Assessment of physical, environmental, and cardiac strain in 43 operators (wearing protective equipment) conducting clean-up of heavy oil products

Background. The aim of the study was to organise an assessment of the physical strains and environmental exposure to hydrocarbon derivatives in persons involved in shoreline clean-up of heavy oil products, in order to investigate the dangers of oil spill clean-up. Material and methods. Forty-three healthy volunteers wearing protective equipment cleaning up an artificial shoreline underwent cardiac strain measurements, as well as a study of thermal stress (approximate WBGT index, water loss, measurement of internal body temperature before and after physical activity). A subjective assessment of perceived exertion was correlated to articular strain indicators recorded for the weight of loads lifted, movement frequency, and the range of movement. Environmental exposure was determined by using portable hydrocarbon detectors. Results. For adult subjects in good physical condition, in neutral temperatures, oil spill clean-up is considered non-arduous. However, in sedentary, stressed subjects exposed to difficult climatic conditions, cleanup can be considered hard to extremely hard. In terms of environmental exposure, slight traces of toluene appeared once out of a total of 18 analysed samples. Conclusions. The sample studied was subject to physical articular strains and presented variable cardiac strain; environmental exposure was, on the other hand, slight when involving cleaning up heavy petroleum products. The subjects liable to carry out this activity are more tolerant to the efforts required when they are healthy, fit, young adults, in the non-arduous thermal conditions recorded in this study

Chronic respiratory symptoms of poultry farmers and model-based estimates of long-term dust exposure

Objectives. The airborne contaminant exposure levels experienced by poultry farmers have raised concerns about the possible health hazards associated with them. Thus, a longitudinal project was instituted in France to monitor these exposures in poultry workers and to evaluate the long-term effect on health. Method. Sixty-three workers in two different poultry housing systems were included (33 from floor-based systems and 30 from cage-based systems). Personal dust concentrations (over 2 days) and activity patterns (over 14 days) were collected and then modeled to obtain average long-term estimates. Health data were collected by questionnaire. Results. The mean daily time spent in the cage system was more than 2 hours longer than in the floor system. Two main common tasks accounted for ~70% of this time. Dust concentrations were higher in the floor system than in the cage system. The concentrations for the 14 days of known activity patterns estimated using the statistical model agreed well with the measured values. Several chronic respiratory symptoms were significantly associated with the high levels of long-term exposure estimated by the model. The highest risk was for chronic bronchitis symptoms (>4-fold higher for exposures of 0.1 mg/m3 of respirable dust). Conclusion. The presented modeling strategy can be used to estimate the long-term average personal exposure to respirable dust, and to study the association between dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms. This population of workers will be followed-up in subsequent examinations (3 years later) to determine whether the predictive model is valid, and whether long-term dust exposure is related to the incidence of respiratory symptoms and changes in pulmonary functions

Rôle des SPST (Services de Prévention et de Santé au Travail) pour la traçabilité des expositions, le SPE (Suivi Post-Exposition) et le SPP (Suivi Post-Professionnel) : cadre juridique, questions à traiter, outils disponibles et recommandations de la Société française de médecine du travail

National audienceThe purpose of these recommendations is to clarify the legal framework, delineate the role of occupational health services and make recommendations on the implementation of the visits prior to post-exposure or post professional survey.L’objectif de ces recommandations est de préciser le cadre juridique, délimiter le rôle des Services de prévention et de santé au travail et effectuer des recommandations sur la mise en œuvre des visites en vue d’un suivi post-exposition ou post-professionnel

Tabagisme et vapotage dans un CHRU en période de pandémie de covid-19 : Point de la campagne Hôpital et Campus Sans Tabac à Brest.

