Criteria for Assessing Exposure to Biomechanical Risk Factors: A Research-to-Practice Guide-Part 1: General Issues and Manual Material Handling.

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most prevalent occupational health problem all over the world and are often related to biomechanical risk factors; to control these risk factors, several assessment methods (mostly observational) have been proposed in the past 40 years. An in-depth knowledge of each method to evaluate biomechanical risk factors is needed to effectively employ them in the field, together with a robust understanding of their effective predictive value and limitations. In Part 1, some general issues relevant to biomechanical risk assessment are discussed, and the method for assessing manual material handling after receiving more robust validation data is reviewed (Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation), together with a discussion about variability of tasks.

Can single-use versus standard duodenoscope improve ergonomics in ERCP? A comparative, simulation-based pilot study.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and injuries (MSIs) are frequent in gastrointestinal endoscopy. The aim of this study was to assess potential ergonomic advantages of a lighter single-use duodenoscope compared with a standard reusable one for endoscopists performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Three experienced endoscopists performed an ergonomic, preclinical, comparative protocol-guided simulation study of a single-use and a standard reusable duodenoscope using an anatomic bench model.

Elbow tendinopathy and occupational biomechanical overload: A systematic review with best-evidence synthesis.

Objectives: To evaluate the evidence of an association between occupational and non-occupational exposure to biomechanical risk factors and lateral elbow tendinopathy, medial elbow tendinopathy, and olecranon bursitis.

Methods: We carried out a systematic review of the literature. We searched MEDLINE (up to November 2019) and checked the reference lists of relevant articles/reviews.

Perceived work ability at return to work in women treated for breast cancer: a questionnaire-based study.

Background: Breast cancer survivors often perceive reduced work ability upon returning to work.

Objectives: To identify predictors of perceived reduced work ability following return to work among women treated for breast cancer and to describe workplace interventions and support after returning to work.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 18-65 years-old women (no.

[Gender-sensitive risk assessment and health medical surveillance: some operative tools.].

Objectives: A thorough and fully application of the principles of gender mainstreaming, in accordance with the European Community guidelines, to the health and safety at work, implies the systematic review of the whole prevention from the gendered point of view. This means that both biology- and gender-based differences between male and female workers should be conceived not only as determinants of health but also as factors affecting either positively or negatively the health and safety risk prevention. In this evolutionary cultural step the role of the occupational physician is particularly important.

[Health and work in a gender perspective.].

Objectives: A literature review was performed to highlight which work-related diseases express sex/gender differences in health outcomes and focus the main limits of studies in this field.

Methods: The research, carried out on PubMed by specific search string, identified 4828 articles (1997-2017 period) of which 381 are eligible for review (4-22%, depending on the disease).

Results: Among them, 68% reported sex/gender differences in health outcomes, which in most cases appear to be due to different exposure and/or work segregation rather than to biological differences.

Observed Differences between Males and Females in Surgically Treated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Among Non-manual Workers: A Sensitivity Analysis of Findings from a Large Population Study.

Objectives: We aimed at assessing whether differences among males and females in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) epidemiology might be attributable to segregation with respect to occupational biomechanical exposures or differential access to care by sex.

Methods: We analysed surgically treated cases of CTS occurring among non-manual workers in Tuscany between 1997 and 2000. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the difference in occupational biomechanical exposures between males and females necessary to explain the observed incidence rate ratios.

Knee osteoarthritis in a chestnut farmer - Case Report.

Introduction: Several studies have dealt with the issue of professional risk factors and onset of knee osteoarthritis (OA). In particular, occupational epidemiological studies have provided evidence that activities resulting in biomechanical overload may be linked with an increased risk of knee OA - also among farmers. To our knowledge, no cases of knee OA among chestnut farmers have been reported in the literature.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and manual work: the OCTOPUS cohort, results of a ten-year longitudinal study.

Objective: The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) proposed a method to assess the hand, wrist and forearm biomechanical overload based on exertions frequency (hand-activity level) and force use (normalized peak force). We applied the ACGIH threshold limit value (TLV)® method to a large occupational cohort to assess its ability to predict carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) onset.

Methods: A cohort of industrial and service workers was followed-up between 2000 and 2011.

Upper-extremity and neck disorders associated with keyboard and mouse use.

Musculoskeletal disorders are frequently related to computer use in the workplace. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the evidence in the literature concerning the putative association between neck, shoulder, and upper-limb disorders and occupational exposure to use of a computer and its devices. We searched the scientific literature via PubMed, using specific search strategies, including substrings tailored to retrieve papers about: (1) occupational etiology; (2) computer use; and (3) different upper-limb disorders.

Occupational mononeuropathies in industry.

Peripheral nerve injuries have the potential to cause significant disability and can be commonly associated with recreational and occupational activities. Acute nerve injuries are mainly related to violent trauma, while repeated mechanical trauma due to external forces or repetitive motions can produce chronic nerve compression injury. This chapter will present a narrative review of the existing evidence of the association between peripheral compressive nerve disorders and work-related risk factors.

Low-back pain.

