Flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC) are widely used for the storage, transportation, and handling of powder. However, a large amount of electrostatic charge can be generated in an FIBC when electrified powder is fed into it or when an FIBC that contains powder is emptied. In such cases, a non-treated FIBC can become highly electrified to the point whereby incendiary electrostatic discharges take place, sometimes resulting in explosions and fires if the powder is combustible or if an explosive atmosphere exists in the vicinity of the FIBC. In this paper, recent cases of accidents in Japan are introduced and the typical mechanisms of explosions and fires are explained in detail. The international standard (IEC 61340-4-4:2012) and the future Japanese standard (JIS C 61340-4-4) for anti-electrostatic FIBC are described together with their differences.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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Objective: This study examined the need for information about mental health (IMH), experience of access to IMH in a paper format (PF) and its associations in Japanese workers. Method: A cross-sectional self report survey was conducted over the internet on a thousand workers aged 20-65 years working forty hours or more a week who were sampled equally accordingly to gender and age group. Frequency distributions were shown concerning the need for IMH. Correlated factors were examined by multivariable logistic analysis between experience of access to IMH in PF and stress symptoms, experience of mental disease, and demographical and work related factors.
Results: The most preferred information source of IMH was Web (55.4%), and IMH in PF was expected by 8.2% workers. Experience of mental disease (Odds ratio [OR] 6.1); large worksite size (OR 2.3 to 2.8); being female (OR 1.5), a regular employee (OR 1.9), or a professional/clerk or management (OR 2.5 to 3.2); and expected access to IMH by internet (OR 1.6) were associated with increased access to IMH in PF.
Discussion: Workers with experience of mental disease access IMH in PF more often than those without such experience. Access to IMH in PF also varied according to other work and individual factors.

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A database of casualties requiring at least a four-day absence due to occupational accidents was opened to the public via the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan. The number of records from 2006 to 2010 is over 150,000. Each instance includes information such as the type of industry, cause, kind of accident, and the age of the dead or the injured worker. In this report, histograms are shown of accidents for each type of industry, cause, and kind of accident by age at one or two-year intervals. The histogram patterns indicate individual properties. Each histogram is a faithful representation of the workers’ accidents and should be helpful in discussing more effective safety measures, especially for elderly workers. We forecast the number of casualties in construction work within the near future as an example application of the age distribution of casualties.

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[in Japanese]

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