| 1. |
- Andersson, Eva, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Adult-onset asthma and wheeze among irritant-exposed bleachery workers.
- 2003
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Ingår i: American journal of industrial medicine. - : Wiley. - 0271-3586. ; 43:5, s. 532-538
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Whether new-onset asthma is associated with irritant exposure is unclear. The aim was to investigate if occupational exposure to irritant gases, especially repeated peak exposure (gassings), increased the risk of obstructive airways disease. Methods Data on airway symptoms and exposure among bleachery (n=101) and paper department workers (n=314) were collected by a questionnaire. Incidence rates and hazard ratios (HR) (Cox regression) were calculated. Non-responders were interviewed by telephone. Results The incidence rate for adult-onset physician-diagnosed asthma among bleachery workers reporting gassings giving rise to respiratory symptoms was 7.6/103 person-years and for those without gassings 2.2/103 person-years, compared to 1.0/103 person-years for paper workers. In a Cox regression model for asthma (n=12), stratified for sex, HR for gassings were 5.6 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.6–20), for hay fever 3.0 (95% CI 0.8–11), and for ever smoking 0.7 (95% CI 0.2–2.4). The same model for adult-onset wheeze gave HR of 5.2 (95% CI 2.2–12), 1.7 (95% CI 0.6–5.4), and 1.1 (95% CI 0.5–2.7), respectively. Conclusions Repeated peak exposure to irritant gases, here studied as gassings in the pulp industry, increased the risk for both adult-onset asthma and wheeze.
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| 2. |
- Burström, Lage, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Acute effects of vibration on thermal perception thresholds
- 2006
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Ingår i: Diagnosis of injuries caused by hand-transmitted vibration - 2nd International workshop, Göteborg, 2006. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective This study focuses on the acute effects of vibration and how vibrations influence the measures of the thermal perception thresholds during different vibration magnitudes, frequencies, and durations.Methods The fingers of ten healthy subjects, five males and five females, were exposed to vibration under 16 conditions with a combination of different frequency, intensity and exposure time. The vibration frequency was 31.5 and 125 Hz and exposure lasted between 2 and 16 min. The energy-equivalent frequency weighted acceleration, according to ISO 5349-1, for the experimental time of 16 min was 2.5 or 5.0 m/s(2) (r.m.s.), corresponding to a 8-h equivalent acceleration, A(8) of 0.46 and 0.92 m/s(2), respectively. A measure of the thermal perception of cold and warmth was conducted before the different exposures to vibration. Immediately after the vibration exposure the acute effect was measured continuously on the exposed index finger for the first 75 s, followed by 30 s of measures at every minute for a maximum of 10 min. If the subject's thermal thresholds had not recovered, the measures continued for a maximum of 30 min with measurements taken every 5 min.Results For all experimental conditions and 30 s after exposure, the mean changes of the thresholds compared with the pre-test were found to be 0.05 and -0.67C for the warmth and cold thresholds, respectively. The effect of the vibration exposure was only significant on the cold threshold and only for the first minute after exposure when the threshold was decreased. The warmth threshold was not significantly affected at all. The frequency and the exposure time of the vibration stimuli had no significant influence on the perception thresholds for the sensation of cold or warmth. Increased equivalent frequency weighted acceleration resulted in a significant decrease of the subjects' cold threshold, not the warmth. The thresholds were unaffected when changes in the vibration magnitude were expressed as the frequency weighted acceleration or the unweighted acceleration.Conclusion When testing for the thermotactile thresholds, exposure to vibration on the day of a test might influence the results. Until further knowledge is obtained the previous praxis of 2 h avoidance of vibration exposure before assessment is recommended.
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| 3. |
- Liljelind, Ingrid, et al.