Low-back pain is one of the most common painful conditions experienced by humans throughout their life. Some occupational risk factors (namely, heavy manual material handling) may also contribute to the development of low-back pain: due to the high prevalence of both low-back pain and manual material handling in the adult working population, it has been estimated that low-back pain is probably the most common occupational disorder worldwide. Lifetime prevalence of low-back pain has been reported to be as high as 84%, depending on the case definition used, and no age group is spared, even children.

Workplace Bullying as a Risk Factor for Musculoskeletal Disorders: The Mediating Role of Job-Related Psychological Strain.

Workplace bullying is considered by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work one of the emerging psychosocial risk factors that could negatively affect workers' health. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the process that leads from bullying to negative health (such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)), testing the mediating role of job-related strain. Data were collected on 512 workers (62.

How job demands affect absenteeism? The mediating role of work-family conflict and exhaustion.

Purpose: To investigate how psychosocial factors (such as job demands and work-family conflict) produce absenteeism in the workplace, using the health impairment process of the job demands-resources model. According to this model, job demands lead to burnout (often measured with the emotional exhaustion component), which in turn could lead to outcomes (such as absenteeism). Work-family conflict (WFC) was also studied, because of contradictory results collected in the existing literature on absenteeism in the workplace, regarding the role of WFC in causing absenteeism.

[Management of the worker affected by shoulder pathology].

Shoulder disorders due to overexertion include joint and soft tissues chronic conditions and are an important cause of disability. Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders and has been associated to manual handling of heavy loads, high repetition jobs, exposure to hand-arm vibration and to overhead activities. Diagnosis of shoulder disorders is primarily based on clinical examination; selected cases should be referred to an orthopedic specialist and to imaging.

[Health surveillance and suitability: the role of the company physician in maintaining work ability].

The ageing workforce is one of the major issues in Europe. Ageing has an important effect on work ability, especially in manual jobs where physical demand is high. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common health problems among European workers and are able to affect work ability.

[Risk assessment comparison of biomechanical overloading of the musculoskeletal system: 10 years' applied experience].

Unlabelled: Risk assessment for upper extremity work related muscoloskeletal disorders by applying six methods of ergonomic: a ten years experience. The objective of this research was to verify and validate the multiple step method suggested by SIMLII guidelines and to compare results obtained by use of these methods: Washington State Standard, OCRA, HAL, RULA, OREGE and STRAIN INDEX.

Methods: 598 workstations for a total of 1800 analysis by different methods were considered, by adopting the following multiple step procedure: prelinminary evaluation by Washington State method and OCRA checklist in all the working stations, RULA or HAL as first level evaluation, OREGE or SI as second level evaluation.

[Occupational risks in grocery stores].

Aim: This work provides an overview of the spectrum of possible occupational risk factors in the retail grocery store/supermarket workplace.

Method: Literature on this theme, obtained consulting PubMed database and Google Scholar, was checked. We also exjlore results from the National bInstitute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Micronuclei and chromosome aberrations in subjects occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs: a multicentric approach.

Objectives: Recently published works showed that occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs (ANPD) is still frequent in hospital settings, despite significant safety policy improvements. The aim of this study was to assess the current level of occupational exposure to ANPD and any potentially associated cytogenetic damages in hospital nurses routinely handling ANPD.

Methods: Occupationally ANPD-exposed (n = 71) and ANPD-unexposed (n = 77; control) nurses were recruited on a voluntary basis from five hospitals in Northern and Central Italy.

Getting vaccinated or not getting vaccinated? Different reasons for getting vaccinated against seasonal or pandemic influenza.

Background: A large number of studies have investigated the motivation behind health care workers (HCWs) taking the influenza vaccine. But with the appearance of pandemic influenza, it became important to better analyse the reasons why workers get vaccinated against seasonal and/or pandemic influenza.

Methods: Three main categories of reasons were identified with an Exploratory Factor Analysis.

The effect of a multimodal group programme in hospital workers with persistent low back pain: a prospective observational study.

Background: Low Back Pain (LBP) is a very common disorder in hospital workers. Several studies examined the efficacy of multimodal interventions for health care providers suffering from LBP; nevertheless their results did not appear to be consistent.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a multimodal group programme (MGP) on pain and disability in a sample of hospital workers with persistent LBP.

Multicentre study for the evaluation of mutagenic/carcinogenic risk in nurses exposed to antineoplastic drugs: assessment of DNA damage.

Objectives: People who handle antineoplastic drugs, many of which classified as human carcinogens by International Agency for Research on Cancer, are exposed to low doses in comparison with patients; however, the long duration of exposure could lead to health effects. The aim of this work was to evaluate DNA damage in white blood cells from 63 nurses who handle antineoplastic drugs in five Italian hospitals and 74 control participants, using different versions of the Comet assay.

Methods: Primary DNA damage was assessed by using the alkaline version of the assay on leucocytes, whereas to detect DNA oxidative damage and cryptic lesions specifically, the Comet/ENDO III assay and the Comet/araC assay were performed on leucocytes and lymphocytes, respectively.