Journal of Occupational Health
Online ISSN : 1348-9585
Print ISSN : 1341-9145
ISSN-L : 1341-9145
Volume 42, Issue 5
Displaying 1-9 of 9 articles from this issue
  • Kazuyukl OMAE, Toru TAKEBAYASHI, Shigeru TANAKA, Keiko SASAKI, Hiroyuk ...
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 235-238
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Acute and Recurrent Hepatitis Induced by 2, 2-Dichloro-1, 1, 1-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123): Kazuyuki OMAE, et al. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University-A 49-yr-old female cleaning worker first visited a hospital because of acute hepatitis. On admission, laboratory examination revealed severe hepatic damage (AST 2125 IU/L, ALT 2391 IU/L, LDH 1279 IU/L, t-Bil 8.5 mg/dl), but failed to disclose any evidence of viral infection or morphological lesions. She recovered day by day without any specific treatment for hepatitis and was discharged one month later. On the 11th day after restarting her job, she was readmitted due to similar symptoms and signs. Serum biochemistry data again showed severe liver damage (AST 1354, ALT 1604, LDH 1119 t-Bil 2.6). Histopathological diagnosis based on hepatic needle biopsy was chronic active hepatitis with diffuse infiltration of lymphocyte-dominant inflammatory cells, bridging necrosis, intercellular fibrosis in a limited region, and with ballooning, degeneration, and/or necrosis of the hepatic cells. A job-related cause was suspected and 2, 2-dichloro-1, 1, 1-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123), which has been proven to cause acute hepatitis in humans, was detected in a dry-cleaning solvent by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. A job simulation experiment suggested that the concentration of the patient''s exposure to HCFC-123 exceeded 1, 000 ppm during the busiest work period, which was sufficiently high to induce severe liver damage.
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  • Yasushi SUWAZONO, Yasushi OKUBO, Etsuko KOBAYASHI, Koji NOGAWA
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 239-244
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Effect of Truck Driving on Health of Japanese Middle Aged Male Workers of a Transport Company -Multiple Regression Analyses for Blood Pressure and HbA1C-: Yasushi SUWAZONO, et al. Department of Hygiene, School of Medicine, Chiba UniversityThe effect on health of truck driving was investigated in a transport company. The study subjects consisted entirely of Japanese healthy male workers aged 40 yr or more (n=429) and were classified into the three occupations: truck driver, clerical worker, forklift truck driver and laborer. The truck drivers transport goods for short distances and work only in the daytime. The results of an annual health examination were used for comparing variables among occupations. The variables were tested by one-way ANOVA. The percentages of abnormal findings were tested by chisquare test. Multiple regression analyses were performed with SBP, DBP or HbA1C as the dependent variables and age, occupation, smoking, drinking, BMI, γ-GTP, T-Cho or HbA1C as the independent variables. BMI of truck drivers and Hb of clerical workers were significantly higher than those of forklift truck drivers and laborers in ANOVA. The percentage of obesity (BMI>=26.4) was significantly different in the three occupations, with obesity being most frequent in clerical workers. Multiple regression analysis indicated that age, drinking, BMI and HbA1C were significantly associated with increased SBP. The analysis for DBP indicated that age, drinking and BMI were significantly associated with increased DBP, and smoking was associated with decreased DBP. The analysis for HbA1Cin dicated that age, BMI and T-Cho were significantly associated with increased HbA1C. Occupation was not significant in these analyses, suggesting that the health effect of driving alone was relatively small in this company.
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  • Yoshiharu FUKUDA, Makoto FUTATSUKA
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 245-250
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Mortality in a Cohort of Patients with Vibration Syndrome in Japan: Yoshiharu FUKUDA, et al. Health Promotion, Department of International Health Development, Division of Public Health, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University-To evaluate the mortality of patients certified to be suffering from vibration syndrome in the Kyushu region of Japan, the cohort consisting of 838 vibration syndrome patients who had worked at local forestry offices was followed up. A total of 15, 208 person-yrs of follow-up data from 1966 to 1996 was analyzed. The mortality of the population of Kumamoto Prefecture, a central part of Kyushu region, was used to estimate the expected number. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% Cls) for specific causes were calculated. 208 deaths were observed. The mortality from all causes was similar between in the cohort studied and in the general population. The remarkable differences were seen in leukemia (SMR 370, 95% Cl 227-1000) and suffocation (SMR 269, 95% Cl 140 to 518). The excess mortality from leukemia in the cohort studied is likely due to exposure to wood dust or gasoline during forestry work and Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type I infection. The increased mortality from suffocation is possibly attributable to suicide.
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  • Jung Wan KOO, Chee Kyung CHUNG, Chung Yill PARK, Se-Hoon LEE, Kang-Soo ...
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 251-257
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The Effect of Silica Dust on Ventilatory Function of Foundry Workers: Jung Wan Koo, et al. Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea-In order to study the exposure level of silica dust and the effects of silica dust on ventilatory function, respirable dust samples were collected with personal air samplers by means of NIOSH method 0500 in selected foundry operations, and ventilatory function tests were performed on 209 male foundry workers and 239 male control subjects. The average quartz concentrations of respirable dust were the highest in melting (0.079 mg/m3) and followed by molding (0.051 mg/m3), finishing (0.041 mg/m3) and coremaking (0.023 mg/m3) in descending order. No significant differences in mean values for all ventilatory indices expressed as a percentage of the predicted value were demonstrated between smokers and nonsmokers in foundry workers and control subjects. Mean values for all ventilatory indices except FVC in foundry workers were significantly lower than those in control subjects. Mean values for FEV1%, MMF, FEF25, FEF50 and FEF75 expressed as a percentage of the predicted value tended to decrease with increasing cumulative dust exposure. In foundry workers, proportions of workers with low MMF, FEF50 and FEF75 were noticeably higher than those for other indices, and were significantly increased with increasing cumulative dust exposure. With the above considerations in mind, it suggested that increasing exposure to silica dust be associated with progressive deterioration in ventilatory function of an obstructive nature and that MMF, FEF50 and FEF75 be sensitive indices in the detection of early obstructive changes in air flow of workers exposed to silica dust.
