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Testing of Common Electromagnetic Environments for Risk of Interference with Cardiac Pacemaker Function.

Maria TIIKKAJA ; Aapo L ARO ; Tommi ALANKO ; Harri LINDHOLM ; Heli SISTONEN ; Juha E K HARTIKAINEN ; Lauri TOIVONEN ; Jukka JUUTILAINEN ; Maila HIETANEN

Safety and Health at Work.2013;4(3):156-159.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac pacemakers are known to be susceptible to strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs). This in vivo study investigated occurrence of electromagnetic interference with pacemakers caused by common environmental sources of EMFs. METHODS: Eleven volunteers with a pacemaker were exposed to EMFs produced by two mobile phone base stations, an electrically powered commuter train, and an overhead high voltage transmission lines. All the pacemakers were programmed in normal clinically selected settings with bipolar sensing and pacing configurations. RESULTS: None of the pacemakers experienced interference in any of these exposure situations. However, often it is not clear whether or not strong EMFs exist in various work environments, and hence an individual risk assessment is needed. CONCLUSIONS: Modern pacemakers are well shielded against external EMFs, and workers with a pacemaker can most often return to their previous work after having a pacemaker implanted. However, an appropriate risk assessment is still necessary after the implantation of a pacemaker, a change of its generator, or major modification of its programming settings.
Cellular Phone ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Magnets* ; Occupational Exposure ; Risk Assessment

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Stochastic Resonance Whole-Body Vibration, Musculoskeletal Symptoms, and Body Balance: A Worksite Training Study.

Achim ELFERING ; Sibille ARNOLD ; Volker SCHADE ; Christian BURGER ; Lorenz RADLINGER

Safety and Health at Work.2013;4(3):149-155.

BACKGROUND: Stochastic resonance whole-body vibration training (SR-WBV) was tested to reduce work-related musculoskeletal complaints. METHODS: Participants were 54 white-collar employees of a Swiss organization. The controlled crossover design comprised two groups each given 4 weeks of exercise and no training during a second 4-week period. Outcome was daily musculoskeletal well-being, musculoskeletal pain, and surefootedness. In addition, participants performed a behavioral test on body balance prior to when SR-WBV started and after 4 weeks of SR-WBV. RESULTS: Across the 4-week training period, musculoskeletal well-being and surefootedness were significantly increased (p < 0.05), whereas musculoskeletal pain was significantly reduced only in those who reported low back pain during the last 4 weeks prior to the study (p < 0.05). Body balance was significantly increased by SR-WBV (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SR-WBV seems to be an efficient option in primary prevention of musculoskeletal complaints and falls at work.
Cross-Over Studies ; Low Back Pain ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Musculoskeletal System ; Occupational Health ; Primary Prevention ; Vibration* ; Workplace*

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Occupational Dermatoses by Type of Work in Greece.

Eleni ZORBA ; Antony KARPOUZIS ; Alexandros ZORBAS ; Theodore BAZAS ; Sam ZORBAS ; Elias ALEXOPOULOS ; Ilias ZORBAS ; Konstantinos KOUSKOUKIS ; Theodoros KONSTANDINIDIS

Safety and Health at Work.2013;4(3):142-148.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the relationship between seven occupational dermatoses (ODs) and 20 types of work in Greece. METHODS: This was a prevalence epidemiologic study of certain ODs among 4,000 workers employed in 20 types of enterprise, in 104 companies, in 2006-2012, using data from company medical records, questionnaires, occupational medical, and special examinations. The chi2 test was applied to reveal statistically significant relationships between types of enterprises and occurrence of ODs. RESULTS: A high percentage (39.9%) of employees included in the study population suffered from ODs. The highest prevalence rates were noted among hairdressers (of contact dermatitis: 30%), cooks (of contact dermatitis: 29.5%), bitumen workers (of acne: 23.5%), car industry workers (of mechanical injury: 15%), construction workers (of contact urticaria: 29.5%), industrial cleaning workers (of chemical burns: 13%), and farmers (of malignant tumors: 5.5%). We observed several statistical significant correlations between ODs (acute and chronic contact dermatitis, urticaria, mechanical injury, acne, burns, skin cancer) and certain types of enterprises. There was no statistically significant correlation between gender and prevalence of ODs, except for dermatoses caused by mechanical injuries afflicting mainly men [chi2 (1) = 13.40, p < 0.001] and for chronic contact dermatitis [chi2 (1) = 5.53, p = 0.019] afflicting mainly women. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of ODs is high in Greece, contrary to all official reports by the Greek National Institute of Health. There is a need to introduce a nationwide voluntary surveillance system for reporting ODs and to enhance skin protection measures at work.
Acne Vulgaris ; Burns ; Burns, Chemical ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Environmental Health ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Greece* ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Occupational Exposure ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Urticaria

