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The global spread of COVID-19 pandemic forced the scientific community to identify new ways of exchanging and transferring the scientific knowledge, also considering that the measures taken to combat the pandemic, such as travel restrictions, closed borders and gathering bans, led to cancellations of many conferences, meetings and workshops. The enhancement of the existing digital platforms and the development of new systems to share scientific knowledge has allowed the scientific community to "meet" again in new virtual environments (e.g., Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Live Stream, Demio, GoToWebinar Seminar, Google Hangouts, Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc.), providing an unprecedented opportunity to reform methods of organizing academic conferences in all disciplines.Starting from the review of the existing literature, this study aimed at investigating the impact of the spreading of virtual conferences on the field of research. The SWOT analysis was used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the scientific conferences organized in the new format, as well as opportunities and threats created by the socio-economic and political context in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this study is to map the coverage of occupational safety and health (OSH) rules and provisions and their enforcement at a country level worldwide. Members’ participation in the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) activities was also investigated. We used a questionnaire-based survey to collect data. An online questionnaire was administered from February 14 to March 18, 2018 to all ICOH members for the triennium 2015 to 2017 (n = 1929). We received 384 completed questionnaires from 79 countries, with a 20% response rate. To synthesize information about the coverage of OSH rules and provisions and their level of enforcement, a synthetic coverage index was calculated and combined with country, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the human development index (HDI). We used multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to analyze the members’ participation in ICOH activities. More than 90.0% of the sample declared that in their own country there is a set of rules and provisions regulating OSH in the workplace, and training procedures and tools to improve workers’ awareness. However, these rules and training procedures are mainly “partially” enforced and utilized (39.0% and 45.4%). There was no statistically significant association between country and GDP per capita and the synthetic coverage index, whilst controlling for HDI. The level of engagement in ICOH activities is higher in senior members (aged 65 years or older), coming from high-income countries, having held a position within ICOH, with a higher level of education and a researcher position. An integrated and multidisciplinary approach, which includes research, education and training, is needed to address OSH issues and their impact both at global and country level.

Background The aim of this study is to illustrate the historical role of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) congresses as an arena where national and international occupational medicine can dialogue and as the first example of scientific transferability of the research and prevention results that have had such an impact on global public health. Methods We used the ICOH Heritage Repository, in which ICOH congress proceedings (from the first congress in Milan in 1906 to the last congress, held in Dublin in 2018), are organised in an orderly way, updated and easily accessible according to open access logic. Results We describe studies by three physicians who submitted significant scientific work to ICOH congresses, one on the battle against ancylostomiasis (Volante, 1906), the second (Quarelli, 1928) on carbon disulphide poisoning, and the third (Viola, 1969) on the carcinogenicity of vinyl chloride monomer. Priority is given to Italian cases, on account of the authors’ obvious familiarity with the issues. Conclusion The visibility offered in ICOH conferences and their published proceedings has boosted the international spread of their findings, contributing to the scientific transferability of the research results and influencing the development of policies and prevention interventions that have had a great impact on global public health.

Introduction Inail has for a long time been active in the recovery, valorization and sharing of the heritage of knowledge relating to health and safety at work, both at a national and international level. Among the activities of the triennial research plan, it is also included the creation of a repository of the ICOH Congress proceedings, starting from its foundation to the present time, with the aim of presenting the available documentation in an organised and interrelated system. Methods The series of ICOH international congresses begins in Milan in 1906, in connexion with the foundation of ICOH. To date, 31 international congress have been held. On the occasion of the centenary Congress in 2006, a first catalogue and digitalization of the proceedings was created, with an index by author, title keywords, etc., by the Clinica del Lavoro of Milan, under the direction of P.A. Bertazzi. The aim of the project is to complete the digital version of the single proceedings for the realisation of a web edition of the complete corpus of the ICOH Congresses, along with the development of organised metadata useful for semantic research. Result The result will be the realisation of a critical review in order to level out all the previous experiences of digitalization of the proceedings of the ICOH Congresses, including the various forms of indexing now existing, along with the creation of a thesaurus of keywords for occupational medicine, in digital format and with links to the entries. Research output will include the creation of a structured Repository containing a series of shared metadata in open access and with tools for semantic research. Discussion The Repository will be released at the ICOH 2018 Congress and will constitute an important research tool not only for the history of prevention and health and safety at workplaces, but also for the current research activities in OHS.

