Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Nordic Occupational Skin Symptoms Questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese.

Introduction: Occupational skin diseases are a frequently self-reported condition in industrialized countries. However, there are few developed and standardized self-report instruments to screen the population at risk for occupational dermatological diseases. Objectives: Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the long and short versions of The Nordic Occupational Skin Symptoms Questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: The process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire was developed following the good practice recommendations of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. Results: After translation into Brazilian Portuguese, the first reconciled version of the questionnaire was evaluated in a first round of interviews with 28 individuals, including patients with dermatological disease and healthy people. In the first meeting of the study review group, changes were made to 43 questions (75.4%) (e.g., inclusion of definition of terms, reformulation of instructions, and changes to alternative words or synonyms). In the second meeting of the study review group, there were modifications in three questions, creation of the second consensus version in Brazilian Portuguese, and then the back-translation of this version. After the second round of cognitive interviews, which took place with 10 patients, we had the third review group meeting (no modification was made) and definition of the final version of the questionnaire. Conclusions: The short and long versions of the Nordic Occupational Skin Symptoms Questionnaire questionnaire are available in Brazilian Portuguese.

Introdução: As doenças ocupacionais de pele são uma condição frequentemente autorrelatada em países industrializados. No entanto, existem poucos instrumentos de autorrelato desenvolvidos e padronizados para triagem da população de risco para doenças ocupacionais de pele. Objetivos: Tradução e Adaptação Transcultural da versão longa e curta do Nordic Occupational Skin Symptoms Questionnaire para o português brasileiro. Métodos: O processo de tradução e adaptação transcultural do questionário foi desenvolvido seguindo as boas práticas recomendadas pela International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. Resultados: Após a tradução para o português brasileiro, a primeira versão conciliada do questionário foi avaliada em uma primeira rodada de entrevistas com 28 indivíduos entre pacientes com doença dermatológica e pessoas saudáveis. Na primeira reunião do grupo de revisão do estudo, foram feitas alterações em 43 questões (75,4%) (por exemplo, inclusão de definição de termos, reformulação de instruções e alteração para palavras alternativas ou sinônimos). Na segunda reunião do grupo de revisão do estudo, houve modificações em três questões, criação da segunda versão de consenso em português brasileiro e, posteriormente, a retrotradução desta versão. Após a segunda rodada de entrevistas cognitivas, que ocorreram com 10 pacientes, tivemos a terceira reunião do grupo de revisão (não houve modificação) e definição da versão final do questionário. Conclusões: As versões curta e longa do questionário Nordic Occupational Skin Symptoms Questionnaire estão disponíveis em português brasileiro.

[On the issues of additional public support of workers involved in medical care support during period of COVID-19].

The article considers issues of organizational and legal progress of social protection of workers involved in medical care during period of COVID-19. The purpose of the study is to analyze regulatory legal documents that define state guarantees that provide social protection for persons involved in the provision of medical care during COVID-19. The attempt was made to analyze international and national information on relevant morbidity, mortality and disability of health care workers, but respective data was not readily available in open admission. The analysis of international documents (the WHO, CDC, JHU reports), public documents of the Russian Federation, information from official websites of the President of the Russian Federation and the executive authorities of the Russian Federation (state reports on sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population in the Russian Federation in 2020-2022) demonstrated the following. The whole world faced with the problem of protecting health care workers from contamination with new corona-virus infection. In the Russian Federation, unprecedented measures were taken to ensure social protection for this category of workers, including provision of additional social benefits.

[Mesothelioma-30 years after the asbestos ban in Germany]. / Mesotheliome ­ 30 Jahre nach dem Asbestverbot in Deutschland.

In 1993, a total asbestos ban was introduced in Germany. Thirty years later, mesothelioma is still one of the most frequent occupational diseases. Recent data on incidence, mortality, recognized occupational diseases, early detection, and assessment are presented in this article.

Recurrent Occupational Hantavirus Infections Linked to Feeder Rodent Breeding Farm, Taiwan, 2022.

We investigated 2 acute cases and 1 previous case of Seoul hantavirus infection in workers in a feeder rodent breeding farm in Taiwan. Prevalence of hantavirus IgG among the tested feeder rats was 37.5%. Appropriate prevention measures, including using disinfection protocols and personal protective equipment, are crucial to lowering risk.

