Towards Age-Friendly Work in Europe: A Life-Course Perspective on Work and Ageing from EU Agencies

[Excerpt] The European population is ageing owing to decreasing birth rates and increasing longevity. Population ageing is associated with a decrease in the size and ageing of the workforce. The majority of the EU Member States have reacted to this development by, among other measures, increasing retirement ages and limiting early access to pensions. Nevertheless, a large percentage of workers in the EU do not stay in employment until the official retirement age. The reasons for this are diverse, and will be examined in more detail in this report. Policy-makers are faced with the challenge of addressing this demographic change and its implications for employment, working conditions, living standards and the sustainability of welfare states. The working conditions of older workers and their participation in the labour market are affected by various policy areas (see also Table 1). This report aims to outline various aspects of the working conditions of the ageing workforce and related policies

An applied approach to epidemiology and toxicology for engineers

"This study package was developed to provide the student with an introduction to the disciplines of epidemiology and toxicology, emphasizing topics of special relevance to the engineer. The first unit in the module introduced the participant to the basic concepts of epidemiology and demonstrated its relevance to engineering. Also discussed were the types of epidemiologic studies and the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. The second unit introduced the participant to the different types of analytical epidemiologic studies, when each should be used, the limits of epidemiologic investigations, and key questions to ask when assessing any epidemiologic study. Unit three introduced toxicology and demonstrated the utility of basic precepts of this discipline. The difference between exposure and dose was discussed. Unit four was a overview of the health concerns of persons working in wastewater treatment facilities and evaluated the effects of lead (7439921). An introduction was also provided in this unit to the use of control technologies in terms of moderating risks to workers. Unit five discussed the way in which hazardous waste problems have both an environmental and occupational focus. The need for an interdisciplinary team of specialists in addressing the resulting problems of hazard identification, risk management, and risk abatement was demonstrated in a case involving polychlorinated biphenyls." - NIOSHTIC-2"June 1993.""SHAPE: Safety/Health Awareness for Preventive Engineering"--Cover."NIOSH instructional module"--Cover.Shipping list no.: 95-0530-M."NIOSH Order no. 939342"--P. ii.Includes bibliographical references

Effect of autolysis on the specificity of bovine spongiform encephalopathy rapid tests

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Routine rapid testing for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has highlighted some problems with BSE rapid test performance, the most significant being the number of initially reactive samples and the false positive results on autolyzed tissue. This point is important for BSE active surveillance in risk populations, because tissue autolysis is often unavoidable in routine cases. A robust test suitable for use on field material is therefore needed. To date, very limited information regarding the effect of autolysis on the robustness of rapid tests has been documented; therefore, the National Reference Centre for Animal Encephalopathies (CEA) rapid test laboratory selected 450 autolyzed and negative brain stem samples from fallen stock bovines older than 24 months to assess the specificity of four tests approved for BSE active surveillance: Biorad TeSeE, Enfer TSE version 2.0, Prionics^®Check LIA, and IDEXX Herd Check BSE Antigen Kit EIA. The samples were graded according to the degree of autolysis and then dissected into five portions, four of which randomly assigned to processing by rapid tests and one to be available for confirmatory Western blot analysis.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The specificity of the four systems was 100% for all three grades of autolysis, while the percentage of initially reactive results was 0.00 (95%CI 0.00-0.82), 0.22 (95%CI 0.006-1.23), 0.44 (95%CI 0.05-1.60), and 0.89 (95%CI 0.24-2.26) for the Biorad TeSeE, the Prionics^®Check LIA, the IDEXX Herd Check BSE and the Enfer TSE tests, respectively. No association with the degree of autolysis could be drawn.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrates that the four rapid tests can be considered well-running diagnostic tools regardless of tissue quality; nevertheless, the number of initial reactive samples reported for some systems must not be underestimated in routine testing.</p> <p>Furthermore the compliance with the reported performance can be guaranteed only when an ongoing high careful batch quality control system is in place.</p

Application of handheld devices to field research among underserved construction worker populations: a workplace health assessment pilot study

This is the final version of the article. Available from BioMed Central via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Novel low-cost approaches for conducting rapid health assessments and health promotion interventions among underserved worker groups are needed. Recruitment and participation of construction workers is particularly challenging due to their often transient periods of work at any one construction site, and their limited time during work to participate in such studies. In the present methodology report, we discuss the experience, advantages and disadvantages of using touch screen handheld devices for the collection of field data from a largely underserved worker population. METHODS: In March 2010, a workplace-centered pilot study to examine the feasibility of using a handheld personal device for the rapid health assessment of construction workers in two South Florida Construction sites was undertaken. A 45-item survey instrument, including health-related questions on tobacco exposure, workplace safety practices, musculoskeletal disorders and health symptoms, was programmed onto Apple iPod Touch® devices. Language sensitive (English and Spanish) recruitment scripts, verbal consent forms, and survey questions were all preloaded onto the handheld devices. The experience (time to survey administration and capital cost) of the handheld administration method was recorded and compared to approaches available in the extant literature. RESULTS: Construction workers were very receptive to the recruitment, interview and assessment processes conducted through the handheld devices. Some workers even welcomed the opportunity to complete the questionnaire themselves using the touch screen handheld device. A list of advantages and disadvantages emerged from this experience that may be useful in the rapid health assessment of underserved populations working in a variety of environmental and occupational health settings. CONCLUSIONS: Handheld devices, which are relatively inexpensive, minimize survey response error, and allow for easy storage of data. These technological research modalities are useful in the collection and assessment of environmental and occupational research data.This study was supported in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)'s Deep South Educational Research Center at the University of Alabama (sub-contract: 288477-10) as a Graduate Student Pilot Grant Award; the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) grant F31AR057687 and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant R01 OH003915

