This thesis focuses on exacerbating chemicals risk in workplaces under the background of rapid industrialization in developing countries. The overall aim is to investigate the development of regulatory tools which aim at minimizing the health risks from chemical substances in the workplace. The contents of the thesis are divided into three sections: the profile of occupational diseases in China (paper I), occupational exposure limits (paper II and III), and comparison between chemicals regulat ions in Europe and China (paper IV). Paper I presents an analysis of the development of occupational diseases in China between 2000 and 2010. The number of recorded cases of occupational diseases increased rapidly in China during this period and the majority of cases were attributable to dust and other chemicals exposures. Difficulties in diagnosis and inefficient surveillance are major impediments to the proper identification and mitigation of occupational diseases. Migrant workers are extremely vulnerable to occupational hazards. Paper II investigates the state of harmonization of OELs between twenty-five OEL systems in Europe and Asia. The majority of the investigated organizations declare themselves to have been influenced by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and in many cases this can be empirically confirmed. However, large international differences still exist in substance selection and in the level of OELs among organizations. Paper III explores the setting of risk-based OELs on non-threshold carcinogens. Relatively few agencies set risk-based OELs. Differences exist in policy, both regarding the magnitude of risk considered as tolerable or acceptable and whether a general risk level or case-by-case substance-specific risk levels are determined. In regards to the level of the OELs both differences in science and policy contribute, and it was not possible to determine which has the larger influence. Paper III explores the setting of risk-based OELs on non-threshold carcinogens. Relatively few agencies set risk-based OELs. Differences exist in policy, both regarding the magnitude of risk considered as tolerable or acceptable and whether a general risk level or case-by-case substance-specific risk levels are determined. In regards to the level of the OELs both differences in science and policy contribute, and it was not possible to determine which has the larger influence. Paper IV systematically compares the regulation systems for chemicals in the EU and China in terms of substances covered, requirement on information, risk assessment and risk management. It shows that the European and Chinese chemicals legislations are remarkably similar.The differences are larger in terms of substance coverage and data requirements than in terms of risk assessment and management. Substitution of hazardous substances is driven more by updates of the EU regulatory system than of the Chinese system. / <p>QC 20130830</p>

The aim of this thesis is to determine the state of occupational health and safety of the construction industry among other industries in Turkey. For this purpose, data such as the number of occupational diseases, the number of occupational injuries, the number of cases of permanent incapacity to work and the number of fatal occupational injuries in each industry are derived from official sources. The comparison of the construction industry with other industries in terms of occupational health and safety is made with the comparative measures calculated with these data. In addition, it is intended to determine some characteristics of the occupational injuries and victims in the construction industry. Therefore, the distribution of more than 22,700 data concerning occupational injuries according to some selected variables is taken into account.

A case control study was performed in 6 cotton mills in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study used questionnaire and pulmonary function testing results to categorise respiratory symptoms in 52 exposed symptomatic, 30 exposed asymptomatic and 46 unexposed control subjects. These categorisation results were used to explore the relationship between serum IgG subclasses and cotton-specific IgG to byssinosis. No definitive relationships between the serum IgG subclasses and clinical and functional symptoms of byssinosis were found . Whereas, exposed symptomatic (22.72 mg All) subjects had significantly higher (P = 0.01) mean specific IgG concentrations than exposed asymptomatic (15.02 mg All) or unexposed control (13.08 mg All) subjects. A pathoaetiological or marker-aetiological role is indicated for specific IgG in the development of byssinosis. The findings of this research challenged the status quo in terms of the accepted aetiological pathways of byssinosis. In turn the acceptance of a different aetiological pathway provided a possible answer to the varying presentation of the disease and by implication contested the current definition of byssinosis. / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

"Back injuries have consistently been the most common types of injuries suffered by people at work. They have been a significant worker injury problem in most, if not all, industrialised countries for many years and manual handling has long been established as a significant task related back injury causal factor.[...] This research project established that the manufacturers of the jet airlines used by the airlines in this study had not previously been acquainted with the issue of baggage handler back injuries.[...] This study also canvassed the opinion of airline safety professionals and airline baggage handlers concerning baggage handling tasks and working environment related causal factors. [...] A major focus of this research project was also to measure the effect of ACE and Sliding Carpet, two commercially available retro-fit baggage systems, on the risk of back injuries to baggage handlers stacking baggage within Boeing B737 narrow-body aircraft." / Doctor of Philosophy

"Back injuries have consistently been the most common types of injuries suffered by people at work. They have been a significant worker injury problem in most, if not all, industrialised countries for many years and manual handling has long been established as a significant task related back injury causal factor.[...] This research project established that the manufacturers of the jet airlines used by the airlines in this study had not previously been acquainted with the issue of baggage handler back injuries.[...] This study also canvassed the opinion of airline safety professionals and airline baggage handlers concerning baggage handling tasks and working environment related causal factors. [...] A major focus of this research project was also to measure the effect of ACE and Sliding Carpet, two commercially available retro-fit baggage systems, on the risk of back injuries to baggage handlers stacking baggage within Boeing B737 narrow-body aircraft." / Doctor of Philosophy

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Univ., 2004. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, 2008. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 46-04, page: 2059. Adviser: George L. Delclos. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2007. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 80 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic)-Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2006 116 leaves / The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of hand and wrist pain, as well as the relationships between occupational overuse syndromes in the hands and wrists of chiropractors in South Africa as a result of their daily use of manual therapy techniques while at work. There are very few statistics available that disclose the nature and incidence of work related injuries. However those statistics that do exist suggest that hands on patient activities place physical therapists at greater risk of injury in comparison to other health care workers (Lunne et al., 2000). A study conducted by Bork et al.(1996) determined the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries sustained by physical therapists. Hand pain (29.6%) and back pain (45%) where the leading cause of pain in physical therapists (Bork et al., 1996.) Chiropractic and physiotherapy are both health care professions that specialize in the treatment of disorders pertaining to the neuro-musculo-skeletal system (Hunter, 2004). Physical therapists use manual therapy techniques as part of their daily working activities, so it can be assumed that chiropractors too will have a high prevalence of hand and wrist pain as they utilize similar therapeutic techniques to physical therapists. Cromie et al.(2000) evaluated the prevalence, severity, risks, and responses of disorders in physical therapists. He identified 4 categories of major risk factors commonly associated with workers musculo-skeletal disorders in physical therapists 1. Risk factors related to specific activities. 2. Postural risk factors. 3. Risk factors with regard to work load issues 4. Risk factors in regard of work capacity and health of the participant (Cromie et al., 2000). Physical risk factors found to be associated with neck, shoulder, or hand and wrist disorders in cross sectional studies are heavy lifting, monotonous work, static work postures, vibrations and repetitive jobs, and a high work pace (Alfredsson et al., 1999). Other factors that have been associated with musculoskeletal pain are higher age and female gender (de Zwart et al., 2001; Wahlstedt et al., 2001; Feveile et al., 2002).