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PubMed2000

Decrease of suppressor-inducer (CD4+ CD45RA) T lymphocytes and increase of serum immunoglobulin G due to perceived job stress in Japanese nuclear electric power plant workers.

To clarify the effects of perceived job stress on the immune system, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 116 male Japanese workers of a nuclear electric power plant (age, 20 to 39; mean, 31 years). Perceived job stress, i.e., psychological job demand, job control, worksite social support, and job strain, was assessed by means of the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire. The job strain score was calculated as the ratio of the job demand score to the job control score. Blood samples were taken from all workers, and numbers of T and natural killer cell subpopulations, B lymphocytes, total lymphocytes and white blood cells, and serum concentrations of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE and IgD) in their blood were measured. The workers were divided into higher and lower strain groups according to their job strain scores. The number of CD4+ CD45RA+ T lymphocytes in the higher strain group having the job strain score of 0.5 or more (41 workers) was significantly smaller than that in the lower strain group having the score of less than 0.5 (75 workers). In contrast, the serum IgG concentration in the former group was significantly higher than that in the latter group (analysis of covariance with age and smoking as covariates). Also, the numbers of total CD4+ T and total T (CD3+) lymphocytes and of white blood cells in the former group were significantly smaller than those in the latter group. After controlling for age and smoking by the partial correlation coefficient in all 116 workers, the number of CD57+ CD16+ natural killer cells was inversely correlated with job demand and with job strain; the number of CD8+ T lymphocytes was positively correlated with worksite social support; and serum IgG and IgM concentrations were positively correlated with job strain. It is suggested that higher job strain decreases the number of CD4+ CD45RA+ T lymphocytes in male Japanese workers but increases serum IgG concentrations.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Respiratory symptoms and functional status in workers exposed to silica, asbestos, and coal mine dusts.

This study aims to provide further understanding of physiologic and symptomatic changes and radiographic abnormalities due to exposure to silica, asbestos, and coal dusts. Questionnaires and pulmonary function tests were given to 220 silica, 277 asbestos, and 511 coal workers from three different industries in China. Posteroanterior chest radiographs were classified as stages 0, I, II, and III according to degree of parenchymal fibrosis. Significantly poorer pulmonary function and a higher prevalence of dyspnea and chronic cough were observed in workers with pneumoconiosis than those without, irrespective of dust type. Workers with stages II and III silicosis had worse pulmonary function and more common symptoms relative to workers with equivalent coal workers' pneumoconiosis or asbestosis. After adjusting for relevant confounders, reductions in the spirometric parameters and single breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms were associated with increasing stage of silicosis, whereas lower DLCO and the occurrence of symptoms were associated with increasing stage of asbestosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis. The study suggests that despite the differences in degree and pattern due to exposure to different fibrogenic dusts, respiratory impairments of all of the workers are associated with the presence and progression of parenchymal fibrosis and smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Historical cohort study of US man-made vitreous fiber production workers: II. Mortality from mesothelioma.

As part of our ongoing mortality surveillance program for the US man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) industry, we examined mortality from malignant mesothelioma using data from our 1989 follow-up of 3478 rock/slag wool workers and our 1992 follow-up of 32,110 fiberglass workers. A manual search of death certificates for 1011 rock/slag wool workers and 9060 fiberglass workers revealed only 10 death certificates with any mention of the word "mesothelioma." A subsequent review of medical records and pathology specimens for 3 of the 10 workers deemed two deaths as definitely not due to mesothelioma and one as having a 50% chance of being caused by mesothelioma. Two other deaths, for which only medical records were available, were given less than a 50% chance of being due to mesothelioma. Eight of the 10 decedents had potential occupational asbestos exposure inside or outside the MMVF industry. We also estimated the mortality risk from malignant mesothelioma in the cohort using two cause-of-death categorizations that included both malignant and benign coding rubrics. Using the more comprehensive scheme, we observed overall deficits in deaths among the total cohort and fiberglass workers and an overall excess among rock/slag wool workers. The excess in respiratory system cancer is largely a reflection of elevated lung cancer risks that we attributed mainly to confounding by smoking, to exposures outside the MMVF industry to agents such as asbestos, or to one or more of the several co-exposures present in many of the study plants (including asbestos). The second scheme, which focused on pleural mesothelioma in time periods when specific malignant mesothelioma coding rubrics were available, classified only one cohort death as being caused by malignant mesothelioma, compared with 2.19 expected deaths (local county comparison). We conclude that the overall mortality risk from malignant mesothelioma does not seem to be elevated in the US MMVF cohort.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Exposure to asbestos and lung and pleural cancer mortality among pulp and paper industry workers.

