The Effect of Manufacture Process on Mechanical Properties and Burning Behavior of Epoxy-Based Hybrid Composites.

The production of hybrid layered composites allows comprehensive modification of their properties and adaptation to the final expectations. Different methods, such as hand lay-up, vacuum bagging, and resin infusion were applied to manufacture the hybrid composites. In turn, fabrics used for manufacturing composites were made of glass (G), aramid (A), carbon (C), basalt (B), and flax (F) fibers.

Effect of safety harness design on the pressures exerted on the user's body in the state of its suspension.

The presented studies concern the pressure of safety harnesses on the user's body in a state of its suspension. An anthropomorphic dummy was used for simulation of human behaviour in suspension. The test objects included four models of harnesses of different designs, equipped with attachment elements placed at the back and front of the human body.

Hazard of chemical substances contamination of protective clothing for firefighters - a survey on use and maintenance.

Objectives: The objective of the work was to analyze the impact of selected factors concerning the use and maintenance of firefighters' protective clothing worn during rescue operations on the hazard of contamination by chemical substances.

Material And Methods: The participants were firefighters (N = 688) from rescue and firefighting units of the State Fire Service in Poland, aged <30, 31-40, 41-50 or >60 years, with different seniority: up to >21 years of service. The survey questionnaire developed by the authors was used.

Effects of Composite Coatings Functionalized with Material Additives Applied on Textile Materials for Cut Resistant Protective Gloves.

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of different types of particles added to a polymer paste applied onto a textile carrier on the cut resistance of the resulting material. Knitted aramid textile samples were coated in laboratory conditions using a polymer paste that was functionalized with 12 types of reinforcing particles of different chemical compositions and size fractions. Cut resistance was tested in accordance with the standard EN ISO 13997:1999 and the results were subjected to statistical analysis.

Microbiological and Toxicological Hazards in Sewage Treatment Plant Bioaerosol and Dust.

Despite the awareness that work in the sewage treatment plant is associated with biological hazards, they have not been fully recognised so far. The research aims to comprehensively evaluate microbiological and toxicological hazards in the air and settled dust in workstations in a sewage treatment plant. The number of microorganisms in the air and settled dust was determined using the culture method and the diversity was evaluated using high-throughput sequencing.

Assessment of working conditions in medical facilities due to noise.

Factors related to the working environment (e.g. inadequate lighting, excessive noise, poor condition of premises) contribute to neglect in the work of medical personnel, while also causing health effects in their body.

[Tests for the correct insertion of earplugs in the ear canal performed with the use of a portable device].

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the correct insertion of earplugs in the ear canal by people with different knowledge regarding this matter. The use of hearing protectors leads to a reduction in the risk of hearing loss, which is part of environmental engineering.

Material And Methods: Measurements of sound attenuation by earplugs were carried out with the participation of 21 people with no experience in the use of earplugs.

Vitamin D and upper respiratory tract infections in young active males exposed to cold environments.

Introduction And Objective: Performing indoor and outdoor work in cold environments may result in various adverse effects on human health and may lead to increased risk of respiratory infection. The aim of this study was to determine the relation of vitamin D status to secretory immunoglobulin A concentration, leucocyte counts, cytokine concentrations and incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) episodes in young active men during an autumn-winter period.

Material And Methods: The effect of work in a cold microclimate was studied among 23 young active male ice hockey players during a 19-week study period.

Plasticized Poly(vinyl chloride) Modified with Developed Fire Retardant System Based on Nanoclay and L-histidinium Dihydrogen Phosphate-Phosphoric Acid.

The current work assessed the burning behavior of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-P) modified with a two-component composition, consisting of L-histidinium dihydrogen phosphate-phosphoric acid (LHP) and nanoclay (n). The thermal and thermodynamical properties of the PVC-P containing from 10 to 30 wt% of the fire retardant system (FRS) were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) as well as by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). In contrast, fire behavior and smoke emission were studied with a cone calorimeter (CC) and smoke density chamber.

Preliminary Research: Validation of the Method of Evaluating Resistance to Surface Wetting with Liquid of Protective Materials Intended for Polymer Protective Gloves.

The article presents validation argumentation of the novel method of evaluating resistance to surface wetting with different liquids of protective materials intended for polymer protective gloves based on the three parameters: water permeability index, non-wettability index and absorption index. Using our own method of evaluating resistance to surface wetting, it was shown that the knurled structure of the palm part of polymer protective gloves may inhibit transport of harmful and hazardous liquids outside the area of the protective glove. Currently, there is lack of objectifying methods for evaluation of surface wettability focused on the mentioned aspects.

The impact of physical training on neutrophil extracellular traps in young male athletes - a pilot study.

Neutrophils are an important component of the innate immune response against various pathogens. However, there is a lack of research concerning the effects of short intensive training on neutrophil functions, especially neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) formation. The study aim was to determine the effects of a 19-day training cycle on innate immunity among young male athletes.

How Is Work Ability Shaped in Groups of Shift and Non-Shift Workers? A Comprehensive Approach to Job Resources and Mediation Role of Emotions at Work.

There is much less research on the relationship between shift work and positive states experienced in the workplace, e.g., emotions and work ability.

[An assessment of acoustic properties of a large-capacity open-plan office room according to a 3-level rating scale - a case study].

