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Contact patterns of UK home delivery drivers and their use of protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study
Conclusion Delivery drivers had a large number of face-to-face customer and depot contacts per shift compared with other working adults during this time. However, transmission risk may be curtailed as contact with customers was of short duration. Most drivers were unable to maintain physical distance with customers and at depots at all times. Usage of protective items such as face masks and hand sanitiser was widespread. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Bridgen, J. R. E., Wei, H., Whitfield, C., Han, Y., Hall, I., Jewell, C. P., van Tongeren, M. J. A., Read, J. M. Tags: Open access, COVID-19 Exposure assessment Source Type: research

Submission of mandatory respiratory health examinations among US coal miners participating in the Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program
Conclusions The majority of new coal miners eligible for health surveillance did not receive a baseline radiograph or spirometry test through the CWHSP even though coal mine operators are required by law to provide these. Ensuring coal miners’ regular participation in health surveillance from early in their careers is an important way to monitor and protect their respiratory health. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Hall, N. B., Reynolds, L., Blackley, D. J., Laney, A. S. Tags: Practice Source Type: research

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sick leave among healthcare workers: a register-based observational study
Conclusions There was a substantial increase in sick leave among HCWs during the pandemic. Our results suggest that the increase was due to HCWs becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 and/or sector-wide effects, such as strict infection control measures. More differentiated countermeasures should, therefore, be evaluated to limit capacity constraints in healthcare provision. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Reme, B.-A., Grosland, M., Gjefsen, H., Magnusson, K. Tags: Open access, COVID-19 Workplace Source Type: research

Military occupation and testicular germ cell tumour risk among US Air Force servicemen
Conclusions In this matched, nested case–control study of young active duty USAF servicemen, we found that pilots and men with aircraft maintenance jobs had elevated TGCT risk. Further research is needed to elucidate specific occupational exposures underlying these associations. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Denic-Roberts, H., McGlynn, K., Rhee, J., Byrne, C., Lang, M., Vu, P., Purdue, M., Rusiecki, J. Tags: Editor's choice Workplace Source Type: research

Characteristics of long working hours and subsequent psychological and physical responses: JNIOSH cohort study
Conclusions Longer AWH was associated with higher levels of psychological stress responses. The effects of FLWH in the past 6 months varied among the psychological stress responses and did not occur for physical complaints. Under circumstances requiring long hours, workers’ mental health should be protected through minimising the frequency of long work hours. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Ochiai, Y., Takahashi, M., Matsuo, T., Sasaki, T., Sato, Y., Fukasawa, K., Araki, T., Otsuka, Y. Tags: Open access Workplace Source Type: research

All-cause and cause-specific mortality in a cohort of WTC-exposed and non-WTC-exposed firefighters
Conclusion Both firefighter cohorts had lower than expected all-cause mortality. Fifteen years post 11 September 2001, mortality was lower in WTC-exposed versus non-WTC-exposed firefighters. Lower mortality in the WTC-exposed suggests not just a healthy worker effect, but additional factors such as greater access to free health monitoring and treatment that they receive via the WTCHP. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Singh, A., Zeig-Owens, R., Cannon, M., Webber, M. P., Goldfarb, D. G., Daniels, R. D., Prezant, D. J., Boffetta, P., Hall, C. B. Tags: Workplace Source Type: research

Correction: What role for asbestos in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Findings from the IPF job exposures case-control study
Reynolds CJ, Sisodia R, Barber C, et al. What role for asbestos in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Findings from the IPF job exposures case–control study. Occup Environ Med 2023;80:97–103. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108404. Acknowledgments have been updated in the online HTML and PDF. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - May 12, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Tags: Open access Correction Source Type: research

Occupational risk factors associated with lower urinary tract symptoms among female workers: a systematic review
A systematic review was performed aiming to identify the various occupational risk factors of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among female workers. A systematic, comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify studies published until 24 November 2021, evaluating the possible occupational risk factors of LUTS among female workers. Two reviewers assessed all articles retrieved through a computerised search for eligibility using predetermined criteria. Data on the first author, publication year, country, study design, participants, identified occupational risk fac...
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Yoo, H., Kim, J. Y., Lee, Y. M., Kang, M.-Y. Tags: Editor's choice Systematic review Source Type: research

