Identifying and prioritizing gaming workers' health and safety concerns using mapping for data collection.

BACKGROUND: This research was prompted by the clinical presentation of workers from a variety of gaming occupations with injuries and illnesses and multiple health and safety concerns. METHODS: Using participatory action research principles, 51 gaming workers in Ontario and 20 gaming workers in Manitoba were consulted during a series of focus group sessions. Mapping exercises were used to survey the participants about their health concerns, perceived occupational hazards and the impact of working conditions on their personal lives. Participants were then asked to prioritize their concerns and make recommendations for improvements. RESULTS: Gaming workers from both provinces identified similar health, hazard and psycho-social concerns. They prioritized the issues of stress, ergonomics, indoor air quality (including second-hand smoke and temperature), biological hazards, physical hazards and noise. CONCLUSIONS: This study points to a need to more fully investigate and address health and safety issues in the gaming industry. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of a worker-driven, participatory consultation.

Exploring health, safety and environment in central and Eastern Europe: an introduction to the European Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and the Environment (ECOHSE).

This article traces the development of the European Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and the Environment (ECOHSE) at the University of Glasgow. ECOHSE recently has been designated a Thematic Network by the European Union which is providing administrative support through 2004. The de facto de-regulation that accompanied emergent capitalism in Eastern Europe created opportunities for exploitation of the work force. Voluntary efforts of a loose network of occupational and environmental health academics led to a series of yearly conferences to discuss these problems and the lack of research about them. Then, in 1999, a more formal organization was established at Glasgow to pursue continuity and funding. The first occupational and environmental health conference under ECOHSE was held last year in Lithuania, and selected presentations of that meeting are offered in this journal. A second ECOHSE conference will be held this fall in Romania.

Pesticide health and safety and the work and impact of international agencies: partial successes and major failures.

The paper explores aspects of the international role and impact of key agencies in informing regulators and users about pesticides and controlling and preventing pesticide poisoning worldwide. The WHO, IPCS, ILO, World Bank, and related organizations such as ICPS, for instance, all have effects. Particular attention is paid to the IPCS environmental health criteria documents on pesticides. Political and economic influences affect decisions about whether or not to use pesticides, and the risk assessments and data used to assess pesticides. This has significant influence on the selection and use of particular pesticides and hence on both acute and chronic pesticide poisoning cases globally. Progress has been made to correct these covert and damaging influences and imbalances, but more needs to be done to ensure proper accountability and transparency in pesticide health and safety policy and practice.

Agricultural science and food policy for consumers and workers: recipes for public health successes or disasters?

In the world of high speed globalization, the search for global food and water security has failed despite being driven by aggressive agribusiness and aided all too often by so-called Green Revolution research scientists and technologists. In the process, agricultural workers, rural communities, and food production workers face significant occupational and environmental hazards. Countervailing forces to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and agribusiness food strategies are needed. Critical to these forces will be Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working toward non-toxic, nondestructive, community-based agriculture informed by integrated humanistic, scientifically cautious, worker-sensitive, and ecologically located principles.

Regulating pesticides in the UK: a case study of risk management problems relating to the organophosphate diazinon.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To assess aspects of occupational and related environmental health risk assessment and risk management decisions of UK regulatory bodies on diazinon used in sheep dip; and (2) to benchmark those decisions against 'the public health precautionary approach'. METHODS: Analysis of diazinon health and safety data available within Government Departments, industry and from users in animal husbandry practice. RESULTS: (1) Data on diazinon produced by the manufacturing companies for the UK pesticide regulatory agencies are not fully transparent; (2) UK regulatory health and safety processes assume accuracy of manufacturer's data and information provided on personal protective equipment (PPE) and application effectiveness; (3) data available reveal gaps and problems with diazinon toxicity, PPE and application methods; and (4) little published evidence shows that industry followed up the health of dippers after product registration or that government departments adopted a public health approach to regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Diazinon sheep dip illustrates the need for the application of a rigorous precautionary principle in both initial registration and later monitoring of chemicals.

Whither lay epidemiology in UK public health policy and practice? Some reflections on occupational and environmental health opportunities.

The problems of public and media interpretations of epidemiological studies--for instance, confusion about contradictory findings which indicate the hazards or advantages of consuming certain foods or drink or taking particular medical or pharmaceutical products, and one study on radiation exposure apparently overturning the results of another study within weeks or months--indicate the need for better communications by scientists, better education for the public on hazards and risks, and a better flow of information to the public on such topics. One democratic means for achieving this end, which would also increase community and worker participation in and control of health research affecting them, is through lay or community epidemiology. This subject has been discussed for some years but very little action has resulted in England. The concept relates to community groups and employees carrying out epidemiological research and using the expertise of professional epidemiologists. The epidemiologists work for and with the community rather than on the community: an experience which professionals may find threatening. Nevertheless, the World Health Organization and other groups rightly support such an empowering initiative, and some ways of introducing the approach into England are discussed.

Acute pesticide poisoning in the UK and information and training needs of general practitioners: recording a conundrum.

A postal questionnaire of all general practitioners (n = 68) in a District Health Authority was undertaken to identify the information and training they had received on acute pesticide poisoning. Fifty-six (82%) replies were received. The responses showed that 33 (59%) had not seen the standard Department of Health Guide to acute pesticide poisoning and only 20 (36%) of the respondents thought that their practice had a copy of this publication. None of those surveyed had ever used Health and Safety Executive Guidance Notes on pesticides. Ten practitioners (18%) reported that they had at some time diagnosed a case of acute pesticide poisoning and three (5%) had done so in the last two years. Only three respondents (5%) considered they had sufficient information to diagnose all the main pesticides listed in the Department of Health Guide but 24 (43%) considered they had sufficient information to diagnose rodenticide poisoning. Twenty-three (41%) considered they had insufficient information to diagnose any acute pesticide poisoning category. The sources of information used in cases of suspected acute pesticide poisoning were the National Poisons Information Services (e.g., Guy's Hospital) for 30 (54%); Accident and Emergency Departments for 19 (34%); and industry for nine (16%). Four (7%) considered they had sufficient training as a medical student to diagnose cases of acute pesticide poisoning and four (7%) considered they had sufficient training since graduating to diagnose such cases. Some of the problems related to the identification and diagnosis of acute pesticide poisoning are discussed and a number of specific recommendations are made to improve the information and training available to general practitioners.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)