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Biomedical subjects

M R Gigante

Publications and source records attributed to M R Gigante.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Minor and major work accidents in a Puglia business in the food sector: a 10-year study].

At present no official data are available for those occupational accidents which, according to current law, are not subject to notification to the Italian National Institute for Insurance of Occupational Accidents (INAIL) and which are conventionally called "minor" accidents. They can be divided into accidents with prognosis from 1 to 3 days (franchises) and accidents which do not cause absence from work (medications). The already mentioned lack of data, which is not confined to Italy, is reflected in the small number of articles published in Italian and international journals. Also information regarding the possible relationships between "minor" accidents and the life habits of injured workers, are rare. The aim of this study was to provide detailed data on the characteristics of the different kinds of occupational accidents occurring in a food factory in Apulia, southern Italy, from 1985 to 1994, as well as to verify whether any relationship existed between the different types of occupational accidents and the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol by injured workers. The company's accident register yielded data on injuries which caused absence from work; the nursing service register provided information about accidents which did not determine absence from work; personal health documents gave details of worker life habits; and the company pay roll showed the amount of "worked hours". "Minor" accidents represented 70% of all accidents occurring during the ten year period studied. "Blue collars" had more frequent and serious occupational injuries, in comparison with "technical employees". "Minor" accidents, and especially "medications", occurred more frequently during one-shift work than during three-shift work. As work seniority increased, the number of "major" accidents decreased and number of accidents without absence from work rose. Contusions were the most frequent lesions and were responsible for the majority of the 3 kinds of accidents. "Medications"" together with injuries notified to INAIL ("major" accidents), mostly involved upper limbs; "franchises" were mostly head interested. About 50% of all causes of occupational accidents were mainly associated with unsafe environmental and working situations, whereas the remaining 50% were mainly associated with unsafe behaviour by workers. Heavy smokers showed a higher frequency of "major" accidents. As alcohol consumption rose, she did number of accidents with absence from work. "Minor" accidents, particularly the "medicated" ones, represented the greatest part of occupational injuries. All the considered causes and circumstances contributed to determine the different kinds of accidents. Thereby, it appears necessary for prevention purposes to obtain information about any kind of injury in the different manufacturing sectors. Finally, it seems dutiful to inform workers about the relationships between life habits and occupational accidents.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Criteria and modalities of assessment of work fitness for jobs in food industry].

Current legislation establishes the general methods and standards of judgement concerning fitness of workers to perform particular jobs. The object of this study was to verify particular criteria and methods that, in observance of the law, allow the physician to maintain in productive activity workers with chronic disease or permanent consequences of industrial accidents in Apulia, Southern Italy. In accordance with the law, 156 workers and their work environment are regularly under surveillance. In the last few years it was possible to accurately diagnose all diseases that may be involved in particular work fitness checks. 3 workers suffered the permanent consequences of very serious labour accidents amputation of II, III, IV fingers of the right hand; a slight post-traumatic shortening (shrinkage) of the right femur; tympanic membrane perforation). 7 workers suffered from non-work related disease (substitution of aortic valve, allergic asthma, virus B chronic hepatitis, chronic glomerulonephritis, replacement of right knee, rheumatoid arthritis, thrombosis of the retinal central vein without a vision reduction). The criteria for an "fitness judgement" are: an accurate diagnosis and evaluation of residual functional ability, analysis of the original job, with an investigation in the field, and break down into the single operations in order to assess all work-related risks (concerning health, safety and physical resources), and evaluation of work organization per job. It was thus possible to define particular adjustments to the original job, so as to be compatible with the current physical conditions the workers. Workers, factory directors and union officers accepted these particular criteria and standard of "work fitness judgement, which made it possible to apply them in practice with consequent reinstatement of workers in productive activity.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Could VDT use induce thoracic hyperkyphosis? Preliminary data].

