An epidemic of dermatitis at a large construction site
Article Abstract:
Dermatitis is characterized by itchy, red, inflamed skin lesions, or rash. It occurs widely in many industrial settings where employees are exposed to irritants, vegetation, chemicals and other materials. In response to an employee request, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigated a large outbreak of dermatitis among 5,600 construction workers employed at two nuclear power plants in the southwestern part of the United States. It was suggested that working with or near the fire-retardant lumber and plywood used in construction was responsible for the skin irritation. Carpenters and others who worked indoors used fire-retardant materials exclusively; untreated lumber was used for outdoor construction. The retardant preparation included phosphoric acid, formaldehyde, and dicyandiamide. Exposed workers completed demographic questionnaires; those who reported rashes were examined and their condition was verified and classified. The nurses' log revealed that, from February to October 1986, 407 of 445 workers were examined for skin-related complaints, compared with 122 visits at the same time the previous year. Carpenters, laborers, and iron workers had the highest rate of dermatitis, and carpenters who worked only with fire-retardant lumber had a rate of dermatitis that was four times greater than the rate of carpenters who worked only with nontreated wood. Although no specific component in the preparation could be faulted, the highest rate of involvement occurred in those whose work required handling and fabricating the treated lumber. Carpenters and others who handle fire-retardant lumber should be advised of this problem, especially if they work in regions with high temperature and humidity. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1991
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Safety performance among union and nonunion workers in the construction industry
Article Abstract:
In the construction trades, open (non-union) shops are gaining favor and membership is increasing. Researchers are now asking about the impact or role that labor unions have had in protecting the safety and health of their members. It has been believed by many that health and safety activities are high in unionized hazardous industries. At the same time, others have asserted that union members are often more concerned about protecting their wages and economic benefits than improving health and safety. This study was undertaken to evaluate safety practices at union and non-union sites, and union and non-union workers' attitudes about safety. Nine non-residential construction sites in the Baltimore area, at all stages of construction, were reviewed. A total of 384 construction workers were drawn from a roster of 572 employees. Comparisons were based on 15 measures of safety, including employees' attitudes toward safety and their perceptions of safety control, injury records, safety training and performance, managements' attitudes toward safety practices, and the availability of proper equipment. The results demonstrate that union membership was significantly related to good safety performance. Union employees were older and more experienced; consequently, they were more cautious and sustained fewer injuries than the younger, less experienced non-union workers. Union personnel had a more positive attitude about safety programs, policies, and procedures. These results suggest that non-union construction sites require more safety surveillance because of the younger ages and inexperience of employees. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1990
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Work with visual display terminals: psychosocial aspects and health; report on a World Health Organization meeting
Article Abstract:
There has been much debate about the health effects of visual display terminals (VDTs). The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe commissioned a review of the physical hazards of VDT use. WHO commissioned an additional study of the psychosocial effects of VDT use. In this report the various psychosocial aspects of working with VDTs are discussed. These areas include: the demands of the work itself; work design and organizational problems; the demands of the work load, the pace of the work and system breakdowns; control and user-friendliness of the system; and monitoring the VDT user's work by the system. Also discussed are social supports and sense of isolation, and de-skilling, the fragmentation of jobs with only low-skill elements remaining. The various approaches that can be used to solve organizational and job design issues are also discussed, such as management of change and how the user is involved in the entire process, and the analysis of the task to be completed. This area includes job content, use of skills, feedback, and ability to control in some way the way the work is organized. Additional areas covered are training and increasing skills, the schedule of work and relaxation periods, and the length of the work shift. It is concluded that the psychosocial factors are equally as important as the physical factors in preventing VDT-related health problems.
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1989
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