Risk of upper extremity biomechanical overload in automotive facility / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the risk factors for upper extremity-work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UE-WMSD) on 13 production lines in an airbag factory using the threshold limit values-American conference of industrial hygienists- hand activity level (TLV-ACGIH-HAL) method and introduce the ergonomic improvement to reduce the repetitiveness and the peak force (Pf).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Professional exposure level on 13 production lines in a automobile factory was measured using the TLV-ACGIH-HAL method and a further risk was assessed according to the ergonomic improvement.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The first assessment of 9 production lines showed that the professional exposure level was above the TLV or HAL limit. The second assessment showed that the professional exposure level was below the AL limit on all production lines except 1, in which the professional exposure level was between TLV and HAL.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The assessment of UE-WMSD-related risk can identify the riskiest emplacements and evaluate the reduction of risk in professional exposure through interventions of structural- organizational type.</p>

Occupational exposure to urban pollutants and plasma insulin

The aim of this study was to investigate whether traffic police of a big city who are exposed to urban pollutants are at risk to alterations in plasma insulin concentrations compared with controls. The class of workers examined in this study were employees of the municipal police in Rome, Italy. The study was carried out during the period March - April 2001. Traffic police were matched with a control group, where gender, age, working life and drinking habit were noted. A total of 246 traffic police [128 men and 118 women] with outdoor activity and exposure to urban pollutants and 242 subjects [128 men and 114 women] with indoor activity were included in the study. The levels of plasma insulin were significantly lower in traffic police compared to the control group of both gender. Plasma insulin level was altered in traffic police who are exposed to chemical and physical stressors