We found three cases of pneumoconiosis among those workers who had been dealing with tonoko (a mineral powder) for more than ten years at a shop making wooden furniture in Sendai, Japan. In the factory the workers were exposed to tonoko dust and had been inhaling it for a long time. Until now, this disease has not been found in employees of furniture factories; and, furthermore, tonoko has not ...

In 186 cases of nasal cancer diagnosed over the decade 1965-74, in a population of 2-0 million, 114 of 157 ectodermal tumours were found in men. Adenocarcinoma was found in 17 patients, two women and 15 men; 12 of these had a history of occupational exposure to wood dust in the furniture industry. The period of latency was from 28 to 57 years. Among the remaining 99 tumours in men there was occ...

Introduction Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a serious problem for workers and therefore for businesses. The hearing conservation program (HCP) is a set of coordinated measures to prevent the development or evolution of occupational hearing loss, which involves a continuous and dynamic process of implementation of hearing conservation routines through anticipation, recognition, evaluation,...

BACKGROUND Microscopic fungi are the biological agent of occupational risk in the woodworking environment. Microbiological and chemical methods were used for determination of their concentration and species composition in dust. MATERIAL AND METHODS Dust was sampled in 3 factories producing furniture using different materials. The 1st factory (A) processes solid wood, the 2nd (B) - chipboards ...

In this paper, we argue for novel user experience design methods, in the context of reimagining ergonomics of interactive furniture. There is a need for improving both creativity and productivity at the workplace, and there is ample room for scientific advancements brought by embedded systems, sensors and actuators which can now be part of future pieces of furniture. Creative industries’ worker...

OBJECTIVE intervene a workline throughout ergonomic approach to diminish incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). METHODS AND MATERIALS an ergonomic intervention study was developed in workstations with highest index of musculoskeletal disorder (MED) associated to cumulative trauma. The Deparis method, Reba and Ocra check list methods were used, also morbility reviewes. National and interna...

BACKGROUND Biomechanical, psychosocial and individual risk factors for low back disorder have been studied extensively however few researchers have examined all three risk factors. The objective of this was to develop a low back disorder risk model in furniture distribution workers using biomechanical, psychosocial and individual risk factors. METHODS This was a prospective study with a six m...

Changes in ventilatory capacity during the work shift were studied in workers exposed to tea dust in tea-packing plants, wood dust in two furniture factories, and virtually no dust in an inoperational power station. The FEV1 and FVC in workers exposed to dust were found to decline during the work shift by a small but significant volume. The MMFR, Vmax 50% and Vmax 75% were to variable to displa...

Planing properties of seven Australian plantation-grown eucalypts were evaluated to provide recommendations on how these species should be machined and considered for the manufacture of high quality furniture and furnishings. The surface quality produced for each species was evaluated using eight planing conditions. All species performed well producing equivalent or better results than mature t...