The JCQ and ERI from the annual survey of the GAZEL cohort established in 1989 initially with 20 624 respondents were used to investigate the associations of workplace stress on mental and physical fatigue in two separate years (1998 and 2006). First, the JCQ measures from separate years (1997 and 1999) were combined to create a measure for the same year as ERI (1998). The new measure was validated for internal and external consistency. Using logistic regression, the subcomponents of stress (upper tertiles of psychological demands, physical demands, decision latitude, social support, effort, reward, ERI and overcommitment) were tested for associations with the highest reporting of mental and physical fatigue.

By combining JCQ responses from 1997 to 1999, we were able to increase the amount of information available on psychosocial factors in 1998. Psychometric properties of the workplace stress scales also showed expected factor loadings. Workplace psychosocial factors had greater associations with fatigue among men than women. Although psychosocial factors became less predictive of fatigue at 8 years of follow-up, associations between fatigue and psychosocial components (overcommitment, social support and rewards) remained significant.

These analyses continue to validate the various subcomponents scales of workplace stress as measured by the JCQ and effort–reward imbalance model in GAZEL. They also highlight the importance of psychosocial work factors in the experience of overall fatigue even after an 8-year follow-up.

Workers were included after 30 days of employment in a production job during qualifying years, and vital status ascertained through 2003 (2001 for SC). Poisson regression was used to estimate the exposure-response relationship between asbestos and lung cancer, using both exponential and linear relative rate models adjusted for age, sex, race, birth cohort and decade of follow-up.

The cohort included 6136 workers, contributing 218 631 person-years of observation and 3356 deaths. Cumulative exposures at the four study facilities varied considerably. The pooled relative rate for lung cancer, comparing 100 f-yr/ml to 0 f-yr/ml, was 1.11 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.16) for the combined cohort, with different effects in the NC cohort (RR=1.10, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.16) and the SC cohort (RR=1.67, 95% CI 1.44 to 1.93).

Increased rates of lung cancer were significantly associated with cumulative fibre exposure overall and in both the Carolina asbestos-textile cohorts. Previously reported differences in exposure-response between the cohorts do not appear to be related to inclusion criteria or analytical methods.

Data were collected from the French national network of occupational health surveillance and prevention (Réseau National de Vigilance et de Prévention des Pathologies Professionnelles (RNV3P)). Several statistical models (non-parametric test, zero-inflated negative binomial, logistic regression and time-series models) were used and compared with assess trends.

Over the study period, 2914 WRA cases were included in the network. A significant decrease was observed overall and for some agents such as isocyanates (p=0.007), aldehydes (p=0.01) and latex (p=0.01). Conversely, a significant increase was observed for cases related to exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds (p=0.003). The health and social sector demonstrated both a growing number of cases related to the use of quaternary ammonium compounds and a decrease of cases related to aldehyde and latex exposure.

WRA declined in France over the study period. The only significant increase concerned WRA related to exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds. Zero-inflated negative binomial and logistic regression models appear to describe adequately these data.

A cross-sectional survey of health effects related to an oil spill was conducted in South Korea from 2008 to 2009. For this analysis, a total of 2882 full-time farmers were selected from the overall sample. Data collection included an interviewer-administered questionnaire and spirometry testing. Logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between paraquat exposure and respiratory health outcomes after adjustment for potential confounders.

The risks of self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and allergic rhinitis were non-significantly increased among paraquat-applying farmers compared with non-paraquat-applying farmers. Although the results of a pulmonary function test fell within normal limits, a decline in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second was apparent among paraquat-applying farmers compared with non-paraquat-applying farmers. Forced vital capacity (β=–5.20, p<0.001) and forced expiratory volume in one second (β=–1.89, p=0.010) significantly decreased with each unit increase in years of paraquat application. Paraquat-applying farmers showed a significant exposure–response relationship between restrictive ventilatory defects and paraquat application years (p trend=0.015) or lifetime days of application (p trend=0.007).

Our findings suggest a possible association between paraquat application and adverse respiratory health effects among farmers.

Cumulative exposure to different uranium compounds, classified by their isotopic composition and solubility type, was quantified on the basis of a plant-specific job-exposure matrix and individual job histories. HRs and associated 95% CI for CSD (n=111) and specific CSD categories were estimated using Cox regression models, stratified on sex and birth cohort and adjusted for potential confounders. The effect of smoking was analysed among 260 smokers (42 CSD deaths).