(författare)
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Can we explain the exposure variability found in hand-arm vibrations when using angle grinders? : A round robin laboratory study
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 83:3, s. 283-290
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To quantify variance components of hand-arm vibration exposure from data collected in a laboratory study of four different angle grinders.METHODS: Four different angle grinders were sent to seven laboratories for grinding tests by three operators at each laboratory. Vibration in both the throttle and support handles was measured. For one grinder, the experimental set-up was repeated and two measurements were collected for that specific grinder.RESULTS: At least one-third of the estimated variability is attributable to the wheel and less than one-third to the operator. In repeated experiments, between-occasion, operator and wheel factors explained 4, 29 and 17% of the total variability, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Since measured vibrations in the support and throttle handles are significantly differed, measurements should be taken at both locations. Factors influencing vibration variability include the presence/absence of an auto balance unit, wheel and operator, but other factors remain to be elucidated.
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| 4. |
- Alfredsson, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Job strain and major risk factors for coronary heart disease. : Baseline results from the WOLF Study
- 2002
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. - 0355-3140. ; 28:4, s. 238-248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The results do not support the hypothesis that job strain has an adverse impact on serum total cholesterol and plasma fibrinogen levels. They suggest that an increased risk of coronary heart disease in association with job strain, if causal, is mediated by other factors, possibly partly by hypertension and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Eva, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Incidence of chronic bronchitis in a cohort of pulp mill workers with repeated gassings to sulphur dioxide and other irritant gases
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1476-069X. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to irritants is associated with chronic bronchitis. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether repeated peak exposures with respiratory symptoms, gassings, to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and other irritant gases could increase the risk of chronic bronchitis.METHODS: The study population comprised 3,060 Swedish pulp mill workers (84% males) from a cohort study, who completed a comprehensive questionnaire with items on chronic bronchitis symptoms, smoking habit, occupational history, and specific exposures, including gassings. 2,037 have worked in sulphite mills. Incidence rates and hazard ratios (HRs) for the observation period, 1970-2000, in relation to exposure and the frequency of repeated gassings to SO2 and other irritant gases were calculated.RESULTS: The incidence rate for chronic bronchitis among workers with repeated gassings was 3.5/1,000 person-years compared with 1.5/1,000 person-years among unexposed workers (HR 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-3.1). The risk was even higher in the subgroup with frequent gassings (HR 3.2, 95% CI 2.0-5.2), particularly among never-smokers (HR 8.7, 95% CI 3.5-22).CONCLUSIONS: Repeated gassings to irritant gases increased the incidence of chronic bronchitis in our study population during and after work in pulp mills, supporting the hypothesis that occupational exposures to irritants negatively affect the airways. These results underscore the importance of preventive actions in this work environment.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Björ, Bodil, et al.
(författare)
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Acute effects on heart rate variability when exposed to hand transmitted vibration and noise.
- 2007
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 81:2, s. 193-199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study investigates possible acute effects on heart rate variability (HRV) when people are exposed to hand transmitted vibration and noise individually and simultaneously. METHODS: Ten male and 10 female subjects were recruited by advertisement. Subjects completed a questionnaire concerning their work environment, general health, medication, hearing, and physical activity level. The test started with the subject resting for 15 min while sitting down. After resting, they were exposed to one of four exposure conditions: (1) only vibration; (2) only noise; (3) both noise and vibration; or (4) a control condition of exposure to the static load only. All four exposures lasted 15 min and the resting time between the exposures was 30 min. A continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) signal was recorded and the following HRV parameters were calculated: total spectral power (P(TOT)); the spectral power of the very low frequency component (P(VLF)); the low frequency component (P(LF)); the high frequency component (P(HF)); and the ratio LF/HF. RESULTS: Exposure to only vibration resulted in a lower P(TOT) compared to static load, whereas exposure to only noise resulted in a higher P(TOT). The mean values of P(TOT), P(VLF), P(LF), and P(HF) were lowest during exposure to vibration and simultaneous exposure to vibration and noise. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to vibration and/or noise acutely affects HRV compared to standing without these exposures. Being exposed to vibration only and being exposed to noise only seem to generate opposite effects. Compared to no exposure, P(TOT) was reduced during vibration exposure and increased during noise exposure.
