Abstract:The Ergonetti is a Finnish web-based university-level instructional learning program about ergonomics and workplace health promotion. The Ergonetti program is open to all applicants and it is intended to serve the needs of commercial enterprises. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Ergonetti program. Its evaluation was based on the experiences of the participants in the Ergonetti program including students (n=7) and their work colleagues (n=18). Their experiences were collected using theme interviews. The qualitative data were analyzed with the inductive content analysis. The student participants were well-motivated to use the Ergonetti program which was considered to have a high quality of substance and technical usability. On other hand, the lack of time both at work and at home hindered learning motivation of the student participants. They implemented their learning tasks in the close collaboration with their work colleague participants. At workplaces, discussions about difficult problems increased the positive interaction of all personnel groups. The present results showed that the Ergonetti program was good in terms of substance content, technical quality and usability, and support the development and use of interactive and full-time web-based learning courses and programs. The results of this study can be utilized for advancing and evaluating actions of educational workplace health promotion and improving the Ergonetti program. The amount of the present qualitative data was adequate but the generalization of the results may be limited due to small numbers of different enterprises in the study.
Fly and bottom ashes are collected at power plants to reduce the environmental effects of energy production. However, handling the ashes causes health problems for operators, maintenance workers and truck drivers at the power plants. Hence, we evaluated ash loaders' peak inhalation exposures to the chemical components of ash and diesel exhausts in open and closed ash loading stations at biomass-fuelled combined heat and power plants. We also carried out chemical and morphological analyses of the ashes to evaluate their health hazard potential in order to find practical technical measures to reduce workers' exposure. On the basis of X-ray diffraction analyses, the main respirable crystalline ash compounds were SiO, CaSO, CaO, CaAlSiO, NaCl and CaAlO in the fly ashes and SiO, KAlSiO, NaAlSiO and CaAlSiO in the bottom ashes. The short-term exposure levels of respirable crystalline silica, inhalable inorganic dust, Cr, Mn, Ni and nitric oxide exceeded their Finnish eight hours occupational exposure limit values in the closed ash loading station. According to our observations, more attention should be paid to the ash-moistening process, the use of tank trucks instead of open cassette flatbed trucks, and the sealing of the loading line from the silo to the truck which would prevent spreading the ash into the air. The idling time of diesel trucks should also be limited, and ash loading stations should be equipped with exhaust gas ventilators. If working conditions make it impossible to keep to the OEL values, workers must use respirators and protect their eyes and skin.
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