| Autor: |
Sun Y; Unit Applied Epidemiology, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany., Bochmann F; Unit Applied Epidemiology, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany., Dohlich J; Department Safety and Health Organisation, German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Woodworking and Metalworking Industries, Germany., Eckert W; Department Rehabilitation and Services, German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Building Trade, Germany., Ernst B; Unit Vibration, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany., Freitag C; Unit Vibration, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany., Nigmann U; Department Safety and Health Organisation, German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Woodworking and Metalworking Industries, Germany., Raffler N; Unit Vibration, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany., Samel C; Unit Applied Epidemiology, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany., van den Berg C; Prevention Department, German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry, Germany., Kaulbars U; Unit Vibration, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Germany.; Office for Human Vibration in Workplaces, Germany. |
| Abstrakt: |
Objective. To quantify the exposure-response relationship between hand-arm vibration exposure and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities (UMSDs), a case-control study was carried out among workers in the construction, mining, metal and woodworking industries. Methods . In total, 209 male cases and 614 controls were recruited. Cases were newly reported patients with UMSDs. Controls were a random sample of persons with compensable occupational injuries. Standardized personal interviews were performed among cases and controls by well-trained safety engineers. In addition to leisure activities and comorbidities, work histories of all participants were collected in detail. To quantify hand-arm vibration exposures, a database of vibration measurements of over 700 power tools was used. This database allows the detailed quantification of vibration exposures over time. A dose-response relationship between hand-arm vibration exposure and UMSDs was quantified by conditional logistic regression analyses. Results and conclusions . After adjusting for relevant confounders, statistically significant exposure-response relationships between cumulative hand-arm vibration exposure and UMSDs were established. A cumulative hand-arm vibration exposure of D hv (vibration total value in three measuring directions) = 142,300 (95% confidence interval [CI] [90,600-333,200]) m 2 /s 4 ·day or D hw (vibration value in the direction along the forearm) = 38,700 (95% CI [25,400-80,900]) m 2 /s 4 ·day is associated with a doubled risk of UMSDs. |