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| 9. |
- Björ, Bodil, et al.
(författare)
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Cold health impacts in northern Sweden
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Circumpolar Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1239-9736 .- 2242-3982. ; 75:33200
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 10. |
- Björ, Bodil, et al.
(författare)
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Fifty-year-follow-up of mortality among a cohort of iron-ore miners in Sweden, with specific reference to myocardial infarction mortality
- 2009
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - London : BMJ Publishing Group. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 66:4, s. 264-268
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: This study investigates both general mortality and mortality from myocardial infarction among men employed in iron-ore mines in Sweden.Methods: The mortality of employees (surface and underground workers) at the iron-ore mines in Malmberget and Kiruna, Sweden was investigated. The study cohort comprised men who had been employed for at least 1 year between 1923 and 1996. The causes of death were obtained from the national cause of death register from 1952 to 2001. Indirect standardised mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated for four main causes. Mortality specifically from myocardial infarction was also analysed.Results: 4504 deaths in the cohort gave an SMR for total mortality of 1.05 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.09). Mortality was significantly higher for lung cancer (SMR 1.73, 95% CI 1.52 to 1.97). There was an increased risk of injuries and poisonings (SMR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.46) and respiratory diseases (SMR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.28). There were 1477 cases of myocardial infarction, resulting in an SMR of 1.12 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.18). SMR was higher (1.35, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.50) for men aged ≤60 years than for those >60 years of age (1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.13).Conclusions: Mortality from myocardial infarction was higher than expected. There was also an increased risk of death from injuries and poisonings, lung cancer and respiratory diseases, as well as higher general mortality. Our findings support the results of previous studies that there is an association between working in the mining industry and adverse health outcomes.
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| 11. |
- Björ, Bodil M, et al.
(författare)
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Mortality from myocardial infarction in relation to exposure to vibration and dust among a cohort of iron-ore miners in Sweden
- 2010
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ Publishing Group. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 67:3, s. 154-158
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate myocardial infarction mortality in relation to exposure to hand-arm vibration (HAV) and whole-body vibration (WBW) as well as exposure to dust among men employed in two Swedish iron-ore mines. METHODS: This study comprised employed men at two iron-ore mines in Sweden who had been employed for at least one year from 1923 up to 1996. The causes of death were obtained from the national cause of death register from 1952 to 2001. Myocardial infarction mortality was obtained by linking personal identification numbers to the national cause of death register. Poisson regression was used for risk estimations on exposure-response relation, and analyses were made on the two age groups 60 years. RESULTS: Relative risks for myocardial infarction mortality in relation to exposure were significantly increased for exposure (0/>0) to WBV (RR: 1.18, 95% CI 1.06-1.31) and dust (RR: 1.15, 95% CI 1.02-1.31), and the results indicated an exposure-response relation for WBV and dust separately. For 60 years and younger, exposure to HAV (0/>0) (RR: 1.34, 95% CI 1.03-1.74) and WBV (0/>0) (RR: 1.39, 95% CI 1.13-1.72) increased the risk of MI mortality. An exposure-response was found for HAV and WBV, as the medium and high exposed categories showed significantly increased risk estimates. None of the exposures significantly increased the risk in the group above 60 years. The increased risk estimates for exposure to WBV remained when adjusting for exposure to dust. CONCLUSIONS: The results for the working-age (
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Björ, Ove, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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A comparison between standard methods and structural nested modelling when bias from a healthy worker survivor effect is suspected : an iron-ore mining cohort study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 72:7, s. 536-542
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives Iron-ore miners are exposed to extremely dusty and physically arduous work environments. The demanding activities of mining select healthier workers with longer work histories (ie, the Healthy Worker Survivor Effect (HWSE)), and could have a reversing effect on the exposure-response association. The objective of this study was to evaluate an iron-ore mining cohort to determine whether the effect of respirable dust was confounded by the presence of an HWSE. Methods When an HWSE exists, standard modelling methods, such as Cox regression analysis, produce biased results. We compared results from g-estimation of accelerated failure-time modelling adjusted for HWSE with corresponding unadjusted Cox regression modelling results. Results For all-cause mortality when adjusting for the HWSE, cumulative exposure from respirable dust was associated with a 6% decrease of life expectancy if exposed >= 15 years, compared with never being exposed. Respirable dust continued to be associated with mortality after censoring outcomes known to be associated with dust when adjusting for the HWSE. In contrast, results based on Cox regression analysis did not support that an association was present. Conclusions The adjustment for the HWSE made a difference when estimating the risk of mortality from respirable dust. The results of this study, therefore, support the recommendation that standard methods of analysis should be complemented with structural modelling analysis techniques, such as g-estimation of accelerated failure-time modelling, to adjust for the HWSE.
