Risk analysis and protection measures in a carbon nanofiber manufacturing enterprise: an exploratory investigation.

The emerging US carbon nano-manufacturing sector accounts for 40% of nanotechnology product marketplace, thus, there is a significant potential for increased risks arising from workers' exposure to carbon nanofibers (CNF). This research aims at developing a low-cost/evidence-based tool, thereby, increasing the sustainability of CNF manufacturing firms. The following specific aims achieve the study objective: Aim 1 - To present a technical discussion of the proposed concept for risk analysis and protection measures; Aim 2 - To describe the manufacturing process utilized for the CNF production; Aim 3 - To describe the hazards typically encountered in a CNF manufacturing facility; and, Aim 4 - To document the application of the proposed tool for risk analysis and intervention strategy development.

Health effects of exposure to carbon nanofibers: systematic review, critical appraisal, meta analysis and research to practice perspectives.

Background: Literature reviews examining the relationship between exposure to carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and health consequences are qualitative in nature and do not employ an evidence-based assessment.

Objective: This research deals with a systematic review, critical appraisal, and meta-analysis designed to examine the potential health effects associated with exposure to CNFs. The utilization of research findings into practice is also explored.

The Work Compatibility Improvement Framework: theory and application of improvement action and intervention strategies.

Challenges facing management of manufacturing firms can be transformed into asset gains by giving careful consideration to the worker-work environment interface. The benefits of a 'healthy' interface may lead to sizable reductions in rising health care costs and retention of highly qualified workers. This paper presents a novel approach for the 'improve' phase of the Work Compatibility Improvement Framework.

Determinants of business sustainability: an ergonomics perspective.

There is a need to integrate both macro- and micro-ergonomic approaches for the effective implementation of interventions designed to improve the root causes of problems such as work safety, quality and productivity in the enterprise system. The objective of this study was to explore from an ergonomics perspective the concept of business sustainability through optimising the worker-work environment interface. The specific aims were: (a) to assess the working conditions of a production department work process with the goal to jointly optimise work safety, quality and quantity; (b) to evaluate the enterprise-wide work process at the system level as a social entity in an attempt to trace the root causes of ergonomic issues impacting employees throughout the work process.

The work compatibility improvement framework: an assessment of the worker-work environment interaction in the manufacturing sector.

The manufacturing sector in the US is challenged by high health care costs and shortage of qualified workers, which are largely attributed to the degree of fit between the worker and work environment. In this regard, a healthy worker-work environment interface is a necessary and sufficient condition for the containment of health care costs and the retaining/attraction of highly qualified knowledge workers and should be based on the principles of optimum physical, cognitive and emotional health for the workers. In prior research, the Work Compatibility Improvement Framework (WCIF) was introduced as a vehicle to address these issues and was defined as the identification, improvement and maintenance of the well-being characteristics of the workforce and its interaction with the work environment through the application of engineering, medicine, management and human sciences methodologies, technologies and best practices.