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Dermal Exposure Associated with Occupational End Use of Pesticides and the Role of Protective Measures.

Ewan MACFARLANE ; Renee CAREY ; Tessa KEEGEL ; Sonia EL-ZAEMAY ; Lin FRITSCHI

Safety and Health at Work.2013;4(3):136-141.

BACKGROUND: Occupational end users of pesticides may experience bodily absorption of the pesticide products they use, risking possible health effects. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers working in the field of agricultural health or other areas where occupational end use of pesticides and exposure issues are of interest. METHODS: This paper characterizes the health effects of pesticide exposure, jobs associated with pesticide use, pesticide-related tasks, absorption of pesticides through the skin, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for reducing exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Although international and national efforts to reduce pesticide exposure through regulatory means should continue, it is difficult in the agricultural sector to implement engineering or system controls. It is clear that use of PPE does reduce dermal pesticide exposure but compliance among the majority of occupationally exposed pesticide end users appears to be poor. More research is needed on higher-order controls to reduce pesticide exposure and to understand the reasons for poor compliance with PPE and identify effective training methods.
Absorption ; Administrative Personnel ; Agricultural Workers' Diseases ; Compliance ; Humans ; Methods ; Occupational Exposure ; Occupations ; Pesticides* ; Protective Clothing ; Skin ; Skin Absorption

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Neurobehavioral Deficits and Parkinsonism in Occupations with Manganese Exposure: A Review of Methodological Issues in the Epidemiological Literature.

Robert M PARK

Safety and Health at Work.2013;4(3):123-135.

Exposure to manganese (Mn) is associated with neurobehavioral effects. There is disagreement on whether commonly occurring exposures in welding, ferroalloy, and other industrial processes produce neurologically significant neurobehavioral changes representing parkinsonism. A review of methodological issues in the human epidemiological literature on Mn identified: (1) studies focused on idiopathic Parkinson disease without considering manganism, a parkinsonian syndrome; (2) studies with healthy worker effect bias; (3) studies with problematic statistical modeling; and (4) studies arising from case series derived from litigation. Investigations with adequate study design and exposure assessment revealed consistent neurobehavioral effects and attributable subclinical and clinical signs and symptoms of impairment. Twenty-eight studies show an exposure-response relationship between Mn and neurobehavioral effects, including 11 with continuous exposure metrics and six with three or four levels of contrasted exposure. The effects of sustained low-concentration exposures to Mn are consistent with the manifestations of early manganism, i.e., consistent with parkinsonism. This is compelling evidence that Mn is a neurotoxic chemical and there is good evidence that Mn exposures far below the current US standard of 5.0 mg/m3 are causing impairment.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Healthy Worker Effect ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Manganese* ; Models, Statistical ; Neurobehavioral Manifestations ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Occupations* ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders* ; Welding

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Comparison of Real Time Nanoparticle Monitoring Instruments in the Workplaces.

