Semiparametric modeling of the spatial distribution of occupational accident risk in the casual labor market, Piracicaba, southeast Brazil

The objective of this study was to estimate the spatial distribution of work accident risk in the informal work market in the urban zone of an industrialized city in southeast Brazil and to examine concomitant effects of age, gender, and type of occupation after controlling for spatial risk variation. The basic methodology adopted was that of a population-based case-control study with particular interest focused on the spatial location of work. Cases were all casual workers in the city suffering work accidents during a one-year period; controls were selected from the source population of casual laborers by systematic random sampling of urban homes. The spatial distribution of work accidents was estimated via a semiparametric generalized additive model with a nonparametric bidimensional spline of the geographical coordinates of cases and controls as the nonlinear spatial component, and including age, gender, and occupation as linear predictive variables in the parametric component. We analyzed 1,918 cases and 2,245 controls between 1/11/2003 and 31/10/2004 in Piracicaba, Brazil. Areas of significantly high and low accident risk were identified in relation to mean risk in the study region (p < 0.01). Work accident risk for informal workers varied significantly in the study area. Significant age, gender, and occupational group effects on accident risk were identified after correcting for this spatial variation. A good understanding of high-risk groups and high-risk regions underpins the formulation of hypotheses concerning accident causality and the development of effective public accident prevention policies.

Are cutout handles used when available in real occupational settings? Description of grips and upper extremities movements during industrial box handling

In order to achieve better postures and decrease musculoskeletal risks adequate design of hand/box couplings for manual materials handling (MMH) are still needed. No studies evaluating upper limb movement thorough direct measurements during box handling in workplace were identified in the literature. In this study we describe the types of grip and movements adopted by ten workers when handling redesigned boxes with cutout handles between different heights on industrial pallets. The new handles were used by 90% of the workers through different types of grip. Electrogoniometric measurements showed relatively safe forearm and wrist movements, although elbow inadequate range of movement was recorded. Despite the good acceptance of the cutout by workers, the new design requires extra internal space in the boxes reducing applications for this alternative of box.

Evaluation of the Cartographic Communication Performance of a Route Guidance and Navigation System

This study evaluates the influence of different cartographic representations of in-car navigation systems on visual demand, subjective preference, and navigational error. It takes into account the type and complexity of the representation, maneuvering complexity, road layout, and driver gender. A group of 28 drivers (14 male and 14 female) participated in this experiment which was performed in a low-cost driving simulator. The tests were performed on a limited number of instances for each type of representation, and their purpose was to carry out a preliminary assessment and provide future avenues for further studies. Data collected for the visual demand study were analyzed using non-parametric statistical analyses. Results confirmed previous research that showed that different levels of design complexity significantly influence visual demand. Non-grid-like road networks, for example, influence significantly visual demand and navigational error. An analysis of simple maneuvers on a grid-like road network showed that static and blinking arrows did not present significant differences. From the set of representations analyzed to assess visual demand, both arrows were equally efficient. From a gender perspective, women seem to took at the display more than men, but this factor was not significant. With respect to subjective preferences, drivers prefer representations with mimetic landmarks when they perform straight-ahead tasks. For maneuvering tasks, landmarks in a perspective model created higher visual demands.

Occupational exposure of physical therapists to electric and magnetic fields and the efficacy of Faraday cages

Objective. Measure physical therapists' exposure to the electric and magnetic fields produced by 17 shortwave diathermy devices in physical therapy clinics in the city of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo State, Brazil. Compare the observed values with the exposure levels recommended by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Observe the efficacy of Faraday cages as a means of protecting physical therapists from exposure to oscillating electric and magnetic fields.Methods. Electric and magnetic field measurements were taken at four points during actual physical therapy sessions: in proximity to the operator's pelvis and head, the devices' electrical cables, and the electrodes. The measuring equipment was a Wandel & Goltermann EMR-200.Results. The values obtained in proximity to the electrodes and cables were 10 to 30 times higher than ICNIRP's recommended occupational reference levels. In the shortwave diathermy treatment rooms with Faraday cages, the fields were even higher than in treatment rooms not so equipped-principally the magnetic field, where the values were more than 100 times higher than the ICNIRP exposure limit.Conclusions. The electric and magnetic field intensities obtained in this study are generally above the exposure levels recommend in ICNIRP standards. It was also observed that the Faraday cage offers physical therapists no protection, and instead, increases their level of exposure.

