The field performance of palm fibre insulation board treated with cassava starch solution has been studied. This was done in search of local substitutes for imported insulation materials used in low temperature (45°C -200°C) ovens. Fresh oil palm fibr e was collected from palm-kernel, washed with non-reactive detergent to remove its oil content and dried to constant mass in an oven. The dried palm fibre was treated with 0.2 w/w starch solution, compacted into rectangular boards and re-dried in an oven to constant mass. The fibre bands were then installed in a locally developed oven for the field test. The test involved examining the stability of the thermo-physical properties of the insulation board after baking activities for 4 hours. This was done by comparing the density, physical appearance and thermal conductivity of the board before and after the use in the oven for baking. There were no significant changes in the thermo-physical properties observed before and after use. The results indicate that the palm fibre board is suitable for use as an insulation material in low temperature oven application. Successful implementation of the board could contribute greatly to savings on importation costs of conventional insulation materials while enhancing the safer utilization of a by-product of the Nigerian palm oil industry. Furthermore, this will enhance better environmental conditions and comply with the current clamor of converting waste to riches.

Experimental data collected over the years, for defining limits of vibration exposure to human beings, have resulted in a set of vibration criteria specified in ISO Standard 2631. In this article, instrumentation requirements for evaluation of the responses of humans to vibration according to these criteria are described, as well as some of the pitfalls to be avoided during these measures. The operators' exposure to hand-arm as well as whole body transmitted vibration at Terry-Man Saw mill was tested on different kinds of wood. Using a vibrometer levels obtained by measurements for related activities and their average durations during working day, the daily vibration exposure A(8) (expressed in terms of 8-hour energy-equivalent frequency-weighted) and vibration total value was calculated in accordance with ISO 5349-1. The A(8) values obtained were compared with the limit values set for the workers' exposure to hand-arm transmitted vibration at 2.5 m/s 2 (action value). The comparison clearly shows that the work at Terry-man saw mill can be classified as dangerous as a result of exposure to vibration.