The association between sitting posture and degenerative alterations of intervertebral disks has been widely studied, while the possible relationship between sitting posture and thoracic hyperkyphosis has not been investigated sufficiently. The objective of this study, therefore, is to verify the possible association between video display terminal (VDT) use, which needs a sitting prolonged posture, and thoracic hyperkyphosis. 63 VDT workers and 71 telephone line maintenance workers (control group) have been examined. The two groups were different for the postural load required by the two jobs. A questionnaire about job and clinical history has been administered to workers included in the study. A complete orthopedical examination has been performed for all workers, while radiographic exams have been performed only in the cases requiring of further diagnostic investigations. The two groups have resulted homogenous for age, while were different for working age and body mass index (BMI). The frequency of subjects with rachialgia has resulted higher in VDT users than in maintenance workers. The prevalence of thoracic hyperkyphosis observed in VDT users has been higher than in maintenance workers, with a difference near to be statistically significant, and significantly associated with age in VDT users. The hyperkyphosis of the dorsolumbar tract have resulted significantly more frequent in VDT users than in maintenance workers (p<0.05). Preliminary results of this study suggest that fixed and prolonged sitting working posture would be able to determine thoracic hyperkyphosis, although constitutional factors and age could have a role in its determination. Preventive measures should be proposed for an adequate ergonomic training of VDT users.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Work-related musculoskeletal diseases: experience of INAIL of the Apulia region 1998-2001].

The insurance recognition of Work related Muscolo Skeletal Disorders (WMSDs) has been introduced in Italy by the sentences of Constitutional Court n. 179/1988 and 208/1988. Afterwards the National Insurance Institute against work injuries (INAIL) tried to make homogeneous, in the different INAIL regional Departments, the diagnostic protocol of the work related illness associated with repetitive manual activities. Since 1998, indeed, a clinical diagnostic protocol has been used in the different departments. This report describes the Work related Muscolo Skeletal Disorders submitted to the Apulian INAIL Regional Direction in the period 1998-2001. Among 84 cases of disease reported to the Regional Direction, 21 were recognised as professional illness, the most part of which in workers employed in services sector and mining activities. The most represented disease was carpal tunnel syndrome and it was more recurrent in men than in women, in which the first symptoms were earlier than in men. The most represented risk factor, both in reported and in recognised cases, was the presence of repetitive working movements of the upper extremities, or the combination of the previous one with other risk factors such as high frequency of working activities, postural risk, strength demand, vibrations, climatic conditions. The development of specific diagnostic criteria, the detailed job analysis and the use of specific questionnaires seem to be the main elements for the WMSDs diagnosis and for the recognition of their professional etiology.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the role of occupational and environmental exposure to inorganic arsenic in the urinary excretion of the metal: preliminary data].

INTRODUCTION: Urinary inorganic arsenic is an expression of occupational exposure to the metal, provided that there is no history of ingestion of foods containing high concentrations of inorganic and/or organic arsenic. The present study was conducted to assess the contribution of professional and environmental exposure to inorganic arsenic on urinary excretion of the metal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 195 workers at a steelfoundry in Taranto, exposed to very low concentrations of inorganic arsenic and two control groups consisting of 105 subjects resident near the factory and 144 subjects resident approximately 20 Km away. All participants were administered a questionnaire enquiring about general characteristics, lifestyle, occupational and extra occupational exposure to arsenic. Urinary arsenic was determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Exposed and non exposed subjects were similar as regards general characteristics and lifestyle. The environmental concentration of arsenic for the foundryworkers was invariably lower than 0.1 microg/m3. Urinary excretion of arsenic was higher in the subjects in all three groups, examined singly and together, if they had eaten crustaceans and/or shellfish in the three days before urine collection. There was a significant positive correlation with the consumption of shellfish and a significant negative correlation with the number of days since the last crustacean/shellfish meal. Multiple regression analysis showed a dependence of urinary elimination of arsenic on the days since the last crustacean/shellfish meal. DISCUSSION: The absence of occupational exposure to arsenic allowed us to attribute the higher urinary elimination of arsenic to ingestion of crustaceans and/or shellfish in the three days before collection of the urine, both in subjects exposed to inorganic arsenic and in the two groups belonging to the general population. Our results support the hypothesis that inorganic arsenic, determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, may derive from the catabolism of organic arsenic compounds contained in crustaceans and/or shellfish included in the diet.

Arsenic↗