Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
No. 35, West 9th Street S Azadi Ave
2
PhD Student, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, ‎Islamic ‎Azad University, Lahijan Branch, Gilan, Iran Gmail: baritgh@gmail.com
10.22034/jess.2023.411494.2102
Abstract
Introuduction
Studies have shown that 16% of hearing loss is occupational and caused by noise in the work environment. Also, about 0.2 to 2% of the gross domestic product in developing countries is spent on expenses caused by noise, and about a third of hearing loss is caused by exposure to excessive noise. Fortunately, in Iran, more attention has been paid to noise pollution in recent years; So that according to Article 2 of the Executive Regulations related to how to prevent noise pollution, since 1378 it has been prohibited to take any action that causes noise pollution [7]. Sound pollution control, which is very important today, is important in the first step of measuring the level of sound pressure and comparing it with the standard (85 dB for 8 hours of work). According to the studies conducted by the researchers of this project, at least one million workers in the country are exposed to noise exceeding the permissible limit, among which the exposure of workers to noise in workshops such as stone cutting, carpentry, welding and turning is significant. is Also, with the increasing progress of industry and industrial technology, the need to investigate the risk factors of the work environment, including sound, which is considered as the most common physical harmful factors in the work environment, has been felt more and due to the increase in the diversity of the risk of injury. This factor is necessary for workers to compile basic information for the study of the situation of exposed groups and hearing protection programs [3]. The purpose of hearing protection programs in the workplace is to prevent the occurrence of The onset and progression of hearing loss is caused by exposure to noise in workers. In America, after recognizing hearing loss as a health problem, OSHA announced guidelines that included the minimum principles and regulations necessary for employers to establish them in the work environment. Although the implementation of these principles alone does not guarantee the full effectiveness of this program in preventing hearing loss. The employee hearing protection program consists of 5 steps, which are: regular sound check, implementation of engineering or administrative methods in order to establish permissible limits, training, use of personal protective equipment, evaluation through audiometry in the workplace. Depending on the case, the implementation of one of the above steps can be emphasized more. But in general, the implementation of all 5 steps is essential and effective [1]. Most of the sawmill workers employed in this study were men. Although blood pressure was unknown before recruitment, it is assumed that many of them had normal values. Some of the factors known as risk factors for high blood pressure are: family history of high blood pressure, increasing age, sedentary lifestyle and diet. However, this study is focused on the effects of long-term noise exposure on blood pressure in Bandar Anzali lumber mill workers.
Materials and Methods
The study area: Bandar Anzali is connected to the Caspian Sea from the north, Soumesara City from the south, Rasht City from the east, and Razvanshahr City from the west. Bandar Anzali City is located in a completely plain area along the coast of the Caspian Sea. The present study is a descriptive and analytical type that was carried out in the wood-cutting workshops of Bandar Anzali city. In this research, 65 employees of the lumber workshop of the city were selected and statistical sampling was done using Cochran's formula, based on this formula, the statistical sample number of 52 employees was selected as a cluster from several available workshops.
The information of all subjects under study, including demographic information, medical records, and job information was obtained using the direct interview method and recorded in a questionnaire that was designed for the implementation of this study. The information in this questionnaire included: age, work experience, medical history, duration of exposure to the device, proximity to the device, blood pressure before work, blood pressure after work, and sound intensity measured on site. The data obtained by SPSS 20.0 statistical analysis software were calculated and to check the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha test was considered with the acceptance condition of the test result above 0.7. Pearson's correlation test was used to determine the significance of the relationship between research variables.
Results
In this study, 78.85% (41 people) of these employees did not have a history of hypertension, while 21.15% of these people (11 people) had a history of hypertension. To check the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha test with the acceptance condition of the test result above 0.7 is considered, and the results of the test analysis are 0.86, which indicates the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire.
The secretaries in the sawmill workshop are not directly connected to the machines and are mostly working in a separate room, that's why the sound intensity is low for them (the average sound intensity is approximately 67 dB). And the amount of changes in their blood pressure, after and before work, is almost zero. However, the amount of changes in the blood pressure of these people and also the level of sound intensity in the rooms of these people depends on the distance of their work room from the workshop and the proximity to the type of machine. To investigate the existence of a relationship between these three factors in the sawmill workshop. Pearson's correlation test was used to check the relationship between the three variables. According to Table 3-4, the value of sig indicates the existence of a relationship between three variables. Because the value of sig is less than 0.05, as a result, there is a significant relationship between the three variables.
The results obtained from the data analysis of the lumber workshop indicate that there is a significant relationship between blood pressure before work and blood pressure after work. While there is no significant relationship between any of the variables of age, working hours, having a history of hypertension, and blood pressure after logging. Also, according to the number of hours, the workers are exposed to the devices and the number of changes in their blood pressure, it can be said that there is a difference between the exposure of people between 5-6 hours and 7-8 hours of exposure of people to the devices in the lumberyards. It does not exist, and on average, each device raises people's blood pressure by 1.01. Due to the low level of sound intensity in the secretary's office (the average sound intensity is approximately 67 decibels), the amount of blood pressure changes after and before work is zero. However, the amount of blood pressure changes in these people as well as the sound intensity of these people's rooms depends on the distance of their work room from the workshop and the proximity to the type of device. ,
Keywords