Improving trends estimates for specific work-related ill-health conditions when excess zeros are present in a voluntary health reporting scheme
Conclusions Through weighting, we were able to adjust for excess zeros in health outcome-specific trends estimates. Though uncertainty is still present in underlying reporter behaviour meaning caution should be applied with interpretation of any results. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Gittins, M., Carder, M., Seed, M. J., Iskandar, I., Daniels, S. A. M., van Tongeren, M. Tags: Methodology Source Type: research

Biological risk in Italian prisons: data analysis from the second to the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic
Conclusions The comparison with the external community revealed that in prison the infection prevalence was greater, although Rt values showed no significant difference, and the hospitalisation rate was lower. These results suggest that the consistent monitoring of inmates results in a higher infection prevalence while a wide vaccination campaign leads to a lower hospitalisation rate. All three indices demonstrate a lag of 1 or 2 weeks in prison. This delay could represent a useful time-window to strengthen planned countermeasures. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Franchi, C., Rossi, R., Malizia, A., Gaudio, P., Di Giovanni, D. Tags: COVID-19 Environment Source Type: research

Sick leave due to COVID-19 during the first pandemic wave in France, 2020
Conclusions France was heavily impacted by sick leave during the first pandemic wave, with COVID-19 contacts accounting for approximately three-quarters of COVID-19-related sick leaves. In the absence of representative sick leave registry data, local demography, employment patterns, epidemiological trends and contact behaviours can be synthesised to quantify sick leave burden and, in turn, predict economic consequences of infectious disease epidemics. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Smith, D. R. M., Jijon, S., Oodally, A., Shirreff, G., Aït Bouziad, K., Ante-Testard, P. A., Bastard, J., Bouziri, H., Daouda, O. S., Duchemin, T., Godon-Rensonnet, A.-S., Henriot, P., Houri, Y., Neynaud, H., Perozziello, A., Thonon, F., Crepey, P Tags: Open access, COVID-19 Workplace Source Type: research

Alterations to biomarkers related to long-term exposure to diesel exhaust at concentrations below occupational exposure limits in the European Union and the USA
Conclusions DEE exposure under existing or recommended OELs may be associated with biomarkers reflective of cancer-related processes, including inflammatory/immune response. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Wong, J. Y., Blechter, B., Bassig, B. A., Dai, Y., Vermeulen, R., Hu, W., Rahman, M. L., Duan, H., Niu, Y., Downward, G. S., Leng, S., Ji, B.-T., Fu, W., Xu, J., Meliefste, K., Zhou, B., Yang, J., Ren, D., Ye, M., Jia, X., Meng, T., Bin, P., Hosgood, H. D Tags: Workplace Source Type: research

Poor adherence to dust, noise and safety regulations predict injury rates in underground coal mines
Discussion In US underground coal mines, injury rates are associated with poor adherence to dust, noise and safety regulations. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Friedman, L. S., Shannon, B., Go, L. H. T., Shao, Y., Almberg, K. S., Cohen, R. A. Tags: Workplace Source Type: research

Mechanisms of vocational interventions for return to work from musculoskeletal conditions: a mediation analysis of the MI-NAV trial
Conclusions Our study provides new evidence for the mechanisms of vocational interventions to reduce sickness absence related to sick leave due to musculoskeletal conditions. Changing an individual’s expectation that RTW is likely may result in meaningful reductions in sickness absence days. Trial registration number NCT03871712. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Cashin, A. G., Oiestad, B. E., Aanesen, F., Storheim, K., Tingulstad, A., Rysstad, T. L., Lee, H., McAuley, J. H., Sowden, G., Wynne-Jones, G., Tveter, A. T., Grotle, M. Tags: Workplace Source Type: research

Incident skin melanoma in Danish male military pilots: a nested case-control study
Conclusions The findings from this study conducted among Danish military personnel suggest that pilots have an increased risk of skin melanoma after accounting for leisure-time sun exposure and socioeconomic status. Future large-scale studies focusing on the risk of skin melanoma in pilots, including detailed objective information on dimensions of exposure and potential confounders, are warranted. (Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine - April 13, 2023 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Pedersen, J. E., Hansen, J. Tags: Workplace Source Type: research