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Articles containing the keyword 'occupational health'

Category : Article

article id 5272, category Article
Alli Manninen, Pentti Heikkinen, Kaj Husman, Juhani Kangas, Tapio Klen, Ilkka Mononen. (1986). Klooratuille fenoksihapoille altistumisen vaikutus metsurin terveydentilaan vesakontorjuntatyössä. Silva Fennica vol. 20 no. 3 article id 5272. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15451
English title: Effect of exposure to chlorinated phenoxy acid herbicides on the health of Finnish forest workers in silvicultural clearing work.
Original keywords: metsätyöntekijät; työterveys; herbisidit; torjunta-aineet; vesakontorjunta; klooratut fenoksihapot; kemiallinen altistus
English keywords: herbicides; forest work; occupational health; MCPA; 2, 4 -D; chemical control; chemical clearing
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Exposure to phenoxy acids and their effect on worker’s health were studied among 35 exposed forest workers. The control group was 47 non-exposed loggers. The both groups were medically examined before and after their working period including such laboratory analyses as B-differential count, B-thrombocytes. In addition, the exposure to eight ULV sprayers and two clearing saw sprayers were measured in breathing zone.

The mean of phenoxy acid concentrations in urine among all the exposed workers after the working period was 6.5 μmol/l being significantly below the hygienic limit value (14 μmol/l). The mean concentrations of ULV sprayer workers was 7.3 μmol/l and of clearing saw sprayer workers 2.7 μmol/l. The mean of air concentrations among ULV sprayers was 0.23 mg/m3 and among clearing saw sprayers 0.06 mg/m3. No statistically significant differences were noticed in the hematologic parameters and in the enzyme activities of the liver, kidney and muscles between the exposed and control groups before or after the working period. So, it seems that these low exposure levels don’t cause sudden changes in health.

The PDF includes an abstract in English.

  • Manninen, E-mail: am@mm.unknown (email)
  • Heikkinen, E-mail: ph@mm.unknown
  • Husman, E-mail: kh@mm.unknown
  • Kangas, E-mail: jk@mm.unknown
  • Klen, E-mail: tk@mm.unknown
  • Mononen, E-mail: im@mm.unknown
article id 5240, category Article
Pertti Harstela, Kimmo Piirainen. (1985). Effect of whole-body vibration and driving a forest machine simulator on some physiological variables of the operator. Silva Fennica vol. 19 no. 2 article id 5240. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15419
Keywords: heart rate; forest workers; ergonomy; occupational health; physical stress; forestry equipment; forest machine drivers; horizontal vibration
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The influence of horizontal whole-body vibration of fairly low intensity alone and combined with the mental load and motor action typical for the forest machine drive on heart rate variability (HRV), respiration rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) was studied by testing five subjects. Horizontal vibration had an influence on HR, HRV and RR. ’Control activities’ had the most influence on RR and HRV, but some influence on HR, too. ’Moving the control devices’ (motor action) gave the same response in HR as ’control activities’, but not in HRV and RR. ’Control activities’ together with ’vibration’ had a more effect on HRV and RR than these two factors singly, but not on HR. The possibilities of using these variables in field studies are discussed.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

  • Harstela, E-mail: ph@mm.unknown (email)
  • Piirainen, E-mail: kp@mm.unknown
article id 5164, category Article
Juhani Kangas, Tapio Klen. (1982). Raivaussahan kantokäsittelylaitteen käyttäjän altistuminen torjunta-aineille. Silva Fennica vol. 16 no. 3 article id 5164. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15079
English title: Exposure of forest workers to herbicides.
Original keywords: metsätyö; työturvallisuus; torjunta-aineet; raivaussahat; vesakontorjunta; glyfosaatti; torjunta-aineruiskutus; altistuminen
English keywords: herbicides; brush saw; glyphosate; forest work; occupational health; sprout control; arboricides; chemical brush control; MCPA
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The purpose of this study was to measure workers’ exposure to MCPA and glyphosate when sprayers connected to the brush saws was used. A non-pressurized sprayer with a pump and a pressurized sprayer where dosage was regulated with manual control were studied. Exposure was measured from the breathing zone and urine samples.

MCPA collected from the breathing zone gathered into alcohol was 0.05 mg/m3 for the pressurized sprayer, 0.02 mg/m3 for the non-pressurized sprayer, and 0.04 mg/m3 (average) for both types of sprayers together.