[Compensation of occupational diseases during monitoring of the ARDCO cohort]. / Les reconnaissances en maladie professionnelle lors du suivi de la cohorte ARDCO.

INTRODUCTION: Questions concerning under-reporting of occupational diseases (OD) linked to asbestos exposure are regularly voiced in France. Monitoring of the French multicenter Asbestos-Related Disease Cohort (ARDCO), which ensures post-occupational medical surveillance of subjects having been exposed to asbestos, provides information on (1) the medico-legal steps taken following screening by computed tomography (CT) for benign thoracic diseases, and (2) recognition of OD as a causal factor in malignant diseases. METHODS: OD recognition - and possible compensation - was analyzed in July 2021 among 13,289 volunteers in the cohort recruited between 2003 and 2005. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of the subjects in the cohort were found to have at least one recognized asbestos-related OD (78.2% benign pleural disease, 10.3% asbestosis, 14.2% lung cancer, and 6.0% mesothelioma). Only 58% of pleural plaques reported by the radiologist who performed the CT resulted in their recognition as ODs. On a parallel track, 88.7% of the mesotheliomas identified based on French National health insurance data and 46.9% of lung cancers were recognized as ODs. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the feasibility of a system designed to facilitate recognition, leading to possible compensation, of asbestos-related occupational diseases. The system could be improved by better training of the medical actors involved.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery has led to significant improvements in patient outcomes, yet may have come at a cost to surgeons' musculoskeletal (MSK) health. We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of work-related MSK disorders (WRMDs) in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeons; to investigate contributing factors for WRMD in this population; and to evaluate the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions on the severity or prevalence of WRMD in this population. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to April 2, 2024. A bibliographic examination was performed for further papers. REVIEW METHODS: Inclusion criteria included original peer-reviewed papers with work-related MSK outcomes (prevalence, contributing factors, and interventions) relating to endoscopic sinus and/or skull base surgeons in any language. RESULTS: Of 25,772 unique citations, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled lifetime, point, and 12-month prevalences of WRMD were 75.9% (95% confidence interval; I2, 67.2%-83.6%, I2 95.6%), 80.8% (77.0%-84.3%, I2 98.0%), and 82.0% (71.8%-90.3%, I2 60.96%) respectively. The neck, lumbar spine, and thoracic spine were the most commonly involved areas. One of 9 studies on contributing factors investigated discomfort as an outcome. The remainder focussed on surrogate outcomes (eg, posture, hand dysfunction). Two of the 13 intervention studies investigated pain or fatigue as an outcome. The remainder targeted posture, muscle activity, or workload. CONCLUSION: WRMDs are highly prevalent in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeons. Further studies focusing on the direct outcomes of WRMD such as pain are needed.

Medical and legal diagnoses comparison of the occupational diseases: A nationwide study in Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: The underreporting of occupational diseases in many countries significantly hampers the development of intervention programs, posing a significant public health problem. Our study aimed to contribute to the occupational diseases surveillance by examining the data of hospitals authorized to issue reports throughout Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using medical diagnoses of occupational diseases reported to the General Directorate of Public Health from 81 provinces in Turkey between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. The study evaluated hospitals that made medical diagnoses of occupational diseases and compared age groups, genders, occupational disease diagnosis groups and provinces of work regarding legal and medical diagnoses. RESULTS: The top three disease groups in terms of medical diagnosis are musculoskeletal disorders with 38.8%, respiratory diseases with 14.4% and hearing defects with 10.9%. Regarding legal diagnoses, respiratory system diseases ranked first with 26.4%, followed by musculoskeletal disorders with 8.2% and hearing defects with 5.5%. While the provinces where most cases of medical occupational diseases are diagnosed share similarities, the majority of affected individuals in Karabük and Batman have not received a legal recognition of the occupational disease. Two-thirds of Turkey's medical occupational disease diagnoses were made in two hospitals. CONCLUSION: This study is reflecting national data in Turkey and is the country's first nationwide study. The number of occupational diseases in Turkey is lower than expected. It would be more accurate to express the data in a way that includes medical diagnoses instead of using the number of compensated files corresponding to legal diagnoses.

The effect of home exercises with kinesiotaping on pain, functionality, and work performance in bus drivers with non-specific neck pain.