Rapid determination of desorption efficiency, and analysis of solvent mixtures for occupational exposure studies

An analytical procedure has been developed for simultaneous determination of solvent mixture vapors to enable evaluation of occupational exposure. To determine the desorption efficiency the volatile components of the solvent mixtures were generated from a glass tube filled with glass wool. This device is easy to prepare and use. These vapors were then collected in activated charcoal tubes and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. The method was tested with a mixture of 22 solvents, including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, esters, and ketones, oil at low concentrations. All the components were defected. When a 99: 1 mixture of carbon disulfide-dimethylformamide was used for desorption the efficiency was > 75% for most of the solvents.

In vivo CYP2E1 phenotyping as a new potential biomarker of occupational and experimental exposure to benzene

Assessing CYP2E1 phenotype in vivo may be important to predict individual susceptibility to those chemicals, including benzene, which are metabolically activated by this isoenzyme. Chlorzoxazone (CHZ), a specific CYP2E1 substrate, is readily hydroxylated to 6-OH-chlorzoxazone (6-OH-CHZ) by liver CYP2E1 and the metabolic ratio 6-OH-CHZ/CHZ in serum (MR) is a specific and sensitive biomarker of CYP2E1 activity in vivo in humans. We used this MR as a potential biomarker of effect in benzene-treated rats and, also, in humans occupationally exposed to low levels of benzene. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (375-400 g b.w.) were treated i.p. for 3 days with either a 0.5 ml solution of benzene (5 mmol/kg b.w.) in corn oil, or 0.5 ml corn oil alone. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, a polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution of CHZ (20 mg/kg b.w.) was injected i.p. in both treated and control animals. After 2, 5.10,15, 20,30,45, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min from injection, 0.2 ml blood was taken from the tip tail and stored at -20 degrees C until analysis. A modified reverse phase HPLC method using a 5 mu m Ultrasphere C18 column equipped with a direct-connection ODS guard column, was used to measure CHZ and its metabolite 6-OH-CHZ in serum. No statistically significant difference in the MR was observed, at any sampling time, between benzene-treated and control rats. The concentration-versus-time area under the curve (AUC), however, was lower (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test), whereas the systemic clearance was higher (p < 0.05) in treated than in control rats. Eleven petrochemical workers occupationally exposed to low levels of airborne benzene (mean +/- SD, 25.0 +/- 24.4 mu g/m(3)) and 13 non-exposed controls from the same factory (mean +/- SD, 6.7 +/- 4.0 mu g/m(3)) signed an informed consent form and were administered 500 mg CHZ p.o. Two hours later a venous blood sample was taken for CHZ and 6-OH-CHZ measurements. Despite exposed subjects showed significantly higher levels of t,t-MA and S-PMA, two biomarkers of exposure to benzene, than non-exposed workers, no difference in the MR mean values +/- SD was found between exposed (0.59 +/- 0.29) and non-exposed (0.57 +/- 0.23) subjects. So, benzene was found to modify CHZ disposition, but not CYP2E1 phenotype in benzene-treated rats, nor in workers exposed to benzene, probably due to the levels of exposure being too low. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound guidance is not necessary during easy embryo transfers

Purpose: To determine whether the use of ultrasound (US) to guide embryo transfer (ET) in a population previously defined as likely to have easy transfer would change the implantation and pregnancy rates in an ICSI program.Methods: A total of 100 patients identified as likely to have easy transfer after mock transfer were divided into two groups: Group I, US-guided ET (N = 50) and Group II, ET without the aid of US (N = 50).Results: Implantation and pregnancy rates were similar (p = 0.51, p = 0.29) for Group I (19.6%,42%) and Group II (16.3%,30%), as also was the abortion rate (p = 0.55) (Group I: 1/21; Group II: 2/15).Conclusion: As long as previous mock transfers are routinely performed during a cycle preceding assisted reproduction and the clinician considers transfer to be easy, ultrasound does not benefit the process of embryo transfer.

The HUman MicroNucleus project on eXfoLiated buccal cells (HUMNXL): The role of life-style, host factors, occupational exposures, health status, and assay protocol

