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Objectives: The popularity of high silica content artificial stone has been associated with emergence of severe, progressive silicosis as a major health issue affecting workers in the stone benchtop industry. This population-based health assessment programme has been implemented with the aim of identifcation of silica-associated disease at a preclinical stage.Methods: All current and former workers from the stone benchtop industry in the State of Victoria are offered free health assessments. Primary evaluations include a standardised questionnaire, physical examination, spirometry and gas transfer assessment and International Labour Organisation-categorised chest X-ray. Secondary evaluations include high-resolution CT chest, blood tests and a respiratory physician evaluation.Results: At the end of the first 12 months, 86/239 (36%) workers who had completed secondary evaluation were diagnosed with silicosis (65 simple silicosis and 21 complicated silicosis). 22 had worked in the industry for less than 10 years at the time of diagnosis. Of those with simple silicosis, 80% of workers reported breathlessness only with strenuous exercise (modified Medical Research Council score of 0), and lung function was well preserved (prebronchodilator forced vital capacity mean 99.8% predicted (SD 13.6), diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide mean 96.2% predicted (SD 18.0)). Antinuclear antibodies were detected in 37% with silicosis and 24% without silicosis.Conclusion: Early results from this comprehensive health assessment programme have indicated a high proportion of referred artificial stone benchtop workers have silicosis, including many with early-stage disease. The common finding of antinuclear antibodies suggest significant potential for autoimmune disease in this occupational group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate mortality and cancer incidence of Australian male volunteer firefighters and of subgroups of firefighters by duration of service, era of first service and the number and type of incidents attended.Methods: Participating fire agencies supplied records of individual volunteer firefighters, including incidents attended. The cohort was linked to the Australian National Death Index and Australian Cancer Database. standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for cancer were calculated. Firefighters were grouped into tertiles by duration of service and by number of incidents attended and relative mortality ratios and relative incidence ratios calculated.Results: Compared with the general population, there were significant decreases in overall cancer incidence and in most major cancer categories. Prostate cancer incidence was increased compared with the general population, but this was not related to the number of incidents attended. Kidney cancer was associated with increased attendance at fires, particularly structural fires.The overall risk of mortality was significantly decreased, and all major causes of death were significantly reduced for volunteer firefighters. There was evidence of an increased mortality from ischaemic heart disease, with increased attendance at fires.Conclusion: Volunteer firefighters have a reduced risk of mortality and cancer incidence compared with the general population, which is likely to be a result of a 'healthy-volunteer' effect and, perhaps, lower smoking rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate differences and similarities between three sources of work-related injury information: workers compensation claims, emergency department (ED) presentation data and hospital admissions data. Methods This population-based, retrospective descriptive analysis of non-fatal, work-related injuries of workforce participants in Victoria, Australia, has compared data from workers compensation claims and ED presentation and hospital admission data sets for the period 2004-2011. Work-related injury case frequency and rate were compared across study years according to gender, age, geographical location and injury type. Injury rates were expressed as cases per million hours worked. Results Rates of hospital admissions for treatment of work-related injury increased over the study period, compared with decreasing rates of injury in compensation claims and ED data. The highest rate of injuries to younger workers was captured in ED data. There was greater capture of musculoskeletal injuries by workers' compensation data, and of open wound and burn injury by the ED data. Broad similarities were noted for temporal trends according to gender, for the distribution of cases across older age groups and for rates of fracture injuries. Conclusions These study findings inform use of workers' compensation, ED presentation and hospital admission data sets as sources of information for surveillance of work-related injuries in countries where these types of data are routinely collected. Choice of data source for investigation of work-related injury should take into consideration the population and injury types of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although road traffic injury is reported as the leading cause of work-related death in Australia, it is not clear, due to limitations in previous methods used, just how large a burden it is. Many organisations are unaware of the extent of work-related road traffic injury and, importantly, what can be done to reduce the burden. The proposed research will (i) estimate the prevalence of work-related road traffic injury and (ii) identify the organisational determinants associated with work-related road traffic injury. Methods and design The current study is designed to enumerate the problem and identify the individual driver-level, the supervisor-level and organisational-level factors associated with work-related road traffic injury. The multilevel systems protocol will involve a series of cross-sectional surveys administered to drivers of fleet vehicles (n=1200), supervisors of the drivers (n=1200) and senior managers (n=300) within the same organisation. Discussion The novel use of the multilevel systems protocol is critical to be able to accurately assess the specific determinants of driving safety within each context of an organisation. Results The results are expected to highlight that reducing injury in the workplace requires more than just individual compliance with safety procedures. It will also establish, for the first time, an occupational translation taskforce to ensure that the research findings are adopted into work-place practice and thereby directly contribute to reductions in work-related road traffic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the personal, physical and psychosocial factors associated with wrist or hand pain in Australian hospital-based nurses. Methods Wrist or hand pain, associated disability and sickness absence, demographic, occupational, physical, psychosocial and personal factors among nurses working for three hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, were assessed in a cross-sectional study. Factors associated with wrist or hand pain in the past month were assessed using logistic regression. Results This analysis was based on 1111 participants. The prevalence of wrist or hand pain in the past month was 15.3%. Repeated movements of the wrist or finger >4 h (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.80 to 3.84), high job strain (1.54, 1.04 to 2.28), job insecurity (1.55, 1.04 to 2.28), somatisation tendency (2.73, 1.75 to 4.26), pain catastrophising (1.56, 1.03 to 2.37), better mental (0.97, 0.95 to 0.99) and physical (0.96, 0.94-0.98) health and well-being were associated with wrist or hand pain in the past month, after adjusting for possible confounding factors. When all significant factors were examined in the same model, repeated movements of the wrist or finger >4 h (2.50, 1.71 to 3.67), somatisation (2.61, 1.65 to 4.13) and better physical health and well-being (0.96, 0.94 to 0.99) remained independently associated with wrist or hand pain in the past month. Conclusions This study highlights that wrist or hand pain is prevalent in hospital nurses. Workplace physical factors and personal factors were associated with wrist or hand pain. Further longitudinal investigation is needed to examine the predictive nature of these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the relationship between sociodemographic, individual and work place factors, and neck pain alone, shoulder pain alone, and neck and shoulder pain among nurses working across three public hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Methods Information on participant demographics, somatisation tendency, health beliefs, mental and physical health status, workplace physical and psychosocial factors, and musculoskeletal symptoms and pain at several body sites was collected. Results 1111 participants (response rate 38.6%) were included in the study: 17.2% reported neck pain alone, 11.6% shoulder pain alone and 15.8% both neck and shoulder pain in the past month. Self-reported neck and shoulder pain were independently associated with poorer mental (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.98) and physical (0.92, 0.90 to 0.95) health and well-being, somatisation (1.77, 1.03 to 3.04) and negative work-causation beliefs (2.51, 1.57 to 3.99). Neck pain alone was more consistently associated with sociodemographic factors, mental (0.97, 0.96 to 0.99) and physical (0.97, 0.94 to 0.99) health and well-being, and shoulder pain alone was associated with physical health and well-being (0.95, 0.92 to 0.98) and fear-avoidance beliefs (0.45, 0.24 to 0.86). Conclusion Risk factors for self-reported pain between regions of the neck and shoulder alone, and neck and shoulder differed. While neck and shoulder pain was consistently associated with several risk factors, neck and shoulder pain in isolation were both associated with physical health and well-being and individually associated with sociodemographic and health beliefs, respectively. These findings suggest that different factors may be associated with a single pain region versus pain in two regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Employees in alumina refineries are known to be exposed to a number of potential respiratory irritants, particularly caustic mist and bauxite and alumina dusts. To examine the prevalence of work related respiratory symptoms and lung function in alumina refinery employees and relate these to their jobs.Methods: 2964 current employees of three alumina refineries in Western Australia were invited to participate in a cross sectional study, and 89% responded. Subjects were given a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, smoking, and occupations with additional questions on temporal relations between respiratory symptoms and work. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured with a rolling seal spirometer. Atopy was assessed with prick skin tests for common allergens. Associations between work and symptoms were assessed with Cox's regression to estimate prevalence ratios, and between work and lung function with linear regression.Results: Work related wheeze, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and rhinitis were reported by 5.0%, 3.5%, 2.5%, and 9.5% of participants respectively. After adjustment for age, smoking, and atopy, most groups of production employees reported a greater prevalence of work related symptoms than did office employees. After adjustment for age, smoking, height, and atopy, subjects reporting work related wheeze, chest tightness, and shortness of breath had significantly lower mean levels of FEV(1) (186, 162, and 272 ml respectively) than subjects without these symptoms. Prevalence of most work related symptoms was higher at refinery 2 than at the other two refineries, but subjects at this refinery had an adjusted mean FEV(1) >60 ml higher than the others. Significant differences in FVC and FEV(1)/FVC ratio, but not FEV(1), were found between different process groups.Conclusions: There were significant differences in work related symptoms and lung function between process groups and refineries, but these were mostly not consistent. Undefined selection factors and underlying population differences may account for some of these findings but workplace exposures may also contribute. The differences identified between groups were unlikely to be clinically of note. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the journal's management changes, methodological issues and environmental medicine.

