International trends in occupational health research and practice.

The paper argues for a "new generation" approach to occupational health, laying foundations for future demands. Occupational health deals with issues which are at the heart of the economy and society, and are beginning to attract increasing attention of politicians. Old disciplinary barriers must be crossed, and communication improved so that healthy work is accepted as a mainstream concern.

Working life across cultures: "Work Life 2000: Quality in Work" and occupational health education in developing countries.

The article reflects on the changing world of work, and the challenges presented to both occupational health and occupational health education. We draw on the 63 preparatory workshops and the international conference in the "Work Life 2000: Quality in Work" program, an initiative of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union. The International Commission on Occupational Health is introduced, with particular concentration on a current practical project initiated by the Department of Health in South Africa, intended to lead to a set of projects, networking for occupational health education in developing countries.

Electromagnetic fields and health outcomes.

Over the past two decades, there has been increasing interest in the biological effects and possible health outcomes of weak, low-frequency electric and magnetic fields. Epidemiological studies on magnetic fields and cancer, reproduction and neurobehavioural reactions have been presented. More recently, neurological, degenerative and heart diseases have also been reported to be related to such electromagnetic fields.

Europe and working life.

Working life in Europe is presented as a focus of both research and practice in science and politics, and as the unifying element behind a series of initiatives for the new millennium, at local, regional, national, European, and international levels. Partnership, dialog, and networking are both the medium and the message, with human networking as a precondition for the effective use of information and communication technologies. The European approach to working life is seen as setting new agendas at the international level, deriving collaborative advantage from diversity.

Eye discomfort and work with visual display terminals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between eye discomfort symptoms and work with visual display terminals among routine office workers.

Methods: Three hundred and twenty-seven office workers and their work stations were investigated by means of questionnaires and worksite investigations. The data were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Electric and magnetic fields and health outcomes--an overview.

In recent years interest has increased in the biological effects and possible health outcomes of weak electric and magnetic fields. Studies have been presented on magnetic fields and cancer, reproduction, and neurobehavioral reactions. Epidemiologic studies on childhood leukemia and residential exposure from power lines seem to indicate a slight increase in risk, and excess leukemia and brain tumor risks have been reported in "electrical" occupations.

Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields in relation to leukemia and brain tumors: a case-control study in Sweden.

Occupational exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) was studied in 250 leukemia patients and 261 brain-tumor cases, diagnosed in 1983-87 and compared with a control group of 1,121 randomly selected men, from the mid-region of Sweden, 1983-87. We based the exposure assessment on measurements from 1,015 different workplaces. On the basis of the job held longest during the 10-year period before diagnosis, we found an association between the average, daily, mean level of EMF and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Children of male spray painters: weight and length at birth.

The course and outcome of the pregnancies of the wives of 80 spray painters and 80 electronics workers were recorded from birth registers, hospital records, and a questionnaire. The two groups of men had previously been subjected to psychological, psychiatric, neurophysiological, and neurological tests. The variables recorded were occupational exposure to solvents; number of births, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages; weight, length, and malformations of the newborn children; duration of the pregnancies; birth complications; and neonatal hospital treatment.

Incidence of leukaemia and brain tumours in some "electrical occupations".

A 19 year follow up study was conducted to explore the association between occupations expected to be exposed to electromagnetic fields and the occurrence of leukaemia and brain tumours. Incidence of cancer between 1961-79 was calculated and the standardised morbidity ratio (SMR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was related to that of all Swedish working men. For all the selected "electrical occupations" the SMRs for total leukaemia and brain tumours were near unity.

Incidence of work-related disorders and absenteeism as tools in the implementation of work environment improvements: the Sweden Post strategy.

In 1989, a comprehensive, five-year work environment project (Postal Work Environment [PWE] 2000) was launched by Sweden Post (SP). Its purpose was to identify the jobs and employees with the most exposed work environments and, in conjunction herewith, to initiate remedial programmes. Standardized interviews with a selection of employees and statistical and epidemiological evaluation of illness absenteeism and occupational injuries served as input data for devising different measures of work-related ill health (subjective complaints, symptoms, illness, illness absenteeism, and occupational injury).

Exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields--a health hazard?

Several epidemiologic studies indicate an association between exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields and certain types of cancer. However, there is no solid evidence from current experimental studies to support the hypothesis of carcinogenicity. Further research is needed, and in the present extended abstract Swedish epidemiologic studies projected for the future are briefly outlined.

Cancer in the electric power industry.

A cohort study of 3358 power linesmen and 6703 power station operators classified in the 1960 population census in Sweden was undertaken. The cancer incidence between 1961 and 1979 was calculated in relation to all male blue collar workers. The relative risk of cancer (all sites) was 1.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. IV. Refraction, accommodation, convergence and binocular vision.