Background: In open-plan office rooms, one of the main reasons for the nuisance of work is the noise from employees' conversations. In order to limit it, the permissible values of the parameters characterizing the acoustic properties in those rooms on a 2-level scale are defined.

Material And Methods: The article introduces a 3-level scale for assessing the acoustic properties (bad, fair, good) of a room based on EN ISO 3382‑3:2012 and PN-B-02151-4:2015 - criterion 1.

[The impact of physical activity on cognitive functions].

In recent decades we have observed a progressive aging of the society. A growing number of elderly people is associated with an increase in the percentage of people whose cognitive functions are decreasing. It is important to counteract this process and develop lifestyle recommendations that will allow to delay the process of cognitive decline.

[What is job crafting? Review of theoretical models of job crafting].

In recent years, there has been a clear increase in the interest in positive phenomena in work psychology. One of such issues is employee-initiated behavior aimed at transforming working conditions in order to increase job satisfaction and match it to one's needs and abilities. These behaviors are referred to as job crafting.

Printed Graphene, Nanotubes and Silver Electrodes Comparison for Textile and Structural Electronics Applications.

Due to the appearance of smart textiles and wearable electronics, the need for electro-conductive textiles and electro-conductive paths on textiles has become clear. In this article the results of a test of developed textile electro-conductive paths obtained by applying the method of screen printing pastes containing silver nanoparticles and carbon (graphene, nanotubes, graphite) are presented. Conducted research included analysis of the adhesion test, as well as evaluation of the surface resistance before and after the washing and bending cycles.

Modelling and Evaluation of the Absorption of the 866 MHz Electromagnetic Field in Humans Exposed near to Fixed I-RFID Readers Used in Medical RTLS or to Monitor PPE.

The aim of this study was to model and evaluate the Specific Energy Absorption Rate (SAR) values in humans in proximity to fixed multi-antenna I-RFID readers of passive tags under various scenarios mimicking exposure when they are incorporated in Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), or used to monitor Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The sources of the electromagnetic field (EMF) in the modelled readers were rectangular microstrip antennas at a resonance frequency in free space of 866 MHz from the ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID frequency range of 865-868 MHz. The obtained results of numerical modelling showed that the SAR values in the body 5 cm away from the UHF RFID readers need consideration with respect to exposure limits set by international guidelines to prevent adverse thermal effects of exposure to EMF: when the effective radiated power exceeds 5.

Determination of the Concentration of Ultrafine Aerosol Using an Ionization Sensor.

As public awareness of the threats related to ultrafine aerosols increases, there is a growing need for inexpensive, real-time exposure assessment devices. In this work, the well-established technology used in the smoke detector with a radioactive source was tested in laboratory conditions to check its suitability for determining the number concentration of the ultrafine aerosol. It has been shown that the sensor output changes linearly with the change of diesel soot concentration in the range up to 8.

[Determination of nickel and its compounds in a working environment].

Background: Nickel and its compounds have been classified as carcinogenic in a regulation of the European Parliament called the CLP Regulation (Classification, Labeling and Packaging). This substance is found in industry in the production of steel and alloys, and in the production of protective coatings. In Poland, the value of the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) for nickel and its compounds, amounting to 0.

Determining Potassium Bromate in the Inhalable Aerosol Fraction in Workplace Air with Ion Chromatography.

Background: The article presents the results of studies performed in order to develop a new method of airborne potassium bromate(V) determination at workplaces.

Methods: The method is based on a collection of the inhalable fraction of potassium bromate(V) using the IOM Sampler, then extraction of bromates with deionized water and chromatographic analysis of the obtained solution. The analysis was performed using ion chromatography with conductometric detection.

The influence of light exposure and chronotype on working memory in humans.

Here we examine how exposure to blue (peaking at λ=470 nm), green (peaking at λ=505 nm) and red (peaking at λ=630 nm) light affects subsequent working memory performance measured with visual N-back tasks and associated functional brain responses in participants with extreme morning and extreme evening chronotype. We used within-subjects experimental manipulation on carefully selected samples and state of the art equipment for light exposure. The results show no differences between extreme morning-type and evening-type individuals in N-back task performance.

Determination of paraffin oil mist penetration at high flow rates through air-purifying respirators.

This article presents paraffin oil mist penetration tests of commercially available air-purifying respirators of different construction conducted using the method described by Standard No. ISO 16900-3:2012, which incorporates flow rates (up to 255 l/min) of test aerosol. The testing method reflects differences in work intensity during the use of respirators.

Care for health among Polish men, taking into account social and economic factors, as well as the type of work.

Background: Epidemiological studies show that an inappropriate healthy lifestyle is a major incidence factor, , for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, as well as premature deaths, especially among men.

Material And Methods: In order to check the attitudes of men towards health and health behaviors, a questionnaire-based research was carried out among 600 men active on the labor market. Several standard questionnaire tools were used: the (PHBS), the for measuring the place of health in the value hierarchy; the , the, the , and the of the (COPSOQ II).

Review of biological risks associated with the collection of municipal wastes.

In many countries, the management of household waste has recently changed with an increased focus upon waste sorting resulting in lower collection frequency for some waste fractions. A consequence of this is the potential for increased growth of microorganisms in the waste before collection, which can lead to an increased exposure via inhalation for waste collection workers. Through a review of the literature, we aimed to evaluate risks caused by waste collecting workers' exposure to bioaerosols and to illuminate potential measures to reduce the exposure.