Search results for "occupational medicine"
showing 10 items of 52 documents
Longitudinal study examining the neurotoxicity of occupational exposure to aluminium-containing welding fumes
2003
The neurotoxicity of occupational exposure to aluminium (Al)-containing welding fumes has been discussed with controversial results. The aim of the longitudinal study was to examine a group of Al welders for significant central nervous changes in comparison with a non-exposed cohort.A group of 98 Al welders (mean age 37 years) in the car-body construction industry, with a median of 6 years of occupational exposure to Al welding fumes, and an education-matched, gender-matched, age-matched control group of 50 car-production workers (mean age 36 years) at the same plant, were included in this longitudinal study. Two cross-sectional studies were done in 1999 and 2001. In the second cross-sectio…
Occupational risk factors for mycosis fungoides: a European multicenter case-control study.
2004
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare disease with an unknown etiology. Its distribution suggests that occupational exposures may play a role. In the present study, we searched for occupational factors associated with MF. A European multicenter case-control study on seven rare cancers, including MF, was conducted from 1995 to 1997. Patients between 35 and 69 years of age diagnosed with MF (n = 134) were identified and their diagnoses were checked by a reference pathologist who classified 83 cases as definitive, 35 cases as possible, and 16 cases as not histologically verified. Of the 118 histologically verified cases, 104 were interviewed, of which 76 were definitive cases. As controls, we selec…
Menstrual disorders and subfertility in Spanish hairdressers
2009
Abstract Objective Hairdressing is associated with adverse effects on reproductive health. This research investigates whether female hairdressers have increased risks of subfertility and menstrual disorders. Study design Cross sectional study. Participants were all female hairdressers below 50 years of age ( n = 310) working in registered hairdressing salons in Alicante, Spain and a control group comprising female shop assistants and office workers ( n =310). Menstrual disorders were defined as any of five menstrual cycle characteristics: short cycles, long cycles, irregular cycles, not experiencing a period for more than 6 weeks (missed period), and bleeding or spotting between periods (…
Experts' assessment of probability and level of pesticide exposure in agricultural workers.
2000
The occupational history of the parents of 261 infants with congenital malformations and 261 matched controls was collected. During the relevant time period before the birth of their child, 183 parents were involved in agricultural activities, 49% of them having directly applied pesticides. Two experts assessed the probability and the level of exposure to each quoted pesticide (582 observations) by using 4-point scales. Interrater agreement was estimated. Kappa-weighted values for probability and level of exposure were, respectively, kappa = 0.36 and kappa = 0.39. In the analysis of some categories of exposure (non-applicators, herbicides) very low interrater agreement was observed. In epid…
Occupational risk factors for low grade and high grade glioma: Results from an international case control study of adult brain tumours
2004
The majority of suspected occupational risk factors for adult brain tumours have yet to be confirmed as etiologically relevant. Within an international case-control study on brain tumours, lifelong occupational histories and information on exposures to specific substances were obtained by direct interviews to further investigate occupational risk factors for glioma. This is one of the largest studies of brain tumours in adults, including 1,178 cases and 1987 population controls from 8 collaborating study centres matched for age, gender and centre. All occupational information, was aggregated into 16 occupational categories. In a pooled analysis, odds ratios (OR), adjusted for education, wer…
Observational study on a group of people exposed to chemical agents in a research laboratory
2004
The law D.Lgs 25/2002 provides the lowest qualifications for the protection of workers exposed to chemical risks. Our research aim at investigating acute and chronic pathologies related to the exposure to chemical pollutants used. With this purpose we have examined 42 subjects assigned to the laboratory of the Department of Chemistry of Palermo, exposed to chemical substances. We have also examined a control group of 10 people non exposed, belonging to the same Department. Our study has shown that, previous a correct information and training of workers, the right use of techniques, working methods and the use of personal protection devices reduce chemical risks.
Considerations on the Update of the Risk Assessment Document During the Pandemic State by COVID-19 in Italy
2021
Immediately after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic (which had risen to the level of a pandemic according to the World Health Organization), the question arose whether or not to update the risk assessment, which, as required by Legislative Decree 81/2008, with the consequent updating of the prevention measures. In light of these forecasts, we asked ourselves whether the risk of coronavirus infection should be taken into account by the employer by updating the risk assessment or not. An in-depth analysis of current legislation has led to the conclusion that the biological risk from SARS-CoV-2 is to be considered specific only in health-related activities, in other activities it can be …
Strain of employees in the machine industry in Finland.
1978
In order to investigate the strain of workers in different occupations of the Finnish machine industry, energy expenditure and heart rate of 190 men and 47 women employees were measured during their normal course of work. Work was most strenuous in occupations in the early stages of production and in unskilled jobs. The relative strain of semi-skilled workers was highest in the oldest age groups, over 45 years. It is concluded that when systems for grading the strain of industrial work are constructed, the long-term effects of work and workers' characteristics such as age, sex, weight and physical fitness should be taken into consideration.
The impact of solvent mixtures on neurobehavioral performance: conclusions from epidemiological data.
2007
Abstract The review of epidemiological studies investigating the neurobehavioral effects of occupational exposure to solvent mixtures sought to contribute to the following issues: (1) Identification of affected cognitive and motor functions. (2) Identification of sensitive neuropsychological tests. (3) Analysis of exposure–effect relationships. The approach was based on the meta-analytical method of effect size estimates. Fifty-three groups from occupational studies were included in the meta-analysis. Forty-eight neuropsychological performance variables could be analyzed as they were included in at least three studies. Seventeen articles provided detailed information on the constituents of …
Evidence on the effectiveness of occupational health interventions.
2006
Background At present there exists no overview of the range of evidence currently available regarding the effectiveness of occupational health interventions (OHI). Methods Articles published in 2000 and 2001 in 16 general and specialized biomedical journals were searched for evaluations of OHI studies. Results Out of 8,687 articles searched there were 148 OHI studies. In 21% of the studies the study design was a randomized controlled trial, in 28% it was a controlled trial, an interrupted time-series in 7% and a different design in 44%. The occupational health outcomewasexposurein27%ofthestudies,workerbehaviorin12%,diseasesymptomsin 30%, disability or sickness absence in 24%, injuries in 4%…