Occupational Hazards and Safety in Railways Maintenance | ||||
| Journal of High Institute of Public Health | ||||
| Article 6, Volume 38, Issue 2, April 2008, Page 344-353 PDF (145.34 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jhiph.2008.20891 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Fadia Ahmed El-Marakby* | ||||
| Department of Occupational Health and Air Pollution, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria , Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Occupational hazards typically associated with locomotive and railcar maintenance activities may include physical, chemical, and biological hazards as well as confined space entry hazards. The aim of the present study is to assess the occupational hazards among workers involved in locomotive and railcar maintenance activities and to evaluate Occupational health and safety performance. Physical and chemical hazards are evaluated. On comparing with TLVs. Workers in welding and wood working are exposed to noise of (78.4-102.0) dB (A) with the mean of 90.96 ± 10.6, and (84.0-100.0) dB (A) with the mean of 90.98±6.7, respectively. Although workers in wood working are exposed to insufficient lighting in the range of (100-190) lux with the mean of 140±35.4, workers in thermal station and compressors station are exposed to defective lighting in the range of (60-360) lux with the mean of 164±121.2 and (70-520) lux with the mean of 248±176.8 due to improper light distribution as lighting was only adequate near gates. Exposures to chemical hazards are below the limits except for acid mists in batteries recharging process; this may be due to the limitation of the area in spite of the fact that the area is opened. Other hazards may include the potential for fire and explosion during the conduct of hot work in storage tank systems. Confined spaces may include access to railroad tank and cars during repair and maintenance. The need for improvement of occupational safety and health standards in the unorganized sector assumes very high priority. It is required to provide machinery and equipment which are safe and also to maintain guards in position and working order while a machine or equipment is in use. Specific requirements relating to protective equipment for eyes, for workers entering confined spaces or working at heights have been made. In terms of the administration of the OSH legislations, there has been a lack of educational and awareness effort. The general approach has been to make legislation and expect compliance while the need is for a proactive approach to reach out the persons responsible for compliance through well designed educational/awareness campaigns. Railway maintenance is considered one of the unorganized sectors in Egypt. Data base and health education are recommended. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Occupational hazards; safety; Railways; maintenance | ||||
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