Articles

Health status of male steel workers at an electric arc furnace (EAF) in Trentino, Italy

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine if the workers of an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), which recycles scrap, had higher mortality and morbidity due to possible exposure to pollutants at w...

Authors: Roberto Cappelletti, Marcello Ceppi, Justina Claudatus and Valerio Gennaro

Utilization of personal protective equipment and associated factors among textile factory workers at Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia

Use of personal protective equipment is one of the important measures to safeguard workers from exposure to occupational hazards, especially in developing countries. However, there is a dearth of studies descr...

Authors: Sebsibe Tadesse, Temesgen Kelaye and Yalemzewod Assefa

Physicians’ working conditions in hospitals from the students’ perspective (iCEPT-Study)—results of a web-based survey

Medical students undergo numerous clinical clerkships. On these occasions they are confronted with current working conditions in hospitals. Because of the many implications of the students’ perceptions of thes...

Authors: Jan Bauer and David A. Groneberg

Consequences of tuberculosis among asylum seekers for health care workers in Germany

Immigrants have been contributing to the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Germany for many years. The current wave of migration of asylum seekers to Germany may increase that figure. Healthcare workers (HCW) ...

Authors: Roland Diel, Robert Loddenkemper and Albert Nienhaus

Erratum to: Vaccination against hepatitis b virus: are Italian medical students sufficiently protected after the public vaccination programme?

Authors: Monica Lamberti, Alfredo De Rosa, Elpidio Maria Garzillo, Anna Rita Corvino, Nicola Sannolo, Stefania De Pascalis, Eliana Di Fiore, Claudia Westermann, Antonio Arnese, Gabriella Di Giuseppe, Albert Nienhaus, Antônio Paulino Ribeiro Sobrinho and Nicola Coppola

Burnout among young physicians and its association with physicians’ wishes to leave: results of a survey in Saxony, Germany

Concerns about burnout, and its consequences, among German physicians are rising. However, data on burnout among German physicians are scarce. Also, a suspected association between burnout and German physician...

Authors: Birte Pantenburg, Melanie Luppa, Hans-Helmut König and Steffi G. Riedel-Heller

Involvement of lysosomal dysfunction in silver nanoparticle-induced cellular damage in A549 human lung alveolar epithelial cells

While silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in consumer and medical products, the mechanism by which AgNPs cause pulmonary cytotoxicity is not clear. AgNP agglomerates are found in endo-lysosomal struct...

Authors: Takamitsu Miyayama and Masato Matsuoka

Usage of gloves for hair shampooing in German hairdressing salons

Occupational skin disease caused by wet work is particularly common in employees in hairdressing salons. The objective of this paper was to determine the frequency of glove use for hair shampooing.

Authors: Madeleine Dulon, Björn Kähler, Sandra Kirvel, Günter Schlanstedt and Albert Nienhaus

Use of alcohol and drugs by employees in selected business areas in Norway: a study using oral fluid testing and questionnaires

Alcohol or drug use and associated hangover may reduce workplace safety and productivity and also cause sickness absence. The aims of this study were to examine (i) the use of alcohol and drugs, and (ii) reduc...

Authors: Hilde Marie Erøy Edvardsen, Inger Synnøve Moan, Asbjørg S. Christophersen and Hallvard Gjerde

Occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study of a registry in Colombia

Occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens caused by percutaneous injuries or mucosal contamination is frequent among Healthcare Workers (HCW).

Authors: Carlos Pérez-Diaz, Omar-Javier Calixto, Álvaro A. Faccini-Martínez, Juan S. Bravo-Ojeda, Carlos A. Botero-García, Erika Uribe-Pardo, Yesid F. Mantilla-Florez, Fabian Benitez, Ada Duran and Johana Osorio

The occupational health of Santa Claus

Previous publications in the field of Santa studies have not focused on health and safety issues arising from Santa’s workplace activities. However, it should be acknowledged that unique occupational hazards e...

