Outdoor air pollution and lung cancer: what now?

In the last decade a substantial number of epidemiological studies suggested that outdoor air pollution and in particular respirable particulate matter (PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.The most recent is a multicentre European study..

Discussion on Possible Approaches for the Management of Pollutants in Tunneling in Rock Formations Containing Asbestos Minerals

Workers’ exposure to asbestos minerals is a major factor in the Occupational Safety and Health risks typical of tunneling. For, as well as being a carcinogen, the distribution of asbestos minerals in rock formations is highly irregular since their possible formation during the metamorphic process depends on various parameters. This makes a special risk assessment and management necessary. Many case studies of specific risk assessment and management of pollutants applied in tunneling are available in literature, so the aim of this research study is to define which can be implemented in case of formations containing asbestos minerals, in combination also with other solutions, and organize them in hierarchical order. Initially, to achieve this goal, a literature review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA statement, to select the current solutions used to manage possible workers’ exposure to asbestos minerals. Subsequently, the various solutions selected (e.g., specific excavation techniques, catcher systems near the source, ventilation systems etc.) were given a hierarchy by order of priority and compared to each other. The selection of solutions and the priority order were achieved by taking into account the safety requirements for the construction of the base tunnel of the Turin-Lyon railway line. The study highlighted the fact that despite technological progress there are still some critical aspects in the management of pollutants and in particular of asbestos mineral

Risk of Mortality from Respiratory Malignant and Non-Malignant Diseases among Talc Miners and Millers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is contrasting data on the association between talc exposure and lung and pleural cancer. Given the potential importance of this aspect, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between working in the talc extractive industry and mortality from malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases. We followed PRISMA guidelines to systematically search for pertinent articles in three relevant electronic databases: Pubmed, Scopus, and WebOfScience, from their inception to 30 November 2021. The methodological quality of included articles was evaluated using the US National Institutes of Health tool. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases as well as respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted or calculated for each included cohort. Six articles comprising 7 cohorts were included in the metanalysis. There was increased mortality for pneumoconiosis, especially in the miner’s group (SMR = 7.90, CI 95% 2.77–22.58) and especially in those exposed to higher quartz concentration and for non-malignant respiratory diseases in the overall analysis (SMR = 1.81, CI 95% 1.15–2.82). The risk for lung cancer mortality was slightly increased in the overall analysis (SMR = 1.42, CI 95% 1.07–1.89). The risk for malignant mesothelioma could not be calculated due to an insufficient number of studies assessing this outcome. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides evidence that men working in the talc mining industry have increased mortality for non-malignant respiratory diseases including pneumoconiosis. The small excess in lung cancer mortality may be, in part, explained by the high prevalence of the smokers in some of the analyzed cohorts or by the exposure to other carcinogens like radon decay products and diesel engine exhaust

Contribution to validation of the Italian version of work ability personal radar

BACKGROUND: Work ability (WA) is an important construct in Occupational Health. Over the years, various WA detection tools have been developed, and a new one is the Work Ability Personal Radar (WA-PR), capable of investigating all the dimensions that define the complexity of WA. In this new version, not only the physical dimensions are considered but also the psycho-social aspects of work capable of impacting WA. The WA-PR was born in the Finnish context. However, recently, it has also been validated elsewhere. In light of the literature on WA assessment tools, our goal is to contribute to validating the WA-PR in the Italian context. METHODS: Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire administered to 405 workers in the chemical industrial sector. RESULTS: Results show that the WA-PR correlate with WAI and other constructs conceptually related to work ability: the need for recovery, stress, and general health. CONCLUSIONS: Data analysis confirms that the WA-PR is a valuable and reliable tool for evaluating work ability in the Italian context

Forensic investigation techniques contribution in the occupational safety & health risk assessment and management