We studied the mortality from lung and pleural cancers in a cohort of 62,937 male workers employed for at least 1 year in the pulp and paper industry in 13 countries during 1945 to 1996. Mill departments were classified according to probability and level of exposure to asbestos on the basis of available dust measurements and mill-specific information on exposure circumstances. Thirty-six percent of workers were classified as ever exposed to asbestos. Standardized mortality ratios of lung cancer were 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90 to 1.08) among unexposed and 1.00 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.11) among ever exposed workers. The number of pleural cancer deaths among unexposed workers was 10; that among exposed workers was 14, most of which occurred among maintenance workers. In internal analyses, a trend in mortality from either neoplasm was suggested for estimated cumulative exposure to asbestos, weighted for the individual probability of exposure within the department and for duration of exposure (relative risk for lung cancer for 0.78+ f/cc-years, as compared with < or = 0.01 f/cc-years: 1.44; 95% CI, 0.85 to 2.45; corresponding relative risk for pleural cancer: 2.43; 95% CI, 0.43 to 13.63). Despite a possible nondifferential misclassification of exposure and outcome, this study suggests that the carcinogenic effect of asbestos can be detected among workers employed in industries such as the pulp and paper industry, in which it is not considered to be a major hazard.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed2003

Lead exposure in radiator repair workers: a survey of Washington State radiator repair shops and review of occupational lead exposure registry data.

Radiator repair workers in Washington State have the greatest number of very elevated (> or =60 microg/dL) blood lead levels of any other worker population. The goals of this study were to determine the number of radiator repair workers potentially exposed to lead; estimate the extent of blood lead data underreporting to the Occupational Lead Exposure Registry; describe current safety and health practices in radiator repair shops; and determine appropriate intervention strategies to reduce exposure and increase employer and worker awareness. Lead exposure in Washington State's radiator repair workers was assessed by reviewing Registry data and conducting a statewide survey of radiator repair businesses. This study revealed that a total of 226 workers in Washington State (including owner-operators and all employees) conduct repair activities that could potentially result in excessive exposures to lead. Approximately 26% of radiator repair workers with elevated blood lead levels (> or =25 microg/dL) were determined to report to Washington State's Registry. This study also revealed a lack of awareness of lead's health effects, appropriate industrial hygiene controls, and the requirements of the Lead Standard. Survey respondents requested information on a variety of workplace health and safety issues and waste management; 80% requested a confidential, free-of-charge consultation. Combining data derived from an occupational health surveillance system and a statewide mail survey proved effective at characterizing lead exposures and directing public health intervention in Washington State.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2005

Secondhand smoke exposure and respiratory symptoms among casino, club, and office workers in Victoria, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between smoke-free policies, exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) at work, and self-reported respiratory and sensory symptoms of workers. METHOD: Ninety-one nonsmoking workers recruited from three workplaces with varying smoking policies completed a telephone-administered questionnaire and provided saliva samples (before and after usual work shift) for cotinine analysis. RESULTS: Mean before-after shift saliva cotinine per hour worked was significantly higher among club (0.42 ng/mL/hr worked) than casino workers (0.18 ng/mL/hr worked) (P < 0.001), club than office workers (0.03 ng/mL/hr worked) (P < 0.001), and casino than office workers (P < 0.001). Casino and club workers reported similar levels of respiratory morbidity and were more likely to have sore eyes (odds ratio [OR] = 5.5, P < 0.01) and a sore throat (OR = 4.3, P < 0.05) compared with office employees. CONCLUSION: Air-conditioning interventions reduce, but fail to eliminate, exposure of hospitality workers to SHS. Such exposure is associated with measurable increases in the risk of respiratory symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Morbidity ranking of U.S. workers employed in 206 occupations: the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 1986-1994.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to rank U.S. occupations by worker morbidity. METHODS: From 1986 through 1994, morbidity information was collected on over 410,000 U.S. workers who participated in the National Health Interview Survey, an annual household survey representative of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. A multivariate adjusted logistic regression morbidity summary score was created for each worker group based on seven indicators: days of restricted activity, bedrest, and missed work in the previous 2 weeks; doctor visits and hospitalizations in the previous 12 months; reported health conditions; and health status. RESULTS: Worker groups reporting the greatest morbidity included social workers, inspectors, postal clerks, psychologists, and grinding machine operators; worker groups reporting the least morbidity included dentists, pilots, physicians, pharmacists, and dietitians. CONCLUSIONS: These findings aid in the identification of worker groups that require increased attention for morbidity research and prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Effects of a smoke-free law on hair nicotine and respiratory symptoms of restaurant and bar workers.

