Medycyna pracy最新文献

Background: This study aimed to identify distinct employee and organizational profiles influencing workplace safety behaviors (compliance and participation) using latent profile analysis (LPA), focusing on psychological need satisfaction, work performance, and organizational safety culture.

Material and methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1293 Polish employees across diverse sectors (industry, transportation, construction, agriculture) assessed individual factors (personal safety culture, basic psychological needs, task/contextual performance, counterproductive behaviors) and organizational factors (safety values, leadership commitment, training quality, psychosocial climate). Validated scales, including the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale at Work, Individual Work Performance Questionnaire, individual safety culture questionnaire (Kultura bezpieczeństwa jednostki), and organizational safety culture questionnaire (Kultura bezpieczeństwa zakładu), were administered via computer-assisted web interview. Separate LPAs identified employee and organizational profiles; non-parametric tests compared safety outcomes across profiles.

Results: Five latent profiles emerged for both employees and organizations. Employees with high basic need satisfaction, strong personal safety values, and high performance exhibited the highest safety compliance and participation. Conversely, those with unmet needs despite strong safety values showed the lowest level of safety behaviors. Organizations with holistic safety cultures (leadership commitment, tailored training, psychosocial support) achieved superior safety outcomes, while those neglecting systemic safety investments performed the poorest.

Conclusions: Workplace safety behaviors are shaped by interactions between various individual and organizational variables. The study highlighted the importance of both organizational factors, such as safety climate, and individual factors, including need satisfaction, performance, and counterproductive behaviors. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):435-447.

This article, aimed at assessing potential health risks to medical personnel, presents a literature review on paclitaxel (PTX), a natural taxane alkaloid widely used in cancer chemotherapy. The review analyzes the toxic properties of PTX, occupational exposure routes and sources, as well as findings from environmental and biological monitoring studies and potential health effects. The methodology included a review of literature from reputable databases, institutional reports on hazardous medicinal products, and data from national registries. The results confirm that, despite its effectiveness in cancer treatment, PTX is a highly toxic substance associated with significant occupational risk. Due to its high molecular weight and relatively high vapor pressure, exposure may occur via inhalation and dermal contact during various stages of drug handling - from preparation to contact with patients' excreta. Biological monitoring has detected PTX in the urine and plasma of healthcare workers, while environmental monitoring has confirmed widespread surface contamination in medical facilities. The potential health effects of PTX primarily include mutagenic and genotoxic actions (aneugenicity, clastogenicity, DNA damage, chromosomal aberrations, and micronuclei formation), as well as neurotoxicity, myelosuppression, hepatotoxicity, and adverse effects on reproduction (embryotoxicity, fetotoxicity, and impaired fertility). To identify irregularities early and effectively reduce health risks associated with PTX exposure, a comprehensive occupational exposure assessment should become standard practice. This assessment should incorporate 3 complementary components: biological monitoring of workers, air concentration measurements, and surface contamination testing using wipe sampling. The inclusion of surface contamination measurements as a routine exposure surveillance method should be recognized as a best practice in healthcare settings where cytotoxic substances are used. A reference value of 0.1 ng/cm² for surface contamination is recommended. The implementation of effective preventive measures, appropriate personal protective equipment, regular decontamination, and staff training is essential for protecting the health of medical personnel. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):469-486.

Background: Malignant cancers are one of the most significant public health challenges, both in Poland and globally. In the context of increasing incidence, particular attention should be given to cancers with occupational etiology. Despite awareness of these risks, in Poland, this issue remains insufficiently recognized and registered within the occupational disease system. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence occupational cancers in Poland 2015-2024, focusing on high-risk industries and the most common causes of occupational carcinogens.

Material and methods: The analysis included data on reported cases of confirmed occupational diseases 2015-2024, which were submitted by sanitary-epidemiological stations to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź.

Results: In the analyzed period, 601 cases of occupational cancers were reported, including 512 in men and 89 in women. The most frequently diagnosed cancers were lung cancer (50.1%), pleural mesothelioma (36.6%), hematopoietic system cancers (3.3%), and laryngeal cancer (2.8%). The average duration of exposure was about 20 years. The highest number of cases was associated with industrial processing, mining, and construction, with dominant risk factors such as asbestos, benzene, and ionizing radiation. Asbestos exposure was responsible for all cases of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, >56% of lung cancers, and nearly 47% of laryngeal cancers.

Conclusions: The analysis revealed that occupational cancers account for only 2.7% of all reported occupational diseases indicating a significant underestimation. Further actions are needed to strengthen the detection, diagnosis, and prevention systems for these carcinogens. It is essential to introduce tools to monitor exposure to carcinogenic factors and to promote cooperation between employers, occupational health and safety services, doctors, and public health protection institutions. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):449-456.

A significant increase in the number of indoor shooting ranges for many years in Poland and most European countries is connected with a raising number of people potentially exposed to lead (both employees and users). In recent years, it has been noted that lead exposure poses a significant health risk to both those who professionally use indoor shooting ranges, such as services officers, instructors, and shooting range staff, as well as occasional users. Exposure to lead increased its blood concentrations, which is associated with the risk of serious health effects, primarily affecting the hematopoietic system and the peripheral nervous system. Indoor shooting ranges constitute a significant source of occupational lead exposure for employees and users, primarily through inhalation. Available literature indicates existing health risks associated with working at these facilities, primarily related to the chronic effects of lead poisoning. Lead, although regulated by industry, is not routinely identified as a harmful agent at shooting ranges, resulting in a lack of measurements of lead concentrations in air and blood. The aim of this study was to assess current legal regulations regarding occupational lead exposure in the workplace in relation to exposure of employees at indoor shooting ranges. This study analyzed and summarized the current regulations regarding occupational lead exposure assessment and the literature regarding potential lead exposure at indoor shooting ranges. Due to EU Directive 2024/869 lowering the occupational exposure limit (OEL) and biological limit values (BLV) for lead, it appears necessary to develop guidelines and regulations regulating the exposure of employees at indoor shooting ranges to lead, similar to that in the United States. Lack of identification and reduction of lead exposure at indoor shooting ranges may lead to an increase in occupational disease cases, which poses a significant challenge for both employers and the healthcare system. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):499-508.

