Construction industry is among the most hazardous industries, and needs a comprehensive and simple-to-administer tool to continuously assess and promote its health and safety performance. Through the study of various standard systems (mainly Health, Safety, and Environment Management System; Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 180001; and British Standard, occupational health and safety management systems-Guide 8800), seven main elements were determined for the desired framework, and then, by reviewing literature, factors affecting these main elements were determined. The relative importance of each element and its related factors was calculated at organizational and project levels. The provided framework was then implemented in three construction companies, and results were compared together. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY SHOW THAT THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE MAIN ELEMENTS AND THEIR RELATED FACTORS DIFFER BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROJECT LEVELS: leadership and commitment are the most important elements at the organization level, whereas risk assessment and management are most important at the project level. The present study demonstrated that the framework is easy to administer, and by interpreting the results, the main factors leading to the present condition of companies can be determined.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are a group of volatile organic compounds that human exposure to them may result in the development of some diseases, including cancer. Biological monitoring plays an important role in exposure assessment of workers occupationally exposed to chemicals. Several metabolites have been proposed for biological monitoring of individuals who are exposed to BTEX. There are a variety of extraction methods and analytical techniques for the determination of unmetabolized BTEX in exhaled air and their urinary metabolites. The present study aimed to summarize and review the toxicokinetics of BTEX and sample preparation and analytical methods for their measurement. Metabolites of BTEX are discussed to find out reliable ones for biological monitoring of workers exposed to these chemicals. In addition, analytical methods for unmetabolized BTEX in exhaled air and their metabolites were reviewed in order to obtain a comparison between them in term of selectivity, sensitivity, simplicity, time, environmental-friendly and cost. Given the recent trends in sample preparation, including miniaturization, automation, high-throughput performance, and on-line coupling with analytical instrument, it seems that microextraction techniques, especially microextraction by packed sorbents are the methods of choice for the determination of the BTEX metabolites.

Electrophysiological Studies of Shoemakers Exposed to Sub‐TLV Levels of n‐hexane: Masoud NEGHAB, et al. Department of Occupational Health, School of Health and Nutrition and Research Center for Health Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran—Background and Objectives: Exposure to n‐hexane, a neurotoxic solvent, has been associated with sensorimotor polyneuropathy, both in occupationally exposed workers and in glue‐sniffing addicts. The present study was carried out to ascertain whether exposure to sub‐TLV levels of n‐hexane was associated with electrophysiological abnormalities and to determine if these possible abnormalities have any correlations with parameters such as the biological exposure index (BEI) of this neurotoxic chemical, workers' TWA exposure to n‐hexane and/or duration of employment.Materials and Methods: Twenty‐seven asymptomatic male workers from 6 shoemaking workshops were studied and compared with a group of 20 age‐ and sexmatched normal controls with no history of exposure to any neurotoxic agent. They underwent physical examinations as well as conventional needle electromyographic examinations and sensory and motor nerve conduction studies of upper and lower extremities. The TWA exposure to n‐hexane and urinary concentration of free 2,5‐hexanedione were also determined. Data were analyzed using version 16.0 of the SPSS/PC statistical package.Results: The TWA exposure to n‐hexane was estimated to be 83.2 mg/m³. Electrophysiological studies showed that the amplitudes of sensory nerve action potential (SAP) for median and sural nerves were significantly lower in exposed subjects than in unexposed normal controls. Additionally, a significant correlation was found between these decreases and the urinary concentration of free 2,5hexanedione.Conclusion: The significant decrements in SAP amplitudes for the median and sural nerves may be considered as appropriate indicators for early detection of n‐hexane‐induced peripheral neuropathy in asymptomatic workers with current exposure to sub‐TLV levels of n‐hexane.