South African miners face an epidemic of occupational lung diseases. Despite a plethora of research on the mining industry, and the gold mining industry in particular, research impact (including disease surveillance) on policy implementation and occupational health systems performance lags. We describe the gold mining environment, and research on silicosis, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, and compe...

BACKGROUND Occupational heavy lifting is known to impose a high cardiovascular strain, but the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) from occupational heavy lifting is unknown. The objective was to investigate the association between occupational heavy lifting and risk of IHD and all-cause mortality, and the influence of occupational and leisure time physical activity on this association. METH...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine whether the use of respiratory protective equipment would reduce the incidence of occupational asthma due to exposure to hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA). DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING A facility that makes an epoxy resin product requiring HHPA for its manufacture. PARTICIPANTS Sixty-six individuals newly hired at a facility that makes an epoxy r...

Unemployed persons are often on the margins of the healthcare system and under the radar of safety and health organisations, as no systematic records are kept of occupational diseases caused by exposure at previous work place. Law in Slovenia requires that asbestos-related occupational diseases are verified by establishing the causal relationship between exposure at work and its effect on the w...

Background: Occupational contact dermatitis, especially in hand, is one of the most common occupational disorders. The present study aimed at evaluating patients with occupational allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by common allergens based on occupation type and disease history. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed at evaluating the data of the patients with probable diagnosis of AC...

Occupational exposure is an important, global cause of respiratory disease. Unlike many other non-communicable lung diseases, the proximal causes of many occupational lung diseases are well understood and they should be amenable to control with use of established and effective approaches. Therefore, the risks arising from exposure to silica and asbestos are well known, as are the means of their...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To estimate the incidence of occupational asthma seen by respiratory and occupational physicians in the UK in 1989 and 1990. DESIGN New cases of occupational asthma were taken from a national reporting scheme, the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease Project (SWORD). Estimates of the working population from the Labour Force Survey were used to calc...

Current medical management is only partially effective in controlling the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. As part of comprehensive multidisciplinary care, physical therapy and occupational therapy aim to support people with Parkinson's disease in dealing with the consequences of their disease in daily activities. In this narrative review, we address the limitations that people with Parkinson's...

W ith the reduction in the disease burden from the pneumoconioses in recent years, especially in developed countries, occupational asthma has emerged as the occupational lung disease of greatest importance. It is usually the most common respiratory condition reported in occupational disease surveillance programmes and makes a substantial contribution to the burden of asthma in the community, wi...

A large number of agents in the workplace have been shown to give rise to occupational asthma. With the rapid introduction of new compounds into industries, it is likely that the prevalence of occupational asthma will continue to increase. This condition may well exceed pneumoconiosis as the most important cause of occupational lung disease. During the past two decades, there have been many stu...