International perspective on common core competencies for occupational physicians: a modified Delphi study.

Objectives: The competencies required of occupational physicians (OPs) have been the subject of peer-reviewed research in Europe and individual countries around the world. In the European Union (EU), there has been development of guidance on training and common competencies, but little research has extended beyond this. The aim of this study was to obtain consensus on and identify the common core competencies required of OPs around the world.

FIOH-sponsored newsletter misrepresents asbestos hazards in Zimbabwe.

The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) has received support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Office (ILO) to publish the African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety. The African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety should not be a medium for industry propaganda, or the source of misinformation among the workers of Africa. Instead, FIOH should provide the same level of scientific information in Africa that it does in Finland and other developed countries.

[Combined exposure to noise and vibration and its effects on workers' hearing].

Objective: To assess the exposure of bus drivers to noise and whole-body vibration (WBV) and to examine the possibility of an association between these risk factors for noise-induced hearing loss.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 141 bus drivers who underwent an audiometry test. This group was classified and internally stratified in subgroups of "exposed" and "controls" according to cumulative working time as bus drivers.

Occupational health in Brazil.

In a positive approach, the authors propose that occupational safety and health in Brazil is an example of how crises and opportunities can come together to produce excellent results. The history provided here as well as the overview of occupational health problems in Brazil together offer a detailed picture of conditions in this country. Also included is a lengthy table covering OSH steps, strategies, and approaches; national needs; and suggestions for international assistance.