Results of Finnish national survey on EU legislation concerning computer work.

The European Directive on computer work (VDU 90/270/EEC) is implemented in the Finnish Government Decree. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the legislation and its applications in practice. The quantitative method used an online questionnaire.

History of physical work exposures and clinically diagnosed sciatica among working and nonworking Finns aged 30 to 64.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study with retrospectively assessed work determinants.

Objective: To study the association between the history of physically demanding work and sciatica, among the occupationally active, and among persons of working age who are not occupationally active.

Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have examined the association of physically loading work with sciatica, and studies concerning women are scarce.

Chromosomal aberrations in railroad transit workers: effect of genetic polymorphisms.

Complex chemical mixtures are transported by train from Russia to Finland for further shipment. Here, we studied if exposure to genotoxic components among these substances could affect chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in peripheral lymphocytes of workers handling the tank cars. An initial survey among 48 railroad workers and 39 referents (male smokers and nonsmokers) showed an elevation of CAs.

Alcohol dependence in relation to burnout among the Finnish working population.

Aims: To investigate the relationship of burnout to alcohol dependence and high alcohol consumption.

Design: A cross-sectional population-based multi-disciplinary 'Health 2000 Study'. The analyses were performed separately for the women and the men and adjusted for socio-demographic factors.

The association between burnout and physical illness in the general population--results from the Finnish Health 2000 Study.

Objective: The association between burnout and physical diseases has been studied very little. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between burnout and physical illness in a representative nationwide population health study.

Methods: As a part of the "Health 2000 Study" in Finland, 3368 employees aged 30-64 years were studied.

Road pavers' occupational exposure to asphalt containing waste plastic and tall oil pitch.

Waste plastic (WP) and tall oil pitch (T), which are organic recycled industrial by-products, have been used as a binder with bitumen in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and asphalt concrete (AC). We compared the exposure over one workday in 16 road pavers participating in a survey at four paving sites, using mixes of conventional asphalt (SMA, AC) or mixes containing waste material (SMA-WPT, AC-WPT). The concentrations of 11 aldehydes in air were 515 and 902 microg m(-3) at the SMA-WPT and AC-WPT worksites, being 3 and 13 times greater than at the corresponding worksites laying conventional asphalt.

Burnout in the general population. Results from the Finnish Health 2000 Study.

Background: Burnout is a chronic stress syndrome which develops gradually as a consequence of prolonged stress situation. Socio-demographic factors related to job-related burnout have not been studied in the whole population. We investigated the relative differences in the level of burnout between groups based on various socio-demographic factors in the population-based Finnish sample.

The relationship between job-related burnout and depressive disorders--results from the Finnish Health 2000 Study.

Background: Depression and burnout are common health problems in working populations today. They appear to be interrelated, and the need for their differential diagnosis has been highlighted in many reviews. We analysed the overlap of job-related burnout and depressive disorders, i.

Organizational practices, work demands and the well-being of employees: a follow-up study in the metal industry and retail trade.

Background: Rapid technological change and increased international competition have changed working life and work organizations. These changes may not be considered when researching employee work ability and well-being.

Aim: This study investigates the impact of organizational practices, work demands and individual factors on work ability, organizational commitment and mental well-being of employees in the metal industry and retail trade.

Occupational exposure to bitumen during road paving.

The exposure of road pavers to total particulates, bitumen fumes, semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), low-molecular-weight amines, styrene, and 1,3-butadiene was studied at 13 paving sites where 11 different asphalt mixtures were laid. Researchers analyzed 1-hydroxypyrene in the workers' pre- and postshift urine samples. The arithmetic mean concentrations of total particulates, bitumen fumes, SVOCs, and PAHs in the breathing zone of road pavers were 0.