Blogging as an effective teaching tool

From the start of the semester I already knew that I was going to like this class more than any other one I had taken this past year. And to make that even more incredible was when the teacher on day one took the whole class by surprise when he said that there would be no tests and the only amount of work we had to do was blogging on the topic discussed in class. When we were told this however I was pretty optimistic about blogging because I have never blogged before and didn’t really know what it was about. A few weeks into the semester and a few blog posts later I started to realize that blogging was an excellent way to teach the student without the teacher having to provide tests to the students. When using blogging to teach a certain topic it makes the student actively search and learn everything they can about a topic so then that they are able to write about it in a blog. While one may be thinking this is a dumb way of teaching because you’re not testing the students’ knowledge you’re just having them write about it would be wrong in my opinion. With blogging they are responsible to know a lot about a topic in order to be able to explain it to the intended audience which is in turn the test. You are not able to write a blog well without taking the time to learn everything you can about it. So in conclusion when It comes to blogging I believe that is a great tool to use when trying to teach a topic to someone because it makes them do all the work learning everything they can about the topic so that they can then write as well thought out informative blog post. 

Penetrations and Permeation

When working around dangerous chemicals and other toxins one may experience exposure to them that may lead to poisonings. To protect the worker from these they often wear gloves or other protective garments to keep the chemicals away from their skin. However what happens when these chemicals have the ability to go through the protective garments and become exposed to the skin?  Many companies have to deal with this problem in order to make protective clothing options for the workers the need to use them.  This process where the chemicals move through the different layers of protection is called permeation.  Chemical permeation is the passage of a chemical through a barrier layer at a molecular level. Molecules of the chemical are absorbed by the barrier material and as the number of molecules absorbed increases, the chemical gradually works its way through the material and out of the other side. By way of illustration, imagine a layer of dry sponge that has a trickle of water poured upon it. At first the water sits on the surface of the sponge. It then starts to soak in and as it does so it spreads out throughout the sponge.   As you continue to add more water is spilled on the sponge until the volume held reaches the point of saturation and water starts to trickle from the opposite side. The trickle of water emerging will increase in volume until a steady rate of flow is reached. On the other hand chemicals can get into the skin by the ways of penetration as well. This is simply when something breaks the skin barrier and enters the bloodstream. Both of these ways for chemicals to get into the bloodstream can be potentially life threatening and it is important to know if your protective garments are strong enough to be dealing with the chemicals you’re using.     

Wet-Bulb globe temperature

For many industrial hygienists across the United States and the world they use a plethora of different utensils to measure different atmospheric temperatures and conditions.  These devices are used for a various amount of different conditions.  Of these devices there are none is more important than a wet-bulb temperature device. This unique devices measure the outdoors temperature to make sure that it is safe to do work while working in the elements hot or cold. Make makes this machine so unique is the multitude of tests it completes in order to determine if it is safe to work outside. The Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature is a device that measures the effects of heat stress in direct sunlight, which takes into account: temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover and solar radiation. This is more accurate than the regularly used heat index because it has the ability to take into account the temperature and working conditions in shady areas as well as ones in direct sunlight. The Wet-bulb globe uses three different temperament recording devices the first being a wet-bulb temperature device that measures the amount of humidity present in the air. The second is a globe thermometer which measures the amount radiation in the air that could cause damage to the skin and even form cancer is left untreated. The third is a dry bulb device that measures the actual temperature in the air around it. This type of temperature devices are used by a variety of professionals around the world including Athletes, military’s personals and industrial hygienists. Now most wouldn't think that these devices are important but you would be wrong. These devices are very important in making sure that workers have the safest conditions available to them so they can complete their job quickly and more importantly safely.  

Radon levels and testing

Throughout our lives we are constantly exposed to a variety of different chemicals and toxins on a daily basis. Most of which we are not even aware of. Of these toxins present in the atmosphere none are more discreet or dangerous as the noble gas element known as radon. Radon which comes from radium is a radioactive element that naturally occurs in nature.  The reason as to why it is so dangerous is due to its radioactivity. That as well as the fact that it is an odorless, colorless gas that when exposed to people goes unnoticed until the levels of radiation keep dangerously high and damaging to the health of a person. The average national indoor rating for radon in the United States is roughly 1.3 pCi/l. However in Athens County the average levels are much higher than the nation average coming in at over 5 pCi/l with the levels being this high one should look into reducing these dangerous levels of radon through a system called radon mitigation. Mitigation of radon in the air is accomplished through ventilation, either collected below a concrete floor slab or membrane on the ground, or by increasing the air changes per hour in the building. Treatment systems using aeration or activated charcoal are available to remove radon from domestic water supplies.  Before you go out and buy yourself a radon mitigation system you should first consult a licensed contractor who know how to correctly monitor radon levels in the home or place of work to keep yourself and your employees safe from radon exposure because remember it is very hard to detect radon without the proper utensils and equipment specifically designed to test for radon in the home. If one suspects a concentrated level of radon in their home they should call for help immediately to keep exposure levels low.  