Introduction The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) is an international professional organisation dedicated to scientific progress, knowledge, and development of occupational health and safety. Founded in 1906 in Milan, Italy, ICOH currently has over 2000 members in 96 countries. The 37 Scientific Committees provide a forum for members and associated experts to meet in order to promote, share and discuss progress relating to the OSH topics. The aim of this study is to develop a survey on ICOH contribution to OSH at national and international level. Methods The survey project will consist of the following phases: first draft of the questionnaire shared with ICOH Officers, members of the Task Group on Membership and National Secretaries; second draft based on the suggestions and inputs received; pilot test; questionnaire administration; data elaboration and analysis; dissemination of results. The questionnaire will be administered to ICOH members in good standing through the dedicated web-based platform SurveyMonkey. The language selected for the questionnaire will be English. The questionnaire will be structured along different sections investigating ICOH contribution to OSH at national and international level, activities carried out by Scientific Committees and National Secretaries, results visibility and dissemination at International Congresses, effectiveness of ICOH communication tools. Data will be analysed using SPSS Statistics V.22. Results and Conclusion Preliminary results will be presented at ICOH 2018 Congress. This study will be, for the first time in ICOH history, addressed to the whole active membership. It might become the starting point for a systematic monitoring survey on needs and perceptions of members with respect to ICOH commitment in the OSH sector. The outputs will also contribute to the improvement of ICOH scientific activities and identification of the new OSH priorities at national and international level.

Introduction Over the past few years, there has been a progressive increase in foreign labour force in agricultural sector in Italy, which has reached over 1 15 000 units (14.2% of total employment in agriculture), of which 36% coming from EU countries, while 64% from non-EU countries. In case of migrant workers factors such as lack of knowledge of occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation, language knowledge difficulties, young age, lack of information and training and, consequently, reduced perception of work-related risks, could further increase the risk for health due to both specific risks of the activities carried out and the peculiar characteristics of the work organisation. The present study aims at detecting the perception of OSH risk in agriculture in migrant workers as a contribution to the identification of training needs. Methods With the support of cultural mediators, an ad hoc questionnaire was submitted to 402 migrant workers employed in agriculture in Lombardy Region. Results The interviewees have different nationalities (60% Indian, 15% Moroccan, 15% Bengali), with mostly seasonal employment contracts (96%); the age most represented is 25–34 years (41%). Over 56% generally evaluate their health ‘very good’. About 73% of respondents believe that there are no risks for OSH and 80% of them believe that are not personally exposed. Over 62% is very/completely agree that the lack of knowledge and awareness of workers’ dangers in the workplace contributes to an injury. Conclusions Preliminary results of the study requires a secondary analysis in order to contribute to the implementation and optimisation of preventative tools in consideration of the peculiarities that characterise the agricultural sector.

The INSuLa project consisted of a national survey on health and safety at work involving all the relevant actors such as workers, employers, occupational physicians (MC), worker safety representatives (RLS), prevention and safety service in the workplace (SPSAL). The survey aimed, on one hand, at investigating workers' risk perceptions at the workplace and, on another hand, at exploring the general level of awareness about the enforcement of the Legislative Decree 81/2008 and subsequent amendments. The survey was conducted on a stratified sample of8000 workers representative of the national situation taking into consideration some of the most important socio-demographic and occupational variables, such as gender, geographic area, age, type of contract and sector of activity. The analysis of the results presented here and the subsequent secondary analyses will contribute to identify the needs and critical issues for implementing preventive interventions at the workplaces, also in consideration of the emerging risks and changes in the world of work.