Risk Assessment of Nano-Flame Retardants Coating in the Selected Construction Industry of Iran by Control Banding Approach

A scoping review to evaluate occupational controls and their effectiveness when handling engineered nanomaterials in workplaces

Research has shown that controlling worker exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) helps to reduce the exposure risk to employees in workplaces. This study aimed to identify the available evidence on the effectiveness of various control methods used in the workplace to reduce worker exposure to ENMs. The search was conducted in databases-Medline, OVID, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Cochrane and the gray literature published from January 2010 to December 2022. The search keywords included ENM controls and their efficiency in workplace environments. Of the 152 studies retrieved, 22 were included in the review. The control measures in the review included (1) substitution controls; (2) engineering measures (i.e., isolation, direct source extraction, and wetting technologies); (3) personal protective equipment; and (4) administrative and work practices. The study results indicate that the above-mentioned control measures were effective in reducing ENM exposures. This information can be used to help employers choose the most effective controls for their workplaces.

Theoretical design and experimental verification of control system for building material packaging unit based on risk management

Facing the shortage of special building materials packaging machinery with thermal insulation and low intelligence, this paper designs a set of mechanical and electrical integration packaging unit control system to reduce the risk of material transportation for different stakeholders. According to risk management tools, the system takes Mitsubishi PLC as the control core and combines with communication module, servo motor drive system and touch screen man-machine interface to realize the risk simulation and automatic control of the packaging unit. The simulation results of PID control model show that the parameters such as speed and torque can be stabilized in a relatively short period of time when the load is suddenly changed within 1.5 s. Theoretical verification of the system has small steady-state error, rapid response, and good control effect. The man-machine interface design was carried out and the actual corresponding test experiment was carried out. The experimental results showed that the overall operation rate of the packaging unit system reached 98.15%, the pass rate was 99.03%, and the production capacity was about 9600 packs/hour, which met the production requirements. The control system of the building material packaging unit designed in this paper realizes the equipment intelligence, has a high degree of automation, and shows good potential application value in the aspects of building information, reduction of construction risks and manufacturing intelligence.

An analysis on control banding-based methods used for occupational risk assessment of nanomaterials

Despite all benefits of nanomaterials, their unique characteristics made them an emerging hazard in workplaces, which need to be assessed for their potential risks. So, the aim of this study was to review all the studies conducted on the risk assessment of activities involving nanomaterials with CB-based methods.This study is based on a literature review on databases including Web of science, Scopus, PubMed, and SID. After reviewing and screening studies according to PRISMA, the collected data were meta-analyzed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. Also, Newcastle-Ottawa checklist was used for quality assessment of the studies. To determine similarity of methods, Cohen's Kappa was used. Sensitivity analysis was used to determine the role of each factor in the risk assessment by using the Crystal Ball tool.There are eight validated methods for risk assessment. Also, some authors used a self-deigned tool based on CB approach. The results of meta-analysis showed that the odds ratio for the risk of activities involved with nanomaterials was 0.654 (high risk). Results of simulation for Nanotool showed that the mean risk level of activities involved with nanomaterials, with a certainty of 95.07%, is moderate (RL3). Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that the risk was depended on "Hazard band" in all methods except ISO method.The obtained results can be useful in improving existing methods and suggesting new methods. Also, there is a need to design and propose specific methods for risk assessment of incidental and natural nanomaterials.