Compared to unexposed workers, CSD mortality was increased among workers exposed to slowly soluble reprocessed uranium (RPU) (HR=2.13, 95% CI=0.96 to 4.70) and natural uranium (HR=1.73, 95% CI=1.11 to 2.69). The risk increased with cumulative exposure and exposure duration. In the subgroup of smokers, the risk estimates were higher but with larger CIs: HR=1.91 (95% CI=0.92 to 3.98) for natural uranium and HR=4.78 (95% CI=1.38 to 16.50) for RPU.

The authors observed that exposure to slowly soluble uranium, namely RPU, may increase the risk of CSD mortality. However, these results are preliminary since the study is lacking statistical power and many other biological and lifestyle-related factors may cause CSD. More detailed investigations are necessary to confirm these findings and analyse in depth the effects of internal radiation exposure on the circulatory system.

The case-crossover design was used to collect within-subject transient work task and personal-level exposure information. RRs of laceration injuries were estimated by comparing exposures during the ‘hazard’ period (just before the laceration injury) with exposures in the ‘control’ period (the previous workweek). Stratified analyses were utilised to estimate the effects of gender, ethnicity, training and the number of adjacent coworkers on each transient risk factor.

The authors interviewed 295 meatpacking workers with laceration injuries (mean age 36.6 years, SD 11.2, 75% men, 48% Hispanic). Recent tool sharpening (RR 5.3, 95% CI 3.8 to 7.4) and equipment malfunction (RR 5.3, 95% CI 3.9 to 7.3) were associated with the highest RR for laceration injury, followed by using an unusual work method to accomplish a task (RR 4.1, 95% CI 2.6 to 6.4) and performing an unusual task (RR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 3.0). Rushing and being distracted were not significantly associated with an elevated RR of a laceration injury. In stratified analyses, there were a number of significant differences in laceration risk factors by gender, ethnicity, training, and number of workers on the line.

Sharpening tools, equipment malfunction, using an unusual work method to accomplish a task and performing an unusual task were all associated with increased risk of lacerations. Expanded training in atypical work circumstances and evaluation of tool sharpening procedures are intervention areas in meatpacking that need examination.

Cardiovascular disease mortality in a cohort of 98 912 asbestos workers, with median follow-up of 19 years, was analysed. Unadjusted and smoking-adjusted standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated. The association between indicators of asbestos exposure and mortality was analysed with Poisson regression models, for deaths occurring during the period 1971–2005.

Altogether 15 557 deaths from all causes, 1053 deaths from cerebrovascular disease and 4185 deaths from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) occurred during follow-up. There was statistically significant excess mortality from cerebrovascular disease (SMR: men 1.63, women 2.04) and IHD (SMR: men 1.39, women 1.89). Job and birth cohort were associated with the risk of cerebrovascular and IHD mortality in the Poisson regression model including sex, age, smoking status, job, cohort and duration of exposure. For IHD only, duration of exposure was also statistically significant in this model.

Cerebrovascular and IHD mortality was significantly higher among these asbestos workers than in the general population and within the cohort mortality was associated with indicators of asbestos exposure. These findings provide some evidence that occupational exposure to asbestos was associated with cardiovascular disease mortality in this group of workers.

The authors used longitudinal data from 853 elderly men participating in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, followed during 1996–2008. Long-term average exposures to traffic particles were created from daily predictions of black carbon (BC) exposure at the geocoded address of each subject, using a validated spatiotemporal model based on ambient monitoring at 82 Boston-area locations. The authors examined the association of these exposures with BP using a mixed model. The authors included the following covariates: age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, fasting glucose, creatinine clearance, use of cardiovascular medication, education, census-level poverty, day of week and season of clinical visit.

The authors found significant positive associations between 1-year average BC exposure and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. An IQR increase in 1-year average BC exposure (0.32 μg/m³) was associated with a 2.64 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure (95% CI 1.47 to 3.80) and a 2.41 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure (95% CI 1.77 to 3.05).

Long-term exposure to traffic particles is associated with increased BP, which may explain part of the association with myocardial infarctions and cardiovascular deaths reported in cohort studies.

