Industrial Health最新文献

Given the recognized carcinogenicity of cadmium, several regulatory interventions have been carried out over the years to protect exposed workers. The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence and extent of exposure to cadmium among Italian workers. Data was collected from a nation-wide occupational exposure registry (SIREP, 1996-2022). Gender-specific statistical analysis was carried out for some exposure-related variables (cadmium compound, activity sector, occupational group, firm size). Potentially exposed workers were estimated for some industrial sectors. Concurrent exposures were investigated using cluster analysis. Overall 4,264 measurements were analyzed. Four industrial sectors were found to be most involved by cadmium exposure: base metal manufacturing, fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment, and other transport equipment (55% of measurements). Jewellery/precious-metal workers, and glass/ceramic plant operators were found to be most at exposure risk. A total of 26,470 workers potentially exposed was estimated (69% men). Concurrent exposures to other occupational carcinogens were detected quite frequently (52% of workers). Several situations of exposure and co-exposure to cadmium deserve attention and awareness in order to minimize the risks associated with workers' health. Recognition of potentially hazardous exposure conditions is an important step in prevention strategies to better protect workers against cancer-causing agents.

The introduction and implementation of chemical risk assessment is difficult, especially at small and medium-sized manufacturing and construction companies. This study aimed to identify the factors that inhibit or facilitate such assessment. Twelve individuals in charge of risk assessment at one medium-sized client company and eight small and medium-sized contract companies and responsible for innovation in the manufacturing and construction industries were interviewed. The interview transcripts were analyzed via text mining using KH Corder ver. 3 and a co-occurrence network was used to identify the keywords' connections and each factor in consideration of the interviews. Six factors inhibited or facilitated risk assessment: (1) education on hazardous work in the workplace, (2) improvement suggestions and reduction measures from client and staff, (3) cooperation between employees and contractors in the workplace, (4) thoroughly explanation of SDS content for better understanding, (5) risk awareness based on accident examples, and (6) difficulties imagining the hazards of chemical substances. Factors (1), (2), (3), and (5) were positive, facilitating factors; (4) and (6) were negative, inhibiting factors. This study highlights that it is necessary to educate workers about chemical substance risks using safety data sheets and accident examples in chemical risk assessment.

This study aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of a Thai-language version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The 17-item version of UWES was translated into Thai and a survey was conducted with 507 registered nurses at a public regional hospital in Thailand. Results showed that the alpha and omega total coefficients for the vigor, dedication, and absorption subscales were acceptable. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) indicated that the three-factor model performed the best for both versions of UWES-17-TH and UWES-9-TH. Both versions correlated positively with job resources and negatively with cognitive, emotional, and physical job demands, and with emotional exhaustion and physical symptoms. They were found to have acceptable reliability and validity and can be used to study work engagement in Thai contexts. For practical reasons, UWES-9-TH might be preferred since it is shorter than the full version. Further studies should include different occupational groups and more male participants.

This report focuses on the occupational health risks associated with the use of artificial stones containing high levels of crystalline silica in the production of kitchen countertops. It presents the case of a 43-yr-old man who developed severe silicosis due to his occupation involving cutting and polishing quartz stone raw materials. A retrospective analysis of the patient's medical records and occupational history was conducted. The diagnosis of severe silicosis, moderate restrictive lung disease, and bilateral pneumothorax was based on clinical manifestations, pulmonary function test, radiological findings, and histological reports. The patient underwent lung transplantation, and his pulmonary function improved post-surgery. The study highlights the significant health risks associated with procedures involving artificial stones and emphasizes the importance of awareness and protective measures for employees and workers. Clinicians should be cautious when diagnosing respiratory symptoms in patients with a history of occupational exposure to artificial stones containing high levels of crystalline silica.

This article aims to provide a historical overview of how workplace safety and health legislations in Singapore and Japan have evolved, and perform a comparative analysis of the occupational health systems where work-related medical examinations and health screening are concerned. The discourse is centered on three key themes - coverage, comprehensiveness, and continuity of care. The comparative analysis was performed based on secondary data obtained from open-source platforms. Singapore and Japan have robust workplace safety and health legislative frameworks and laws. However, their approaches diverge because of differing socioeconomic and political contexts. Japan's regulations are generally more comprehensive, require more frequent monitoring of workers' health status, and encompass both physical and mental health components. Singaporean companies focus primarily on the physical component of health, and statutory examinations are required only for exposure to specific occupational hazards. With increasing prominence of mental health issues and shift towards preventive care in Singapore, there will be greater emphasis on a holistic approach to each employee's overall health in future. For Japan, the challenge would be to strike a balance between long-term sustainability of current policies against the need for state and corporations to still retain an adequate stake in ensuring workers' overall health.

