[The System and Human Resources for Occupational Health in Thailand - For Japanese Enterprises to Manage Proper Occupational Health Activities at Overseas Workplaces].

We collected information necessary for conducting occupational health activities in Thailand with regard to occupational safety and health management systems (OSHMS). Based on an information collection check sheet developed in our previous research, we conducted a literature research and visited four local business bases, one ISO certification body and two higher educational institutions. The legal framework concerning occupational health in Thailand consists of the Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Act of 2011 and 13 ordinances from the Ministry of Labor under that act. The original OSHMS standards for Thailand have been published, and the number of companies, especially large ones, introducing systems conforming to these standards has increased in recent years. For occupational health specialists, there are training programs for specialized occupational health physicians, professional safety officers and occupational nurses. Professional safety officers also play a central role in occupational health in the workplace. In Thailand, it is necessary to ensure compliance with related acts and regulations, and to conduct voluntary activities that satisfy workplace conditions as based on the OSHMS standards. Additionally, to improve occupational health performance, it is essential to use high-quality external services and/or occupational health professionals. Headquarters of Japanese companies have considered taking countermeasures such as recommending active use of professional safety officers, as well as issuing global standards.

Experiences of occupational physicians with the implementation of indicated prevention for long term sickness absence.

BACKGROUND: Functioning including work participation, is an emerging challenge in occupational health. The prevention of long term sickness absence (LTSA) through a strategy involving screening and structured early consultation (preventive strategy) was proven effective and can address participation issues. Implementation of this strategy has proven difficult. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the experiences of occupational physicians (OPs) delivering a structured early consultation to office workers, in order to enhance implementation of the strategy. METHODS: In this case study, a mixed method design was used. Interviews and surveys were conducted to obtain an in-depth picture of OPs experiences. RESULTS: Factors hindering implementation in relation to the OPs were difficulties in communicating the risk of future sick leave, prioritization of other tasks, maintaining a reactive approach due to work pressure, preference for prevention on the level of the work environment, privacy issues related to labeling workers to have mental or psychosocial issues, and the biomedical model being the mental model in use. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the preventive strategy seems to require a more profound focus on the biopsychosocial approach. Training of relevant skills is important to achieve a focus on prevention and fostering health over the lifespan.

Álcool e drogas no trabalho: conhecimento do candidato ao título de especialista em medicina do trabalho em relação ao tema / Alcohol and drug use at work: required knowledge for the title of specialist in occupational medicine

Contexto: O conhecimento teórico do médico do trabalho em relação ao gerenciamento dos casos de uso, abuso e dependência de álcool e drogas no local de trabalho é um fator preocupante, tendo em vista o grande crescimento desta prática no Brasil. Objetivos: O presente artigo visa avaliar o conhecimento dos médicos do trabalho sobre o tema, objetivando ações de melhoria nesta área de atuação. Tais ações podem ser realizadas pelos cursos de formação e por instituições ligadas à área. Métodos: Foi realizada uma questão aberta em relação ao tema na Prova de Título de Especialista em Medicina do Trabalho de 2012, cujos resultados foram estudados e discutidos através de metodologia de correção desenvolvida pelos autores. Resultados: A média de conhecimento sobre o tema ficou em 4,26, em uma escala de 0 a 10. Conclusões: O estudo sugere que o conhecimento pericial sobre o tema é precário, exigindo urgentemente ações das instituições formadoras e demais órgãos em relação a este grande problema que ocorre na prática diária.

Context: Theoretical knowledge of the occupational physician on the management of cases of use, abuse and dependence on alcohol and drugs in the workplace is a concern, given the strong growth of this practice in Brazil. Objectives: This article aims to assess physicians' knowledge on the subject, seeking improvement actions in this field. Such actions can be achieved by training courses and institutions related to the field. Methods: An open question on the topic was included in the Test for Certification in Occupational Medicine, 2012, the results of which have been studied and discussed using a correction methodology developed by the authors. Results: The average knowledge on the subject was 4.26 on a scale from 0-10. Conclusions: The study suggests that the expert knowledge on the subject is precarious, requiring urgent educational actions from institutions and other bodies in relation to this major problem that occurs in daily practice.

Proposta de mudança no ensino de toxicologia do médico do trabalho no Brasil, a partir da análise de erros cometidos por profissionais na condução de casos atendidos / Proposal of change in the teaching of toxicology of the occupational physician in Brazil, based on the analysis of errors made by professionals in the management of cases attended

Em um universo de centenas de casos envolvendo problemas de toxicologia ocupacional atendidos ao longo de 17 anos (1984 a 2001) por uma instituição governamental especializada em Saúde e Trabalho, foi constado que a grande maioria deles tinha sido anteriormente conduzido de forma equivocada pelos médicos do trabalho. Isto mostrou uma falha no ensino deste conhecimento a estes profissionais, e a partir deste fato, o ensino de toxicologia para os médicos, e especialmente para os médicos do trabalho, foi estudado, assim como os conceitos fundamentais das boas práticas da toxicologia ocupacional. A fim de se propor maneiras objetivas de melhoria dos cursos, foram analisados em profundidade dez casos extraídos do universo existente através do método qualitativo de estudos de casos, muito utilizado na área de educação, e a partir da compreensão das causas que levaram aos conceitos equivocados, e que tiveram suas conseqüências nos erros cometidos, foram elaboradas propostas de mudança da forma de se ministrar o conhecimento de toxicologia aos médicos do trabalho no Brasil

In a universe of hundreds of cases related to occupational toxicology, assisted over 17 years (from 1984 to 2001) in a governmental institution specialized in Occupational Health, it was observed that the great majority of them had been inadequately managed by the occupational physicians previously. This fact showed a flaw in the knowledge to these professionals. Based on this finding, a study was designed to evaluate the teaching of toxicology for physicians, particularly occupational physicians, as well as to assess the essential concepts of the good practices of occupational toxicology. In order to suggest objective measures to improve the courses, ten cases were deeply analyzed using a case study, a qualitative research methodology frequently used in the Education area. Based on the understanding of the causes responsible by the equivocal concepts, a set of proposals for changing the teaching of toxicology to occupational physicians in Brazil has been created.