Authors: Sebastian Straube and Xiangning Fan

Paracetamol as a toxic substance for children: aspects of legislation in selected countries

Paracetamol is used widely in pediatrics because it has a high drug safety when used in therapeutic dosages. In case of overdose the majority of paracetamol is metabolized to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAP...

Authors: Menen E. Mund, David Quarcoo, Christoph Gyo, Dörthe Brüggmann and David A. Groneberg

Attitude, reporting behavour and management practice of occupational needle stick and sharps injuries among hospital healthcare workers in Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Although the prevalence of blood borne pathogens in many developing countries is high, documentation of infections due to occupational exposure is limited. Seventy percent of the world’s HIV infected populatio...

Authors: Tolesa Bekele, Alem Gebremariam, Muhammedawel Kaso and Kemal Ahmed

Vaccination against hepatitis b virus: are Italian medical students sufficiently protected after the public vaccination programme?

The development of a vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been a major achievement in terms of prevention of HBV infection. For the present study, we analysed the long-term immunogenicity and effectiven...

Authors: Monica Lamberti, Alfredo De Rosa, Elpidio Maria Garzillo, Anna Rita Corvino, Nicola Sannolo, Stefania De Pascalis, Eliana Di Fiore, Claudia Westermann, Antonio Arnese, Di Giuseppe Gabriella, Albert Nienhaus, Antônio Paulino Ribeiro Sobrinho and Nicola Coppola

Chronic low back pain among French healthcare workers and prognostic factors of return to work (RTW): a non-randomized controlled trial

Many factors influence the return to work of workers with chronic low back pain (CLBP). They have been said to vary according to socio-professional group. This study first aimed to compare prognostic factors i...

Authors: B. Cougot, A. Petit, C. Paget, C. Roedlich, G. Fleury-Bahi, M. Fouquet, P. Menu, C. Dubois, C. Geraut, Y. Roquelaure and D. Tripodi

Subjective stress, objective heart rate variability-based stress, and recovery on workdays among overweight and psychologically distressed individuals: a cross-sectional study

The present study aimed to investigate how subjective self-reported stress is associated with objective heart rate variability (HRV)-based stress and recovery on workdays. Another aim was to investigate how physi...

Authors: Tiina Föhr, Asko Tolvanen, Tero Myllymäki, Elina Järvelä-Reijonen, Sanni Rantala, Riitta Korpela, Katri Peuhkuri, Marjukka Kolehmainen, Sampsa Puttonen, Raimo Lappalainen, Heikki Rusko and Urho M. Kujala

Telemedicine – a scientometric and density equalizing analysis

As a result of the various telemedicine projects in the past years a large number of studies were recently published in this field. However, a precise bibliometric analysis of telemedicine publications does no...

Authors: David A. Groneberg, Shaghayegh Rahimian, Matthias Bundschuh, Mario Schwarzer, Alexander Gerber and Beatrix Kloft

Lung function and fractional exhaled nitric oxide among petroleum refinery workers

Occupational and environmental exposure to petroleum refinery products poses a great threat to human health. This study aimed to assess the lung function and Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) among petrol...

Authors: Sultan Ayoub Meo, Abdulrahman Hamad Alrashed, Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Almana, Yazeed Ibrahim Altheiban, Mohammed Saud Aldosari, Nawaf Faleh Almudarra and Sulaiman Ali Alwabel

What do healthcare workers in elderly care know about occupational health and safety? An explorative survey

Demographic changes will lead to a growing demand for healthy, motivated healthcare workers (HCW) in the years ahead. Along with well-targeted prevention, knowledge of occupational health and safety and infect...

Authors: Stefanie Schönrock, Anja Schablon, Albert Nienhaus and Claudia Peters

The Arab world’s contribution to solid waste literature: a bibliometric analysis

Environmental and health-related effects of solid waste material are considered worldwide problems. The aim of this study was to assess the volume and impact of Arab scientific output published in journals ind...

