Prevention Of Occupational Diseases Research Articles

Revelation of the list of occupational diseases and diagnostic criteria for occupational diseases

The list of occupational diseases reflecting the latest advances in the identification and recognition of occupational diseases, and providing guidance on the protection of workers' health rights and interests and the prevention, recording, notification and compensation of related occupational diseases. Diagnostic criteria for occupational diseases are an important basis for making diagnoses attributable to occupational diseases, and provide a theoretical basis for health monitoring of occupational groups and occupational hygiene supervision. This thesis starts with the definition of the occupational disease elaborates in detail the development history of list of occupational diseases in International Labour Organization (ILO) , compares the list of occupational diseases in China (2013 version) with the list of occupational diseases in international (2010 version) , and then introduces in detail the latest diagnostic standards of the major occupational diseases. And finally, it puts forward relevant suggestions on the list and diagnostic level of China's occupational diseases, so as to provide certain insights for the further improvement of the list and diagnostic standards of occupational diseases.

Mineworkers with pneumoconiosis, work-related injury compensation, and empty institution in China

This study investigates the ineffectiveness of China's work-related injury insurance in protecting mineworkers with pneumoconiosis. Using the FAT (Formal, Actual, and Targeted) institutional analysis framework, the paper examines the discrepancy between the formal rules, the actual practices and the targeted outcomes of the system, based on interviews with 20 pneumoconiosis mineworkers. The paper reveals that the work-related injury insurance system is an empty institution that does not cover most mineworkers, does not compensate them adequately, and does not prevent or treat their disease effectively. The paper also explores the factors that contribute to the system's ineffectiveness, such as the political compromise behind the revision of laws and regulations, the complexity and exclusivity of the eligibility criteria, and the transient and precarious nature of mineworkers’ employment. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the system's failure is mitigated by other social security and assistance mechanisms that provide basic medical and living support for pneumoconiosis patients, but do not address the root causes of their occupational disease or ensure their access to justice and compensation. The paper situates the findings within the political economy of occupational health literature and proposes policy recommendations for a more comprehensive and compassionate approach to occupational disease prevention and control in China.

Evolution of China’s Right to Health Legislation: A Historical Analysis and Contemporary Insight into Occupational Health Protection

Health is said to be the fundament for personal survival and development, happiness, and is the source ofprosperity and social progress for any nation. During the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party in China, it was ascertained that the protection of people’s health was given greater priority over development strategies. This article explored the changes and evolution of health laws in China over the past seven decades and specifically focused on the recent changes made to the law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and the Occupational Health Protection Action Plan. The occupational health protection action plan outlined the objectives and specific actions and emphasized the importance of a systematic approach to safeguarding the health rights of workers. This article summarized the potential opportunities for further research and policy considerations aimed at addressing challenges in the evolving landscape of occupational health in China.

Gallates – toxicological data and a pilot study on the prevalence of contact sensitization

Propyl, octy- and dodecyl gallates are largely used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry as additives – preservatives. The main source of exposure non-related with food consumption is their use of cosmetic products. Gallates are classified as skin sensitization human health hazard. This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of contact sensitization to gallates and to estimate the possible cross/concomitant sensitization to gallate mix and other cosmetics ingredients among cosmeticians and cosmetology students. Skin patch testing with Gallate mix along with 19 other haptens was performed among 109 participants – 37 cosmetology students, 26 cosmeticians, and 46 controls. The study established high prevalence of contact sensitization to gallates, with higher risk for students (45.9%) and cosmeticians (38.5%). A significantly higher (р = 0.008) prevalence of co-sensitization to decyl glucoside was established for the control group. Proper risk information, with complex programs for prevention of occupational skin diseases should be provided.

Study on the implementation effect evaluation of Specifications of Air Sampling for Hazardous Substances Monitoring in the Workplace (GBZ 159-2004)

Systematically evaluate the implementation of Specifications of Air Sampling for Hazardous Substances Monitoring (GBZ 159-2004) , so as to provide technical basis for the future standard revision. The semi-structured interview method was used to interview the industry experts from centers for disease control and prevention, occupational disease prevention and control hospitals/institutes, employers, third-party technical service institutions and universities, and the induction method was used to refine the topics and relevant suggestions. Some technical indicators of GBZ 159 are not suitable for the current actual work of occupational health, and need to be revised and improved urgently. The revised GBZ 159 should comply with the current situation of China's industrial development and the development of occupational health testing equipment in the new era, and improve the relevant technical requirements of sampling quality control.