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| 14. |
- Björ, Ove, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Do physical workload or temperature characteristics in an outdoor workingenvironment explain deviating rates of mortality and incidental cancer? A cohort study based on iron-ore mining.
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background A cohort study that examined iron ore mining found negative associations between cumulative working time employed underground and several severe outcomes. In this cohort study, and using the same group of miners, we examined whether heavy physical workload or the temperature characteristics represented by an outdoor working environment could explain these lower rates.Method This study was based on a Swedish iron ore mining cohort consisting of 13000 workers employed between 1923 and 1998. Exposure was defined as cumulative employment time in heavy physical workload or outdoor work. Poisson regression models were used to generate smoothed estimates of standardized morbidity ratios and adjusted rate ratios, both models by cumulative exposure time. SMRs for different cohort subgroups were used to compare the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease mortality to the reference population.Results The adjusted rate ratio between employment classified as outdoor work ≥25 years and short term outdoor work was 1.62 (95% CI 1.07–2.42). The subgroup underground work ≥15 years deviated most in occurrence of cerebrovascular disease mortality compared with the reference population: SMR (0.70 (95% CI 0.56–0.85)). No elevated rates were associated with cumulative employment time representing heavy physical workloads.Conclusion Employment in temperature shifting outdoor environments was associated with elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality. In contrast, work in tempered underground employment was associated with a protecting effect. Based on selected groups of mortalities, physically heavy workloads did not protect for mortality later in life.
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| 15. |
- Björ, Ove, et al.
(författare)
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Is outdoor work associated with elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality? : a cohort study based on iron-ore mining
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6673. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A cohort study that examined iron ore mining found negative associations between cumulative working time employed underground and several outcomes, including mortality of cerebrovascular diseases. In this cohort study, and using the same group of miners, we examined whether work in an outdoor environment could explain elevated cerebrovascular disease rates.METHODS: This study was based on a Swedish iron ore mining cohort consisting of 13,000 workers. Poisson regression models were used to generate smoothed estimates of standardized mortality ratios and adjusted rate ratios, both models by cumulative exposure time in outdoor work.RESULTS: The adjusted rate ratio between employment classified as outdoor work ≥25 years and outdoor work 0-4 years was 1.62 (95 % CI 1.07-2.42). The subgroup underground work ≥15 years deviated most in occurrence of cerebrovascular disease mortality compared with the external reference population: SMR (0.70 (95 % CI 0.56-0.85)).CONCLUSIONS: Employment in outdoor environments was associated with elevated rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality. In contrast, work in tempered underground employment was associated with a protecting effect.
