[Evaluation of self-administered questionnaire items used in regular health check-ups at the workplace by occupational health professionals].

OBJECTIVE: Currently, there is no standardized questionnaire for regular workplace health check-ups in Japan. We considered that there are several issues associated with this, including the possibility that the questionnaire items are not useful for occupational health staff. Therefore, our study aimed to examine the questionnaire items required in regular health check-ups from the occupational health practice perspective and prepare a draft of a standardized medical questionnaire. The ultimate goal is to promote integrated management and utilization of the health-related information obtained from the questionnaire in the future. METHODS: This non-interventional study, conducted from February 2018 to November 2020, examined the questionnaire items for the regular health check-up using the Delphi method. Twenty-two occupational health professionals, including occupational physicians and nurses with qualifications in occupational health, participated in the study. The self-administered questionnaires used by contracted industrial health associations across Japan were obtained, and items from all questionnaires were extracted. A survey questionnaire was then developed, consisting of eight primary headings: "personal attributes," "work-related information and work history," "life history and subjective symptoms," "current and past medical history," "family history," and "pregnancy status," with a total of 589 items. Participants were asked to rate the degree of necessity for each item, excluding the items in "personal attributes" and "pregnancy status." The items with low ratings were excluded, and the remaining items were redesigned and distributed to the participants with the tabulated results. This process was repeated three times to allow the participants to rate the necessity of the items consistently. The questionnaire items with a consensus ratio exceeding 70% on the third try were adopted. The final adopted questionnaire items were again reviewed by the participants and agreed upon by all. RESULTS: A total of 85 items were adopted under five primary headings, including 12 items for "work-related information and work history," 11 for "life history," 22 for "subjective symptoms," 37 for "current medical history," and three for "past medical history." CONCLUSION: The items for the regular health check-up were finally adopted under the primary headings of "work-related information and work history," "subjective symptoms," and "current medical history." We assumed that these items provide an overview of health information that can be utilized in occupational health practice. Based on our findings, there is a need to develop a standardized questionnaire for regular health check-ups and to consider the management and utilization of workers' health information.

Comparison of respiratory protection during exercise tasks between different methods of wearing replaceable particulate respirators and powered air-purifying respirators.

This study evaluated the differences in respiratory protection between replaceable particulate respirators (RPRs) and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) based on different wearing methods during exercise tasks. Ten participants wore RPRs and PAPRs alternately in ways comparable to those adopted by workers in actual workplaces. We measured the fit factor of the respiratory protective equipment (RPE) during exercise tasks for each wearing variation. The exercise load was set to 80W using an ergometer. The exercise tasks comprised five actions described in the Japan Industrial Standard T8150 in 2018. We compared the results with experimental data obtained at rest in our previous studies. The fit factor of RPRs during exercise was significantly lower than (p<0.001) and about half that measured at rest, indicating inadequate respiratory protection. On the other hand, the fit factor of PAPRs during exercise tasks was also significantly lower than (p<0.001) and about half that at rest, but respiratory protection was maintained. This suggests that the protection provided by PAPRs is independent of wearing method during exercise. PAPRs may thus be better than RPRs for workers who have to wear RPE inappropriately due to health problems.

Study Protocol and Preliminary Results of the Impact of Occupational Health Workers' Activities on Their Health: Nationwide Prospective Internet-Based Survey.

BACKGROUND: Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, work environments and systems, as well as occupational health measures or activities that fall within our research field, are constantly changing. It is necessary to assess the impact of these changes on the physical and mental health of workers. OBJECTIVE: To assess how occupational health measures affect the health of workers, we conducted a baseline, longitudinal internet-based survey among Japanese workers in October 2021 and additionally scheduled 2 follow-up surveys for 2022 and 2023. We describe the details of the protocol of the work systems and health internet research (WSHIR) study, provide an overview of the results of the baseline survey, and discuss the study procedures and data used in the study. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted online among internet monitors. The baseline survey was conducted from October 1 to 7, 2021. This study targeted those who were working and between the ages of 20 and 69 years. A total of 5111 respondents who passed the screening survey and proceeded to the main survey were enrolled according to collection units organized by sex and age. For the screening and main surveys, the questionnaire consisted of 9 and 33 items with 9 and 55 questions, respectively. Consistency and completeness checks were performed after the questionnaires were submitted. We compared basic characteristics, such as sex, age group, educational background, and marital status, among all participants, including those who withdrew from the analysis. RESULTS: Of the 5111 initial survey respondents, 571 (11.2%) were considered fraudulent. The data of the remaining 4540 (88.8%) participants (2273, 50.1%, males; 2267, 49.9%, females) included in the analysis were well balanced across participant sex and age groups according to the sampling plan because there was no significant difference by sex and age group using the chi-square test for checking the distribution bias of the participants (P=.84). Compared to female participants, male participants tended to be more likely to be managers and supervisors (323, 14.2%, males; 86, 3.8%, females), to work in a secondary industry (742, 32.6%, males; 357, 15.7%, females), and to have an annual income of ≥5 million yen (976, 42.9%, males; 429, 18.9%, females). For the evaluation of a psychological indicator, Kessler 6 (K6) score, by sex and age group, the characteristics of the score distribution of the included participants were similar to those reported in previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a protocol and overview of the results of an internet-based occupational health survey of workers. Using the results of this survey, we hope to evaluate the changes in occupational health activities and their impact on workers' health while controlling for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Application of tight-fitting half-facepiece breath-response powered air-purifying respirator for internal body cooling in occupational environment.