Between March 2007 and December 2008, 363 ECG recordings including >2000 1 h intervals were measured in 64 individuals with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance and in 46 healthy individuals with a potential genetic predisposition on the detoxification pathways from Augsburg, Germany. Associations between 1 h averages of ozone and HR, Bazett-corrected QT-interval (QTc), T-wave amplitude and T-wave complexity were analysed using additive mixed models. A variable indicating season and participants' location during the 1 h ECG recordings (summer and outdoors vs winter or indoors) was used as a potential ozone effect modifier.

We observed concurrent and 1–4 h lagged increases in HR of 0.5–0.7% for each 20 μg/m³ increase in ozone. These effects were stronger (1.0–1.2%) when participants were outdoors during the summer. We detected in all participants a concurrent (–1.31%; 95% CI –2.19% to –0.42%) and 1 h lagged (–1.32%; –2.19% to –0.45%) T-wave flattening. Elevated ozone levels were associated with 1 h (2.12%; 0.81 to 3.52) and 2 h lagged (1.89%; 0.55% to 3.26%) increases in T-wave complexity. However, no effects were seen for QTc. Ozone effects were generally more pronounced in individuals with metabolic disorders than a potential genetic predisposition.

Changes in repolarisation might contribute to underlying pathophysiological changes associated with the link between elevated ozone levels and reported adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

A 3T MR case:control imaging study was performed on 18 welders and 18 age- and gender-matched controls. Basal ganglia regions of interest were identified for each subject. T1-weighted intensity indices and apparent diffusion coefficients were generated for each region.

All regional indices were higher in welders than controls (p≤0.05). Combined basal ganglia (=0.610), caudate (=0.645), anterior (=0.595) and posterior putamen (=0.511) indices were more correlated with exposure than pallidal (=0.484) index. Welder apparent diffusion coefficient values were lower than controls for globus pallidus (p=0.03) and anterior putamen (p=0.004).

Welders demonstrated elevated T1 indices throughout the basal ganglia. Combined basal ganglia, caudate and putamen indices were more correlated with exposure than pallidal index suggesting more inclusive basal ganglia sampling results in better exposure markers. Elevated indices were associated with diffusion weighted abnormalities in the pallidum and anterior putamen suggesting neurotoxicity in these regions.

OccIDEAS is operationalised as a web-based software, combining the use of JSMs with an individual expert exposure assessment to assess occupational exposures in various industries according to a set of predefined rules. The authors used a JEM focusing on endocrine-disrupting chemicals from a German study on testicular cancer in the automobile industry to create a JSM in OccIDEAS.

The JEM was easily translated into OccIDEAS requiring about 50 h of work by an epidemiologist familiar with the German JEM to learn about the OccIDEAS structure, establish the required set of exposure rules and to translate the JEM into OccIDEAS. Language did not represent an obstacle for translation either. To make the data available in an international context, an interpreter had to translate the German tasks and exposures after they were coded into OccIDEAS.

JEMs which are constructed based on identifying tasks that determine exposure can be easily transformed into a JSM. Occupational epidemiologists are invited to contribute to the international scope of OccIDEAS by providing their previously established JEMs to make existing data on occupational exposures widely available to the epidemiological community.

The study population consisted of 1518 workers (1080 men and 438 women) employed in the factory for at least 1 year between 1947 and 1996 and living in Lithuania on 1 January 1978, when the follow-up for cancer incidence began. The follow-up period for cancer was 1978–2007. Cancer risk was assessed by standardised incidence ratios (SIR) with reference to the national population.

Overall cancer incidence was not increased among woodworkers. However, the number of mouth and pharynx cancer cases among male woodworkers was significantly increased compared with expected numbers (SIR 2.19, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.74). A higher risk was found for cancer of the buccal cavity than for pharyngeal cancer (SIRs 2.83 and 1.45, respectively). The SIR for larynx cancer was also elevated (SIR 1.39, 95% CI 0.64 to 2.64) among men, while the number of lung cancer cases was higher than expected only among women (SIR 2.07, 95% CI 00.57 to 5.31).

This results of this study support the hypothesis that exposure to softwood dust may increase the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. No support was found for an increased risk of other respiratory cancers among workers exposed to softwood dust.