Chronic and long-term exposure to heavy metals is a significant public health problem today. Development and globalization present challenges to constant control and monitoring, mainly of metals and toxic substances, including arsenic (As). It is estimated that nearly 200 million people worldwide are at serious risk of exposure. The purpose of this review is to summarize the impact of long-term of exposure to As on selected cardiovascular diseases in humans, based on the available literature. This narrative review provides an insight into the complexity of the processes of arsenic's influence on cardiovascular health and attempts to identify factors that may serve as potential preventive targets. Arsenic exposure has been associated with several cardiovascular outcomes, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, venous insufficiency, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Common exposure to As and other metals is inevitable, but it is worth noting that the difference in its toxicity may be due to gender, diet, exposure, and dose level, among other factors. Even in the case of the smallest and short-lived exposures, the poisonous and immensely damaging effects of As pose a serious risk of at least cardiovascular health, a major public health challenge as global growth continues. The challenge for future epidemiological and public health research on As and vascular diseases should be to study long-term exposure to As at the individual level in different groups. Reliable biomarkers with appropriate references to the sample should be used, individuals with low and moderate exposure should be included, and a modern genomic approach should be used to analyze genetic susceptibility. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):457-468.

Eating a healthy and varied diet is an important factor in supporting the maintenance of mental health. Many nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are essential for proper brain function and a lack of them can contribute to impaired mental function. For workers who are exposed to excessive mental stress during work activities a balanced diet is particularly important to maintain cognitive performance, increase resistance to stress and maintain good overall psychophysical performance. A review was conducted to find scientific papers dedicated to studying the impact of nutrition on mental fitness. The review included papers published 2012-2025. As a result of the literature analysis, selected nutrients that play an important role in the proper functioning of the nervous system were listed. The role each component plays in the body and the consequences of deficiencies were discussed. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):487-497.

Legal regulations regarding anti-smoking policy in Poland were analyzed in comparison to solutions adopted in other countries around the world. Based on the 2022 National Health Survey of Poles conducted by the Polish Oncological Society and a report from the Polish Academy of Sciences, the smoking rate was nearly 30%, 3 pp higher than in 2021. At the same time, alternative nicotine products are becoming increasingly popular. The authors reviewed available reports and scientific publications on this topic and proposed directions for legislative changes. The goal is to reduce the scale of smoking and nicotine addiction, so that in the long term, the percentage of smokers in Poland decreases to 5%. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(5):407-416.

Background: Absenteeism due to cervical cancer (CC) poses a considerable challenge for both employers and employees, with implications for productivity. The aim of the article is to assess the costs of lost productivity associated with CC in Poland 2018-2022.

Material and methods: The analysis is based on the human capital method and a societal perspective, focusing on 2 main aspects of productivity losses: absence and premature mortality.

Results: The average number of sick leave days for CC patients ranged 23-25 days annually, and productivity losses from this cause increased from EUR 10.3 million in 2018 to over EUR 14 million in 2022. During the analyzed period, 1742 deaths of women of working age due to CC were recorded. Expenditures by the National Health Fund on CC treatment for women of working age 2018-2022 averaged EUR 11 million/year, while the Social Insurance Institution covered benefits such as pensions and sickness allowances ranging from EUR 5.3 million to EUR 6.4 million annually.

Conclusions: Productivity losses due to CC were nearly 5 times higher than direct public expenditures. The findings highlight the need to prioritize prevention programs and to consider indirect costs in the assessment of disease burden and health policy decisions. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(5):353-359.

Healthcare workers having close contact with patients are particularly vulnerable to influenza virus infection and may serve as a source of transmission. Despite WHO recommendations regarding annual influenza vaccination, the vaccination rate in this professional group in Poland remains very low. Scientific data on the effectiveness of influenza prevention methods are presented in the article. Additionally, attitudes toward influenza vaccination in Poland are analyzed based on a cross-sectional survey conducted at 3 university hospitals in Warsaw. The survey revealed that only 29.9% of respondents perceived vaccination as effective in preventing influenza, while 52.8% pointed to hand hygiene as the primary preventive measure. Significant differences were identified between professional groups, with physicians more likely than nurses to recognize vaccination efficacy (84% vs. 42.4%). The lack of willingness to undergo vaccination is primarily attributed to insufficient knowledge regarding vaccine safety and efficacy, concerns about adverse effects, and limited access to vaccines. Implementation of free workplace vaccinations and educational campaigns is suggested as a means to significantly increase vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel in Poland. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(5):397-406.

In some professions, the load on the vocal apparatus is particularly high, and professional functioning depends on maintaining vocal function for many hours a day. The aim of the study is to identify risk factors for the development of work-related and non-work-related diseases of the vocal organs and to indicate tests assessing the efficiency of the vocal organ in order to improve preventive care for employees exposed to vocal strain. The article discusses work-related diseases of the vocal organs and the law criteria for recognizing them as occupational diseases. The scope of preventive activities as part of preventive care for employees exposed to work requiring constant and excessive vocal effort was also determined. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(5):417-427.