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Incidence of outbreak-associated COVID-19 cases by industry in Ontario, Canada, 1 April 2020-31 March 2021
Conclusions Certain industries have consistently increased the incidence of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. These results may assist in ongoing efforts to reduce transmission of COVID-19 by prioritising resources, as well as industry-specific guidance, vaccination and public health messaging. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Buchan, S. A., Smith, P. M., Warren, C., Murti, M., Mustard, C., Kim, J. H., Menon, S., Brown, K. A., van Ingen, T., Smith, B. T. Tags: COVID-19 Workplace Source Type: research

Markers of kidney tubular and interstitial injury and function among sugarcane workers with cross-harvest serum creatinine elevation
Conclusion Several markers of tubular and interstitial injury and function changed as SCr increased across a harvest season, supporting the use of SCr as an indicator of kidney injury in physically active workers regularly exposed to heat stress. Repeated injury similar to that described here, and continued work under strenuous and hot conditions with similarly elevated injury markers is likely to worsen and possibly initiate CKDnt. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Hansson, E., Wegman, D. H., Wesseling, C., Glaser, J., Schlader, Z. J., Wijkström, J., Jakobsson, K. Tags: Open access Workplace Source Type: research

Seroprevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody in healthcare workers: a multicentre cross-sectional study in 10 Colombian cities
Conclusion This study estimates the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers. Even though all the personnel reported the use of protective equipment, the seroprevalence in the general services personnel and nurses was high. Also, a significant difference by cities was observed. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Malagon-Rojas, J. N., Mercado-Reyes, M., Toloza-Perez, Y. G., Parra Barrera, E. L., Palma, M., Munoz, E., Lopez, R., Almentero, J., Rubio, V. V., Ibanez, E., Tellez, E., Delgado-Murcia, L. G., Jimenez, C. P., Viasus-Perez, D., Galindo, M., Lagos, L., Inte Tags: Open access, COVID-19 Workplace Source Type: research

Asthma in pesticide users: an update from the Great Britain Prospective Investigation of Pesticide Applicators Health (PIPAH) cohort study
Conclusions This large study of pesticide workers has identified expected levels of doctor diagnosed asthma, and high levels of self-reported respiratory symptoms. Pesticide exposure was associated with an increased risk of self-reported work-related wheeze, but not with asthma or wheeze in general. Further work is needed to identify more clearly which exposures within a complex mixed exposure profile are likely causative in order to best focus interventions to reduce work-related asthma and related conditions. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Fishwick, D., Harding, A.-H., Chen, Y., Pearce, N., Frost, G. Tags: Open access Workplace Source Type: research

Internet solicitation linked to enhanced occupational health and safety outcomes among sex workers in Metro Vancouver, Canada 2010-2019
Discussion/conclusions Younger workers, gender/sexual minorities, im/migrants and those in informal indoor spaces had higher odds of soliciting online. Confounder models indicate access to online solicitation methods may support enhanced OHS. Decriminalisation of sex work—including advertising via online platforms—remains necessary to support SWs’ OHS. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Machat, S., Lyons, T., Braschel, M., Shannon, K., Goldenberg, S. Tags: Workplace Source Type: research

Neurocognitive impairment in night and shift workers: a meta-analysis of observational studies
Conclusions We provide the first meta-analytical findings that associate shift work with decreased cognitive performance in processing speed, working memory, psychomotor vigilance, cognitive control and visual attention. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Vlasak, T., Dujlovic, T., Barth, A. Tags: Editor's choice Systematic review Source Type: research

Gender differences in authorship prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in research submissions to Occupational and Environmental Medicine (2017-2021)
Conclusions These findings suggest that there has been an increase in male productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic within the field of occupational and environmental health research that is present to a lesser extent among women. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Orchard, C., Smith, P. M., Kromhout, H. Tags: COVID-19 Editorial Source Type: research

