[Fitness to work and diagnosis of work-related disease in truck drivers]. / L'espressione dell'idoneità lavorativa e la diagnosi di patologie lavoro-correlate in autisti di mezzi pesanti.

From 2008 to 2011, according to an experimental protocol, 490 truck drivers (mean age 42.5, seniority 26.1 years) were subjected to visits and health check-up. The prevalence of work-related diseases was 4.7%: 15 cases of hearing loss and 8 of lumbosacral disease. In the 9.2% it was necessary to give some restrictions to the truck drivers' fitness to work (because of musculoskeletal disease, heart disease, diabetes etc), 0.8% was judged permanently unfit. We have found also 1% with positive drug test. Health check-up has allowed the diagnosis of many unknown or not controlled disease, first of all metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, which could have been a role in increasing accident or in reducing future workers' fitness to work. In the implementation of health surveillance programs, the occupational physicians must not forget that to ensure adequate safety standards is necessary to evaluate not only drugs assumption, but also the psychological and physical integrity of truck drivers, planning appropriate tests and medical examinations.