Percorrer por autor "Carvalhais, Carlos"
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- Biological risk assessment: a challenge for occupational safety and health practitioners during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemicPublication . Carvalhais, Carlos; Querido, Micaela; Pereira, Cristiana C.; Santos, JoanaBackground: The COVID-19 global pandemic brought several challenges to occupational safety and health practice. One of these is the need to (re)assess the occupational risks, particularly, biological risks. Objective: The purpose of this work is to promote guidance to occupational safety and health practitioners when conducting a biological risk assessment in this context. Methods: The main steps of the biological risk assessment are explained with some inputs regarding the novelty posed by SARS-CoV-2 and an example of a qualitative risk assessment method is presented. Also, its application to two different activities was exemplified. Results: In both cases, the assessment considered that vulnerable workers were working from home or in medical leave. The results showed low or medium risk level for the assessed tasks. For medium risk level, additional controls are advised, such maintain social distancing, sanitize instruments/equipment before use, use proper and well-maintained PPE (when applicable), and promote awareness sessions to spread good practices at work. Employers must be aware of their obligations regarding biological risk assessment and OSH practitioners must be prepared to screen and link the abundance of scientific evidence generated following the outbreak, with the technical practice. Conclusions: This paper could be an important contribution to OSH practice since it highlights the need to (re)assess occupational risks, especially biological risk, to ensure a safe return to work, providing technical guidance.
- General Knowledge and Attitudes about Safety and Emergency Evacuation: The Case of a Higher Education InstitutionPublication . Carvalhais, Carlos; Dias, Ricardo; Costa, Carla; Silva, Manuela V.The implementation of a safety culture and awareness of emergency issues in buildings has been growing in more developed societies. It is essential that all occupants know how to act in an emergency situation, particularly during an emergency evacuation. In higher education institutions (HEIs), which annually host not only their many employees, but also national and international students, it is essential to know and understand the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that the academic community demonstrates in this matter. This study aimed to characterize the perception of occupants regarding safety, specifically in the emergency evacuation phase, within the academic community of an HEI. In this observational cross-sectional study, data on general knowledge and attitudes regarding safety and actions during emergency situations were collected through an anonymous questionnaire targeting students, faculty, and non-teaching staff, which was sent via institutional email. Valid responses were received from 392 participants and then scored and assessed on different domains. The results obtained showed that, despite a reasonable average regarding the general level of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the occupants on the subject, the community falls somewhat short in terms of training. It is noteworthy that approximately 64% of the sample has never received awareness or training related to emergency evacuation, and around 68% are unaware of the location of their institution’s meeting/gathering point. Finally, by identifying the most common gaps, namely the training dimension, some simple measures could be improved, such as the dissemination of safety instructions accessible through QR codes placed in strategic locations or even conducting small drills during class sessions, as well as learning with simulation concerning different scenarios of emergency.
- Oxidative DNA damage among workers exposed to noise - a pilot study on non-auditory effects of noise exposurePublication . Sousa, Catarina; Carvalhais, Carlos; Neves, Maria Paula; Gaivão, Isabel; Teixeira, João Paulo; Costa Pereira, CristianaObjective: This study was designed to assess the effect of occupational noise exposure in nonauditory systems, particularly the cardiovascular system