Authors: Sa’ed H. Zyoud, Samah W. Al-Jabi, Waleed M. Sweileh, Suleiman Al-Khalil, Shaher H. Zyoud, Ansam F. Sawalha and Rahmat Awang

Contamination of health care workers’ coats at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia: the nosocomial risk

Health care Associated Infections (HAIs) are a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. They pose a severe impact in resource-poor settings, where the rate of infection is estima...

Authors: Susan Mwamungule, Henry Mwelwa Chimana, Sydney Malama, Geoffrey Mainda, Geoffrey Kwenda and John Bwalya Muma

The rubber manufacturing industry: a case report and review of cutaneous exposure and sequelae

Exposure to chemical carcinogens in rubber manufacturing remains a serious occupational health concern. Workers are exposed to these carcinogens via skin or inhalation. Rubber manufacturing work is associated ...

Authors: Claire Powers and Heather P. Lampel

Sickness absenteeism and associated factors among horticulture employees in lume district, southeast Ethiopia

Sickness absenteeism is the major occupational health problem in developing countries where the majority of working population are engaged in hazardous sectors, such as agriculture. However, there is a dearth ...

Authors: Sebsibe Tadesse, Kamil Ebrahim and Zemichael Gizaw

Diesel engine exhaust and lung cancer risks – evaluation of the meta-analysis by Vermeulen et al. 2014

Vermeulen et al. 2014 published a meta-regression analysis of three relevant epidemiological US studies (Steenland et al. 1998, Garshick et al. 2012, Silverman et al. 2012) that estimated the association betwe...

Authors: Peter Morfeld and Michael Spallek

Health of the corporate worker: health risk assessment among staff of a corporate organization in Ghana

Health promotion at the workplace and for workers is important to promote workers’ health, improve working environments and work practices. The goal of this analysis was to provide an example of health risk as...

Authors: Henry Aidoo, Akye Essuman, Phyllis Aidoo, Anita O. Yawson and Alfred E. Yawson

Two cases of hard metal lung disease showing gradual improvement in pulmonary function after avoiding dust exposure

We present herein two cases of hard metal lung disease (HMLD) with distinct pathological findings. Both cases showed gradual improvements in pulmonary function over a period of a few years (Case 1: 30 months; ...

Authors: Hiroya Terui, Satoshi Konno, Kichizo Kaga, Yoshihiro Matsuno, Kanako C. Hatanaka, Hiromi Kanno, Hiroshi Moriyama, Motohiro Uo and Masaharu Nishimura

Do overweight workers profit by workplace health promotion, more than their normal-weight peers? Evaluation of a worksite intervention

Worksite health promotion programs have been identified as strongly effective in decreasing body weight and increasing awareness and change in health behavior. Aim of this study is to determine the effects of ...

Authors: Stefanie Mache, Sarah Jensen, Stefan Linnig, Reimo Jahn, Mirco Steudtner, Elke Ochsmann and Geraldine Preuß

Comet assay based DNA evaluation of fuel filling stations and automobile workshops workers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan

Fuel filling stations workers and automobile workshops mechanics are consistently exposed to gasoline hydrocarbons during their occupation, this may cause DNA damage. Objective of this study was to evaluate th...

Authors: Muhammad Khisroon, Aisha Gul, Ajmal Khan, Naheed Ali, Farah Zaidi, Syed Basit Rasheed, Ahmadullah and Huma Akbar

A case of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide poisoning and a review of complications and their management

Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide (MEKP) is a highly toxic clear liquid used as a solvent. It is a strong oxidizing agent and a corrosive. Acute and chronic toxicity can occur as an occupational hazard. Ingestion i...

Authors: Isurujith K. Liyanage, Mitrakrishnan R. Navinan, A C A Pathirana, H R I S Herath, Jevon Yudhishdran, Nilesh Fernandopulle and Aruna Kulatunga

New models for prediction of micronuclei formation in nuclear medicine department workers

Ionizing radiation causes detrimental health effects such as cancer and genetic damage. The study aim was to determine predictors for micronuclei (MN) occurrence and frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes o...

