Control of welding fume exposures in shipbuilding confined spaces

摘要 尽管有大量证据表明，暴露于焊接烟雾会对健康产生不利影响， 焊工继续具有非常高的暴露水平。稀释和局部排气通风策略设计 以减少暴露水平，但在造船厂环境中并不经常使用， 呼吸保护差别很大。本研究旨在开发和评估 培训干预旨在增加船厂工人使用简单的稀释通风策略-以及 从而减少焊接烟雾暴露-在受限和封闭的空间中。我们将开发特定的通风系统 战略使用已公布的最佳实践指南，以及通过简单的建模预期 污染物扩散使用基本箱模型。一旦这些简单的指导方针制定出来，我们将 评估其在实际船厂条件下的有效性，必要时修订指南， 达到预期绩效，然后将这些指导方针纳入基于 完善的健康促进模式。干预措施将强调克服潜在障碍， 通风使用和解决与通风和整个工地安全的组织支持有关的问题 气候现场培训干预将包括课堂学习和实践应用， 评估通气策略。将确定3个船厂进行干预，目标为30个 每个造船厂的焊工。每个船厂将接受为期六个月的基线评估，在此期间， 将使用三种不同的技术多次评估暴露和通气的使用：观察 工作实践、空气污染物浓度和自我报告的通风使用情况。的主要评估 措施将是每月研究人员观察每个受试者的工作活动和条件，以及使用 在基线期间进行通气。定量空气采样和通风使用、感知和 在基线期间还将收集每名受试者的知识。培训结束后 干预后，受试者的焊接暴露将再次进行评估，为期六个月，每月一次， 研究人员的观察，定量空气样本，和访谈调查。我们将分析干预后 使用三种评估措施来确定焊接暴露的有效性， 员工在培训干预中对策略的执行情况。结果将为决策提供信息 关于旨在减少职业照射的面向工人的培训干预措施的效用 通过使用通风控制。结果将以一种可以实际传播的形式编写 为造船业提供通风和培训指导方针，并提交科学出版物。

ABSTRACT Despite substantial evidence of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to welding fume, shipyard welders continue to have very high exposure levels. Dilution and local exhaust ventilation strategies designed to reduce exposure levels are available but not often used in shipyard environments, and welders' use of respiratory protection varies widely. This study is designed to develop and assess the effectiveness of a training intervention designed to increase shipyard workers' use of simple dilution ventilation strategies - and thereby reduce welding fume exposure -in confined and enclosed spaces. We will develop specific ventilation strategies using published best practice guidelines as well as through simple modeling of expected contaminant dispersion using a basic box model. Once these simple guidelines are developed, we will evaluate their effectiveness under real-world shipyard conditions, revise the guidelines as necessary to achieve expected performance, and then incorporate these guidelines into a training intervention based on the well-established Health Promotion Model. The intervention will emphasize overcoming potential barriers to ventilation use and address issues related to organizational support for ventilation and overall worksite safety climate. The onsite training intervention will include both classroom learning and hands-on application and evaluation of ventilation strategies. Three shipyards will be identified for intervention, with a target of 30 welders per shipyard. Each shipyard will undergo a six-month baseline assessment, during which subjects' exposures and use of ventilation will be assessed multiple times using three different techniques: observed work practices, air contaminant concentrations and self-reported ventilation use. The primary assessment measure will be monthly researcher observations of each subject's work activities and conditions and use of ventilation during the baseline period. Quantitative air samples and surveys of ventilation use, perceptions and knowledge will also be collected on each subject during the baseline period. After delivery of the training intervention, subjects' welding exposures will again be assessed for a period of six months via monthly researcher observations, quantitative air samples, and interview survey. We will analyze post-intervention changes in welding exposures using the three assessment measures to determine the effectiveness of workers' implementation of the strategies in the training intervention. The results will inform decisions regarding the utility of a worker-oriented training intervention designed to reduce occupational exposures through use of ventilation controls. The results will be prepared in a form that can be disseminated as practical ventilation and training guidelines for the shipyard industry, as well as presented for scientific publication.