Assessment of Occupational Diseases among Artisans and Factory Workers in Ifo, Nigeria

The ever increasing incidences of occupational diseases among workers have continually drawn the attention of researchers towards ameliorating the situation. Investigation was launched to assess occupational diseases among artisans and factory workers in Ifo, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires with oral interview were employed to complement the health records of the respondents at the Government accredited health center. Of the one hundred and fifty six (156) respondents, ninety six (62%) are males and sixty one (38%) female, sixty one point fifty four percent (61.54%) are youths of age 20 to 39 years, fifty one (32.69%) are illiterates and one hundred and eight (69.21%) earn N100, 000 ($615) and below as monthly wages. The diseases prevalent in these workers were evaluated to include but not limited to disorders of muscles, bones, joints, skin and the respiratory organs indicating that most of the jobs are such that causes damages to these special parts of the body and could lead to deformities/incapacitation in old age. Common amongst these diseases are Pre-patellar bursitis and Eczema (1.92% each), Tuberculosis, Asthma and Sunburn (5.77% each). Toxic/inflammatory syndrome, hearing impairment, allergies and computer vision syndrome (7.69% each). Two (1.28% in each case) have been diagnosed of Lead poisoning, Lung cancer, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Pulmonary fibrosis, Meniscus lesion and Olecranon bursitis. Upper airway disorders (4.49%), Irritations (3.21%), Post-traumatic stress syndrome (11.54%), skin allergies (13.46%). Chronic bronchitis; Pneumonia; Pneumoconiosis; Hepatitis and Anthrax-like infection (0.64 % each). The causes of these diseases/disorders include dusts from quarry, textile, cotton, metal, paper, mineral, wood, cereals, cement, and chemical fumes industries, extreme posture of wrist, repetitive movements, inhalations from petrol fuel, prolonged pressure of the elbow region, prolonged kneeling/ squatting position, forceful exertions and microorganisms. Adequate occupational health and safety awareness through training and campaign should be provided. The use of personal protective equipment among workers should also be encouraged

Management of work-relevant upper limb disorders: a review

Background Upper limb disorders (ULDs) are clinically challenging and responsible for considerable work loss. There is a need to determine effective approaches for their management. Aim To determine evidence-based management strategies for work-relevant ULDs and explore whether a biopsychosocial approach is appropriate. Methods Literature review using a best evidence synthesis. Data from articles identified through systematic searching of electronic databases and citation tracking were extracted into evidence tables. The information was synthesized into high-level evidence statements, which were ordered into themes covering classification/diagnosis, epidemiology, associations/risks and management/treatment, focusing on return to work or work retention and taking account of distinctions between non-specific complaints and specific diagnoses. Results Neither biomedical treatment nor ergonomic workplace interventions alone offer an optimal solution; rather, multimodal interventions show considerable promise, particularly for occupational outcomes. Early return to work, or work retention, is an important goal for most cases and may be facilitated, where necessary, by transitional work arrangements. The emergent evidence indicates that successful management strategies require all the players to be onside and acting in a coordinated fashion; this requires engaging employers and workers to participate. Conclusions The biopsychosocial model applies: biological considerations should not be ignored, but psychosocial factors are more influential for occupational outcomes. Implementation of interventions that address the full range of psychosocial issues will require a cultural shift in the way the relationship between upper limb complaints and work is conceived and handled. Dissemination of evidence-based messages can contribute to the needed cultural shift

Single-Session Attention Bias Modification Training in Victims of Work-Related Accidents