Authors: Sanja Terzic, Aleksandar Milovanovic, Jelena Dotlic, Boban Rakic and Milan Terzic

Cut-off values for the applied version of the Beck Depression Inventory in a general working population

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for the assessment of depressive symptoms is well established in clinical settings. An applied version (BDI-V) was previously developed in German for use within epidemiologi...

Authors: Uwe Rose, Stefanie March, Melanie Ebener and Jean-Baptist du Prel

The global variability of diatomaceous earth toxicity: a physicochemical and in vitro investigation

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is mined globally and is potentially of occupational respiratory health concern due to the high crystalline silica content in processed material. DE toxicity, in terms of variability re...

Authors: C. Nattrass, C. J. Horwell, D. E. Damby, A. Kermanizadeh, D. M. Brown and V. Stone

Health status and health-related quality of life of municipal waste collection workers – a cross-sectional survey

Waste collection workers are exposed to several occupational stressors which may affect their quality of life. Our aim was to assess the health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of municipal wa...

Authors: Marcial Velasco Garrido, Cordula Bittner, Volker Harth and Alexandra Marita Preisser

The impact of multi-site musculoskeletal pain on work ability among health care providers

Epidemiologic studies have reported that multi-site musculoskeletal pain threatens work ability. However, no study has been conducted on this topic among health care providers. The aim of the present study was...

Authors: Chanwit Phongamwong and Hemwarun Deema

Resilience of health-care workers in the UK; a cross-sectional survey

Working for the UK National Health Service (NHS) requires working for organisations under financial pressures and frequent restructures, which can lead to anxiety over continuing employment and income. There a...

Authors: Andeep Sull, Nicholas Harland and Andrew Moore

Health risks in international container and bulk cargo transport due to volatile toxic compounds

To ensure the preservation and quality of the goods, physical (i.e. radiation) or chemical pest control is needed. The dark side of such consents may bear health risks in international transport and production...

Authors: Xaver Baur, Lygia Therese Budnik, Zhiwei Zhao, Magne Bratveit, Rune Djurhuus, Louis Verschoor, Federico Maria Rubino, Claudio Colosio and Jorgen R Jepsen

The legislative backgrounds of workplace health promotion in three European countries: a comparative analysis

This article investigates the legal database and theoretical basis of workplace health promotion (WHP) in three European countries: Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, and aims to find insights into effective WHP i...

Authors: Rasa Šidagytė, Maija Eglīte, Anne Salmi, Dovilė Šorytė, Ivars Vanadziņš, Leila Hopsu, Jaana Lerssi-Uskelin, Laima Bulotaitė, Lāsma Kozlova, Svetlana Lakiša and Sigita Vičaitė

Bibliometric profile of the global scientific research on methanol poisoning (1902–2012)

Methanol poisoning is on the rise and has been associated with high morbidity and mortality; it has resulted in growing research in the field of toxicology. The aim of this study was to reveal underlying patte...

Authors: Sa’ed H Zyoud, Samah W Al-Jabi, Waleed M Sweileh, Rahmat Awang and W Stephen Waring

A technical support tool for joint range of motion determination in functional diagnostics - an inter-rater study

The examination of joint range of motion (RoM) is part of musculo-skeletal functional diagnostics, used, for example, in occupational examinations. Various examination methodologies exist that have been optimi...

Authors: Christoph Schiefer, Thomas Kraus, Rolf P Ellegast and Elke Ochsmann

Spotlight on the diagnosis of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (hypersensitivity pneumonitis)

Repeated inhalative exposures to antigenic material from a variety of sources, mainly from moulds, thermophilic Actinomycetes, and avians, respectively, can induce immune responses with the clinical picture of ex...