Presenteeism has been noted to be associated with cognitive factors of pain, such as pain catastrophizing (PC) and pain self-efficacy (PS). Pain perception differs by gender, so it is important to consider gender differences when examining the association between cognitive factors of pain and presenteeism. This study aimed to examine the association between presenteeism and cognitive factors of pain, taking gender differences into account. A cross-sectional survey of 305 workers was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire that included items on pain status, PC, PS, and work performance. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to test whether PC and PS independently influence presenteeism, separately for men and women. Logistic regression analysis showed that PC was extracted in men, and the group with severe PC had higher odds of presenteeism (odds ratio 6.56, 95%confidence interval [CI] 1.83-23.40). Contrarily, PS was extracted in women, with higher odds of presenteeism in the moderate (odds ratio 2.54, 95%CI 1.01-6.39) and low (odds ratio 5.43, 95%CI 1.31-22.50) PS groups than in the high PS. This study showed that the cognitive factors of pain related to presenteeism may differ by gender.

This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Overwork Climate Scale. Japanese workers were invited to participate in online surveys at baseline and 1-month follow-up. The Overwork Climate Scale was translated into Japanese, according to international guidelines. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), while structural validity was evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Psychological job demands, work engagement, psychological safety, and workaholism were assessed for convergent validity. The number of respondents was 302 at baseline and 169 at follow-up. Results indicated robust Cronbach's alpha values of 0.86 (for overwork endorsement) and 0.80 (for lacking overwork reward) at baseline, complemented by ICC of 0.89 and 0.82, respectively. CFA confirmed the suitability of the two-factor model. Moreover, the Japanese Overwork Climate Scale exhibited significant correlations with anticipated constructs. Structural equation modeling revealed a consistent association between overwork climate and both workaholism and work engagement, similar to the original version. In conclusion, the Japanese version of the Overwork Climate Scale demonstrates acceptable levels of reliability and validity, warranting its potential adoption among Japanese workers.

Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) is defined as the corporate climate in relation to employees' perceptions of organizational policies, procedures, and practices for the protection of employee psychosocial safety and well-being. The present study was based on the Demand-Induced Strain Compensation (DISC) Model and proposed that the interplay between identical job demands and resources would be conditioned by PSC. Particularly, high levels of PSC would enable employees to optimally perceive and utilize more job resources in dealing with corresponding job demands. A study was conducted among 406 Chinese workers from various occupational sectors. The findings of hierarchical regression analyses suggested that PSC a) mitigates the negative relation between emotional resources and exhaustion, b) enhances the positive relation between emotional resources and work engagement, and c) mitigates the negative relation between emotional demands and work engagement. We also found that PSC is a compensatory factor for low cognitive resources and demands encouraging high work engagement. Although we did not find the proposed three-way interactions, the present findings support the idea that high PSC is a fundamental contextual factor conducive to workers' health and well-being, especially in perceiving and obtaining emotional resources.

Asbestos, especially chrysotile, continues to be exposed to humans globally. Hence, it should be disposed properly to prevent asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. This study aimed to verify whether forsterite, a heating product of chrysotile, can cause carcinogenicity, particularly mesothelioma. Forsterite (FO-1000) and enstatite (EN-1500) produced by heating chrysotile at 1000°C and 1500°C, respectively, were subjected. We injected 10 mg of chrysotile, FO-1000, or EN-1500 in rats intraperitoneally and observed the development of peritoneal mesothelioma until 24 months. The incidence of peritoneal mesothelioma in the chrysotile group was 91.2%, whereas in the FO-1000 and EN-1500 groups, peritoneal mesothelioma did not develop. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and serum N-ERC/mesothelin concentrations significantly increased in the chrysotile group that developed peritoneal mesothelioma, while they only temporarily changed in the FO-1000 or EN-1500 groups during early treatment. Furthermore, there was a significant homozygous deletion of the CDKN2A/p16 gene in the chrysotile group compared to the control group, in contrast to no significant difference in the FO-1000 and EN-1500 groups. Therefore, this study provides clear evidence that forsterite is a nonmesothelioma carcinogen and suggests that forsterite and enstatite are sufficient substances for chrysotile detoxification.

Problem drinking causes a decline in labor productivity among working population. This study examined whether work characteristics, work-family status, and social activities are associated with future problem drinking behavior among Japanese civil servants. A total of 1,535 participants (men: 63.1%, women: 36.9%) with no problem drinking behavior were followed up from 2014 to 2019. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors associated with future problem drinking behavior. During the five-year follow-up period, the cumulative incidence of problem drinking was 9.6% and 5.8% in men and women, respectively. In both men and women, frequent drinking around three times a week or more and alcohol consumption of two units or more at baseline were associated with future problem drinking. In men, compared with low-grade employees, high-grade employees were less likely to become problem drinkers (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33-0.95). Shift workers were significantly associated with the incidence of problem drinking (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.46-6.00). In women, poor own work performance was significantly associated with problem drinking (OR: 5.30, 95% CI: 1.57-17.86). In conclusion, disadvantaged work characteristics are associated with the development of problem drinking. To prevent problem drinking, attention should be paid to poor work characteristics.