OBJECTIVE: Bar and restaurant workers' exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) was compared before and 3 and 6 months after implementation of a smoke-free ordinance. METHODS: Hair nicotine, self-reported exposure to SHS, and respiratory symptoms were assessed on 105 smoking and nonsmoking workers from randomly selected establishments in Lexington, Kentucky. Thirty-eight percent were current smokers with more than half smoking 10 or fewer cigarettes per day. Workers provided a hair sample at baseline and at the 3-month interview. RESULTS: There was a significant decline in hair nicotine 3 months postlaw when controlling for cigarettes smoked per day. Bar workers showed a significantly larger decline in hair nicotine compared with restaurant workers. The only significant decline in SHS exposure was in the workplace and other public places. Regardless of smoking status, respiratory symptoms declined significantly postlaw. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitality workers demonstrated significant declines in hair nicotine and respiratory symptoms after the law. Comprehensive smoke-free laws can provide the greatest protection to bar workers who are the most vulnerable to SHS exposure at work.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Ant workers selfishly bias sex ratios by manipulating female development.

Kin selection theory predicts that social insects should perform selfish manipulations as a function of colony genetic structure. We describe a novel mechanism by which this occurs. First, we use microsatellite analyses to show that, in a population of the ant Leptothorax acervorum, workers' relatedness asymmetry (ratio of relatedness to females and relatedness to males) is significantly higher in monogynous (single-queen) colonies than in polygynous (multiple-queen) colonies. Workers rear mainly queens in monogynous colonies and males in polygynous colonies. Therefore, split sex ratios in this population are correlated with workers' relatedness asymmetry. Together with significant female bias in the population numerical and investment sex ratios, this finding strongly supports kin-selection theory. Second, by determining the primary sex ratio using microsatellite markers to sex eggs, we show that the ratio of male to female eggs is the same in both monogynous and polygynous colonies and equals the overall ratio of haploids (males) to diploids (queens and workers) among adults. In contrast to workers of species with selective destruction of male brood, L. acervorum workers therefore rear eggs randomly with respect to sex and must achieve their favoured sex ratios by selectively biasing the final caste (queen or worker) of developing females.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Division of labour influences the rate of ageing in weaver ant workers.

The evolutionary theory of ageing predicts that the timing of senescence has been primarily shaped by the extrinsic mortality rate, which causes selection intensity to decline over time. One difficulty in testing the evolutionary theory of ageing is that extrinsic mortality risk is often confounded with body size and fecundity, which may also directly affect lifespan. Social insects with a pronounced division of labour between worker castes provide a unique opportunity to study the direct effect of extrinsic mortality on the evolution of ageing rates independently of body size, reproductive effort and genetic configuration. In the weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, the major (large) workers perform the risky tasks outside the nest, while the minor (small) workers stay within the highly protected arboreal nest. Hence, this pronounced division of labour is associated with high differences in extrinsic mortality risks. The evolutionary theory of ageing predicts that the minor workers should have a longer intrinsic lifespan than the major workers. In line with this prediction, we found that in a protected environment the minor workers lived significantly longer than the major workers did. Hence, the ageing rate appears to have been moulded by variation in the extrinsic mortality rate independently of size, reproductive effort and genetic configuration.

