A Case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Assessments of Fitness for Work

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and impairment of cognition. These symptoms may lead to the occurrence of occupational accidents in workers with obstructive sleep apnea. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old man who worked as a dimensional control surveyor caused a vehicle accident while he was driving at the work site. Although he experienced loss of consciousness at the time of the accident, he had no other symptoms. His brain computed tomography and laboratory test did not show any specific findings. Medical tests were conducted to evaluate his fitness for work. Decreased sleep latency was observed on the electroencephalography image, which is suggestive of a sleep disorder. He frequently experienced daytime sleepiness and his Epworth sleepiness score was 13. The polysomnography showed a markedly increased apnea-hypopnea index of 84.3, which led to a diagnosis of severe obstructive sleep apnea. The patient was advised to return to work only when his obstructive sleep apnea improved through proper treatment. CONCLUSION: Proper screening for obstructive sleep apnea among workers is important for preventing workplace accidents caused by this disorder, but screening guidelines have not yet been established in Korea. An effort toward preparing practical guidelines for obstructive sleep apnea is needed.

Work Ability Index: Validation of the Greek Version and Descriptive Data in Heavy Industry Employees.

Aims: Validation of the Greek version of Work Ability Index (WAI). Study Design: A cross sectional survey of 943 workers from a shipyard industry. Place and Duration of Study: University of Patras, Medical School, Public Health Department, HSY occupational health department, Greece in 2006-07. Methodology: The translation and cultural adaptation of the questionnaire was performed according to the international standards. The following aspects of the questionnaire were evaluated: construct validity, using factorial analysis, and discriminant capacity, by comparing Work Ability Index scores across variables likely to be related with work ability, like absenteeism; criterion validity, by determining the correlation between self-reported health and Work Ability Index score; and reliability, using Kendall’s tau b coefficient to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Results: A two-dimensional structure model, interpreted as “subjectively estimated work ability” and “ill-health related ability” of the instrument fits better our study population with some of the subscales load on both dimensions. Good discriminating properties of the tool with sickness absence, education level and high criterion validity using dimensions of health status, were evident. High inter-item Kendall’s tau b coefficients were indicative of satisfactory reliability. Conclusions: The Greek version of the WAI showed satisfactory psychometric properties thus constituting an appropriate option for evaluating work ability in both individual and population-based settings.

Occupational Health and Fitness for Work of Firefighters

Due to the various toxic chemicals, accidents and job stress, the firefighter has been known as a dangerous job. However, in Korea, there is no proper system to improve their health or job fitness. The authors tried to look into the current state of occupational health problems of firefighters and to suggest some important points to improve their health and fitness for work. The injury incidence of firefighters was higher than that of other jobs and their life expectancy was shorter than any other public servants. Even though the health examination for firefighters was applied since 2004, there is no appropriate approach to examine the health and to assess the fitness for firefighting work. A standardized periodic special health examination based on their work conditions or health risks, for instance various chemicals, physical factors and psychosocial factors, is needed. We suggest that the other health examination system that firefighters can take a specialized health examination in case of uncommon situation to be a risk on health. In addition, the fitness test for injured or ill workers is necessary. As a conclusion, the comprehensive occupational health management system is necessary to make firefighters healthy and for the citizens' safety.