Bibliometric and visual analysis of neurological damage caused by electrical welding operations

Objective: To analyze and summarize the trends and hot spots in the field of neurological damage caused by electric welding operations, and to provide ideas for new researches by searching the domestic and international literature. Methods: In December 2022, using Web of Science Citation Index (Web of Science), China Journal Full-Text Database (CNKI) and Wanfang Database as search databases, literature search was conducted on the Chinese and English search terms related to eletrical welding operations and neurological damage. The bibliometric analysis software VOSviewer 1.6.18 and CiteSpace 6.1.6 were used to visualize the publication year, publication quantity, country, research institution and key words of the literature. Results: A total of 309 articles (112 in Chinese and 197 in English) were included in this study. The first domestic and international papers were published in 1976 and 1994 respectively, and the number of papers reached the peak in 2006 and 2018, and then showed a downward trend to varying degrees. In China, Shandong First Medical University (including Shandong Institute of Occupational Health and Occupational Disease Prevention and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences) and Wuhan University of Science and Technology had the largest number of publications. The 309 articles were from 52 Chinese journals and 86 English journals. The co-occurrence analysis of key words showed that the domestic research mainly focused on eletrical welding operation, welding workers, neurobehavioral function and manganese, and the nervous system damage caused by manganese in welding smoke was the field of international attention. Long term exposure, risk, and performance were key buzzwords in the field. Conclusion: The research focus in the field of nervous system damage caused by electric welding operation has an obvious trend of time evolution, gradually transiting from clinical manifestations to its toxic mechanism and early biomarkers.

MTBE exposure may increase the risk of insulin resistance in male gas station workers.

Insulin resistance is closely related to many metabolic diseases and has become a serious public health problem worldwide. So, it is crucial to find its environmental pathogenic factors. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a widely used unleaded gasoline additive, has been proven to affect glycolipid metabolism. However, results from population studies are lacking. For this purpose, the potential relationships between MTBE exposure and the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, a useful surrogate marker of insulin resistance, were evaluated using a small-scale occupational population. In this study, 201 participants including occupational and non-occupational MTBE exposure workers were recruited from the Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Hospital of Huaibei, and their health examination information and blood samples with informed consent were collected. The internal exposure levels were assessed by detecting blood MTBE using solid-phase-micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Then the adjusted linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between MTBE exposure and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), or TyG index. Then, receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to calculate the optimal cut-off points. Multivariable and hierarchical logistic regression models were used to analyze the impact of MTBE exposure on the risk of insulin resistance. Obvious correlations were observed between blood MTBE levels with TyG index (p = 0.016) and FPG (p = 0.001). Further analysis showed that using the mean of the TyG index (8.77) as a cutoff value had a good effect on reflecting the risk of insulin resistance. Multivariable logistic regression analysis also indicated that MTBE exposure was an independent risk factor for a high TyG index (OR = 1.088, p = 0.038), which indicated that MTBE exposure might be a new environmental pathogenic factor leading to insulin resistance, and MTBE exposure might increase the risk of insulin resistance by independently elevating the TyG index in male gas station workers.

Occupational diseases occurring in acceptable working conditions: Causes and features of development in the Russian Arctic