Aging↗
PubMed2004

Care co-ordination and key worker schemes for disabled children: results of a UK-wide survey.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence and nature of care co-ordination and key worker services for disabled children and their families. METHODS: Postal survey of 225 Children with Disabilities Teams across the UK. RESULTS: Out of 159 questionnaires returned (70%), 35 (22%) reported having a care co-ordination scheme, with 30 (19%) of these providing key workers for families. The majority had multiagency and parent involvement in setting up and overseeing the schemes. However, multiagency funding was less common and funding for many schemes was short term. Different models of key working were apparent. Five schemes employed full-time key workers. In 21 schemes, professionals key worked with a few families as part of a larger case load, and in three schemes, both types of key workers were employed. Most schemes provided initial or ongoing training for key workers, but a few provided neither of these. DISCUSSION: The proportion of areas having care co-ordination or key worker services is consistent with findings on research with parents of disabled children, which reports that less than one-third of families have a key worker. The extent of multiagency involvement in planning and overseeing the operation of the service was positive but joint funding was more problematic. There was considerable variation in service models and as yet, little is known about whether or how such variations relate to outcomes for children and families. Further research will investigate these issues.

Child↗
PubMed1980

Bronchial provocation studies in workers exposed to the fumes of electronic soldering fluxes.

Flux cored solder commonly used in the electronics industry is a metal alloy, based on tin and lead, and a flux consisting of colophony with a small concentration of an activator. Thirty-four electronics workers with occupational asthma and seventeen with respiratory symptoms, probably from other causes, have been investigated by occupational type bronchial provocation testing. All the sensitized workers had a significant fall in FEV1 after exposure to colophony fumes for 15 min or less. The non-sensitized workers had no significant reactivity to this test. There was little correlation between the reaction to colophony fumes and the non specific reactivity to histamine, suggesting that colophony fumes were causing specific sensitization. In sensitized workers Portuguese Y colophony was found to cause slightly larger reactions than similar exposures to American WW colophony. In the six workers tested reactions followed exposure to abietic acid alone, the principal resin acid in colophony. Methylation of the carboxyl group of colophony was associated with decreased reactivity. Workers with non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity also sometimes reacted after exposure to fumes from the flux activators alone, but even this reaction could show specificity for the specific activator to which the workers was exposed. Finally two non-colophony substitute materials were evaluated.

Abietanes↗
PubMed1982

Clinical symptoms and results of skin test, RAST and bronchial provocation test in thirty-three papain workers: evidence for strong immunogenic potency and clinically relevant 'proteolytic effects of airborne papain'.

Seventeen out of thirty-three workers who have been exposed to airborne papain at their place of work regularly developed asthmatic symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, rhinorrhea and conjunctival irritation upon contact with this proteolytic enzyme. Investigations by RAST, skin test and bronchial provocation test proved IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to papain in fourteen symptomatic workers. Ten of these were in a screening investigation involving twenty-nine of the thirty-three workers; i.e. the incidence of IgE-mediated sensitization was 34.5% of this group. Bronchial provocation of as little as 0.001--0.5 mg of papain was shown to elicit immediate or dual asthmatic reactions in all eight tested workers with RAST values greater than 3 u/ml. On the other hand, inhalation of 0.5 mg of papain did not cause any remarkable change in non-exposed asthmatics. Occupation-related blood-stained nasal secretions and/or cutaneous flare reactions in all four heavily-exposed papain workers, of whom three had negative skin test and RAST results, suggest a direct effect of the proteolytically active enzyme on human tissue. There was a significant elevation (P less than 0.001) of serum trypsin inhibitory capacity in papain workers which seems to depend on the degree of exposure. No significant differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic workers in alpha 1-antitrypsin (Pi) phenotype subtypes were found.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Healthcare workers' hand decontamination practices: compliance with recommended guidelines.

AIM: This paper reports a study of healthcare workers' handwashing/hand hygiene practices from a behavioural perspective. BACKGROUND: Hospital acquired infection poses a very real and serious threat to all who are admitted to hospital. Pathogens are readily transmitted on healthcare workers' hands, and hand hygiene substantially reduces this transmission. Evidence-based guidelines for healthcare workers' hand hygiene practices exist, but compliance with these is internationally low. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design with a convenient sample was used. The Predisposing, Reinforcing, Enabling Constructs in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation Health Education Theory was used as the theoretical framework, and the data were collected in 2001. Healthcare workers' handwashing practices (observation of behaviour, n = 314) and their predisposition (attitudes, beliefs and knowledge) towards compliance with hand hygiene guidelines (questionnaire, n = 62) were studied. Nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and care assistants involved in direct patient care in the study unit participated in the study. The interventional hand hygiene programme aimed to predispose healthcare workers to adopt hand hygiene behaviour (poster campaign and educational handout), reinforce (feedback on pretest results) and enable the behaviour (provision of an alcohol hand rub beside each patients bedside). RESULTS: Implementation of the multifaceted interventional behavioural hand hygiene programme resulted in an overall improvement in compliance with hand hygiene guidelines (51-83%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, healthcare workers believed that their skin condition improved (P < 0.001). An increase in knowledge about handwashing guidelines was also found. CONCLUSIONS: In order to be effective, efforts to improve compliance with handwashing guidelines must be multifaceted. Alcohol hand rubs (with emollients) need to be provided at each patient's bedside. Issues surrounding healthcare workers' skin irritation need to be addressed urgently.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2005

Control of body size of Lasius niger ant sexuals--worker interests, genes and environment.