Individuals who experienced traumatic work-related accidents frequently show cognitive deficits and biased processing of trauma-relevant information, which, in turn, could increase the risk of further accidents. The attention bias modification training (ABMT) is designed to reduce hypervigilance toward and enhance attentional disengagement from threat stimuli. The aim of the present study was to assess whether it is possible to implicitly reduce the attentional bias toward trauma-related stimuli through a single session of ABMT in individuals who experienced a traumatic occupational accident. Nineteen individuals who had experienced a traumatic work-related accident and 11 workers who never experienced a work accident (control group) underwent a preliminary assessment of cognitive performance (executive functions and sustained attention) and an evaluation of the attentional bias toward accident-related pictures by means of a dot-probe task. The results showed that injured workers performed more poorly than controls in tasks of executive functions and concentration abilities. Also, injured workers showed an attentional bias toward trauma reminders (i.e., faster reaction times to probes replacing trauma-related pictures). Injured workers were then randomly allocated to a single-session of ABMT (N = 10) or to an Attention Control Condition (ACC; N = 9). After the training, the dot-probe task was administered again to assess changes in the attentional bias toward trauma-relevant pictures. Injured workers who underwent the ABMT, but not those who underwent the ACC, showed a significant reduction of the attentional bias from pre- to post-training. Overall, these results support previous findings reporting an association between traumatic occupational accidents and cognitive dysfunctions. More importantly, these preliminary findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the effectiveness of a short ABMT in reducing the attentional bias after a traumatic workplace accident

Lighting, well-being and work performance: A review of the literature

Commissioned White Paper Report for Philips International

Developing an Intervention Toolbox for the Common Health Problems in the Workplace

Development of the Health ↔ Work Toolbox is described. The toolbox aims to reduce the workplace impact of common health problems (musculoskeletal, mental health, and stress complaints) by focusing on tackling work-relevant symptoms. Based on biopsychosocial principles this toolbox supplements current approaches by occupying the zone between primary prevention and healthcare. It provides a set of evidence-informed principles and processes (knowledge + tools) for tackling work-relevant common health problems. The toolbox comprises a proactive element aimed at empowering line managers to create good jobs, and a ‘just in time’ responsive element for supporting individuals struggling with a work-relevant health problem. The key intention is helping people with common health problems to maintain work participation. The extensive conceptual and practical development process, including a comprehensive evidence review, produced a functional prototype toolbox that is evidence based and flexible in its use. End-user feedback was mostly positive. Moving the prototype to a fully-fledged internet resource requires specialist design expertise. The Health ↔ Work Toolbox appears to have potential to contribute to the goal of augmenting existing primary prevention strategies and healthcare delivery by providing a more comprehensive workplace approach to constraining sickness absence

Knowledge synthesis: Animal health and welfare in organic pig production - Final Report COREPIG

This report reviews the available information on the welfare of pigs when maintained according to organic standards in Europe. It begins by overviewing the populations of organic pigs in different countries at the time of writing (2007), the organic standards which govern their management and the systems in which they are typically kept. It then reviews for each stage in the production cycle (sows, suckling piglets, weaned pigs and fattening pigs) the available literature on health and welfare problems which might be experienced by the animals and the hazards which might give rise to these problems. Finally the report reviews the methods current available for the measurement of pig health and welfare and the extent to which monitoring systems currently exist in different countries, or might be developed. The information gathered in this review formed the basis for the subsequent development of tools for use in a HACCP based management and surveillance system for organic pig herds. These tools will assist the organic pig farmer to prevent selected pig diseases and welfare problems by monitoring and controlling the risk factors. Further details can be found on the COREPIG project website www.icrofs.org/coreorganic/corepig.htm

Health and safety of the older worker

This is the author's pre-copyedited accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2012 The Authors.Background - In the UK, increasing numbers of paid employees are over 60 years with further increases expected as the state pension age rises. Some concern surrounds possible increased work-related illness and accidents for people working beyond the age of 60. Aims - To identify the available evidence for health and safety risks of workers over age 60 years with respect to factors associated with injuries and accidents. Methods - Databases searched included PUBMED, OSHUpdate, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSHTIC-2), SafetyLit, the UK The Health and Safety Executive (HSELINE) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety until December 2009. Inclusion criteria were workers aged over 60 years. Findings were grouped into occupational accidents and injuries and individual and workplace factors that may have influenced risk of injury to the over-60s. Results - Very little direct evidence was found concerning safety practices and health risks of workers over age 60. Some safety risks were associated with specific physical declines such as age-related hearing loss. Overall, these workers had fewer accidents and injuries but these were more likely to be serious or fatal when they occurred. There was no strong evidence that work patterns, including shift work or overtime, affected safety. Protective, compensatory strategies or experience may maintain safe working practices. Conclusions - Implications for health and safety risks cannot be assessed without longitudinal research on workforces with substantial numbers of workers over age 60 in order to address the healthy worker effect.Institution of Occupational Health and Safet