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| 16. |
- Björ, Ove, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term follow-up study of mortality and the incidence of cancer in a cohort of workers at a primary aluminum smelter in Sweden
- 2008
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 34:6, s. 463-470
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Previous studies on mortality and the incidence of cancer among workers at primary aluminum smelters have produced conclusive results indicating an elevated risk of bladder cancer. An increased risk of lung cancer has also been reported several times. The objective of this study was to examine mortality and the incidence of cancer at a Swedish aluminum smelter when different neighboring reference populations were used to evaluate any relationships to the length of employment. METHODS: A historical cohort--comprised of 2264 male nonoffice workers employed from 1942 on and tracked up to the year 2000--was examined. With the use of three reference populations for mortality and four for cancer incidence, standardized mortality and incidence ratios were calculated, together with hazard ratios derived from Cox regression models. RESULTS: This study showed an excess risk of mortality due to chronic obstructive lung disease, mental disorders, and diseases of the digestive system among the short-term workers. An elevated risk of cancer was found for the lungs, central nervous system, and esophagus. The highest lung cancer risk was observed for the workers employed for > or = 10 years in the factory when they were compared with the reference group from northern Sweden (standardized incidence ratio 1.99, 95% confidence ratio 1.21-3.07). CONCLUSIONS: The results support previous studies that demonstrated an excess risk of lung cancer, but, in contrast to the results of most studies, cancer of the central nervous system was also elevated. This study did not, however, verify an association between this type of exposure and cancer of the urinary organs.
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| 17. |
- Björ, Ove, et al.
(författare)
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Reduced mortality rates in a cohort of long-term underground iron-ore miners
- 2013
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Ingår i: American Journal of Industrial Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0271-3586 .- 1097-0274. ; 56:5, s. 531-540
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Historically, working in iron-ore mines has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and silicosis. However, studies on other causes of mortality are inconsistent and in the case of cancer incidence, sparse. The aim of this study was to examine the association between iron-ore mining, mortality and cancer incidence.Methods A 54-year cohort study on iron-ore miners from mines in northern Sweden was carried out comprising 13,000 workers. Standardized rate ratios were calculated comparing the disease frequency, mortality, and cancer incidence with that of the general population of northern Sweden. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between the durations of employment and underground work, and outcome.Results Underground mining was associated with a significant decrease in adjusted mortality rate ratios for cerebrovascular and digestive system diseases, and stroke. For several outcomes, elevated standardized rate ratios were observed among blue-collar workers relative to the reference population. However, only the incidence of lung cancer increased with employment time underground (P<0.001).Conclusions Long-term iron-ore mining underground was associated with lower rates regarding several health outcomes. This is possibly explained by factors related to actual job activities, environmental exposure, or the selection of healthier workers for long-term underground employment.Am. J. Ind. Med. 56:531540, 2013. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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| 18. |
- Björ, Ove, 1967-
(författare)
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Strategies for assessing health risks from two occupational cohorts within the domain of northern Sweden
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Studies based on a cohort design requires access to both subject-specific and period-specific information. In order to conduct an occupational cohort study, access to exposure information and the possibility and permission to link information on outcomes from other registers are generally necessary. The analysis phase is also aggravated by its added complexity because of the longitudinal dimension of the cohort’s data.This thesis aims at increasing the knowledge on hazards from work on fatalities and cancer within the domain of cohort studies on miners and metal refiners and to study the complexity of the analysis by discussing and suggesting analytical strategies.Methods: The study population for this thesis consisted of a cohort of 2264 blue-collar aluminium smelter workers (paper I) and a cohort of 13000 blue-collar iron-ore miners (papers II-IV), both followed for over 50 years. The outcomes were collected from the Swedish Cause of Death Register and the Swedish Cancer Register. The primary methods of analysis were either Standardized Morbidity Ratios (SMR) or internal comparisons based on Cox or Poisson regression modeling. In paper IV, a g-estimation based on an accelerated failure-time model was performed to estimate the survival ratio.Results: The results from paper I suggested that working as a blue-collar worker metal refiner was associated with increased rates of incidental lung cancer. Elevated rates among short term workers were observed for several outcomes. Paper I also showed that the choice of reference population when calculating SMR could influence the conclusions of the results. In paper II, several outcomes were elevated among the miners compared to the reference population from northern Sweden. However, no outcome except lung cancer was associated with cumulative employment time. The most recurrent pattern of the results was the negative association between cumulative employment time underground and several outcomes. The results from paper III showed that cumulative employment time working outdoors was associated with increased rates of cerebrovascular disease mortality. However, employment with heavy physical workloads did not explain the previously observed decreasing rates in the selected groups of outcomes. The adjustment for the healthy worker survivor effect by g-estimation in paper IV suggested that exposure from respirable dust was associated with elevated mortality risks that could not be observed with standard analytical methods.Conclusion: Our studies found several rates from the cohorts that were elevated compared to external refererence populations but also that long term employments generally were associated with decreasing rates. Furthermore, incidental lung cancer rates was found elevated for the metal refiners. Among the miners, mortality rates of cerebrovascular diseases depended on if work was performed outdoor (higher rates) or underground (lower rates). Methodologically, this thesis has discussed different analytical strategies for handling confounding in occupational cohort studies. Paper IV showed that the healthy worker survivor effect could be adjusted for by performing g-estimation.