BACKGROUND: Clinical research on the management and rehabilitation of work-related upper spinal pain in bus drivers is sparse, indicating a gap in knowledge and treatment strategies. This highlights the growing need for innovative approaches to rehabilitation programs in this area. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of kinesio taping (KT) on pain, functionality, and work performance in bus drivers experiencing neck pain. METHODS: The study involved 44 participants who were randomised into two different groups: the exercise group (n= 22) and the kinesio tape group (n= 22), with participants in both groups undertaking exercise interventions. Evaluations were made before and after 6 weeks of treatment. At the end of the 6-week, the participants' ROM, pain evaluations and functional scales were evaluated with disability, and work functionality. RESULTS: Neck pain severity decreased in both groups (p< 0.001 for each value), but there was no difference between the groups (p: 0.071). When disability scores were evaluated, improvement was noted in both groups (p: 0.001 for each value), but no statistically significant difference was found (p: 0.754). When the improvements in ROM values before and after the treatment were examined, the difference between the groups was recorded only in the neck extension ROM value (p: 0.011). Significant improvement was noted in all sub-steps of job performance in both groups (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: KT added to ergonomic training and home exercise programmes is effective in controlling work-related musculoskeletal pain in drivers with neck pain. However, the addition of KT to exercise therapy was found to be no more effective than exercise therapy alone in improving pain control, functionality and work performance.

The burden of working time lost to compensable occupational injury and disease in Australia, 2012-17: a retrospective population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the national burden of working time lost to occupational injury and disease in Australia compensable by workers' compensation schemes; to characterise the distribution of time lost by age, sex, and injury and disease type. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective population-based study; analysis of National Dataset for Compensation-based Statistics (NDS) data. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Granted workers' compensation claims by people aged 15-100 years including payment of wage replacement benefits for time off work lodged in Australia, 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Working years lost (WYL) per annum (total number of years of wage replacement benefits paid to injured and ill workers), overall and by sex, age, and injury and disease type; WYL per 10 000 fulltime equivalent (FTE) years worked. RESULTS: A total of 755 330 eligible claims with complete data for analysis variables by people aged 15-100 years were identified, for compensable injuries and disease that led to 41 194 (95% confidence interval [CI], 41 020-41 368) WYL/year. The annual WYL number and rate were each higher for men (25 367 [95% CI, 25 230-25 503] WYL/year; 42.6 [95% CI, 42.1-43.1] WYL/10 000 FTE years) than for women (15 827 [95% CI, 15 720-15 935] WYL/year; 38.8 [95% CI, 38.2-39.4] WYL/10 000 FTE years). Workers aged 45-100 years made 66 742 claims per year (44.1% of all claims) but incurred 21 763 WYL/year (52.8% of all WYL). Traumatic joint and muscle injuries led to 16 494 WYL/year (40.0% of all WYL), musculoskeletal disorders to 8547 WYL/year (20.7%), mental health conditions to 5361 WYL/year (13.0%), fractures to 4276 WYL/year (10.4%), and wounds and lacerations to 3449 WYL/year (8.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational injury and disease covered by workers' compensation result in lost working time in Australia equivalent to more than 41 000 fulltime jobs. Distribution of the burden reflects the greater labour force participation of men, slower recovery of older workers, and the impact of common occupational injuries and diseases. Population-based monitoring of lost working time could support effective occupational health surveillance and allocation of resources for protecting the health of Australian workers.

Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in professional dancers, including lapse period of group practice due to the COVID-19 outbreak: repeated-measures analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal pain among professional dancers who experienced a lapse in group practice due to coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: General characteristics, practice time, region of musculoskeletal pain due to injury using the visual numeric scale (VNS), and causative motion were surveyed among professional dancers. Pain of VNS 0 to 3 was categorized as "no or minor," 4 to 6 was categorized as "moderate," and 7 to 10 was categorized as "severe." The causal motions of musculoskeletal pain were analyzed according to body region. Factors other than motion associated with pain were also analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 368 participants were included. In the univariate analysis, age and practice time were positively associated with "moderate" pain. Practice time, dance experience, and postural accuracy were positively associated with "severe" pain, as was performing Korean traditional dance. In the multivariable analysis, practice time, group practice, and age were positively associated with pain of VNS 4 to 10, and practice time, group practice, and Korean traditional dance were positively associated with pain of VNS 7 to 10. CONCLUSION: Among the factors related to dancer training, practice time, group practice, and dance type affect the occurrence of pain.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in dockworkers. Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dockworkers are exposed to physical overloads that can contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders, leading to functional disability and absenteeism. OBJECTIVE: to map, critically appraise, and synthesize the available evidence on the prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases associated with port occupational activities. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in structured and unstructured databases in August 2023, with no date or language restriction, to identify observational studies evaluating the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in dockworkers' occupational activity. The risk of bias was assessed using validated tools based on the included study designs. Data from studies were pooled in meta-analyses. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: We identified 12 analytical cross-sectional studies involving 7821 participants in ports of five countries. Most studies (75%) had a moderate methodological quality according to the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Considering the overall worker categories and any musculoskeletal disorders, the meta-analysis showed a prevalence of 58% (95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] 37% to 78%), with degenerative spinal diseases 42% (95% CI -0.6% to 91%) and low back pain 36% (95% CI 21% to 50%) being the most prevalent conditions. Symptoms were predominantly in foremen and stevedores. The certainty of the evidence was very low. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal disorders seem prevalent among dockworkers, mainly degenerative spinal diseases and low back pain. Studies with greater methodological consistency are still needed to validate these hypotheses and assist in decision-making for implementing preventive and informational policies in maritime port management organizations. PROSPERO registry CRD42021257677.

Enfermedad pulmonar intersticial difusa de posible origen laboral atendida en el Servicio Navarro de Salud. Navarra, España, 2017-2022 / Diffuse interstitial lung disease of possible occupational origin treated at the Navarra Health Service. Navarra, Spain, 2017-2022

Introducción: La enfermedad pulmonar intersticial difusa (EPID) describe un amplio grupo de trastornos con inflamación y fibrosis pulmonar. La asbestosis y la silicosis son las princi-pales causas por exposición laboral. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estimar la proporción de casos de posible origen laboral y describir la exposición, situación clínica y laboral. Método: Estudio longitudinal retrospectivo de los casos de EPID, en el período 2017-2022 en el Hospital Universitario de Navarra. Se completó la información con entrevista a los casos de posible origen laboral. Se calculó la proporción de casos de origen laboral y se analizaron las características laborales y clínicas, con comparación estadística de porcen-tajes y medias. Resultados: De un total de 1067 casos de EPID, 56 tuvieron un posible origen laboral, 5,2% (3,9-6,6 IC 95%) 36 (64,3%) correspondieron a asbestosis, 15 (26,8%) a silicosis y 5 (8,9%) a neumoconiosis no especificada. Las actividades más frecuentes en silicosis fueron “cor-te-tallado de piedra” y para asbestosis ”fabricación productos hierro”. La media de edad de los casos de asbestosis fue superior a los de silicosis (78,2 vs. 67,3 años), así como su afec-tación clínica. Cinco casos (8,9%) habían sido reconocidos como enfermedad profesional Conclusiones: La implementación de una herramienta informática en historia clínica ha he-cho posible estimar la magnitud y valorar la evolución de las EPID laborales atendidas en el servicio nacional de salud. Las actividades económicas reflejan la estructura económica de riesgo de la región. Sin embargo, existe una falta de su reconocimiento como enfermedad profesional y suponen una carga de enfermedad respiratoria evitable.(AU)

Introduction: Diffuse interstitial lung disease (ILD) describes a broad group of pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis disorders. Asbestosis and silicosis are the main causes linked to occupational exposure. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of cases with possible occupational origin and describe their exposure, clinical, and occupational status.Method: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study of ILD cases between 2017 - 2022 at the University Hospital of Navarra was conducted. Information was supplemented with interviews of cases with possible occupational origin. The occupational proportion was cal-culated, labor and clinical characteristics analyzed, by statistical comparison of percenta-ges and means.Results: Out of 1067 ILD cases, 56 had a possible occupational origin 5,2% (95% CI 3,9-6,6%). 36 (64,3%) corresponded to asbestosis, 15 (26,8%) to silicosis, and 5 (8,9%) to unspe-cified pneumoconiosis. The most frequent activities in silicosis were "stone cutting-carving" and in asbestosis "manufacture of iron products". The average age of asbestosis cases was higher than that of silicosis cases (78,2 vs. 67,3 years), as well as their clinical manifesta-tion. Five cases (8,9%) had been recognized as occupational diseases.Conclusions: The implementation of a computer tool in medical records has made it pos-sible to estimate the magnitude and assess the evolution of occupational ILD treated in the Public Health Service. Economic activities reflect the economic risk structure of the region. However, there is a lack of recognition of these diseases as occupational illnesses and they represent a preventable burden of respiratory diseas:(AU)

[Asbestos: detection and characterization in tissue]. / Asbest: Nachweis und Charakterisierung im Gewebe.

