Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Yassi

Publications and source records attributed to A Yassi.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

An analysis of occupational blood lead trends in Manitoba, 1979 through 1987.

BACKGROUND: While regulations for workplace lead exposure become more strict, their effectiveness in decreasing blood lead concentrations and the method by which this is attained have not been evaluated. METHODS: An analysis was conducted of 10,190 blood lead samples from employees of 10 high-risk workplaces collected in Manitoba, 1979-87, as part of regulated occupational surveillance. RESULTS: A significant decrease in blood lead concentrations was observed overall as well as for each individual company. A 1979 government regulation to reduce blood lead to below 3.38 mumol/L (70 micrograms/dl) was followed by a drop in blood lead concentrations; a 1983 order to reduce blood leads to below 2.90 mumol/L (60 micrograms/dl) was not followed by such a drop. Longitudinal analysis by individual workers suggested that companies were complying by use of administrative control, i.e., removing workers to lower lead areas until blood lead levels had fallen, then returning them to high lead areas. CONCLUSION: Focusing upon blood lead as the sole criterion for compliance is not effective; regulations must specifically require environmental monitoring and controls. Biological surveillance serves as "back-up" to environmental surveillance and this database illustrates the usefulness of a comprehensive centralized surveillance system.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1991

The noise hazard in a large health care facility.

A noise-level survey, dosimetry, and audiometric testing were conducted in a large health care facility to determine the areas with hazardous noise levels, the number of employees at risk, and the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among the exposed. Nine high-risk areas were identified, with readings of up to 110 dBA recorded. In the work force of approximately 6,000 employees, 321 were identified as exposed to potentially hazardous noise levels. Abnormal hearing patterns were observed in 59 (19%) of the 308 workers screened, with 36 cases of NIHL documented. The findings showed that noise is a serious hazard in many areas, that some cases of NIHL have developed from occupational exposure in this hospital, and that a control program is essential.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗
PubMed1990

Occupational health services for hospital workers: who does it best?

Occupational health services in hospital do not carry the same clout as clinical departments and are regarded by the medical staff as peripheral functions at best. Although some large teaching hospitals have recognized the need to put occupational health services for employees under medical directors trained in occupational health, most community hospital and long-term care facilities have not. These institutions need to reassess their occupational health program if hospitals, which are committed to healing, are not to be viewed as backward, regressive employers.

Canada↗
PubMed1990

Evaluating medical performance in the diagnosis and treatment of occupational health problems: a standardized patient approach.

Primary care physicians must identify and manage work-related disease, yet it is unclear whether training is adequate to accomplish this. This study examines the performance of 110 candidates, including 93 4th-year medical students, in the diagnosis and treatment of a standardized patient with occupational illness. Results indicated that the students did substantially better than the medical practitioners who had not received recent training. Although a strong correlation existed between candidates performance on the occupational health (OH) case and overall score on 19 non-occupational health cases, the competency measure that most determined performance on the OH case was interpersonal skills. A correlation also existed between working knowledge, data collection and data interpretation skills overall, and performance on the OH case; diagnostic skills, test selection, test interpretation, and case management skills overall showed no such correlation. The findings highlighted the importance of emphasizing interpersonal skills in training physicians to appropriately manage occupational medical cases, and illustrated the usefulness of standardized patients in teaching and evaluating occupational medical skills.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Mechanization, the labor process, and injury risks in the Canadian meat packing industry.

During the 1980s, Canada's major manufacturing industries experienced considerable financial restructuring and technological transformation, largely in response to recessionary pressures. At the same time, the rate of lost-time injuries in Canadian manufacturing rose steadily. This article explores the relationship between these sets of factors. The meat packing industry has been selected as a case study of the interaction between industrial organization, the labor process, and the risk of workplace injuries. The authors suggest that the following factors have contributed to high and rising injury rates in the meat industry during the 1980s: consolidation into a smaller number of large, highly specialized, and mechanized plants; deteriorating labor relations in the face of falling profits; and an intensified labor process stressing line speedups and a growing risk of repetitive strain injuries. These observations are supported by a detailed analysis of the relationship between the labor process and workplace injuries at one packing plant considered typical for the industry.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1990

Technological change and the medical technologist: a stress survey of four biomedical laboratories in a large tertiary care hospital.

Medical technologists from four clinical laboratories in a large teaching hospital were surveyed for their perceptions of occupational stress or job dissatisfaction concomitant with the advent of major technological and procedural change. Overall the data support the interpretation of excessive stress and job dissatisfaction. More than one-third (37.7%) of the laboratory personnel experienced psychological symptoms of occupational stress; 46.4% had experienced physical symptoms of stress. There was a marked and significant increase in reports of adverse effects among the group of laboratory workers subjected to the most extensive technological changes. Main components of the stress difference related to work overload, feelings of uncertainty in the face of new technology, lack of direction from supervisors and lack of influence on management. Age, type of shift worked and years of employment were associated with physical and psychological manifestations of stress. Implications and recommendations for laboratory workers, hospital administrators and educators are discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1989

Epidemic of "shocks" in telephone operators: lessons for the medical community.