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| 19. |
- Boschman, J. S., et al.
(författare)
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Relationships between work-related factors and musculoskeletal health with current and future work ability among male workers
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 90:6, s. 517-526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose was to increase job-specific knowledge about individual and work-related factors and their relationship with current and future work ability (WA). We studied cross-sectional relationships between mental demands, physical exertion during work, grip strength, musculoskeletal pain in the upper extremities and WA and the relationships between these variables and WA 11 years later. We used a dataset of a prospective cohort study (1997-2008) among employees of an engineering plant (n = 157). The cohort was surveyed by means of tests and written questions on work demands, musculoskeletal health, WA score (WAS; 0-10), and mental and physical WA. Spearman correlation coefficients and logistic regression analysis were used. Among manual workers, we found weak correlations between grip strength and current and future physical WA. We did not find predictors for future poor WA among the manual workers. Among the office workers, we found that musculoskeletal pain was moderately and negatively related to current WAS and physical WA. More handgrip strength related to better future WAS and physical WA. Musculoskeletal pain (OR 1.67 p < 0.01) and lower handgrip strength (OR 0.91 p < 0.05) predicted future poor WA among office workers. Our results showed cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between musculoskeletal health and work ability depending on occupation. However, the present implies that predicting work ability in the far future based on health surveillance data is rather difficult. Testing the musculoskeletal system (grip strength) and asking workers' about their musculoskeletal health seems relevant when monitoring work ability.
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| 20. |
- Burström, Lage, et al.
(författare)
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A follow-up study of welders’ exposure to vibration in a heavy engineering production workshop
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Low Frequency Noise Vibration and Active Control. - : Sage Publications. - 0263-0923 .- 1461-3484 .- 2048-4046. ; 29:1, s. 33-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Manual work involving vibrating power tools is associated with symptoms that include vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. This study examines the vibration exposure of welders to determine the change between 1987 and 2008. Vibration measurements on handheld tools were used to evaluate the acceleration and the daily exposure time was determined by subjective rating. From these data, the 8-hour equivalent vibration exposure A(8), has been calculated. During the period, the A(8) decreased from 3.9 m/s2 to 1.9 m/s2. It was concluded that this decrease is the result of fewer vibrating tools and a decrease in daily exposure time. Although the daily vibration exposure has decreased over the study time, for some welders the daily vibration exposure A(8) is still above the action value set by the EU directive on vibration. This means more effort should be spent to decrease vibration exposure.
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| 21. |
- Burström, Lage, et al.
(författare)
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Back and neck pain due to working in a cold environment : a cross-sectional study of male construction workers
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 86:7, s. 809-813
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study whether work in a cold environment increased the risk of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck and low back among construction workers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study is based on a cohort of male workers in the Swedish construction industry that participated in regular health examinations through a nationwide occupational health service. The analysis is based on workers examined from 1971 to 1974, who answered a questionnaire including questions about neck and back pain. The cohort consists of 134,754 male workers, including 16,496 office workers and foremen. The health examinations of the workers were conducted in provinces covering Sweden from the south to the north, and temperature data were collected for the provinces. In the analyses, the results were adjusted for age, BMI and use of nicotine. RESULTS: The prevalence's of neck and low back pain were higher among manual construction workers than among foremen and office workers (24.3 vs. 8.6 % and 16.5 vs. 6.2 %, respectively); the corresponding adjusted ORs for low back and neck pain were 1.59 (95 % CI 1.52-1.66) and 1.39 (95 % CI 1.30-1.49), respectively. Workers in the northern and central provinces had higher ORs for low back and neck pain compared to workers in the southern province. The test for trends showed an increased risk of developing low back and neck pain with decreased outdoor temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Outdoor work in a cold environment may increase the risk of low back and neck pain.