Response to: Correspondence on "Association between occupational exposure to irritant agents and a distinct asthma endotype in adults" by Andrianjafimasy et al
We read with interest the letter by Burge et al related to our publication on occupational exposure to irritants and asthma endotypes.1 Burge et al comment on the definition of irritants, an issue regularly discussed in the field of work-related asthma.2 A concern expressed by Burge et al is that the Occupational Asthma Job-Exposure Matrix (OAsJEM), used to evaluate exposure to irritant agents in our study, includes among the list of irritants some agents well-known as low molecular weight sensitisers, namely isocyanates, acrylates, epoxy resins and amines. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify some aspects of ...
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Andrianjafimasy, M. V., Febrissy, M., Zerimech, F., Dananche, B., Kromhout, H., Matran, R., Nadif, M., Oberson-Geneste, D., Quinot, C., Schlünssen, V., Siroux, V., Zock, J.-P., Le Moual, N., Nadif, R., Dumas, O. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Correspondence on "Association between occupational exposure to irritant agents and a distinct asthma endotype in adults" by Andrianjafimasy et al
This study of endotypes responsible for the development of irritant induced occupational asthma raises questions as to what is meant by a respiratory irritant.1 Classifying an exposure as irritant usually implies that the effect is non-specific, that is, all similar asthmatics would react to the exposure whether they have had previous exposure to the agent or not. For instance, sulphur dioxide is a respiratory irritant, the exposure needed to provoke asthma is correlated with the degree of preexisting non-specific reactivity, as measured with methacholine or histamine.2 The paper by Andrianjafimasy et al1 uses a job exposu...
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Burge, P. S., Moore, V. C., Robertson, A. S., Huntley, C. C., Walters, G. I. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Cancer and mortality in coal mine workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Coal mine workers are exposed to a number of workplace hazards which may increase the risk of cancer and mortality. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate cancer and mortality in coal mine workers We searched in Ovid Medline, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases using keywords and text words related to coal mines, cancer and mortality and identified 36 full-text articles using predefined inclusion criteria. Each study’s quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We performed random-effect meta-analyses including 21 of the identified articles evaluating cancer and/or morta...
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Alif, S. M., Sim, M. R., Ho, C., Glass, D. C. Tags: Systematic review Source Type: research

Developing a company-specific job exposure matrix for the Asbest Chrysotile Cohort Study
Conclusions Unique company-specific JEMs were derived using a rich measurement database that overlapped with most employment-years of cohort members and will enable estimation of quantitative exposure–response. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Feletto, E., Kovalevskiy, E. V., Schonfeld, S. J., Moissonnier, M., Olsson, A., Kashanskiy, S. V., Ostroumova, E., Bukhtiyarov, I. V., Schüz, J., Kromhout, H. Tags: Open access Exposure assessment Source Type: research

Household use of crop residues and fuelwood for cooking and newborn birth size in rural Bangladesh
Conclusion The use of crop residues for cooking was associated with reduced birth size and increased risk for LBW in Bangladeshi children, implying that the use of crop residues during pregnancy may have a detrimental effect on fetal growth. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Lee, M.-S., Eum, K.-D., Golam, M., Quamruzzaman, Q., Kile, M. L., Mazumdar, M., Christiani, D. C. Tags: Open access Environment Source Type: research

Associations between high ambient temperatures and asthma exacerbation among children in Philadelphia, PA: a time series analysis
Conclusions This research contributes to evidence that ambient heat is associated with higher rates of asthma exacerbation in children. Further work is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Schinasi, L. H., Kenyon, C. C., Hubbard, R. A., Zhao, Y., Maltenfort, M., Melly, S. J., Moore, K., Forrest, C. B., Diez Roux, A. V., de Roos, A. J. Tags: Environment Source Type: research

Coal mine dust lung disease in miners killed in the Upper Big Branch disaster: a review of lung pathology and contemporary respirable dust levels in underground US coal mines
Conclusions Although higher than average respirable dust and quartz levels were observed at UBB, over 200 US underground coal mines had higher dust concentrations than UBB and over 100 exceeded the PEL more frequently. Together with lung histopathological findings among UBB fatalities, these data suggest exposures leading to CWP in the USA are more prevalent than previously understood. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Go, L. H. T., Green, F. H. Y., Abraham, J. L., Churg, A., Petsonk, E. L., Cohen, R. A. Tags: Workplace Source Type: research

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among firefighters in Los Angeles, California
Conclusions Seroprevalence among firefighters in our sample was 8.8%, however, we lack a full workplace seroprevalence estimate to compare the relative magnitude against general population seroprevalence (15%). Workplace safety protocols, such as access to personal protective equipment and testing, can mitigate increased risk of infection at work, and may have eliminated differences in disease burden by geography and race/ethnicity in our sample. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 12, 2022 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Mulligan, K., Berg, A. H., Eckstein, M., Hori, A., Rodriguez, A., Sobhani, K., Toubat, O., Sood, N. Tags: COVID-19 Workplace Source Type: research