively. To determine the internal reliability (agreement between evaluators), the audit checklist was completed by three auditors in 8 surface mines, and the collected data were entered into the SPSS software. The interclass correlation coefficient (agreement between evaluators) of the dimensions and the total score of the audit checklist were also favorable (> 0.8). The highest and lowest internal reliability were associated to leadership and commitment (0.806) and risk assessment and management (0.967), respectively.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the CVI and CVR values for the whole audit checklist were 0.95 and 0.84, respectively. In other words, the audit checklist had an acceptable and appropriate validity index. Also, studying the reliability over time and the agreement between evaluators showed that the interclass correlation coefficient of the dimensions and the total score of the audit checklist were greater than 0.8. In other words, the auditors had given approximately the same answers to the questions and thus the dimensions of the audit checklist, which in fact confirmed the validity of the researcher-made checklist. Finally, after making necessary changes and removing inappropriate questions from the preliminary checklist during validity and reliability assessments, 194 questions remained in the audit checklist.
One of the strengths of this research is the comprehensiveness of the audit tool, which not only included safety, but also health and environment. It is also a specific tool for auditing the HSE management system of surface mines. In addition, the tool has high validity and reliability. One weakness of the tool is that it can only be used for surface mines and is not suitable for underground ones. It is recommended to improve the checklist for auditing the HSE management system for underground mines.
According to the results of this study, the checklist designed for surface mines had proper reliability and validity and could be used to audit the HSE management system of surface mines. Finally, the audit output of the HSE management system for mines could be used to improve the HSE management system, identify the risks and non-compliances in the whole HSE management system, management interventions to eliminate defects, and achieve compliance with standards and regulations.

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INTRODUCTION: Noise is one of the harmful factors in workplaces. The most important effect of long-term exposure to it is hearing loss and its impact on the human auditory system. This effect is understandable despite its irreversible and permanent nature. One of the easiest ways to use this adverse effect is earmuffs. Nowadays, earmuffs are used with different sound insulation. Moreover, aerogels are acoustic and thermal insulators and can be a suitable alternative to the currently used compounds.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Three models of Iranian, Taiwanese, and American earmuffs were assembled with two models of aerogel (thickness of 5 mm and density of 120 kg/m³ as four layers and thickness of 10 mm and density of 140 kg/m³ as two layers). The noise reduction of the assembled earmuffs was investigated using an acoustic head mannequin.
RESULTS: The obtained results showed that the acoustic properties of the earmuffs assembled with aerogel pads have been improved compared to before, and this difference is significant in Iranian earmuffs. The highest reduction was observed at the frequency of 8000 Hz, which was 34.5, 42, and 47.9 dB for the two-layer assembly and 33.5, 43.1, and 46.7 for the four-layer assembly in Iranian, Taiwanese, and American earmuffs. It was also found that double-layer aerogel pads performed better than four-layer pads.
CONCLUSION: Assembling earmuffs with aerogel pads can significantly improve acoustic performance and increase the amount of noise reduction in earmuffs. Of course, using the maximum amount of sound reduction requires sufficient monitoring of their correct use and the necessary training for their regular use.