The present study is the fourth of a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). The other studies showed that VDT operators replying to questionnaires have more eye discomfort than a reference group of office employees not employed in VDT work and that women have more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, and skin disorders than men. Routine ophthalmologic examinations failed to establish any appreciable differences between the groups; for example, the prevalence of myopia was the same.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. II. Physical exposure factors.

This is the second report in a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). The first study showed that VDT operators reported more eye discomfort than a reference group not employed in VDT work and that women reported more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, and skin disorders than men, regardless of whether they worked with a VDT or not. The present report contains the results of the occupational hygiene measurements (indoor climate, lighting and electrostatic conditions).

Work with video display terminals among office employees. I. Subjective symptoms and discomfort.

Subjective symptoms and discomfort were evaluated by means of a questionnaire and compared between approximately 400 video display terminal (VDT) operators and 150 selected referents. Previous and current illnesses, educational status, and smoking and drinking habits were also studied. The results showed the VDT operators to have more eye discomfort and possibly also more musculoskeletal discomfort in the shoulders, neck, and back than the referents.

Work with video display terminals among office employees. III. Ophthalmologic factors.

The present ophthalmologic study is the third part of a major epidemiologic health investigation on work with a video display terminal (VDT). An initial study showed that VDT operators replying to a questionnaire reported more eye discomfort than a reference group not employed in VDT work and that women reported more eye discomfort, musculoskeletal discomfort, headache, and skin disorders than men, irrespective of whether or not they were employed in VDT work. In the present study the ophthalmologic history of eye diseases and eye discomfort yielded a much lower percentage response for symptoms and discomfort than the questionnaire, and, just as with visual acuity and refraction, there was no difference between the exposed and reference groups or between the men and women.

Ergonomics and lighting.

The two main principles of ergonomics can be said to 'fit the job to the man', or 'fit the man to the job'. To a high extent this is really valid for lighting ergonomics. If an employee complains that he (or she) cannot see properly what he is doing in his work it could be adjusted either by improving the job itself or by improving the visual capacity of the person in question (eg, prescribing correct work glasses).

Age and sex distribution of some retinal macular diseases: senile and presenile macular degeneration and central serous retinitis.

The age and sex distribution of senile macular degeneration (SMD) was investigated at the Low Vision Clinic in Stockholm. SMD increased with age and was found to be more common among women than men. This difference was not due to the fact that women live longer than men or related to women consulting ophthalmologists more often than men because of visual handicap.

Glare from outdoor high mast lighting: effects on visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in comparative studies of different floodlighting systems.

Glare effects on visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were studied at outdoor timber terminal work with conventional far-reaching floodlighting and with a new type of oblique floodlighting with an asymmetrical light distribution. The binocular work visual acuity of 19 volunteers was measured at 40, 55 and 80 per cent contrast and the contrast sensitivity of 14 volunteers at spatial frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 cycles/degree.

Investigation of visual strain experienced by microscope operators at an electronics plant.

This investigation was concerned with the examination of 75 microscope operators at an electronics plant, with reference to eye function and visual strain. It consisted of three separate parts: (1) standardised interviews dealing with symptoms of visual strain, (2) examinations of the refractive state as well as possible diseases of the eye, and (3) examination of binocular vision. It emerged that 80% of the microscope operators engaged in full time microscope operation experienced various symptoms of visual strain.

Exposure to and effects of glare from high mast lighting on workers at a timber terminal.

High mast floodlighting at outdoor workplaces has economic advantages but suffers from shortcomings such as glare. This study was made to collect and evaluate data from a situation with glare from a physical and occupational health standpoint. When unloading timber, the worker's gaze is frequently directed upward, whereas conventional glare indexes for luminaires assume the gaze is diagonally downwards.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in workers occupationally exposed to jet fuel--a combined epidemiological and casuistic study.

Some aircraft personel and airline industry workers are exposed to jet fuel, a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons (petroleum 80%) and some organic solvents (petroleum 80%) and some organic solvents (aromatic hydrocarbons 20%). In order to evaluate the possible neuropsychiatric sequeale of such long-term occupational exposure, we examined 30 workers exposed at about 250 mg/m3 for 4-32 years at a jet motor factory. They were compared with two control groups (2 x 30) of matched non-exposed workers.

Exposure to organic solvents. A cross-sectional epidemiologic investigation on occupationally exposed care and industrial spray painters with special reference to the nervous system.

In the present epidemiologic study 80 car or industrial spray painters with long-term low level exposure to organic solvents were examined and compared with two matched reference groups of nonexposed industrial workers (80 persons in each group). The aim of the study was to investigate the possible effects of the solvent exposure on health. The investigation included psychiatric interviews, psychometric tests, neurological, neurophysiological and ophthalmologic examinations, and computed tomography of the brain.