In Europe and America, many health care workers have concerns about the risks to their health of handling anticancer drugs. The findings of the risks were reported in the late 1970's, and guidelines for the safe handling of anticancer drugs were established in the 1980's. The conditions of wearing personal protective equipment and of the working environment have improved dramatically as a result of introduction of the guidelines. Furthermore, researches and studies into the health effects of occupational exposure to anticancer drugs have been pursued actively. In Japan, the society of hospital pharmacists established guidelines for the safe handling of anticancer drugs in 1991. Since then, mainly nurses have been concerned about the safe handling of anticancer drugs, but in the medical setting, the present situation surrounding the safe handling of anticancer drugs has hardly changed. In the industrial hygiene field, the safe handling and the occupational exposure to anticancer drugs have been seldom reported and researched. The actual potential hazards to occupational exposure of anticancer drugs have not yet been determined. Nevertheless, the reduction of occupational exposure to anticancer drugs in health care workers has been an important challenge for the industrial hygiene field. In Japan, we need to promote action to spread the use of the appropriate personal protective equipment and the appropriate working environment. We also have to rethink the safe handling of anticancer drugs. We hope that the Japanese government will establish an effective authorized guideline as has been done in Europe and America.

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A Consciousness survey regarding genetic diagnosis of GSTM1 and ALDH2 was performed to evaluate the potential use of such a diagnosis in supporting those wanting to stop smoking and decrease alcohol intake. A questionnaire was given to 1,654 employees (male: 1,225, female: 429) who worked at an LSI manufacturing factory, and 1,434/1,654 (86.7%) responded to the survey. The number of respondents who replied that they "wanted to know the results of the genetic diagnosis of GSTM1 and ALDH2" were 731/1,401 (52.2%) and 812/1,434 (56.6%), respectively while the numbers of respondents who replied that they "did not want to know the results" were 138/1,401 (9.9%) and 103/1,434 (7.2%), respectively. The main reasons given for wanting to know the results of the genetic diagnosis of their enzymes reflected the respondents' awareness of their genetic susceptibility. These reasons included a desire to know the effects of tobacco smoke, to prevent diseases in the future, to know the effects of passive smoking or to know their tolerance for alcohol. On the other hand, the main reason for not wanting to know the genetic results that the respondents had no intention of stopping smoking and heavy drinking, or that they would be unable to stop even if they knew the results of the genetic diagnosis. Multiple regression analysis showed that the number of respondents who "wanted to know the results of the genetic diagnosis" was significantly higher among those respondents who are current smokers (male: OR = 1.66 95%CI 1.29-2.14, female: OR = 2.33 95%CI 1.37-3.98), those who understood the relationship between smoking and lung cancer (male: OR = 1.81 95%CI 1.25-2.63, female: OR = 2.77 95%CI 1.42-5.40) and those who with a high CAGE test score (male: OR = 1.96 95%CI 1.42-2.68, female: OR = 2.52 95%CI 1.07-5.94). The results of this survey suggest that genetic diagnosis of GSTM1 and ALDH2 polymorphism may be useful in supporting those who want to stop smoking and decrease their alcohol intake.

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To investigate the effect of work and organizational characteristics on workers' health status, with job dissatisfaction and intentions to leave as "organizational health", we conducted a longitudinal study using a questionnaire survey in call centers of an information service company from July to August in 2001 and 2002. The response rates were 96.2% and 92.0%, respectively. For the statistical analysis, the completed data of 296 technical support staff, which was more than 80% of the data, was used. We identified seven subscales composed of 29 items of work and organizational characteristics as scales of "organizational characteristics" and "work and workplace characteristics". The results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed quantitative and qualitative job-overload influenced psychological health status and poor supervisor support influenced all outcome variables. Moreover, "organizational characteristics" influenced cumulative fatigue and job dissatisfaction, showing an indirect effect with poor supervisor support and coworker support. This study suggests that measures of work and organizational characteristics are useful interventions for "organizational health".

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A study on noise and hearing loss was conducted in 36 small-scale factories where press machinery is actively used.Noise levels in working environments were measured in 34 factories. Of those measured, two (6%), eight (24%) and 24 (71%) factories were classified into control classes I, II and III, respectively, according to guidelines established for the prevention of noise-related disorders. Furthermore, personal exposure levels to noise were measured for 23 workers. Twenty-one (91%) of those workers measured were exposed to 85 dB(A) or higher, (the occupational exposure limit for an 8-hour exposure period). Maximum exposure levels were found to be at 102 dB (A). Hearing tests were then conducted on 97 male workers at those 36 factory sites. Twenty (21%), 30 (31%) and 10 (10%) of the workers measured were classified into a "precursory symptom group", a "slight hearing loss group" and a "medium to serious hearing loss group", respectively, based on the aforementioned guidelines. It was found that as workers' ages increased, the percentage of workers having some degree of hearing loss increased. Specifically, it was found that there was some level of hearing loss for 93% of those studied aged in their 50's, and up to 100% in those aged in their 60's.

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