In dust-generating scenarios in occupational environments, it is important to take measures to prevent not only pneumoconiosis, but also heatstroke. The aim of this study was to verify whether using a tight-fitting half-facepiece breath-response powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) in combination with a self-produced cooling device could abate the deep body temperature while performing activities. We conducted a crossover study involving 10 subjects. The subjects were subjected to three conditions: wearing a PAPR equipped with a cooling device, PAPR, or a replaceable particulate respirator. During the experiment, the rectal temperature of the subjects was measured, along with the temperature near the PAPR inlet in container with the cooling device when the PAPR equipped with the cooling device was worn. The subjects rested in a cold chamber set at a dry-bulb temperature of 28°C and relative humidity of 45% for 20 min. Then, they moved to a hot chamber set to a dry-bulb temperature of 36°C (with the same relative humidity) in 5 min and exercised on a cycle ergometer for 30 min. After that, the subjects moved to the cold chamber for 5 min and rested for 20 min. Notably, the air inhaled by the subjects wearing PAPR equipped with the cooling device was approximately 10°C cooler than the ambient air. Furthermore, 35 min after the initiation of the experiment (after the middle of the exercise period), the rectal temperature of the participants wearing the PAPR equipped with the cooling device was lower than of those wearing PAPR or replaceable particulate respirators (p <0.05). Thus, we could deduce that the self-produced cooling device was useful in abating deep body temperature. PAPR is useful for its potential applications in hot occupational environments and can save lives in working environments where heat stress can result in major medical complications.

Visualization of Dust Generation in Outdoor Workplaces Using A Wearable Particle Monitor and Global Navigation Satellite System.

We manufactured a wearable particle monitor (WPM), which is a simple and low-cost dust monitor. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the device by using it and location information of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to measure dust generation in outdoor workplaces. We used nine WPMs and a particle counter KC-52 to measure in parallel the dust concentration diffusing standard particles in a dust exposure apparatus to evaluate the measurability of the WPM, and visualized dust generation in outdoor workplaces to evaluate its usability. We obtained location information using a GNSS in parallel with measuring with the WPM. The measured values of the WPM followed the measured values of the KC-52, with a strong correlation of the values between the KC-52 and each WPM. The discrepancy among devices tended to increase, however, because the measured values of the WPMs increased. For outdoor measurements, we could create a heat map of the relative values of dust generation by combining two data of the WPM and the GNSS. The methods of using the WPM could overview the conditions needed to produce dust emissions in dust-generating workplaces.

Measurement of the Workplace Protection Factor of Replaceable Particulate and Powered Air-purifying Respirators in Japanese Dust-generating Occupations.

Although measuring the workplace protection factor (WPF) is important to verify the performance of particulate respirators in a real work environment, there are no reports of such measurements in Japan. The aim of this study was to measure the WPF of a replaceable particulate respirator (RPR) and a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR). Eight participants were subjected to three conditions: wearing a RPR correctly (C-RPR), wearing a RPR as usual (but incorrectly) (U-RPR), and wearing a PAPR in the same way as U-RPR (PAPR). Subjects performed dust-generating tasks for 15 min, during which the WPF was measured. The WPF was calculated by dividing the concentration of particles outside the particulate respirator (Co) by that inside the particulate respirator (Ci). A fit testing instrument was used to measure the number of particles. Ci was measured by inserting the test guide into the face piece, and Co was measured by fixing the test guide near the breathing area of the subjects. The WPF geometric mean values (standard deviations) for C-RPR, U-RPR, and PAPR were 17.7 (2.59), 27.0 (3.86), and 117.3 (5.25), respectively. It is important to generate knowledge about the performance of particulate respirators to prevent occupational respiratory diseases.

Combining Indoor Positioning Using Wi-Fi Round Trip Time with Dust Measurement in the Field of Occupational Health.

Monitoring of personal exposure to hazardous substances has garnered increasing attention over the past few years. However, no straightforward and exact indoor positioning technique has been available until the recent discovery of Wi-Fi round trip time (Wi-Fi RTT). In this study, we investigated the possibility of using a combination of Wi-Fi RTT for indoor positioning and a wearable particle monitor (WPM) to observe dust concentration during walking in a simulated factory. Ultrasonic humidifiers were used to spray sodium chloride solution inside the factory. The measurements were recorded three times on different routes (Experiments A, B, and C). The error percentages, i.e., measurements that were outside the expected measurement area, were 7% (49 s/700 s) in Experiment A, 2.3% (15 s/660 s) in Experiment B, and 7.8% (50 s/645 s) in Experiment C. The dust measurements were also recorded without any obstruction. A heat map was created based on the results from both measured values. Wi-Fi RTT proved useful for computing the indoor position with high accuracy, suggesting the applicability of the proposed methodology for occupational health monitoring.

Evaluation of the performance of replaceable particulate and powered air-purifying respirators considering non-recommended wearing methods.

This study evaluated the performance of two respirators, a replaceable particulate respirator (RPR) and a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), worn according to non-recommended methods. Ten subjects wore either an RPR or PAPR according to the recommended method, or according to a non-recommended method, with a knit cover placed between the facepiece cushion and face, with a towel placed between the facepiece cushion and face, or with the headband on a helmet. The leakage rate of each wearing variation was then measured, according to the procedure for determining the protection factor of respiratory protective equipment, using atmospheric dust as required by JIS T8150. The average leakage rate for the RPR was 1.82-10.92%, whereas that of the PAPR was 0.18-0.42%. The performance of the RPR decreased when worn in methods outside of recommendations; however, there was no significant decrease in the performance of PAPR under any method of wear. Therefore, a PAPR is recommended for work in which a replaceable or disposable particulate respirator fails to provide sufficient protection against hazardous dust substances, or for workers who are unable to use a particulate respirator according to the recommended method owing to the work environment or health conditions.