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| 22. |
- Burström, Lage, et al.
(författare)
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Daily text messages used as a method for assessing low back pain among workers
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0895-4356 .- 1878-5921. ; :70, s. 45-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a method for collecting data concerning low back pain (LBP) using daily text messages and to characterize the reported LBP in terms of intensity, variability, and episodes.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a cohort study of LBP among workers used by a mining company. The participants were asked to answer the question "How much pain have you had in your lower back in the last 24 hours on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = the worst pain imaginable" once a day for 5 weeks, with this process being repeated 6 months later.RESULTS: A total of 121 workers participated in the first period of data collection, and 108 participated in the second period. The daily response rate was 93% for both periods, and cluster analysis was shown to be a feasible statistical method for clustering LBP into subgroups of low, medium, and high pain. The daily text messages method also worked well for assessing the episodic nature of LBP.CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated a method for repeatedly measuring of LBP using daily text messages. The data permitted clustering into subgroups and could be used to define episodes of LBP.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Burström, Lage, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of vibration exposure on tactile and thermal perception thresholds
- 2009
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Ingår i: Occup Med (Lond). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1471-8405 .- 0962-7480. ; 59:3, s. 174-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: To establish if intermittent exposure to hand-transmitted vibration had the same effect as continuous exposure on the temporary response of finger tactile and thermal perception thresholds. METHODS: Two laboratory experiments were conducted. In each, 10 healthy subjects, five males and five females, participated. The subjects' fingers were exposed to vibration under four conditions with a combination of different periods of exposure and rest periods. The vibration frequency was 125 Hz and the frequency-weighted acceleration was 5 m/s(2). A measure of the tactile or thermal perception was conducted before the different exposures to vibration. Immediately after the vibration exposure, the acute effect was measured continuously for the first 75 s. This was followed by regular measures for a maximum of 30 min. RESULTS: The results showed that combinations of vibration with different periods of exposure and rest periods significantly influenced vibrotactile perception, but not thermal perception. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that intermittent exposure to hand-transmitted vibration might be more beneficial for the response of the finger vibrotactile sensation than continuous exposure. This finding is inconsistent with the evaluation methods in ISO 5349-1 for vibrotactile sensation, but accurate for thermal perception.
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| 25. |
- Burström, Lage, et al.
(författare)
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Musculoskeletal symptoms and exposure to whole-body vibration among open-pit mine workers in the arctic
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. - : Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine. - 1232-1087 .- 1896-494X. ; 30:4, s. 553-564
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: This cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out at 4 open-pit mines in Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden as part of the MineHealth project. The aim has been to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms between drivers of mining vehicles and non-drivers. Material and Methods: The mine workers were asked whether they had suffered from any musculoskeletal symptoms during the previous 12 months in specified body regions, and to grade the severity of these symptoms during the past month. They were also asked about their daily driving of mining vehicles. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 1323 workers (757 vehicle drivers) and the reported prevalence and severity of symptoms were highest for the lower back, followed by pain in the neck, shoulder and upper back. Drivers in the Nordic mines reported fewer symptoms than non-drivers, while for Russian mine workers the results were the opposite of that. The daily driving of mining vehicles had no significant association with the risk of symptoms. Female drivers indicated a higher prevalence of symptoms as compared to male drivers. Conclusions: The study provided only weak support for the hypothesis that drivers of vehicles reported a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms than non-vehicle drivers. There were marked differences in the prevalence of symptoms among workers in various enterprises, even though the nature of the job tasks was similar.
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