TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Job safety analysis and hazard identification for work accident prevention in para rubber wood sawmills in southern Thailand
JO  - Journal of occupational health
A1  - Thepaksorn, Phayong
A1  - Thongjerm, Supawan
A1  - Incharoen, Salee
A1  - Siriwong, Wattasit
A1  - Harada, Kouji
A1  - Koizumi, Akio
SP  - 542
EP  - 551
VL  - 59
IS  - 6
N2  - OBJECTIVE: We utilized job safety analysis (JSA) and hazard identification for work accident prevention in Para rubber wood sawmills, which aimed to investigate occupational health risk exposures and assess the health hazards at sawmills in the Trang Province, located in southern Thailand. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study which included a walk-through survey, JSA, occupational risk assessment, and environmental samplings from March through September 2015 at four Para rubber wood sawmills. <br><br>RESULTS: We identified potential occupational safety and health hazards associated with six main processes, including: 1) logging and cutting, 2) sawing the lumber into sheets, 3) planing and re-arranging, 4) vacuuming and wood preservation, 5) drying and planks re-arranging, and 6) grading, packing, and storing. Working in sawmills was associated with high risk of wood dust and noise exposure, occupational accidents injuring hands and feet, chemicals and fungicide exposure, and injury due to poor ergonomics or repetitive work. <br><br>DISCUSSION: Several high-risk areas were identified from JSA and hazard identification of the working processes, especially high wood dust and noise exposure when sawing lumber into sheets and risk of occupational accidents of the hands and feet when struck by lumber. All workers were strongly recommended to use personal protective equipment in any working processes. Exposures should be controlled using local ventilation systems and reducing noise transmission. We recommend that the results from the risk assessment performed in this study be used to create an action plan for reducing occupational health hazards in Para rubber sawmills.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1341-9145
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1539/joh.16-0204-CS
ID  - ref1
ER  -