Seunghon HAM ; Naroo LEE ; Igchun EOM ; Byoungcheun LEE ; Perng Jy TSAI ; Kiyoung LEE ; Chungsik YOON

Safety and Health at Work.2016;7(4):381-388. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2016.08.001

BACKGROUND: Relationships among portable scanning mobility particle sizer (P-SMPS), condensation particle counter (CPC), and surface area monitor (SAM), which are different metric measurement devices, were investigated, and two widely used research grade (RG)-SMPSs were compared to harmonize the measurement protocols. METHODS: Pearson correlation analysis was performed to compare the relation between P-SMPS, CPC, and SAM and two common RG-SMPS. RESULTS: For laboratory and engineered nanoparticle (ENP) workplaces, correlation among devices showed good relationships. Correlation among devices was fair in unintended nanoparticle (UNP)-emitting workplaces. This is partly explained by the fact that shape of particles was not spherical, although calibration of sampling instruments was performed using spherical particles and the concentration was very high at the UNP workplaces to allow them to aggregate more easily. Chain-like particles were found by scanning electron microscope in UNP workplaces. The CPC or SAM could be used as an alternative instrument instead of SMPS at the ENP-handling workplaces. At the UNP workplaces, where concentration is high, real-time instruments should be used with caution. There are significant differences between the two SMPSs tested. TSI SMPS showed about 20% higher concentration than the Grimm SMPS in all workplaces. CONCLUSIONS: For nanoparticle measurement, CPC and SAM might be useful to find source of emission at laboratory and ENP workplaces instead of P-SMPS in the first stage. An SMPS is required to measure with high accuracy. Caution is necessary when comparing data from different nanoparticle measurement devices and RG-SMPSs.
Calibration ; Nanoparticles*

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Estimates of the Number of Workers Exposed to Diesel Engine Exhaust in South Korea from 1993 to 2013.

Sangjun CHOI ; Donguk PARK ; Seung Won KIM ; Kwonchul HA ; Hyejung JUNG ; Gwangyong YI ; Dong Hee KOH ; Deokmook PARK ; Oknam SUN ; Sanni UUKSULAINEN

Safety and Health at Work.2016;7(4):372-380. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2016.06.001

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate the number of workers exposed to diesel engine exhaust (DEE) by industry and year in the Republic of Korea. METHOD: The estimates of workers potentially exposed to DEE in the Republic of Korea were calculated by industry on the basis of the carcinogen exposure (CAREX) surveillance system. The data on the labor force employed in DEE exposure industries were obtained from the Census on Establishments conducted by the Korea National Statistical Office from 1993 to 2013. The mean values of prevalence rates adopted by EU15 countries were used as the primary exposure prevalence rates. We also investigated the exposure prevalence rates and exposure characteristics of DEE in 359 workplaces representing 11 industries. RESULTS: The total number of workers exposed to DEE were estimated as 270,014 in 1993 and 417,034 in 2013 (2.2% of the total labor force). As of 2013, the industry categorized as “Land transport” showed the highest number of workers exposed to DEE with 174,359, followed by “Personal and household services” with 70,298, “Construction” with 45,555, “Wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels” with 44,005, and “Sanitation and similar services” with 12,584. These five industries, with more than 10,000 workers exposed to DEE, accounted for 83% of the total DEE-exposed workers. Comparing primary prevalence rates used for preliminary estimation among 49 industries, “Metal ore mining” had the highest rate at 52.6%, followed by “Other mining” with 50.0%, and “Land transport” with 23.6%. CONCLUSION: The DEE prevalence rates we surveyed (1.3–19.8%) were higher than the primary prevalence rates. The most common emission sources of DEE were diesel engine vehicles such as forklifts, trucks, and vans. Our estimated numbers of workers exposed to DEE can be used to identify industries with workers requiring protection from potential exposure to DEE in the Republic of Korea.
Censuses ; Employment ; Family Characteristics ; Korea* ; Methods ; Motor Vehicles ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Restaurants ; Vehicle Emissions*

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Sleep and Fatigue Among Seafarers: The Role of Environmental Stressors, Duration at Sea and Psychological Capital.

