Review of the occupational health and safety of Britain’s ethnic minorities

This report sets out an evidence-based review on work-related health and safety issues relating to black and minority ethnic groups. Data included available statistical materials and a systematic review of published research and practice-based reports. UK South Asians are generally under-represented within the most hazardous occupational groups. They have lower accident rates overall, while Black Caribbean workers rates are similar to the general population; Bangladeshi and Chinese workers report lowest workplace injury rates UK South Asian people exhibit higher levels of limiting long-term illness (LLI) and self reported poor health than the general population while Black Africans and Chinese report lower levels. Ethnic minority workers with LLI are more likely than whites to withdraw from the workforce, or to experience lower wage rates. Some of these findings conflict with evidence of differentials from USA, Europe and Australasia, but there is a dearth of effective primary research or reliable monitoring data from UK sources. There remains a need to improve monitoring and data collection relating to black and ethnic minority populations and migrant workers. Suggestions are made relating to workshops on occupational health promotion programmes for ethnic minorities, and ethnic minority health and safety 'Beacon' sites

Occupational Styrene Exposure on Auditory Function Among Adults: A Systematic Review of Selected Workers

A review study was conducted to examine the adverse effects of styrene, styrene mixtures, or styrene and/or styrene mixtures and noise on the auditory system in humans employed in occupational settings. The search included peer-reviewed articles published in English language involving human volunteers spanning a 25-year period (1990–2015). Studies included peer review journals, case–control studies, and case reports. Animal studies were excluded. An initial search identified 40 studies. After screening for inclusion, 13 studies were retrieved for full journal detail examination and review. As a whole, the results range from no to mild associations between styrene exposure and auditory dysfunction, noting relatively small sample sizes. However, four studies investigating styrene with other organic solvent mixtures and noise suggested combined exposures to both styrene organic solvent mixtures may be more ototoxic than exposure to noise alone. There is little literature examining the effect of styrene on auditory functioning in humans. Nonetheless, findings suggest public health professionals and policy makers should be made aware of the future research needs pertaining to hearing impairment and ototoxicity from styrene. It is recommended that chronic styrene-exposed individuals be routinely evaluated with a comprehensive audiological test battery to detect early signs of auditory dysfunction

Occupational diseases: a guide to their recognition

Revised edition."Occupational diseases are discussed in terms of occupational health hazards. The purpose of the text is to make available information needed for timely recognition of symptoms of occupational diseases. The text covers routes of entry and modes of action, biological hazards, dermatoses, diseases of the airways, plant and wood hazards, chemical hazards, chemical carcinogens, pesticides, and such physical hazards as radiation, atmospheric variations, and oscillatory vibrations. Sources of consultation and references are included." - NIOSHTIC-2Edition for 1964 by the Institute under its earlier name, Division of Occupational Health.editors, Marcus M. Key ... [et al.] manuscript editor, Lorice Ede.Includes index.Bibliography: p. 534-556

Dis Mon

CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2015-12-29T00:00:00Z23507352PMC469359

Women in Service and Textile Industries

Information packet on women in service and textile industries produced by the Women’s Occupational Health Resource Center (WOHRC). The WOHRC (1979-1987) was a research and training program devoted to identifying and better understanding hazards faced by women workers. WOHRC was housed in Columbia’s School of Public Health and directed by Professor Jeanne Mager Stellman. WOHRC was a designated OSHA New Directions Training program, and also received support from other federal and private agencies. As a New Directions project, WOHRC trained thousands of workers and professionals in hazard recognition and accident and illness prevention for women workers. In order to carry out its public health programs, WOHRC developed and disseminated original educational materials. The materials were designed to be authoritative while at the same time accessible to non-professional users (e.g. the workers). WOHRC published a monthly newsletter that contained a “fact sheet” focusing on a particular job or a particular hazard. The fact sheets were also made available individually or collected into “fact packs” of related materials

