The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 571.201 discusses occupant protection with interior impacts of vehicles. Rule making by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified padding for potential injury reduction in vehicles. In these studies, head injury mitigation with padding on vehicular roll bars and brush bars was evaluated. Studies were conducted with free falling Hybrid 50% male head form drops on the forehead and side of the head and a 5% female head. Marked reductions in angular acceleration, as well as Head Injury Criterions (HIC), were observed when compared to unpadded roll bars and brush bars. (+info)
Comparison of real world side impact/rollover collisions with and without thorax airbag/head protection system: a first field experience study.
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After the introduction of the Thorax Airbag (TA) and the Head Protection System (HPS) by BMW there has been a significant reduction of injuries in real-world collisions. Comparison of similar collisions (in-depth collision analyses) of vehicles with and without HPS/TA indicates that the effectiveness of the system was credible. Minor injuries (AIS 1) increase while serious injuries (AIS 3+) are reduced. Based on the limited cases available, a proper statistical sampling could not be achieved at this time, however the results are to be understood as indicative of a trend. (+info)
Exposure-response models based on extended follow-up of a cohort mortality study in the automobile industry.
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OBJECTIVE: This report describes the extended follow-up of a cohort of 46 399 automobile manufacturing workers with potential exposure to metalworking fluids (MWF). The outcomes of interest were cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, larynx, skin, prostate, and brain, as well as leukemia. Additional follow-up increased the power to detect modest elevations in mortality rates in association with specific types of MWF, including synthetic fluids not in widespread use until the 1970s. METHODS: Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were computed for the most recent 10 years of follow-up, as well as for the entire study period. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated in Poisson regression models with categorical variables for cumulative exposure to each type of MWF and in proportional hazards models with continuous exposure variables. RESULTS: Associations were found between straight MWF and esophageal, laryngeal and rectal cancer; soluble MWF and cancer of the esophagus, larynx, skin, and brain; synthetic MWF and cancer of the esophagus, liver, and prostate. The elevated RR values were modest in magnitude (1.5 to 2.0). SMR values were increased for stomach, liver, and pancreatic cancer and also for leukemia in the last 10 years of follow-up. The SMR values were also elevated for stomach and liver cancer among the persons recently hired. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide further evidence that exposure to metalworking fluids causes cancer among workers in automobile manufacturing. Although airborne exposures declined over the study period, this study suggests that modest risk of several digestive cancers, as well as prostatic cancer and leukemia, may persist at current levels of exposure to water-based metalworking fluids. (+info)
Desulfurization of gasoline.
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Although gasoline blending streams exhibit widely varying sulfur concentrations, significant quantities of low-sulfur motor gasoline cannot be manufactured by reallocation of existing components without substantial sacrifices in the useful properties of the remaining fuels having normal sulfur levels. To meet the anticipated demand for low-sulfur unleaded gasoline which may be required for catalyst-equipped automobiles it will be necessary to install process equipment based on known hydrotreating technology. The effects which this construction program would exert on the activities, abilities and needs of one petroleum refiner are sketched for two degrees of sulfur removal. The impacts of installing the process facilities which would be necessary are discussed in terms of time requirements, capital needs, and added energy expenditures. (+info)
Land use and transportation issues in environmental control.
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Analyses have been made of the effects of environmental controls and planning at regional, subarea, and project levels. The results obtained at the regional level are reviewed for a proposed highway development around Baltimore, Md. The findings for both short-term and long-term effects of alternative transport policies are summarized in respect of population and employment, economic indicators, traffic and travel, air quality, water and solid waste, noise, and environmentally sensitive areas. Problems at subarea and project levels are briefly considered. (+info)
Exposure to organic solvents during cosmetic finishing of cars.
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The objectives of this study were to assess the exposure to organic solvents during degreasing, washing and polishing of cars, and to obtain information about acute health symptoms in car-finishing workers. Fifteen car shops participated in this study, and at these locations 36 workers had car finishing as their main working task. All 36 car-finishing workers and 17 randomly selected office workers from six of these car shops completed questionnaires on acute health symptoms. Personal monitoring of exposure to organic solvents was carried out in three representative shops. The highest exposure levels were found during degreasing of new cars, the median level of aliphatic hydrocarbons (C9-C13) being 22 p.p.m. (range 7-215 p.p.m.). This exposure level represents 50% (range 20-540%) of the Norwegian 8 h limit value for additive factor for these compounds. Only 28% of the workers used gas respirators regularly during this process. Very low exposure levels were detected during washing of second-hand cars and during polishing processes. The present study shows that car-finishing workers are exposed to high levels of organic solvents only for short periods of time. It seems that they are not adequately protected during these periods. However, the presence of acute symptoms was low, i.e. comparable to the prevalences in the reference group. (+info)
n-Hexane-related peripheral neuropathy among automotive technicians--California, 1999-2000.
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Solvents, glues, spray paints, coatings, silicones, and other products contain normal (n-) hexane, a petroleum distillate and simple aliphatic hydrocarbon. n-Hexane is an isomer of hexane and was identified as a peripheral neurotoxin in 1964. Since then, many cases of n-hexane-related neurotoxicity have occurred in printing plants, sandal shops, and furniture factories in Asia, Europe, and the United States. This report describes an investigation of n-hexane-associated peripheral neuropathy in an automotive technician, an occupation in which this condition has not been reported, and summarizes the results of two other case investigations in the automotive repair industry. The findings suggest that solvent manufacturers should avoid using hexane when producing automotive degreasing products, and automotive technicians should avoid regular contact with hexane-based cleaning solvents. (+info)
Lead levels in body fluids of workers of an automobile factory with clinically diagnosed arterial hypertension.
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The aim of the study is the evaluation of lead levels in body fluids in a chosen study group with diagnosed arterial hypertension employed in a car factory. The study was carried out on workers diagnosed with various stages of arterial hypertension who had been subjected to long-term lead exposure at different workplaces. The examination of the patients included medical history, physical examination and biochemical tests of blood and urine, following routine in the laboratory diagnosis in order to assess medical condition in terms of subclinical symptoms of lead exposure. Mean values of the lead level in blood and urine of studied population are insignificantly higher than in the control group. The obtained results seem insufficient to confirm the effect of occupational exposure to lead in subthreshold doses on the development of arterial hypertension, and are within the recommended hygienic standards. (+info)