In January 1986 two brief power failures occurring within an hour of each other affected the operation of visual display terminals in a section of the Manitoba Telephone System. After the power failures three operators reported an alarming tingling sensation in their arms and one side of their body, which they called "shocks". Other operators then began to report incidents of numbness and tingling in their limbs, face or head as well as other, diffuse symptoms. During the next 2 weeks 92 such incidents were reported by 55 operators. The media carried alarming headlines, and medical practitioners perpetuated the label of "electric shock". Despite extensive investigation, which revealed no electrical fault, the section was closed by the regulatory authority, and an independent medical panel was convened to review the findings. The panel concluded that there was no immediate hazard to life or health and recommended continued workplace assessment and follow-up of affected operators; however, because the panel lacked electrical engineering expertise, uncertainty persisted as to the cause of the events. The reports of incidents persisted, peaking in association with continued rumours of diagnoses of "nerve damage". In the fall of 1987 a multidisciplinary committee ruled out as causative factors all known hazards other than electrostatic shock and occupational stress. This costly and lengthy investigation underlines the danger in regarding collective stress reaction as a diagnosis of exclusion. It highlights the need to scrutinize objective evidence before validating potentially unfounded concerns and underlines the desirability of considering the psychosocial effects of technology and regimented tasks.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1988

Health and socioeconomic consequences of occupational respiratory allergies: a pilot study using workers' compensation data.

Growing evidence suggests that individuals with occupational allergies have long-term health and employment problems. Workers' compensation claims for allergic respiratory disease allowed in Ontario 1975-1981 were reviewed for demographic, risk factor, and exposure data. Diagnoses listed in these 244 claims were reassessed for consistency with criteria for occupational respiratory allergies. Twenty-eight percent of the 154 claimants who met the criteria were granted a permanent disability award from the workers' compensation board (WCB). In response to a questionnaire mailed 2-8 years after claim allowance, 77% of those traced reported improvement, but 59% still required medication and 85% still suffered symptoms. Seventy-six percent of claimants left their employer. Seventy-five percent of those who left did so due to their allergic condition; 95% suffered long-term income loss. The unemployment rate for this cohort was 36%, well above that for the general population. Older workers with longer duration of symptoms and longer duration of exposure prior to the claim had the worst prognoses. The data were consistent with previous studies in suggesting that occupational respiratory allergies may result in serious health and socioeconomic consequences. Exploring the feasibility, acceptability, and potential usefulness of WCB data, it is suggested that this source merits further consideration both for descriptive as well as prognostic studies.

Canada↗
PubMed1988

The development of worker-controlled occupational health centers in Canada.

Over the past decade worker-controlled occupational health centers have been established in three Canadian provinces. This development has been a response to the slowness in recognizing occupational medicine in the Canadian medical community, the limited availability and questionable acceptability of existing services, as well as the growth of worker control in occupational health matters generally. The history, funding, organizational structure, personnel, resources, and programs of these worker-controlled centers are outlined, illustrating the extensive programs that can be provided despite small budgets of these operations. Advantages to workers include direct access to resources as well as expert professional advice with the focus on work place hazards. Furthermore, the centers provide for extensive interaction among workers on their common concerns. Disadvantages of the model include restricted access to work places associated with frequent distrust of employers. Employer-based and university-based models are compared to worker-controlled centers, and it is suggested that the latter may influence the pattern of practice of occupational health as well as the ability of workers and their unions to promote improved occupational health and safety conditions.

Canada↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health-risk perception in the inner city community of Centro Habana, Cuba.

Perceptions of health risks were surveyed in the inner city of Centro Habana, Cuba. A questionnaire developed by community leaders and experts was administered to 348 residents to determine the level of perceived risk for each of 41 risk items. Ecologic-level data on morbidity, mortality, and environmental indicators were also gathered. Using factor analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the data, five factor groupings accounted for 60% of the variance, as follows: social environment (40.8%); infectious agents and other health-risk factors of immediate concern (6.1%); lifestyle risks (4. 9%); environmental sanitation (4.1%); and living conditions (3.3%). A relationship between the perception of risk and the ecologic data was found, with inconsistencies largely attributable to factors known to influence risk perception. The greatest concern identified throughout the municipality was housing conditions, highest in the neighborhood that had already begun to address this problem. The analysis was useful in planning targeted health promotion campaigns and prioritizing further interventions. Repeat evaluation of risk perception will be conducted following the completion of interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Community health centre-based occupational health services for the small workplace: an Ontario study of employer acceptability.

A small survey of employers in an industrialized community in Metropolitan Toronto was conducted to explore the feasibility of establishing a community health centre-based occupational health service for small workplaces. Current use of occupational health services by small workplaces was observed to be restricted, even in plants where hazardous conditions were reported, indicating the presence of unmet needs. The community health centre model was viewed favourably by a high proportion of employers, especially those with identified prevention-related program interests.

Administrative Personnel↗