Preventing Hearing loss and Protection

While one may not be aware of it happening to them almost every minute of everyday hearing loss in the work place is becoming more and more prevalent than ever. This has to do in part with the advancement of technology and the creation of the iPod and mp3 players that allow users to listen to music and other recordings at high levels so close to the ear. Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers exposed to hazardous noise levels at work. Four million workers go to work each day in damaging noise. Ten million people in the U.S. have a noise-related hearing loss. Twenty-two million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise each year. It is estimated that over 82% of the noise related hearing loss originates from the manufacturing sector. There are currently 2 main forms of hearing protection available to whomever needs it, they are ear plugs and ear muffs. Ear plugs are good for sounds slightly above 85 decibels due to the fact that they are not perfect at cancelling sounds but whenever sounds get above that it is recommended that one wears ear muffs. This is because ear muffs do a better job at cancelling the sound before it enters the ear drum. For the best protection possible one should pair both ear plugs and muffs to create the best seal possible around the eardrum to stop the damaging noise for ever happening. While one may over look hearing protection and damage because of how light the damage is at a time one should be made aware that prolonged exposure to loud noises and sounds can eventually lead to deafness in the person and when they grow older and totally deafness is possible if no protective hearing measures are taken. 

Occupational Skin Damage and Injury

Everyday across the country workers from all different forms of work are all in close contact with toxic agents and chemicals that could potential harm the user. While working with these items one is put into a dangerous situation regardless of how much protection is available around them. While using these chemicals it is very important for one to watch where the chemical come into contact with because skin exposure is one of the leading risk of contamination in the united states. It is estimated that more than 13 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin.  Dermal exposure to hazardous agents can result in a variety of occupational diseases and disorders, including occupational skin diseases (OSD) and systemic toxicity. Of all the occupations in the world today the leading fields with the most amount of occupational skin diseases are food service, cosmetology, health care, agriculture, cleaning, painting, mechanics and construction jobs due to the fact that most of the work required to be done is still done mostly by hands. The skin while it may not be noticed is actually the largest organ in the human body accounting for over ten percent of the bodies mass. There are currently four different means of contamination when it comes to the skin. The first is chemical agent which is the most basic type due to the fact of the amount of chemicals present in the world and how easy they are to be contacted by the skin. The second form of contamination are physical agents such as extreme hot or cold temperatures and the radiation including the sun and UV rays that come from it. The third and fourth types of contamination are mechanical which includes frictions and cuts of any sorts and biological which include parasites and other organic materials.  

Particulate Matter as a Health Hazard

The single most important thing on this planet for us human and all other living things is air. Air is the sole reason we are able to do anything in life because without it we would all be dead within a matter of minutes. Although we may take for granted the air we breathe on a daily basis we must be concerned with the fact that they’re may be things in our air that can be toxin to our health if we breathe them for a long period of time. The things that I am talking about are known as particulates or little piece of a multitude of different items that can cause many different ailments to form. Particular matter or PM or soot, consists of microscopically small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air. The smaller the particles, the deeper they can penetrate into the respiratory system and the more hazardous they are to breathe. PM pollution can cause lung irritation, which leads to increased permeability in lung tissue. It may also aggravate the severity of chronic lung diseases, causing rapid loss of airway function. PM can cause inflammation of lung tissue, resulting in the release of chemicals that can impact heart function. This all depends on the size of particulates the smaller the particle the more dangerous it can be to one’s health The smaller-sized particles - those 2.5 micrometers or less called PM2.5 - are of greatest health concern because they can pass through the nose and throat and be absorbed deep inside the lungs. While 2.5 is the smallest and most dangerous type of PM one should not think lightly on other particulates that can range up to sized 10 or 10 micrometers. This is because all can cause harm to an individual if he or she is exposed to them for too long.