Introduction: Acceptable working conditions are essential but they do not ensure complete prevention of occupational diseases. The purpose of the study was to establish possible causes and features of development of occupational diseases in blue-collar employees having acceptable working conditions. Materials and methods: Data on working conditions and occupational disease rates collected within public health monitoring and information from the Register of extracts from occupational disease records in the Russian Arctic for 2007–2021 were analyzed. The relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI), the goodness-of-fit criterion (χ2) for the analysis of four-field tables, and the approximation criterion (R2) to determine the measure of correlation between values were calculated. Results: It has been established that 74 of 10,343 occupational disease cases (0.72 %) were registered at enterprises of the Russian Arctic with acceptable working conditions. They were more often related to chemical exposure (40.5 %) and increased labor severity (28.4 %) mainly attributed to equipment design defects (58.1 %) and imperfect technological processes (33.8 %). This group of workers was noted for a younger mean age (48.1 ± 1.3 years), shorter duration of employment (18.9 ± 1.5 years), and a larger proportion of women (28.6 %) compared to those exposed to harmful and hazardous working conditions. It included employees of such jobs as a lorry driver (27.0 %) and painter (10.8 %) from such types of economic activity as mining (56.8 %) and construction (14.9 %). Poisoning (n = 17), radiculopathy (n = 12), mono(poly)neuropathy (n = 11), and bronchial asthma (n = 8) were found to be the most prevalent occupational disorders in them. Conclusion: Some circumstances of registration of health disorders in workers with low exposure to occupational risk factors (usually below occupational safety standards) remain unclear. It is critical to establish validity of such a diagnosis, specifics of drawing up a report on a case of occupational disease, and reporting forms of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) describing occupational hazards.

Study on optimization of image processing parameters of pneumoconiosis by DR

Objective: To explore the effect of different post-processing parameters of digital radiography (DR) on the quality of chest X-ray for pneumoconiosis diagnosis, and to provide suggestions on parameter setting suitable for this kind of DR machine. Methods: From January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022, the chest films of 35 workers in the department of radiology of Hangzhou occupational disease prevention and treatment hospital were randomly selected and printed after setting different image post-processing parameters. The quality of chest film was evaluated by the measurement of optical densitometer and the combination of subjective and objective by professional physicians. Results: When the density is set to 2 and the contrast/detail contrast is 4.5, the optical density of each area of DR chest film meets the requirements of chest X-ray quality, and the qualified rate of physician quality evaluation is the highest. Conclusion: Reasonable setting of image post-processing parameters can improve the quality of chest radiograph.

Single nucleotide gene polymorphisms (SNPs) as markers of the increased risk of health disorders associated with exposure to industrial noise

It is known that the same environmental factors, including industrial ones, with the same intensity of exposure can cause different responses of the human body depending on its individual characteristics, which are determined, inter alia, by the presence and combination of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of genes responsible for the specificity of the human body's response to stress factors, which causes the importance of their study from the point of view of prevention of public health disorders.
 Based on the generalization and systematization of modern domestic and foreign experience, the authors have examined the use of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of genes as markers of increased risk of health disorders associated with exposure to noise in the workplace.
 Scientists have identified a list of specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms of genes, the presence of which can affect the development of health disorders when exposed to noise.
 It is shown that the use of genetic markers to assess the individual risk of health disorders of persons working under the influence of industrial noise will contribute to the development of personalized medicine and timely prevention of occupational and general diseases associated with exposure to harmful working conditions. The authors have selected for review publications devoted to studies of the body's response to industrial noise, with access to the full text.

Аналіз відповідності вітчизняного переліку професійних захворювань рекомендаціzv МОП 2022 року: інтеграція до європейського законодавства

Introduction: In connection with the reintegration processes of Ukraine's accession to the European Union, the system of recognition, registration, accounting of occupational diseases and the corresponding legislative and methodological base must be adapted to international requirements and recommendations. The level of occupational morbidity in the country does not reflect its real state due to many social and medical reasons. The purpose of the study: analysis of the new edition of the List of occupational diseases and instructions for its use by the ILO in 2022, comparison of its main provisions with a similar list in Ukraine with the aim of the upcoming adaptation of the of occupational diseases registration system in Ukraine to the requirements of the European Union in connection with the process of European integration. Materials and methods: Analytical review of scientific publications was performed using databases of scientific libraries Pub Med, Medline and text databases of scientific publishing houses Pub Med, Central, BMJ group and other VIP databases. The main legislative documents of Ukraine and the International Labor Organization regulating the process of occupational diseases recognizing are analyzed. System and content analysis methods are used. Results: A comparative analysis of materials on the occupational diseases recognition according to the ILO recommendations, as well as similar domestic documents, revealed the unity of general principles. However, at the same time, significant differences were found in the formation of the list of occupational diseases. The ILO list of occupational diseases provides more detailed information on the causative agent, data on occupational exposure to hazardous substances, features of etiopathogenesis, toxicological profile for chemicals, and biological mechanisms for physical and biological factors, main health effects and diagnostic criteria, as well as measures of occupational diseases prevention. This information is not included in the domestic list of occupational diseases and instructions for its use, which significantly limits the possibilities for diagnosing and objectifying of occupational diseases. Considering Ukraine's preparations for joining the European Union, it is obvious that it is necessary to revise domestic legislation regarding the occupational diseases recognition in accordance with international standards and ILO recommendations.

