David L. Parker

Health and Safety Education in Auto Body Collision and Machine Tool Technology Programs in Vocational Colleges: Challenges and Opportunities

Collision repair, machining, and metal manufacturing are industries with a large percentage of small businesses whose owners face unique challenges implementing health and safety regulatory requirements. Previous research found that 72% of collision repair technicians and 47% of machinists attended some classes or graduated from vocational colleges. Although health and safety is a mandatory part of the curricula for post-secondary vocational education, little is known about what, how, and when health and safety is taught and if teaching is effective. Surveys and discussion groups were used to evaluate health and safety education in two vocational colleges in Minnesota. Six instructors and 76 students in collision repair, and 6 instructors and 130 students in machine tool technology programs participated. Instructors had no formal training in health and safety, few teaching materials, and lacked opportunities to learn about safety in their trade. Teaching was unscripted and heavily influenced by each instructors™ industry experience, knowledge, perceptions and attitude towards safety, with little or no guidance from school administration, or safety professionals. Student survey results show that graduates have significant gaps in safety and health knowledge. Standardized trade-specific curricula and instructor training are needed to ensure students receive adequate health and safety education.

Self-audit of lockout/tagout in manufacturing workplaces: A pilot study: LOTO self-audit pilot study

BACKGROUNDnOccupational health and safety (OHS) self-auditing is a common practice in industrial workplaces. However, few audit instruments have been tested for inter-rater reliability and accuracy.nnnMETHODSnA lockout/tagout (LOTO) self-audit checklist was developed for use in manufacturing enterprises. It was tested for inter-rater reliability and accuracy using responses of business self-auditors and external auditors.nnnRESULTSnInter-rater reliability at ten businesses was excellent (κu2009=u20090.84). Business self-auditors had high (100%) accuracy in identifying elements of LOTO practice that were present as well those that were absent (81% accuracy). Reliability and accuracy increased further when problematic checklist questions were removed from the analysis.nnnCONCLUSIONSnResults indicate that the LOTO self-audit checklist would be useful in manufacturing firms efforts to assess and improve their LOTO programs. In addition, a reliable self-audit instrument removes the need for external auditors to visit worksites, thereby expanding capacity for outreach and intervention while minimizing costs.

1634 Silica exposure among young nepali brickworkers

Aim of special session In Nepal there are approximately 1169 registered brick kilns in Nepal employing 2,50,000 people and up to 30% of workers are <16. Although there are a few studies of brick kiln workers, both historic and recent data indicate that silica exposure is a problem with exposures often exceeding 15 times the threshold limit value (TLV). Presentors: DL Parker, MD,1 Dr. S. K. Joshi,2 Dr. S. M. Thygerson,3 Seshananda Sanjel, Ph.D.4 1HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN, United States 2Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal 3Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, UT, United States 4Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal

P070 A public health perspective on child labour

Background Children’s work that is harmful, hazardous and carried out in poor working conditions can create, exacerbate or perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of poverty, malnutrition and social disadvantage. Early and inappropriate child work, complicated by illiteracy, can lead to a broader deterioration of public health. An examination of work in the context of ILO Convention 182 must take into account both the conditions of the workplace as well as the social situation in which it takes place. Silicosis is likely a highly prevalent problem that is exacerbated by tuberculosis. Methods This presentation will illustrate hazardous work in brick kilns and stone quarries. It will be illustrated using photographs taken by the presenter during the last 10 years. Work will illustrate the importance of considering both the short-and long-term consequences of hazardous exposures to children. Silicosis and silico-tuberculosis will be used as illustrative examples. Results Children are commonly found in brick factories, granite quarries, and granite crushing facilities, all of which are permeated with silica dust. All have been described as placing workers at significant risk of developing silicosis. In granite crushing facilities the prevalence of silicosis may be as high as 75 percent. Conclusion The dose response relationship between level of exposure and the development of silicosis appears to be linear with silicosis developing within a few months or over a lifetime. The changes that occur with silicosis are most likely if the onset of exposure is at a relatively early age and exposure continues. Even after exposure to silica stops the disease may progress. Individuals who begin work at an early age are likely to suffer from silicosis at a correspondingly early age.