BACKGROUND: When asbestos fibers are inhaled, asbestos bodies can form in the lungs with the involvement of macrophages. It can take decades from the last exposure to the onset of an asbestos-related disease. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review is to present methods to detect asbestos bodies in lung tissue, the development of diagnostic criteria and to discuss pros and cons of different methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observations and evaluations from the German Mesothelioma Register, along with relevant literature review and expert recommendations in guidelines are presented. RESULTS: Assessing asbestos-related diseases requires recognition of the person's occupational history, the asbestos fiber burden in the lungs, and determining fiber types. Various methods have been developed and validated, including light microscopy techniques such as bright-field microscopy, phase-contrast microscopy, polarization microscopy, and differential interference microscopy, as well as electron microscopy techniques like field-emission-scanning electron microscopy (e.g., FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). CONCLUSION: The use of asbestos has been heavily restricted worldwide, even completely banned in Europe. Thus, patients' exposure to asbestos is decreasing. However, asbestos exposure during renovations, demolitions, or through unconscious handling of asbestos-containing materials remains a concern.

[Research progress of macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis].

Silicosis is a common occupational disease, and its main characteristic pathological features are the formation of silicon nodules and diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. In the process of silicosis fibrosis, macrophages can be polarized into M1 macrophages and M2 macrophages. M1 macrophages play a pro-inflammatory role in the early stage of silicosis and release a variety of inflammatory factors, which is the core of inflammatory response. M2 macrophages promote inflammation resolution and tissue repair in silicosis fibrosis stage by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines and pro-fibrotic mediators. M1/M2 polarization balance plays an important role in the occurrence and development of silicosis, and the regulation of macrophage polarization direction may play a positive role in the prevention and treatment of silicosis fibrosis. In this review, the role of macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis, the related signaling pathways regulating macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis, and the potential therapeutic targets based on macrophage polarization in silicosis fibrosis are reviewed, with a view to further strengthening the understanding of the mechanism of macrophage polarization in the pathogenesis and treatment of silicosis fibrosis.

[Establishment of the quality management system for occupational diseases diagnosis].

The quality management system of occupational diseases diagnosis is belonged to one part of the hospital quality management system. It must be adhered to the quality management concept of comprehensive, full staff and whole process. To establish and improve the quality management system should be included: (1) Formulated a quality management manual for occupational disease diagnosis, including organization construction, rules and regulations, responsibilities, work flow, operating procedures and clinical pathways, standard instrument, etc. (2) Managed the document of occupational diseases diagnosis. (3) The continuous improvement of quality management. The quality management of occupational diseases diagnosis focuses on the mastery and implementation of the manual by employees, which is reflected in the continuous improvement of daily work, internal assessment and external assessment.

[Revelation of the list of occupational diseases and diagnostic criteria for occupational diseases].

The list of occupational diseases reflecting the latest advances in the identification and recognition of occupational diseases, and providing guidance on the protection of workers' health rights and interests and the prevention, recording, notification and compensation of related occupational diseases. Diagnostic criteria for occupational diseases are an important basis for making diagnoses attributable to occupational diseases, and provide a theoretical basis for health monitoring of occupational groups and occupational hygiene supervision. This thesis starts with the definition of the occupational disease elaborates in detail the development history of list of occupational diseases in International Labour Organization (ILO) , compares the list of occupational diseases in China (2013 version) with the list of occupational diseases in international (2010 version) , and then introduces in detail the latest diagnostic standards of the major occupational diseases. And finally, it puts forward relevant suggestions on the list and diagnostic level of China's occupational diseases, so as to provide certain insights for the further improvement of the list and diagnostic standards of occupational diseases.