Occupational non-communicable respiratory diseases in industrial and agricultural workers

Introduction. Harmful inhalation effects in the workplace, most of which are preventable, determine more than 10% of chronic non-infectious bronchopulmonary pathology over the world at the population level. In this regard, updated information on inhalation risk factors in various sectors of the economy and the prevalence of diseases associated with them is important for the scientific justification of targeted programs for the prevention of occupational respiratory diseases. 
 Materials and methods. On the basis of the competent statistical materials of the Rospotrebnadzor Department for the Saratov region, a retrospective analysis of the prevalence of occupational non-communicable respiratory diseases (ONRD) and factor inhalation effects in various industries and agriculture of the region was carried out using generally accepted methods.
 Results. For the period from 2009 to 2019 in the territory of the Saratov region one hundred sixty seven industrial workers (58 people), and agriculture 
 (109 people) were established to be diagnosed with 189 ONRD. Despite a fivefold reduction in cases of detection of ONRD over the past decade, 
 non-communicable respiratory diseases occupied the second rank in the structure of accumulated occupational morbidity (25.1%). The range of the contribution of ONRD to the total pool of occupational diseases for different years of observation was from 13.9 to 37.5% in the industrial sector, from 
 13.3 to 33.3% in agriculture. The largest number of ONRD cases were registered in plant-growing workers (51.9%), manufacturing industries (23.3%), and livestock (10.1%); the smallest number in those engaged in mining (2.6%). The first ranks in the structure of the accumulated ONRD were occupied by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (33.9%), chronic dust-free non-obstructive bronchitis (31.2%), and occupational bronchial asthma (23.3%), associated with air pollution of the working environment with silicon-containing, organic dust and sensitizing agents, the genesis of which was determined by the specifics 
 of working conditions.
 Limitation. The gender factor was not taken into account when analyzing the prevalence of ONRD and its nosological structure.
 Conclusion. The data obtained can be used in the development of comprehensive medical and hygienic programs to improve occupational conditions and preserve the longevity of industrial and agricultural workers.

Analysis on morbidity characteristics of occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021

Objective: To analyze the morbidity characteristics of new occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021 and provide scientific evidence for local prevention and treatment of occupational diseases. Methods: In March 2022, the data of newly diagnosed occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021 were obtained from Information Monitoring System for Occupational Diseases and Health Hazards. A descriptive analysis was performed for the distribution of onset age, working years, types of occupational diseases, region, industries, enterprise scale, enterprise economic type and the epidemic trend of occupational diseases. Results: 1362 cases of occupational diseases in 29 species of 9 categories were reported in Taian City from 2006 to 2021, including 1311 males and 51 females. The M (P(25), P(75)) of onset age and working age were 53 (47, 64) and 24.08 (16.56, 29.25) respectively. The top three categories of occupational diseases were occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (1128 cases, 82.82%), occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases (107 cases, 7.86%), and occupational chemical poisoning (70 cases, 5.14%) in sequence. Coal worker's pneumoconiosis, noise deafness, silicosis, poisoning of manganese and its compounds and cataract were the top five species of occupational diseases, which accounted for 69.60% (948/1362), 7.64% (104/1362), 5.58% (76/1362), 3.38% (46/1362) and 2.94% (40/1362) of the total cases of occupational diseases.There were significant differences among the composition of occupational diseases categories reported annually (P<0.001), but the number of occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases was the highest on each year. The number of occupational diseases showed a decreasing trend with the year, and the optimal fitting curve was an growth curve. The number of newly diagnosed occupational diseases was predicted to be 172 cases from 2022 to 2026. Occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases was the main disease in 6 counties. The occupational diseases cases were mainly distributed in Feicheng County and Xintai County, with 520 cases and 504 cases respectively, accounting for 75.18% of occupational diseases cases. The coal mining and washing industry had the largest number of occupational diseases cases, accounting for 73.05% of all occupational diseases cases. 91.85% of occupational diseases cases came from large and medium-sized enterprises. The economic type of enterprises with the most occupational diseases was state-owned enterprises, accounting for 74.52% of occupational diseases cases. Conclusion: The predominant occupational diseases in Taian City are occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases, occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases, occupational chemical poisoning. And the prevention and control of occupational diseases should be strengthened in key industries such as coal mining and washing industry, key enterprises such as state-owned large and medium-sized enterprises.