Occupational Safety and Health –OS&H- Risks Assessment and Management is a particularly demanding task: the European Directives - and the derived Italian laws and regulations - stress the importance of a pro-active approach, the one able to reach effective results. To simply focus on localized situations, and carry out a bird’s-eye survey cannot ensure a systematic evaluation of the operating contexts in complex settlements such as the Large Public Facilities, where the most serious criticalities are not of direct identification. The paper –developed within The General Safety Issues and Goals in Turin Universities research program, funded by Politecnico di Torino, discusses a special sub-part of the well-tested Guideline set up, for Large Public Facilities, in cooperation between Politecnico di Torino and Università degli Studi di Torino, aimed to grant a sufficient detail in the aforesaid situations. The approach is based on an original development for OS&H Risk Assessment and Management of some Forensic Investigations techniques for a thorough Hazard Identification on shell, services and interior spaces of settlements containing workplaces, and on their not-operative content. The analysis of some case histories confirms the effectiveness of the approach in terms of completeness and repeatability, and makes possible to draw suggestions on the selection of the better investigation technique in different scenarios

Emerging needs in OSH: a new master in occupational safety and health by ILO and University of Turin

Javne i privatne organizacije diljem svijeta sve se više bave unapređenjem zaštite na radu i u stalnoj su potrazi za obrazovanim stručnjacima. Stručnjakom zaštite na radu postaje se tijekom multidisciplinarnog osposobljavanja. Od 2012. Sveučilište u Torinu u suradnji s Međunarodnim centrom za osposobljavanje pri Međunarodnoj organizaciji rada (ITC-ILO) i Međunarodnoj komisiji za zaštitu na radu (ICOH) odgovorilo je na izazov i otvorilo studij na razini magisterija iz zaštite na radu. Cilj je utvrditi sustavnost i učinkovitost predloženog obrazovanja. Program je otvoren sudionicima iz razvijenih zemalja i zemalja u razvoju. Pored pripremne obrazovne faze putem interneta kojom sudionici različitih predznanja postižu odgovarajuću razinu znanja, ovaj program uključuje i rezidencijalni dio, na koji se nastavlja još jedno razdoblje učenja na daljinu kao priprema za disertaciju. Rezidencijalna faza u Torinu sastoji se od rada u učionici, studijskih posjeta odabranim poduzećima i, s tim u vezi, odgovarajućem osposobljavanju. Između 2007. i 2018. više od 300 sudionika prijavilo se za postdiplomski studij, a zatim za magisterij iz zaštite na radu. Dolazili su iz različitih sredina: javnih institucija, privatnih tvrtki i sveučilišta. Sudionika 65,7 % (SD 8,1%) upisalo je rezidencijalni program, a prosječna im je dob bila 38 godina (SD 7,4), 55,9 % (SD 5,2) završilo je magisterij. Korištene su različite strategije vrednovanja programa. Proječna ocjena zadovoljstva bila je visoka (4,28; SD 0,67). Na kraju osposobljavanja sudionici su naučili upravljati postupcima i tehnikama zaštite na radu kao i sustavima upravljanja zdravljem. Rezultati upitnika o učinkovitosti programa pokazuju korisnost i zadovoljstvo programom.Public and private sector organizations worldwide are increasingly concerned with improving occupational safety and health (OSH) and increasingly seek skilled OSH professionals. Becoming an OSH professional requires a multidisciplinary training. Since 2012, the University of Turin, along with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO), the International Labour Office (ILO) and the International Commission of Occupational Health (ICOH) collected this challenge and opened a master course in OSH. The aim is to assess the consistency and effectiveness of the emerging educational proposal. The proposed programme is opened to participants from both developing and developed countries. Besides a preparatory Internet-based Distance Learning Phase, enabling participants with different backgrounds to reach an adequate level of knowledge, this one-year programme includes a residential period, followed by another distance phase for the preparation of the dissertation. Residential Phase of Turin includes classroom training, study visits to selected enterprises and related training sessions. From 2007 to 2018 more than 300 participants applied first to the Postgraduate course and then to the Master in OSH, with variable occupational backgrounds such as public institutions, private companies and Universities. 65,7% (SD 8,1%) of the participants were enrolled to the Residential Phase, with a mean age of 38 years (SD 7,4), 55,9% (SD 5,2%) achieved the Master Degree. Different evaluation strategies were used. The average satisfaction survey score was high (4,28; SD 0,67). At the end of the training period, participants learnt to manage the use of OSH procedures and techniques and health management systems. The results of the profit and satisfaction questionnaires demonstrate the effectiveness of the course