IntroductionIn the framework of a “tobacco-free hospital and campus” campaign, we conducted a study on the prevalence of smoking and vaping among a university hospital (CHRU) staff. The study took place in late 2020 (from 1 September to 15 December), and involved self-assessment of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on smoking.Material and methodA cross-sectional study was carried out using an online questionnaire, which was distributed by email and QR code posting and included socio-professional details as well as data on participants’ smoking and vaping.ResultsThere were 782 responses, representing a participation rate of 13.5%. The sample included 73.3% women and 22.7% men; 28.9% nurses, 24.9% medical staff, 3.6% nursing assistants and 42.6% other professional categories. The overall smoking rate was 13%. Sixty-two (7.9%) participants vaped; 37 (5%) vaped exclusively, 25 (3.2%) combined smoking and vaping. Men smoked more than women: 23.7% vs. 9.4% (P < 0.01). Medical staff smoked and vaped less than other categories; 6.2% vs 14.8% (P < 0.01) and 4.1% vs 9.1% respectively (P = 0.02). Doctors were more often non-smokers: OR = 2.71 (95% CI: 1.14–6.46). Among smokers, 25% said they had increased their cigarette consumption during the covid-19 pandemic, frequently as a means of combating stress or fatigue.ConclusionThis study showed a lower smoking rate than in the literature, possibly due to the high participation of physicians. Ours were the initial estimates of vaping among hospital staff.IntroductionNous avons mené, dans le cadre d’une campagne "Hôpital et Campus Sans Tabac", une étude de prévalence du tabagisme et du vapotage auprès des personnels d’un CHRU.Matériel et méthodesÉtude transversale par questionnaire en ligne, au sujet du tabagisme et du vapotage, se déroulant entre le 01/01/2020 et le 15/12/2020.RésultatsSept cent quatre-vingt-deux questionnaires ont pu être analysés, soit un taux de participation de 13,5 %. L’échantillon comprenait 73,3 % de femmes et 22,7 % hommes; 28,9 % d’infirmiers, 24,9 % de personnels médical, 3,6 % d’aides-soignants et 42,6 % d’autres catégories professionnelles. Le taux de tabagisme était de 13 %. Soixante-deux (7,9 %) des participants vapotaient ; 37 (5 %) vapotaient exclusivement, 25 (3,2 %) associaient tabagisme et vapotage. Les hommes fumaient plus que les femmes : 23,7 % vs 9,4 % (p < 0,01). Les personnels médicaux fumaient et vapotaient moins que les autres catégories ; respectivement 6,2 % vs 14,8 % (p < 0,01) et 4,1 % vs 9,1 % (p = 0,02). Parmi les fumeurs, 25 % déclaraient avoir augmenté leur consommation de cigarettes pendant la pandémie de covid-19, particulièrement afin de lutter contre le stress ou la fatigue.ConclusionCette étude montrait une faible prévalence de tabagisme. Il s’agissait des premières estimations du vapotage parmi du personnel hospitalier

Impact de l'infection par le SARS-CoV2 chez la femme enceinte et ses conséquences en santé au travail

National audienceThe objective of this French Guideline is to present through a narrative review the impact of SARS-CoV2 infection in pregnant women and its occupational health consequences.L'objectif de cette recommandation est de présenter à travers une revue narrative l'impact de l'infection par le SARS-CoV2 chez la femme enceinte et ses conséquences en santé au travail

Quelle complémentarité pour les dispositifs en santé travail (Evrest, MCP, Sumer, RNV3P) : un exemple à partir des métiers de l’aide à domicile chez les femmes ?

International audienceDifferent health and work databases exist in France and the Occupational Health National Plan 2016-2020 asked to map them. Complementarity and intersection were studied for four of them. Sumer studies occupational expositions using occupational health practitioner expertise. Evrest studies working conditions perceived by workers and health, independently of his link with work. MCP studies pathologies caused by work and describes suspected link with exposures. RNV3P describes associations between exposures and pathologies and establishes an imputability degree, using scientific criterias and not medico-legal criteria.Plusieurs bases de données existent dans le domaine de la santé au travail et le Plan National Santé Travail en a demandé une cartographie. Quatre d’entre elles sont analysées du point de vue de leur complémentarité et intersection. Sumer explore les expositions aux risques professionnels via l’expertise du médecin du travail. Evrest étudie les conditions de travail du point de vue des salariés ainsi que leur santé. MCP recense les pathologies en lien avec le travail et les expositions suspectées d’en être à l’origine. RNV3P identifie des associations entre expositions et pathologie via la cotation d’une imputabilité sur des critères scientifiques et non médico-légaux

Targeted Enrichment of Ancient Pathogens Yielding the pPCP1 Plasmid of Yersinia Pestis From Victims of the Black Death

Although investigations of medieval plague victims have identified Yersinia pestis as the putative etiologic agent of the pandemic, methodological limitations have prevented large-scale genomic investigations to evaluate changes in the pathogen\u27s virulence over time. We screened over 100 skeletal remains from Black Death victims of the East Smithfield mass burial site (1348–1350, London, England). Recent methods of DNA enrichment coupled with high-throughput DNA sequencing subsequently permitted reconstruction of ten full human mitochondrial genomes (16 kb each) and the full pPCP1 (9.6 kb) virulence-associated plasmid at high coverage. Comparisons of molecular damage profiles between endogenous human and Y. pestis DNA confirmed its authenticity as an ancient pathogen, thus representing the longest contiguous genomic sequence for an ancient pathogen to date. Comparison of our reconstructed plasmid against modern Y. pestis shows identity with several isolates matching the Medievalis biovar; however, our chromosomal sequences indicate the victims were infected with a Y. pestis variant that has not been previously reported. Our data reveal that the Black Death in medieval Europe was caused by a variant of Y. pestis that may no longer exist, and genetic data carried on its pPCP1 plasmid were not responsible for the purported epidemiological differences between ancient and modern forms of Y. pestis infections