Criteria for Occupational Health Prevention for Solar UVR Exposed Outdoor Workers-Prevalence, Affected Parties, and Occupational Disease

Bibliographic Data

ID22079523
AuthorsMarc Wittlich (0000-0002-9765-1082, Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume9
Pages772290-772290
Publication date2022-01-26
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2021.772290
PMID35155340
OpenAlexW4210603029
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited26

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer in western countries. Legislative bodies and stakeholders like WHO and EU strongly promote protection against solar UVR, especially in workers. Occupational health prevention must be introduced as a strong instrument in workers protection also with regard to occupational disease issues. To date, criteria for both occupational health prevention and occupational disease are missing and the identification of risk groups has no metric basis. Here I report a criteria analysis based on the largest comprehensive data set of occupational ultraviolet radiation exposure of outdoor workers. With detailed research on occupation-specific dosimetric measurements of 45.000 measurement days in 176 occupations and sub-occupations, it is possible to map criteria for occupational health prevention specifically and to identify affected occupations. The number of employees affected can be elucidated worldwide. For the first time, a direct link to retrospective occupational disease criteria could be established. Of the 176 occupations and sub-occupations selected for this work, 153 (=87%) exceed the criterion for occupational health prevention and thus need special attention. This includes all occupations with annual exposures of more than 150 SED. Employment figures for the EU and the world yield the total number of affected workers to be 36.1 million and more than 500 million, respectively. These new criteria for occupational health prevention are valid and in good agreement with international research on limit values by WHO and ICNIRP. If applied correctly and consistently, these criteria can prevent occupational disease. It will be possible to identify occupations and sub-occupations that have an urgent need for prevention to avoid chronic skin damage leading to cancer. This research serves as a basis for policy making and clinical risk identification, as well as for daily practice of occupational physicians and employers responsible for risk assesment

Disease · Environmental health · Health care · Occupational cancer · Occupational disease · Occupational exposure · Occupational safety and health · Pathology · Political science · Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization · Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure · Medicine · Skin Protection and Aging

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