Women in Service and Textile Industries

Information packet on women in service and textile industries produced by the Women’s Occupational Health Resource Center (WOHRC). The WOHRC (1979-1987) was a research and training program devoted to identifying and better understanding hazards faced by women workers. WOHRC was housed in Columbia’s School of Public Health and directed by Professor Jeanne Mager Stellman. WOHRC was a designated OSHA New Directions Training program, and also received support from other federal and private agencies. As a New Directions project, WOHRC trained thousands of workers and professionals in hazard recognition and accident and illness prevention for women workers. In order to carry out its public health programs, WOHRC developed and disseminated original educational materials. The materials were designed to be authoritative while at the same time accessible to non-professional users (e.g. the workers). WOHRC published a monthly newsletter that contained a “fact sheet” focusing on a particular job or a particular hazard. The fact sheets were also made available individually or collected into “fact packs” of related materials

Inland River Shipyard Safety

Abstract Shipyard work is a hazardous occupation with an injury rate that doubles construction or general industry. Workers are exposed to constant danger due to the extreme working conditions, confined spaces, considerable heights, and surroundings. On a daily basis, shipyard workers are faced with a multiplicity of hazards that can be a great potential for many injuries due to the environments they are confronted with. Workers are consistently exposed to extreme processes such as welding, painting, and sandblasting that have a direct effect on worker’s health. Though better equipment and special tools have surfaced, many workers are still being injured while employed in the maritime industry. A good way to discover means of reducing injuries is to study incidental cases from the past and learn from previous mistakes. Identifying these key breakdowns in safety that led to major incidents and analyzing corrective measure that are readily implementable can create a safer and more efficient workplace. Learning from past mistakes in shipyards is vital if we are to keep from repeating them. Safety in inland river shipyards has increased over the years due to many new regulations set by OSHA and from employers setting clear goals to reduce incidents by implementing a comprehensive safety program. With a team effort through awareness and proper communication, employers have surrounded themselves with specialized personnel to adequately train their employees and reduce incidents

A guide to the work-relatedness of disease

"Factors concerning the relationship between disease and occupation, including evidence of disease, epidemiology, evidence of exposure, aggravation of preexisting conditions, and validity of testimony, are discussed to aid physicians, state agencies, and others concerned with compensation of workers and determinations of whether a disease is work related. A method of collecting, organizing, and evaluating medical, occupational, and additional evidence is described. Information on 14 disease producing substances is presented to illustrate the decision making process. A list of occupations with potential exposure to specific agents is included, along with occupational and nonoccupational disease case histories, a sample respiratory questionnaire, and a glossary." - NIOSHTIC-2Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references

Sensorineural hearing loss and volatile organic compound metabolites in urine

Purpose: Oxidative stress in the auditory system contributes to acquired sensorineural hearing loss. Systemic oxidative stress, which may predict auditory oxidative stress, can be assessed by measuring volatile organic compound metabolite concentrations in urine. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine if hearing decreased in those with higher concentrations of urinary volatile organic compound metabolites. Materials and methods: Audiometric, demographic, and metabolite concentration data were downloaded from the 2011–2012 cycle of the U.S. National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Participants were first grouped by reported noise exposure. For each metabolite, an analysis of covariance was used to look for differences in age-adjusted hearing loss among urinary volatile organic compound metabolite concentration groups. Participants were grouped into quartiles based on concentration for each metabolite separately because many individuals were at the lower limit of concentration detection for several metabolites, leading to a non-normal distribution. Results: Age-adjusted high-frequency pure-tone thresholds were significantly (FDR?<?0.05) increased by about 3 to 4?dB in high concentration quartile groups for five metabolites. All five metabolites were glutathione-dependent mercapturic acids. The parent compounds of these metabolites included acrylonitrile, 1,3 butadiene, styrene, acrylamide, and N,N-dimethylformamide. Significant associations were only found in those with no reported noise exposure. Conclusions:Urinary metabolites may help to explain susceptibility to oxidative stress-induced hearing loss