Increasing boys' and girls' intention to avoid teenage pregnancy: a cluster randomised control feasibility trial of an interactive video drama based intervention in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland

Background: Adolescent men have a vital yet neglected role in reducing unintended teenage pregnancy (UTP). There is a need for gender-sensitive educational interventions. Objectives: To determine the value and feasibility of conducting an effectiveness trial of the If I Were Jack Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) intervention in a convenience quota sample of post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. Secondary objectives were to assess acceptability to schools, pupils (male/female, aged 14–15 years) and parents/guardians; to identify optimal delivery structures and systems; to establish participation rates and reach, including equality of engagement of different socioeconomic and religious types; to assess trial recruitment and retention rates; to assess variation in normal RSE practice; to refine survey instruments; to assess differences in outcomes for male and female pupils; to identify potential effect sizes that might be detected in an effectiveness trial and estimate appropriate sample size for that trial; and to identify costs of delivery and pilot methods for assessing cost-effectiveness. Design: Cluster randomised Phase II feasibility trial with an embedded process and economic evaluation. Intervention: A teacher-delivered classroom-based RSE resource – an interactive video drama (IVD) with classroom materials, teacher training and an information session for parents – to immerse young people in a hypothetical scenario of Jack, a teenager whose girlfriend is unintentionally pregnant. It addresses gender inequalities in RSE by focusing on young men and is designed to increase intentions to avoid UTP by encouraging young people to delay sexual intercourse and to use contraception consistently in sexual relationships. Main outcome measures: Abstinence from sexual intercourse (delaying initiation of sex or returning to abstinence) or avoidance of unprotected sexual intercourse (consistent correct use of contraception). Secondary outcomes included Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Intentions. Results: The intervention proved acceptable to schools, pupils and parents, as evidenced through positive process evaluation. One minor refinement to the parental component was required, namely the replacement of the teacher-led face-to-face information session for parents by online videos designed to deliver the intervention to parents/guardians into their home. School recruitment was successful (target 25%, achieved 38%). No school dropped out. Pupil retention was successful (target 85%, achieved 93%). The between-group difference in incidence of unprotected sex of 1.3% (95% confidence interval 0.55% to 2.2%) by 9 months demonstrated an effect size consistent with those reported to have had meaningful impact on UTP rates (resulting in an achievable sample size of 66 schools at Phase III). Survey instruments showed high acceptability and reliability of measures (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.5–0.7). Economic evaluation at Phase III is feasible because it was possible to (1) identify costs of delivering If I Were Jack (mean cost per pupil, including training of teachers, was calculated as £13.66); and (2) develop a framework for assessing cost-effectiveness. Conclusion: Trial methods were appropriate, and recruitment and retention of schools and pupils was satisfactory, successfully demonstrating all criteria for progression to a main trial. The perceived value of culture- and gender-sensitive public health interventions has been highlighted. Future work: Progression to a Phase III effectiveness trial. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN99459996. Funding: This project was funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 5, No. 1. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Application of hazard evaluation techniques to the design of potentially hazardous industrial chemical processes

"This instructional module presented specific case studies which highlight the importance of applying system safety techniques to the design and operation of potentially hazardous processes. When applied properly, these techniques can identify and rectify the hidden system failure modes that would otherwise contribute to accidents. Descriptions were offered of seven different techniques for analyzing hazards: preliminary hazard analysis, What If analysis, failure modes effects and criticality analysis, hazard and operability study, fault tree analysis, event tree analysis, and cause/consequence analysis. The preliminary design of five potentially hazardous processes was considered using several of these evaluation techniques. The processes included metal organic chemical vapor deposition, an ethylene production facility, an alkylation process, a high pressure/low density polyethylene facility, and the batch process of industrial and military explosive production. The importance of including hazard evaluation procedures at the senior level in all engineering courses was stressed." NIOSHTIC-2"NIOSH instructional module"--Cover.Shipping list no: 92-233-P."March 1992."Includes bibliographical references.NIOSH Contract 88-7989

ST4 Fire and explosion

First edition Jul 1998. This is Version 4, Jul 1993, reprinted with minor changes in Dec 1994SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:99/17267 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo