Strategy to prevent hernias
European researchers have discovered a way for employers to reduce the risk of workers suffering abdominal hernias, which affect about one in three men. Researchers from the Danish Ramazzini Centre and the University of Copenhagen found that reducing the number of hours workers stand or walk from more than six to fewer than four hours per day could prevent one third of first-time inguinal hernia repairs, they found.
Looking at data from 17,967 male workers, the researchers identified a relationship between walking and standing in occupational settings and the need for surgery for lateral (but not medial) inguinal hernias, which affect 25 to 30 per cent of men at some stage in their lives. However, little is known about the link to occupational mechanical exposures. According to the data, workers who spend more than six hours a day standing or walking at work have a 45 per cent higher risk of undergoing lateral inguinal hernia repair than those who walk or stand fewer than four hours a day.
The researchers said that although the current study did not find a statistically significant association between frequent heavy lifting and hernias, a previous study they conducted did find that regularly lifting loads weighing more than 20kg is a risk factor for lateral inguinal hernia.
Read more: Marie Vestergaard Vad, et al, Inguinal hernia repair among men in relation to occupational mechanical exposures and lifestyle factors: a longitudinal study. [abstract] Occupational and Environmental Medicine, online first May 2017 doi: 10.1136/oemed-2016-104160 Source: OHSAlert
Lack of awareness of reproductive hazards
An occupational health researcher who has done a major literature review has said that chemicals hazardous to employees' reproductive health are common in workplaces, but workers continue to be exposed to them due to a lack of awareness on individual and organisational levels.
Toxicology expert Kyung-Taek Rim of the South Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency focused on six toxicants that adversely impact on the structural and functional components of sex and reproductive organs, potentially causing infertility or damage to pregnant women and foetuses. These were:
Metals: significantly decreases human sperm motility.
Nanomaterials: which can translocate from a mother's respiratory tract to the placenta and foetus - as with all matters nano, there are "large uncertainties".
Organic solvents: used as degreasers in paints, varnishes, dyes, adhesives, etc, which are easily inhaled and readily absorbed through the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and skin.
Pesticides: recent studies have found associations between pesticide exposure and decreased sperm concentration, motility and morphology, and that organochlorine pesticides have adverse effects on the development of the female reproductive system during puberty.
Endocrine disruptors: (eg dioxins, styrene and bisphenol A) which are widespread in work environments.
Genotoxic and nongenotoxic carcinogens: increased reports of synthetic chemicals causing testicular cancer, male reproductive tract abnormalities and decreases in semen quality. As well as potentially posing a risk to the mother and foetus during pregnancy these may also have long-term effects on newborns.
Rim makes the point that apart from the need for employers to educate workers on the risks of these substances, there is a need to eliminate them where possible, to eliminate/reduce the incidence of exposure, implement health surveillance, and more.
Read more: Reproductive Toxic Chemicals at Work and Efforts to Protect Workers' Health: A Literature Review. [Full text] Safety and Health at Work, Volume 8, Issue 2, June 2017.Source: OHSAlert
Carbon monoxide poisoning and LPG powered floor cleaning equipment (https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/pages/forms-and-publications/forms-and-publications/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-and-lpg-powered-floor-cleaning-equipment )- This alert highlights for employers the risk of employees being over exposed to carbon monoxide when operating LPG powered floor cleaning equipment such as a floor burnisher or buffer.
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