Analysis of suspected occupational diseases cases and subsequent diagnosis follow-up investigation in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2021

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of suspected occupational diseases cases, and to track the subsequent diagnosis of suspected cases in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2021, and to provide theoretical basis for the supervision of suspected occupational diseases. Methods: In April 2022, the data of suspected occupational diseases cases and occupational diseases in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2021 were collected by the Occupational Diseases and Health Risk Factors Information Surveillance System. The distribution and diagnosis of suspected occupational diseases cases were analyzed. We investigated undiagnosed suspected occupational diseases by telephone. Results: From 2020 to 2021, a total of 1872 cases of suspected occupational diseases in 6 categories and 18 species were reported in Hubei Province. The top three suspected occupational diseases were suspected occupational noise deafness (36.75%, 688/1872), suspected coal worker's pneumoconiosis (33.07%, 619/1872) and suspected silicosis (20.99%, 393/1872). The diagnosis rate of suspected occupational diseases was 33.60% (629/1872). The rate of confirmed diagnosis was 63.59% (400/629). The diagnosis rate (26.86%, 456/1698) and rate of confirmed diagnosis (55.48%, 253/456) of suspected occupational diseases detected by occupational health examination were the lowest. The diagnosis rate of suspected occupational diseases detected by comprehensive medical institutions and private medical institutions were lower than disease prevention and control institutions and occupational disease prevention center (P<0.05). The main reasons for not entering the diagnostic procedure included that workers were not informed that they were diagnosed as suspected occupational diseases (31.55%, 124/393), workers were unwilling to apply for occupational disease diagnosis (18.56%, 73/393), and some workers planned to apply for diagnosis but had not yet applied (10.69%, 42/393) . Conclusion: Occupational noise deafness, coal worker's pneumoconiosis and silicosis are the main diseases of suspected occupational diseases in Hubei Province. In order to increase the diagnosis rate and confirmed diagnosis rate of suspected occupational diseases, it is suggested to strengthen management and supervision from the aspects of case management, information warning and worker notification.

Occupational Health and Safety in China: A Systematic Analysis of Research Trends and Future Perspectives

The frequent occurrence of various occupational accidents has resulted in significant casualties and occupational disease issues, which hinder economic and social development seriously. The promotion and enhancement of occupational health and safety (OHS) require greater efforts to be made to achieve sustainable economic development, particularly in developing countries. With remarkable progress and achievements that have been made in terms of OHS in China, a systematic and thorough review is needed to gain insight into the development process, current status, and research trends regarding OHS in China. Additionally, pathways for future work need to be discussed to boost the OHS development in China in the new era. Therefore, a systematic literature review is performed in this study to investigate the development of OHS in China with the help of a bibliometric analysis. Firstly, a total of 5675 publications related to OHS in China between 1979 and 2022 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD) before being refined manually. Then, the temporal distribution and journal sources of the collected publications were analyzed before the collaboration networks of the “productive institutions” and “productive authors” were discussed. Furthermore, the key research topics (e.g., disease prevention, psychological safety, occupational exposure) and dominant research methods (e.g., epidemiological methods, risk modeling) associated with OHS during different periods were identified and discussed based on the keywords and bibliographic analysis. Finally, the current needs and promising pathways for future work were discussed. It is suggested that the prevention and control of conventional and new occupational diseases, the protection of workers’ occupational health rights and interests, the development and implementation of advanced technologies for OHS, and the development of more sophisticated and efficient health and safety risk assessment models may be focused on to accelerate the development of OHS in China. This study systematically reviews the development processes, current status, and future prospects regarding OHS in China. The results of this study provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners who are involved in the Chinese OHS development, and the promising pathways for future works are suggested to boost the OHS development in China.