Authors: Xaver Baur, Axel Fischer and Lygia T Budnik

Brachial plexopathy: a case–control study of the relation to physical exposures at work

Work-related upper limb disorders constitute a diagnostic challenge. However, patterns of neurological abnormalities that reflect brachial plexus dysfunction are frequent in limbs with pain, weakness and/or nu...

Authors: Jørgen Riis Jepsen

A study of the association between urinary aluminum concentration and pre-clinical findings among aluminum-handling and non-handling workers

Aluminum is considered to be a relatively safe metal for humans. However, there are some reports that aluminum can be toxic to humans and animals. In order to estimate the toxicity of aluminum with respect to ...

Authors: Masanori Ogawa and Fujio Kayama

Multi-capillary column-ion mobility spectrometry (MCC-IMS) as a new method for the quantification of occupational exposure to sevoflurane in anaesthesia workplaces: an observational feasibility study

Occupational exposure to sevoflurane has the potential to cause health damage in hospital personnel. Workplace contamination with the substance mostly is assessed by using photoacoustic infrared spectrometry w...

Authors: Nils Kunze, Cathrin Weigel, Wolfgang Vautz, Katrin Schwerdtfeger, Melanie Jünger, Michael Quintel and Thorsten Perl

Assessment of hematological, biochemical effects and genotoxicity among pesticide sprayers in grape garden

Many studies revealed toxic effects of pesticides on pesticide handlers but very fewer studies have been reported among grape garden pesticide sprayers in India. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the e...

Authors: Avinash Shivaji Gaikwad, Panjakumar Karunamoorthy, Shridhar Jagannath Kondhalkar, Mala Ambikapathy and Ravichandran Beerappa

Acute phosphine poisoning on board a bulk carrier: analysis of factors leading to a fatal case

To determine accidental factors, clinical presentation and medical care in cases of seafarers presenting phosphine poisoning symptoms on board a bulk carrier.

Authors: Brice Loddé, David Lucas, Jean-Marie Letort, Dominique Jegaden, Richard Pougnet and Jean-Dominique Dewitte

Development of a self-management intervention for employees with complaints of the arm, neck and/or shoulder (CANS): a focus group study with experts

Many people suffer from complaints of the arm, neck and/or shoulder (CANS). The complaints are persistent and there is a need for intervention programs for those with longstanding CANS. Studies suggest that a ...

Authors: Nathan Hutting, Josephine A Engels, J Bart Staal, Yvonne F Heerkens and Maria W G Nijhuis-van der Sanden

Respiratory symptoms, fractional exhaled nitric oxide & endotoxin exposure among female flower farm workers in Ethiopia

Greenhouse workers are exposed to organic dusts, and they are thereby at risk of developing airway disorders. This study aims to measure personal endotoxin exposure, assess respiratory symptoms and measure fra...

Authors: Amare W Nigatu, Magne Bråtveit, Wakgari Deressa and Bente E Moen

Hospital physicians’ work stressors in different medical specialities: a statistical group comparison

Some studies on the occupational health of hospital physicians have found that working conditions have different effects on physician’s well-being and health in different medical specialities. There has been n...

Authors: Grit Tanner, Eva Bamberg, Agnessa Kozak, Maren Kersten and Albert Nienhaus

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis induced by hydrofluoric acid exposure during fire extinguisher testing

Automatic fire suppression systems use hydrofluorocarbons (HF) to extinguish fires chemically. At high temperatures, HF can release hydrofluoric acid (HFA), a toxic, potentially lethal gas.

Authors: YuJin Kim, JiYoung Shin, ShinMyung Kang, SunYoung Kyung, Jeong-Woong Park, SangPyo Lee, SangMin Lee and Sung Hwan Jeong

Tobacco smoke particles and indoor air quality (ToPIQ-II) – a modified study protocol and first results

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)-associated particulate matter (PM) has to be seen as an independent health hazard and needs to be discussed separately from the already well-known toxic and carcinogenic compo...

Authors: Alexander Gerber, Alexander V Hofen-Hohloch, Johannes Schulze and David A Groneberg