In this article, the author offers information on 2012 mission of this very journal. It mentions that main aim of journal is to provide good information on health research and practice related to occupation and environment. It also states that journal aims to provide high quality and high impact research to the readers.

The article presents an update on the campaign for a worldwide ban on asbestos production and use. An overview of papers on asbestos-related cancers is provided, including the increasing evidence of domestic and environmental asbestos exposure as a cause of mesothelioma. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has concluded that asbestos causes cancer while the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) called for a total ban on the production and use of asbestos.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including a link between brain tumors and the use of mobile phones and trends in brain tumor incidence in the U.S.

The author comments on the weaker evidence regarding the work hazards faced by disaster response workers and their physical and mental health impacts. He cites research conducted to investigate the physical and psychological health impacts on emergency services personnel arising both from their usual emergency work and from unexpected catastrophic events. The role of the occupational health workforce in helping develop effective preparedness and manage emergency workers is explored.

The author reflects on the role of occupational and environmental medicine in optimizing the evidence-based approach of occupational health practice. The author asserts that occupational and environmental medicine is responsible in publishing information resources related to occupational health activities. He notes that updates on the development of occupational health is necessary to sustain the needs of patients as well as help in the advancement of the practice for quality service.

The author discusses the effects of chemical weapons testing conducted on thousands of British military personnel over a period of several decades at the Porton Down facility in Great Britain. Particular attention is paid to investigations of mortality and cancer rates in the soldiers who were exposed to mustard gas. The study published in this issue of the journal titled "Cancer morbidity in British military veterans participating in chemical weapons experiments at Porton Down" is analyzed.

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses the various articles published within the issue on topics which include the third death anniversary of Bernardino Ramazzini, the CARcinogen EXposure (CAREX) Canada, and musculoskeletal disorder.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses the publication's decision to publish editorials that highlight current and emerging issues in occupational and environmental health, and the 2014 conference held by the International Commission on Occupational Health.

The article reports on the release of standards from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) of the Royal College of Physicians for accreditation of occupational health services in Great Britain. The standards call for a safe, effective, quality occupational health service. The six areas of occupational health service provision they identified are relationships with purchasers and workers, business probity, facilities and equipment, information governance and people. They also recommended an assessment process for accreditation.