Sigurd W HYSTAD ; Jarle EID

Safety and Health at Work.2016;7(4):363-371. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2016.05.006

BACKGROUND: Seafaring is an inherently stressful environment. Because working time and leisure time is spent in the same confined environment for a prolonged period of time, many stressors present in seafaring can also be conceived of as chronic. We explored the effects of duration at sea, seafaring experience, environmental stressors, and psychological capital (PsyCap) on the sleep quality and fatigue of seafarers. PsyCap is a construct that draws upon ideas from positive psychology and positive organizational behavior, and is intended to capture an individual's psychological capacities that can be developed and utilized for performance improvements. METHODS: We collected survey data from a sample of seafarers working in the offshore re-supply industry (n = 402) and a sample of seafarers working on board combined passenger and cargo ships (n = 340). RESULTS: PsyCap emerged as a robust predictor with statistically significant relations to fatigue and sleep quality in both samples. PsyCap also interacted with duration at sea in explaining fatigue in seafarers working on board the passenger and cargo ships. Seafarers on passenger and cargo ships also reported significantly higher levels of fatigue than those working in the offshore re-supply industry. CONCLUSION: Coupled with emerging research showing that PsyCap is trainable, our results suggest that maritime organizations could have much to gain by being cognizant of and developing routines for continually developing the PsyCap of their employees.
Fatigue* ; Leisure Activities ; Psychology ; Ships

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Buffering Effect of Job Resources in the Relationship between Job Demands and Work-to-Private-Life Interference: A Study among Health-Care Workers.

Sara VIOTTI ; Daniela CONVERSO

Safety and Health at Work.2016;7(4):354-362. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2016.05.002

BACKGROUND: The present study aims at investigating whether and how (1) job demands and job resources are associated with work-to-private-life interference (WLI) and (2) job resources moderate the relationship between job demands and WLI. METHODS: Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire from three hospitals in Italy. The sample consisted of 889 health-care workers. RESULTS: All job demands (i.e., quantitative demands, disproportionate patient expectations, and verbal aggression) and job resources (i.e., job autonomy, support from superiors and colleagues, fairness, and organizational support), with the exception of skill discretion, were related to WLI. The effects of quantitative demands on WLI were moderated by support from superiors; fairness and organizational support moderate the effects of all job demands considered. Support from colleagues moderated only verbal aggression. Job autonomy did not buffer any job demands. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the work context has a central importance in relation to the experience of WLI among health-care workers. The results indicated that intervention in the work context may help to contain WLI. Such interventions would especially be aimed at improving the social climate within the unit and quality of the organizational process.
Aggression ; Climate ; Humans ; Italy

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Key Strike Forces and Their Relation to High Level of Musculoskeletal Symptoms.

Yafa LEVANON ; Amit GEFEN ; Yehuda LERMAN ; Sigal PORTNOY ; Navah Z RATZON

Safety and Health at Work.2016;7(4):347-353. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2016.04.008

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relation between key strike forces and musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). Moreover, this study presents a key strike force measurement method to be used in a workplace setting. The correlation between key strike force characteristics and MSS was previously studied, but the measurement methods used either a single-key switch or force platforms applied under the keyboard. Most of the studies were conducted in a laboratory setting. The uniqueness of measurement methods in the current study is their ability to measure forces applied to a specific key in a workplace setting and to provide more information about specific key strike forces during typing. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy computer workers were recruited for the study. The demographic questionnaire, and self-reported questionnaires for psychosocial status (General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work) and for detecting MSS were filled up, which later helped in dividing the participants into two groups (12 participants with pain and 12 without pain). Participants typed a predetermined text that utilized the instrumented keys multiple times. The dynamic forces applied to the keys were recorded and collected, using four thin and flexible force sensors attached to the preselected keys according to their location. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that participants with high levels of MSS, specifically in the back and neck, in the last year exerted significantly higher key strike forces than those with lower levels of symptoms (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The key strike force exerted while typing on a keyboard may be a risk factor for MSS, and should therefore be considered in ergonomic evaluations and interventional programs.
Human Engineering ; Methods ; Neck ; Risk Factors ; Strikes, Employee*

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