MCPA in the breathing zone, collected from splashes and fog into a glass fibre filter, was 0.18 mg/m3 for the pressurized sprayer, 0.09 mg/m3 for the non-pressurized sprayer, and 0.12 mg/m3 for both sprayers used together. Glyphosate in the breathing zone, collected into sodium hydroxide was below 0.05 mg/m3.

In five urine samples taken after the work day there was on the average 0.4 mg/l MCPA, while in 21 samples the MCPA contents were under the definition limit (0.2 mg/l).

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

  • Kangas, E-mail: jk@mm.unknown (email)
  • Klen, E-mail: tk@mm.unknown
article id 5042, category Article
Lasse Hellman. (1979). Social promotion of forest workers. Silva Fennica vol. 13 no. 3 article id 5042. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a14899
Keywords: forest worker; forest work; working conditions; occupational health; World Forest Congress; standard of living; social status
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The social circumstances of forest workers may be considered from the viewpoint of incomes and standard of living. The committee appointed by the U.N. did, however, define in 1961 the standard of living using the following partial factors: health, housing, working conditions, security, human rights, education, recreation, clothing and nutrition.

Research has given a rather gloomy picture of forest workers’ health conditions. The living of a forest worker is cramped and long distances to the work sites often compel him to live in working site accommodations, separated from the family. Transport to the working site and building of family quarters for forest workers in densely populated rural areas and villages can improve the worker’s living. The fall of worker’s income in contract work due to deterioration of his physical capacity of performance starts already at the age of 35. In forest work a man’s energy consumption may be higher than 20,000 kJ (4,800 kcal) per day; it is one of the most strenuous occupations. In addition, there is a high accident risk in the work. The heavy work and the working conditions should be taken into account in determining the correct nutrition. Being those who make objections and are primarily responsible for the forest workers’ conditions, forest technicians and forestry officers should – both in their capacity as forest authorities and as the employer’s representatives – see to the improvement of forest workers’ working conditions and social position.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

  • Hellman, E-mail: lh@mm.unknown (email)
article id 4936, category Article
Erkki Wuolijoki. (1976). Metsäkoneiden heilunnan ergonomiset haitat. Silva Fennica vol. 10 no. 2 article id 4936. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a14781
English title: Ergonomic effects of jolting of forest machines.
Original keywords: metsäkoneet; ergonomia; työkyky; terveydelliset vaikutukset; tärinä
English keywords: forest tractors; ergonomy; working capacity; occupational health; vibration
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The paper deals mainly with the effects of jolting of forest tractors and processors on the health and working capacity of the driver. The literature surveyed presents especially the following points of interest: Jolting of the machine may hamper the focusing of the eyes and mastery of the controls. Long-term exposure to jolting may result in reduced sympathetic nervous activity at rest, and may impair an already existing back problem. Workers exposed to vibration, get more frequently gastric changes and changes in reproductive functions than usual. Jolting, as also the other negative physical factors of working environment, must be minimized as early as possible during the design of the machines.

The PDF includes a summary in English.

  • Wuolijoki, E-mail: ew@mm.unknown (email)

Category : Article

article id 7615, category Article
Erkki Wuolijoki. (1981). Effects of simulated tractor vibration on the psychophysiological and mechanical functions of the driver : comparison of some excitatory frequencies. Acta Forestalia Fennica no. 168 article id 7615. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7615
Keywords: forest work; forest tractor; ergonomy; occupational health; vibration; tractor driver
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The aim of the study was to search for differences in ergonomic effects between lateral 1, 2, 3 and 4 Hz whole-body vibrations of the forest tractor driver. Healthy male volunteers, both professional drivers and students, were exposed to 692 different vibrations in four different experiments, total number of subjects being 34.

Increase of vibration displacement affected clearly the subjects’ manipulating ability. The subjective magnitude rating of vibration correlated with energy content of vibration, but no correlation was found between subjective rating and heart rate, blood pressure or urinary catecholamine excretion, although the last variables mentioned indicate the energy consumption of the body. The professional drivers rated the vibration with smaller ratings than amateur drivers.

Frequency alteration of tractor vibration can be a possibility for reduction of vibrational effects as a tool for industrial hygiene.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

  • Wuolijoki, E-mail: ew@mm.unknown (email)

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