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Biomedical subjects

H Shahnavaz

Publications and source records attributed to H Shahnavaz.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Musculoskeletal discomfort and feeling of fatigue among female professional workers: the need for ergonomics consideration.

Subjective feeling of general fatigue and physiological strain were studied in one hundred female professional employees of industrial worker and full-time nurses. Using an interview questionnaire the feeling of fatigue were studied. The subjects were asked to indicate on the body diagram all the areas of musculoskeletal pain from which they perceived discomfort. Furthermore physical strength test consisting of grip test, back and leg strength test were carried out before and after work on all subjects. The results indicated that the two groups of employees showed different symptoms of "pain" and/or "fatigue," with regard to the different parts of body. It was also noted that the physical strength after work was lower for both groups as compared to before work and even lower for the industrial workers than the nurses. The feeling of fatigue between the two investigated groups was not significantly different, but for the musculoskeletal pain was highly significantly different. The worker group used also more pain-killing drugs for releasing the muscle pain. It was evident that ergonomics intervention for female professional workers was of great importance and urgency, particularly for making the workplace more human. Improvement of the working conditions, better organization of work, and ergonomics interventions are suggested as necessary measures for reduction of pain and feeling of discomfort.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Adaptation to discomfort in personal protective devices: an example with safety helmets.

Discomfort in the use of personal protective devices (PPD) has been one of the chief causes of their non-use. A field trial using industrial helmets was carried out to ascertain whether by training and repeated wearing subjects could experience a significant adaptation to discomfort. Ten subjects took part in the trial in a tropical environment by wearing helmets repeatedly (6 h a day) for one month. Subjective evaluations of discomfort were made at the end of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 14th and 30th day. It was revealed that complaints of discomfort, viz. hotness, heaviness, bad fit, etc., decreased markedly throughout the 30 day period. Though positive responses of adaptation to discomfort seem to reach an optimum towards 30 days, it is difficult to draw any conclusions on the optimum period of adaptation for each discomfort factor. In relation to inherent discomforts that are extremely difficult to overcome without compromising the protection efficiency of a PPD, the principle of adaptation seems to be a very important facet which has to be developed for an effective PPD programme.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The need for a participatory conservation programme for the reduction of noise exposure to Thai female workers.

Hearing loss induced in thirty female workers because of exposure to continuous noise was studied in a plastic bag plant in Samutprakarn Province, the largest industrial zone in Thailand. The sound level in this plant was 98.5 dBA., 94.0 dBA. and 93.0 dBA. in the weaving, winding and warping sections, respectively. Results of an audiometric test showed a significant relationship between high noise level and hearing loss at frequency 4,000 Hz. A questionnaire survey found that a relatively high number of workers had various symptoms such as: 76.7% general fatigue, 70% headache, 63.3% ear distension and 56.7% vertigo. Concerning the usage of ear protective devices, it was found that 80% of the workers have never used such devices, 16.7% occasionally used them, and 3.3% have always used cotton wool to reduce the high noise level. Their reasons for non-use of ear protective devices were 1) not provided by the employer (86.7%), 2) not necessary (83.3%), 3) accustomed to the noise (63.3%), 4) nobody uses (56.7%), and 5) no loud noise (16.7%). These results point to the need for improving the work conditions and welfare services of the workers at this plant. Also, hearing conservation programmes can be instituted in developing countries through cooperation among the safety inspectorate, the employer and the workers.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A head-model reconstruction based upon photogrammetric data from Sri Lankan adult males relevant to the design of headgear.

Due to the large variability in heads and faces in one population, the standard anthropometric dimensions of the head, measured from anatomical landmarks alone, may not suffice for the design of fitting headgear, e.g., helmets. To provide adequate data of the shapes and contours of the head to the designer, appropriate head models sculptured using comprehensive head dimensions, must be developed. This paper describes (a) a procedure of collecting comprehensive anthropometric data of the head using a photogrammetric method and (b) a simple sculpturing technique to reconstruct a head model of the user population.

Adult↗