Investigation and analysis of occupational hazard factors in different industries in Tongliao City

Objective: To investigate the occupational hazard factors of different industries in Tongliao City, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of occupational disease in Tongliao City. Methods: In July 2021, the detection data of coal dust, silica dust, cement dust, benzene, noise and other occupational hazard factors, as well as the occupational health examination data of workers in various positions of 104 enterprises in different industries in Tongliao City were cllected and anylazed. χ(2) test was used to analyze the results of chest radiography of workers in different age groups. Results: A total of 104 enterprises were investigated, and the median time-weighted average concentration (C(TWA)) of coal dust, silic a dust, cement dust and benzene in contact with test posts were 0.94, 0.30, 0.70 and 0.95 mg/m(3), respectively. The median 8 h equivalent sound level (L(EX, 8 h)) of noise was 74.1 dB (A) . The over standard rates of silica dust, cement dust and noise contact positions were 10.83% (16/240) , 7.14% (2/28) and 0.48% (3/628) , respectively. The differences of chest X-ray examination of coal dust and silica dust workers in different working ages were statistically significant (χ(2)=218.50, 531.80, P<0.001) . The difference of hearing threshold of noise workers with different working age was statistically significant (χ(2)=1290.00, P<0.001) . The rates of leukopenia and neutropenia were 41.90% (44/105) and 20.95% (22/105) in benzene exposed workers. The positive rate of brucella exposure workers was 1.33% (1/75) for tiger red plate agglutination test and 3.23% (3/93) for tube agglutination test. Conclusion: Silica dust, cement dust and noise exceed the standard in some posts and places in the Tongliao City, and some workers are infected with Brucella. In the future, we can focus on monitoring noise-generating posts, strengthen supervision and implement prevention and control measures to reduce the incidence of occupational diseases.

Analysis of factors influencing lung function in patients with pneumoconiosis

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients, and to provide reference for clinical treatment. Methods: From July 2020 to December 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted on pneumoconiosis patients in the jurisdiction by using the "Guangdong Province Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Institute" questionnaire, and the relevant items of patients were examined. The rate of counting data is expressed, and the measurement data is expressed by mean and standard deviation. Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups, trend chi-square test was used for trend analysis of ordered classified data. Multivariate analysis was carried out with binary logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1409 pneumoconiosis patients were enrolled. The abnormal rate of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients was 68.77%. The results of trend Chi-square test showed that the abnormal rate of lung function increased with the age of exposure to dust in different age groups (Chi Sqnare Trend=64.12、8.49、24.20, P<0.05) . In univariate analysis, there were statistical significance in different dust exposure age, working age, pneumoconiosis stage, complications and occupational pneumoconiosis diseases (P<0.05) . Multiple logistic regression results showed that age of exposure to dust, years of service, stage of pneumoconiosis and complications were the main influencing factors of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients (P<0.05) . Compared with patients aged 0-30 years, patients aged 50-70 years and older had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.12~4.16; OR=4.82, 95%CI: 2.05~11.35, all P<0.05) ; Compared with patients with 0~20 years of service, patients with 20~30 years of service and more than 30 years of service had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=1.58, 95%CI: 1.10~2.25; OR=1.63, 95%CI: 1.28~2.40, P<0.05) ; Compared with stage Ⅰ patients, Stage Ⅱ and Stage Ⅲ patients had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.20~2.17; OR=2.23, 95%CI: 1.40~3.55, all P<0.05) ; Compared with patients without comorbidities, patients with comorbidities had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (OR=1.68, 95%CI: 1.20~2.38, P<0.05) . Conclusion: The factors such as age of exposure to dust, working age, stage of pneumoconiosis and complications may be the influencing factors of lung function in pneumoconiosis patients.