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  • Ivan MIKOV, Aleksandra MIKOV, Jasmina SIRISKI, Momir MIKOV, Vladan MIL ...
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 258-259
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Hyun-Cheol AHN, Kyu-Yoon HWANG, Sae-Yong HONG, Dong-Ho YANG, Byung-Koo ...
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 260-262
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Shigeki KODA, Shinji KUMAGAI, Hiroshi OHARA
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 263-269
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Health Effects of Acute Exposures to Methyl Bromide during Soil Fumigation Inside Greenhouses: Shigeki KODA, et al. Department of Public Health, Kochi Medical School-In order to estimate exposure to methyl bromide (CH3Br) during soil fumigation inside greenhouses and examine health effects in agricultural workers, an interview survey, environmental monitoring and occupational exposure to CH3Br were conducted. An interview survey of working conditions and subjective symptoms related to exposure to CH3Br during soil fumigation was conducted on 241 agricultural workers between 1996 and 1998, and 225 agricultural workers were analyzed. The environmental monitoring during soil fumigation and occupational exposure to CH3Br were conducted in cooperation with eight agricultural workers. Finally, the authors examined the exposure levels to CH3Br after improving soil fumigation techniques. Many agricultural workers used a large amount of CH3Br in soil fumigation within a short time period without personal protective equipment. The odds ratio for nausea was significantly increased by fumigation with mulch. The odds ratios for irritation of the eyes, feeling sick, cough and anxieties about health were significantly increased by wearing gas masks. The odds ratios for forgetfulness and ringing in the ears were significantly increased at ages over 50 yr. The concentrations of CH3Br in greenhouses were changed from 5, 000 ppm to 1, 100 ppm during soil fumigation, and occupational exposure was 57.2 ppm while opening the sheets of greenhouses and below ACGIH-TLV (1 ppm) in CH3Br ejection, piping and planting. The agricultural workers could avoid exposure to high concentrations of CH3Br by improving in soil fumigation techniques. Soil fumigation inside greenhouses has occupational safety and health issues related to the large amounts of CH3Br used within short fumigation periods, the lack of precautions for handling chemicals, improper use of protective equipment and lack of training in safety practices resulting in agricultural workers being at risk of acute exposure to CH3Br.
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  • Ji-Yong KIM, Domyung PAEK
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 270-275
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Safety and Health in Small-Scale Enterprises and Bankruptcy during Economic Depression in Korea: Ji-Yong KIM, et al. Dongkuk University, School of Medicine, Department of Preventive MedicineOn November 1997, Korea experienced a rather sudden economic depression after a shortage of foreign currency and downfall of foreign investment. This brought a sudden increase in the bankruptcy rate and also an increase in unemployment from the usual 2-3% to over 10%. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of the antecedent health and safety status on the subsequent bankruptcy during economic depression. We were able to obtain the previous occupational health and safety records of 4, 811 out of 5, 010 companies which had received a financial subsidy from the government for occupational safety and health services during 1997. Based on the data of the Workmen''s Insurance Corporation in Korea as of March 1999, we could identify the bankruptcy status of 3, 980 companies altogether. When the results of the annual special workers'' health examination, workplace environment measurement, and injury rate during 1996 were analyzed according to the survival status of the identified companies as of 1999, the bankrupt companies had significantly worse records in workplace environmental exposures and injury rates than the survived companies. Although the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss and heavy metal poisoning was higher in the bankrupt companies, the prevalence of pneumoconiosis was lower. The type of industry and the size were also analyzed and accounted for in the final analysis of the impact of safety and health status on the survival of the enterprises, and the results showed the same trends. These results suggest that companies run by better management with better health and safety records will experience less bankruptcy during economic downfall. When considering the long latency from the first exposure to the final manifestation, the higher prevalence of pneumoconiosis in the survived companies could be explained on the basis of the longer operation time and longer exposure duration.
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  • Jinliang ZHU, Zhaolin XIA, David C. CHRISTIANI, Gary S. SOROCK, Tingti ...
    2000 Volume 42 Issue 5 Pages 276-280
    Published: 2000
    Released on J-STAGE: April 07, 2006
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Fatal Occupational Events in a Development Area in East China: 1991 to 1997: Jinliang ZHU, et al. School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University-We analyzed 383 occupational fatal events in a new development area in east China during the period 1991-1997. Most of the events took place during the period 1994-1997, because many large projects related to infrastructure development were ratified and implemented during that period. Extra working shifts on weekends were one of the risk factors in occupational fatalities. Falls, collisions, objects struck against, excavation cave-ins and electrocution were most important types of injury and accounted for the majority of the multiple incident accident types. The most common equipment or environment involved was the work surface, structures being built, cranes, and electric and electronic devices. The most common setting was construction and most incidents occurred in construction. We suggest that the prevention and control of occupational fatalities requires a comprehensive approach which includes improvement of product design, modification of the man-made environment, safety training, enforcement of relevant regulations and ergonomic controls.
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