[Analysis of clinical characteristics of 129 acute and chronic occupational brucellosis in HulunBuir City].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and clinical data of acute and chronic occupational brucellosis patients in order to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of occupational brucellosis. Methods: In October 2022, a study was conducted on 129 patients diagnosed with occupational brucellosis by HulunBuir Center for Disease Control and Prevention from January 2016 to December 2021. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, and laboratory test results of patients in the acute and chronic phases were compared and analyzed using chi-square test and student's t test. Results: The acute phase patients included 38 men and 4 women with an average age of (36.6±8.4) years old; the chronic phase patients included 73 men and 14 women with an average age of (38.4±7.9) years old. There were no significant differences in gender and age between the two groups (P>0.05). The patients had a clear history of occupational exposure, and the proportion of veterinarians in acute stage (21 cases, 50.0%) was significantly higher than that in chronic stage (25 cases, 28.7%), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The symptoms of fever and loss of appetite in acute phase of occupational brucellosis were significantly higher than those in chronic phase, and the symptoms of fatigue and joint muscle pain were significantly lower than those in chronic phase, with statistical significances (P<0.05). The increase of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and positive rate of blood culture in acute stage were significantly higher than those in chronic stage, with statistical significances (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Occupational brucellosis patients are predominantly middle-aged men, the acute phase is characterized by fever, loss of appetite, and increased inflammatory indicators and liver enzymes, while the chronic phase is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue and joint muscle pain. Brucellosis related occupational exposure population should seek medical treatment as soon as possible when the above symptoms occur, timely detection and treatment of occupational diseases.

Urologists have a duty to think about occupational urinary cancers.

More than 11% of employees are exposed to carcinogens in the usual course of their work. The benefits of recognition as an occupational disease (OD) allow victims of work firstly to benefit from a disability compensation. But there are collective challenges. It is important to understand that accidents at work and recognised OD are not financially covered by health insurance, which is financed by everyone, but by a specific branch, known as "professional risks/occupational risks", financed by employers alone. Being recognised as having an OD modifies the benefits: 100% coverage of all the costs inherent to the OD, including transport costs, increase of daily allowances, payment of a pension (or of a lump sum if the Permanent Incapacity rate is<10%). A survivor's pension may be paid to the beneficiaries in the event of the patient's death. OD "is presumed to be of occupational origin: any disease designated in a table of OD and contracted under the conditions set out in this table". Although the declaration of OD must be made by the victim (or his dependents) to the national health insurance fund, it can only exist on condition that a doctor has drawn up a descriptive Initial Medical Certificate (IMC), taking care to use the exact terms of the tables (15 ter and 16 bis) and the professional/occupational origin.

[Introduction to carcinogenesis of nickel compounds in ILO criteria for Diagnosis and Exposure Standard for Occupational Diseases].

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies nickel compounds as Class Ⅰ carcinogens. International Labour Organization (ILO) also lists nickel compounds as carcinogenic factors of occupational cancer. At present, China is revising the Classification and Catalogue of Occupational Diseases, and cancer caused by nickel compounds may also be included in the statutory occupational diseases. The Diagnostic and Exposure Standards for Occupational Diseases published by ILO in 2022 discussed the pathogenic characteristics, occupational exposure, main health effects, diagnostic criteria and key preventive measures of nickel compounds in detail. This article mainly introduces its contents, in order to provid a basis for the formulation of relevant standards in China.

Artificial intelligence in advancing occupational health and safety: an encapsulation of developments.

OBJECTIVES: In an era characterized by dynamic technological advancements, the well-being of the workforce remains a cornerstone of progress and sustainability. The evolving industrial landscape in the modern world has had a considerable influence on occupational health and safety (OHS). Ensuring the well-being of workers and creating safe working environments are not only ethical imperatives but also integral to maintaining operational efficiency and productivity. We aim to review the advancements that have taken place with a potential to reshape workplace safety with integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven new technologies to prevent occupational diseases and promote safety solutions. METHODS: The published literature was identified using scientific databases of Embase, PubMed, and Google scholar including a lower time bound of 1974 to capture chronological advances in occupational disease detection and technological solutions employed in industrial set-ups. RESULTS: AI-driven technologies are revolutionizing how organizations approach health and safety, offering predictive insights, real-time monitoring, and risk mitigation strategies that not only minimize accidents and hazards but also pave the way for a more proactive and responsive approach to safeguarding the workforce. CONCLUSION: As industries embrace the transformative potential of AI, a new frontier of possibilities emerges for enhancing workplace safety. This synergy between OHS and AI marks a pivotal moment in the quest for safer, healthier, and more sustainable workplaces.