The human buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMCyt) is one of the most widely used techniques to measure genetic damage in human population studies. Reducing protocol variability, assessing the role of confounders, and estimating a range of reference values are research priorities that will be addressed by the HUMNXL, collaborative study. The HUMNXL, project evaluates the impact of host factors, occupation, life-style, disease status, and protocol features on the occurrence of MN in exfoliated buccal cells. In addition, the study will provide a range of reference values for all cytome endpoints. A database of 5424 subjects with buccal MN values obtained from 30 laboratories worldwide was compiled and analyzed to investigate the influence of several conditions affecting MN frequency. Random effects models were mostly used to investigate MN predictors. The estimated spontaneous MN frequency was 0.74 parts per thousand (95% CI 0.52-1.05). Only staining among technical features influenced MN frequency, with an abnormal increase for non-DNA-specific stains. No effect of gender was evident, while the trend for age was highly significant (p < 0.001). Most occupational exposures and a diagnosis of cancer significantly increased MN and other endpoints frequencies. MN frequency increased in heavy smoking (>= 40 cig/day. FR = 1.37:95% CI 1.03-.82) and decreased with daily fruit consumption (FR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.50-0.91). The results of the HUMNXL, project identified priorities for validation studies, increased the basic knowledge of the assay, and contributed to the creation of a laboratory network which in perspective may allow the evaluation of disease risk associated with MN frequency. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between distressing non-work-related events and occupational injuries

The following is a report on a case-control study whose objective was to investigate the association between distressing non-work-related events and occupational injures. Ninety three injured workers (cases) were matched with 372 non-injured controls in a large metallurgical factory in southeastern Brazil. Exposure to distressing non-work-related events was measured through a questionnaire focusing on situations pertaining to personal problems unrelated to work activities. The data were analyzed by adjusting a conditional logistic regression model, where occurrence of the work injury was the dependent dichotomous variable and answers from the questionnaire were independent continuous variables. The analysis showed an association between some distressing non-work-related events and occupational injuries. These findings imply expanding the horizon of preventive measures used in targeting. work injuries which have traditionally been focused on the control of strictly workplace risks.

Fraction of work-related accidents attributable to occupational noise in the city of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

Background: Noise is the most common agent of occupational exposure. It may induce both auditory and extraauditory dysfunction and increase the risk of work accidents. The purpose of this study was to estimate the fraction of accidents attributable to noise occupational exposure in a mid-size city located in southeastern Brazil. Materials and Methods: In this population case-control study, which included 108 cases and 324 controls, the incidence rate ratio of work accidents controlled for several covariables was obtained by classifying occupational noise exposure into three levels, as well as determining the prevalence in each level. Results: Based on these data, the attributable fraction was estimated as 0.6391 (95 CI = 0.2341-0.3676), i.e., 63 of the work accidents that took place in the study site were statistically associated with occupational noise exposure. Discussion: The causes of this association as well as its implications in the prevention of work accidents are discussed.

Suggestion of an inverse relationship between perception of occupational risks and work-related injuries

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Occupational exposure to paint solvents and particulate material in car repair shops

Aims: We evaluated solvents and total particulates exposures in auto body repair shops together with a search of painter's related complaints. Methods: 26 painters exposures were evaluated by pumped personal sampling; solvents were retained in charcoal sorbent tubes and the particulates in PVC filters. Painter's personal habits and their work characteristics were obtained through a questionnaire, applied in a private interview. For the symptoms the Q16 questionnaire was used, added of questions about complaints during the painting. Results: High exposures were detected during spray painting. For solvents, the TLV-STEL adjusted for the mixtures was surpassed in six evaluations. However, as repaint is a short-term operation, it makes the average concentrations weighed for the work shift lower than the TLV-TWA adjusted for the mixtures. Total particulate concentrations had surpassed the TLV-TWA in four of the evaluations. Symptoms frequency in the Q16 questionnaire was higher for painters than for the controls (Mann-Whitney test U=193; p=0.008), and they showed positive correlations with the age (Spearman r=0.354, t=1.85, p=0.076), the number of years in the profession (Spearman r=0.433, t=2.35, p=0.027) and the alcoholic beverage consumption (Spearman r=0.457, t=2.516, p=0.019). Conclusions: The painting work done at car repair shops can result in high solvent and particulate exposures, although they are short-term operations. Their acute and chronic effects for the painters do not have been clearly evidenced in the present study, continuing deserving multidisciplinary attention.

Stressful life events and occupational accidents

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stressful life events and occupational accidents. Methods: This was a population-based case-control study, carried out in the city of Botucatu, in southeast Brazil. The cases consisted of 108 workers who had recently experienced occupational accidents. Each case was matched with three controls. The cases and controls answered a questionnaire about recent exposure to stressful life events. Results: Reporting of environmental problems, being a victim of assault, not having enough food at home and nonoccupational fatigue were found to be risk factors for work-related accidents with estimated incidence rate ratios of 1.4 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-1.7], 1.3 (95% CI 1.1 1-1.7), 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.6), and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.7) respectively. Conclusions: The findings of the study suggested that nonwork variables contribute to occupational accidents, thus broadening the understanding of these phenomena, which can support new approaches to the prevention of occupational accidents.