[The development of health care for workers through history].

The definition of occupational health has changed significantly over time to cover broader aspects of health care and to promote worker's health. Over the centuries, the relationship between workplace hazards and occupational health care has been influenced by the character of work, social evolution and changes in manufacture, economy and demographics of the working populations. Numerous old civilizations showed deep prejudice towards human work.

[Healthy aging and productive retirement].

Characteristics of aging as a normal physiological process are presented. The main indicators of increased the number of older population in the world as well as problems related to society and particularly to public health are listed. The difference between gerontology and geriatrics is described.

Utility of a routine medical surveillance program with benzene exposed workers.

Background: A medical surveillance program of benzene-exposed workers has to be established in such a way as to observe early signs of benzene-induced cytopenia, pancytopenia, or leukemia. This study evaluates the utility of routine medical survey applied to benzene-exposed workers by analyzing the hematological, immunological, and cytogenetic assay results.

Methods: The results of a previous study of hematological, immunological, and cytogenetic assays in benzene-exposed workers (up to 15 ppm) are used to discuss medical surveillance program by defining the relationship between various benzene exposure concentrations and toxic endpoints.

[Toxic effects of benzene and toluene].

The research of benzene and toluene toxic effects has been carried out in the Republic of Croatia. The paper presents the results. The research of early indicators of benzene hematotoxicity, immunotoxicity and genotoxicity and toluene neurotoxicity has been conducted on the level of methods applicable in the occupational medicine preventive activities.