In most animals, the survival and reproductive success of males and females is linked to their size. The ability of individuals to control environmental influences on size will therefore have consequences for their fitness. In eusocial insects, individual males and reproductive females do not have to forage for themselves or control their local environment. Instead, they are reared by nonreproductive siblings (workers) inside colonies. Workers should benefit from controlling the size of sexuals because these sexuals are usually the only means for workers to transmit their genes to future generations. Nevertheless, considerable intraspecific variation exists around mean sexual size in social hymenopterans, even in species with monomorphic sexuals. This variation could result from genetic influences on sexual size, for instance sexuals may be selected to not agree to worker interests, or be due to strong, unpredictable environmental conditions constraining the efforts of workers to control sexual size. In a study that is the first of its kind I investigated genetic and environmental components of sexual body size variation in the ant Lasius niger, examining sexuals from wild colonies with one or several fathers (paternity levels established through microsatellite DNA offspring analysis). Evidence was found for a genetic component of size (broad-sense heritability of up to 42%) but strong common-colony effects (among-colony variation in food availability or in worker capacities to restrain sexual selfishness) also increased the size differences among colonies. Workers thus seem to only have partial-control over sexual size, but may be doing the best of a bad job.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Blood lead levels of the battery and exhaust workers and their pulmonary function tests.

In an attempt to understand the impact of inhaled lead on the pulmonary functions, we assessed the blood lead levels and pulmonary functions of the battery and exhaust workers who are potential candidates for lead inhalation. The hospital staff served as control group. The measurements of lead levels were performed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed using a portable spirometer. The blood lead levels of the battery workers, exhaust workers and controls were found to be 36.83, 26.94 and 14.81 microg/dl, respectively. The values of the workers were significantly higher than the controls (p < 0.001). The lead levels of the battery workers were also significantly higher than the exhaust workers (p < 0.001). PFT results (maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiration flow and first forced expiration volume values of the workers) were significantly worse than the controls, and their pulmonary function test results were consistent with restrictive problems in the airways.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Worker reproduction in the ant Formica fusca.

We studied the kin conflict over male parentage in the ant Formica fusca. The conflict arises because each worker and queen is most related to her own sons and is thus predicted to lay eggs. Microsatellite analysis of eggs revealed that workers laid eggs in more than half the queenright experimental nests. Nevertheless, almost exclusively diploid offspring were reared in the presence of a queen. This also occurred when worker-laid haploid male eggs were experimentally introduced in to the nests. Because our experimental setup allowed us to exclude the possibility of queen policing, we conclude that worker laid eggs are removed by other workers, either as a response to their parentage or gender. Our results suggest that worker reproduction in F. fusca is ultimately an interplay of conflicts over male parentage and sex allocation and that both worker and self policing have roles as proximate mechanisms of resolution.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Spinal cord injury rehabilitation outcomes: a comparison of agricultural and non-agricultural workers.

This study of Victorian workers who sustained a spinal cord injury aimed to: (i) define the proportion of this population who were employed in an agricultural setting prior to sustaining their injury; (ii) explore the preinjury characteristics and postinjury vocational achievements of agricultural workers; and (iii) compare these with those of non-agricultural workers. Respondents were sampled from patients presenting for review at the participating spinal unit over the 9 months study period (N = 150 with a participation rate of 71%). Results indicated that while those working in agricultural occupations account for between 4 and 4.5% of Victorian workers, 13.3% of respondents reported working in agricultural occupations at the time of their injury. In spite of the physically demanding nature of their workplace many agricultural workers returned to farming postinjury. The rehabilitation experiences and return to work outcomes achieved by the agricultural workers were found to be very similar to those of other workers, despite the additional barriers they were expected to have encountered.

Accidents, Occupational↗