Indoor radon monitoring for occupational health reinforcement in Portugal: compliance, prevention, and technological advancements

This article highlights the relevance of indoor radon monitoring for occupational health protection, disease prevention, and compliance with safety regulations. Radon, a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas, is a leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking, and therefore in situ monitoring is fundamental to identify areas with high radon levels so that remediation measures must be implemented to reduce indoor exposure. The article gives an overview of the regulations in force in Portugal for indoor radon monitoring and identifies the responsibilities of different authorities and organizations in ensuring compliance with radiological protection requirements. It also outlines the legal framework for radon protection in Portugal, including the identification of reference levels for radon concentration in workplaces and dwellings, and the need to implement measures concerning indoor radon exposure reduction. Additionally, it is detailed the process of monitoring radon in indoor environments, including the selection of an appropriate measurement device and the necessary measurement time, and the need to inform and train workers about the risks associated with radon exposure. In short, this review provides information on the importance of radon monitoring and the measures required to ensure public safety.

Pilot Study of the Prevalence of Contact Sensitization to Preservatives as Cosmetic Ingredients in Occupational and Educational Exposures

Abstract Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of contact sensitization to selected preservatives as cosmetic ingredients among cosmeticians and cosmetology students and to identify the most common allergens in occupational and non-occupational exposures. Materials and methods: Skin patch testing with formaldehyde, quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, methylisothiazolinone + methylchloro-isothiazolinone, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, methyldibromoglutaronitrile, polyaminopropyl biguanide and paraben mix was performed among 109 participants – 37 cosmetology students, 26 cosmeticians, and 46 individuals – controls, occupationally unexposed to cosmetics. Fisher Exact Test and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were used. Results: Formaldehyde was the main contact sensitizer, with significantly higher prevalence of sensitization among the occupationally exposed cosmeticians and cosmetology students if compared to the controls (p = 0.005) [OR = 0.290 (95% CI: 0.092-0.916]). The positivity prevalence to DMDM hydantoin was 11%, with equal rates of sensitization to quaternium-15, methylisothiazolinone + methylchloroisothiazolinone and methyldibromo-glutaronitrile (9.2%). A significantly higher prevalence of co-sensitization to DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea was revealed. The positivity rate to quaternium-15 was highest among cosmetology students – 13.5%. The frequency of positive reactions to imidazolidinyl urea was 2.7% for students and 11.5% for cosmeticians. Cosmetology students and cosmeticians were at risk of sensitization to DMDM hydantoin, and the cosmeticians – to methylisothiazolinone/methylchloro-isothiazolinone and methyldibromo glutaronitrile and parabens. Conclusions: This study established comparative high prevalence and risk of contact sensitization to the selected preservatives. Proper occupational risk information, developing and disseminating of practical tools for workplace risk assessment and management, with complex programs for prevention of occupational skin diseases should be provided.

Occupational health assessment summary designed for semantic interoperability

BackgroundGeopolitical and economic crises force a growing number of people to leave their countries and search better employment opportunities abroad. Meanwhile, the highly competitive labor market provides opportunities for employees to change workplaces and job positions. Health assessment data collected during the occupational history is an essential resource for developing efficient occupational disease prevention strategies as well as for ensuring the physical and psychological well-being of newly appointed workers. The diversity in data representation is source for interoperability problems that are insufficiently explored in the existing literature. ObjectivesThis research aims to design a worker’s occupational health assessment summary (OHAS) dataset that satisfies the requirements of an international standard for semantic interoperability in the use case for exchanging extracts of such data. The focus is on the need for a common OHAS standard at EU level allowing seamless exchange of OHAS at both cross-border and at the worker’s country of origin level. ResultsThis paper proposes a novelty systematic approach ensuring semantic interoperability in the exchange of OHAS. Two use cases are explored in terms of UML sequence diagram. The OHAS dataset reflects common data requirements established in the national legislation of EU countries. Finally, an EN 13606 archetype of OHAS is designed by satisfying the requirements for semantic interoperability in the exchange of clinical data. Semantic interoperability of OHAS is demonstrated with realistic use case data. ConclusionsThe designed static, non-volatile and reusable information model of OHAS developed in this paper allows to create EN 13606 archetype instances that are valid with respect to the Reference model and the datatypes of this standard. Thus, basic activities in the OHAS use case can be implemented in software, for example, by means of a native XML database as well as integrated into existing information systems.