Early in 1985, a meeting was held to discuss the organization of a work shop in honour of Professor Reinier L. Zielhuis on the occasion of his retirement on November 30,1986. Various themes for such a workshop were considered, but it was Zielhuis himself, who ultimately selected "Health surveillance of individual workers exposed to chemical agents" as the theme of the workshop. Although this topic is of the utmost im portance for occupational health practice, it is also a very difficult one, given our currently limited knowledge on the subject. The choice of this topic is characteristic of Reinier Zielhuis, a scientist and scholar who throughout his career has been deeply concerned with the health and health risks of workers. Because he regards occupational and environmental exposure - including life style - as two aspects of the total exposure to chemical and physical factors, he emphasizes the need to assess the impact of this total exposure on workers' health. The impact of total exposure probably detennines to a large extent the in dividual variability in response. This was the main reason why he selected the above-mentioned topic for the workshop.

This is the first textbook that makes workplace health surveillance accessible to a broad audience. Step-by-step, it shows how to establish or improve a surveillance system. The reader learns about defining objectives, seeking organizational support, forming a surveillance workgroup, collecting data, calculating basic injury and illness statistics, designing databases, analyzing and interpreting surveillance data, setting priorities, making protocols for follow-up and case management, marketing results and giving feedback, and evaluating surveillance systems. Links are emphasized between surveillance and workplace follow-up, community-based intervention programs, cost-benefit analysis, and other prevention activities. Readers get a solid foundation of epidemiologic concepts reinforced by examples that use simple arithmetic. Leading practitioners from government, business, and unions illustrate the surveillance of injuries, lead poisoning, pesticide illness, cumulative trauma disorders, asthma, noise-induced hearing loss, silicosis, cancer, and chemical and physical hazards. Non-traditional data sources are examined, including health and disability insurance, hospital discharge, and poison control centers. Disability surveillance, return-to-work, and the quality/effectiveness of health services also are explored. Surveillance is shown to be an action-oriented tool for decision-making that is the key to a successful health and safety program.

Work Smarter, Work Healthier! What you don’t know about your workplace could kill you. What you learn in this book could save your life. Recognize the silent killers Create safer workplace environments Improve your health and your job performance Did you know that every nine minutes someone is killed by their job? In this groundbreaking book, two experts in the field of occupational safety tell you what's wrong at the workplace, who is at risk, and what you and your employer can do to create a safer working environment. Learn how to protect yourself from the top ten job-related illnesses and injuries--from respiratory disease to cancer, from reproductive disorders to musculoskeletal injuries and trauma. YouÊll discover: Four steps to risk assessment in the workplace The easiest method of reducing exposure to toxic substances How to recognize „sick building syndrome‰ and what to do about it How to prevent back injuries, sprains, strains, inflammations, and dislocations It's all here in the book that offers real solutions for real problems that affect you on--and off--the job. YouÊll find practical--and legal--know-how, suggestions for employers, a complete list of occupational health resources with addresses and Web sites, and more.

The one-stop resource for health protection professionals, environmental scientists and safety engineers. Since the entire 40-volume Ullmann's Encyclopedia is inaccessible to many readers - particularly individuals, smaller companies or institutes - all the information on industrial toxicology, ecotoxicology, process safety as well as occupational health and safety has been condensed into this convenient 2-volume set. Based on the latest online edition of Ullmann's containing articles never been before in print, this ready reference provides practical information on applying the science of toxicology in both the occupational and environmental setting, and explains the fundamentals necessary for an understanding of the effects of chemical hazards on humans and ecosystems. The detailed and meticulously edited articles have been written by renowned experts from industry and academia, and much of the information has been thoroughly revised. Alongside explanations of safety regulations and legal aspects, this set covers food additives, toxic agents as well as medical and therapeutical issues. Top-quality illustrations, clear diagrams and charts combined with an extensive use of tables enhance the presentation and provide a unique level of detail. Deeper insights into any given area of interest is offered by referenced contributions, while rapid access to a particular subject is enhanced by both a keyword and author index.

This important new book presents the background to the modern programme of European Community initiatives, tracing the origins of a European policy on occupational health and safety, and looking at the progressively expanding ambitions of Commission Action Programmes in this field.

In keeping with a congressional mandate (Public Law 104-484) and the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States is currently destroying its chemical weapons stockpile. The Army must ensure that the chemical demilitarization workforce is protected from the risks of exposure to hazardous chemicals during disposal operations and during and after facility closure. Good industrial practices developed in the chemical and nuclear energy industries and other operations that involve the processing of hazardous materials include workplace monitoring of hazardous species and a systematic occupational health program for monitoring workers' activities and health. In this report, the National Research Council Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program examines the methods and systems used at JACADS and TOCDF, the two operational facilities, to monitor the concentrations of airborne and condensed-phase chemical agents, agent breakdown products, and other substances of concern. The committee also reviews the occupational health programs at these sites, including their industrial hygiene and occupational medicine components. Finally, it evaluates the nature, quality, and utility of records of workplace chemical monitoring and occupational health programs.

Field Worker Exposure During Pesticide Application