European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Marie Meima, Eelco Kuijpers, Claudia van den Berg, Astrid Kruizinga, Nicole van Kesteren, Suzanne Spaan
Biological agents and prevention of work-related diseases: a review
European Risk Observatory
Report
Table of Contents
List of figures and tables
Abstract
Executive summary
Definitions and scope of the project
Project design
Methods
Literature review (task 1)
Semi-structured interviews with experts on policy measures (task 2)
Focus groups (task 3)
Stakeholder workshop (task 4)
Results
High-risk occupations
Other occupations and sectors
SMEs
Vulnerable groups
Emerging risks
Monitoring systems
Further recommendations
Improving prevention at the workplace
The importance of allergens
Being prepared for outbreaks of serious diseases
Sector level
National level
European level
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Overall objectives of the review
1.3 Definitions - the scope of the review
1.4 Overall project outline
1.5 Objective of the report
2 Methodological design of the project
2.1 Literature review on specific work-related diseases due to biological agents
2.2 View on policy: semi-structured interviews with experts
2.3 Focus groups of intermediaries
2.4 Stakeholder workshop
3 Outcomes of the project
3.1 Sectors of concern in terms of exposure to biological agents and related health effects
3.1.1 Animal-related occupations
3.1.2 Health care
3.1.3 Waste and wastewater treatment
3.1.4 Occupations that involve travelling or contact with travellers
3.1.5 Other occupations and other biological agents
3.2 Allergenic and toxic agents
3.2.1 Fungi and allergies
3.2.2 Industrial fungal enzymes
3.2.3 Bacteria and allergies
3.2.4 Organic dust and effects of toxins
3.3 Vulnerable groups
3.3.1 Young workers
3.3.2 Pregnant workers
3.3.3 Immunosuppressed workers
3.3.4 Cleaners and maintenance workers
3.3.5 Migrant and temporary workers
3.4 Emerging risks
3.4.1 Emerging risks and their causative factors based on the scientific literature review
3.4.2 Identification of new and/or emerging risks
3.4.3 Emerging risks in sectors of concern.
3.5 Monitoring systems
3.5.1 Monitoring systems for work-related diseases
3.5.2 Monitoring of occupational diseases across Europe
3.5.3 Monitoring exposure to biological agents
3.5.4 Classification of biological agents
4 Conclusions, discussion and recommendations
4.1 Results
4.1.1 Prevention at enterprise level
4.1.2 Policies across sectors and policy areas
4.2 Vulnerable groups
4.2.1 Recommendations
4.3 Monitoring systems
4.3.1 Monitoring systems for diseases
4.3.2 Data gaps of monitoring systems for occupational diseases
4.3.3 Monitoring systems for exposures
4.4 General considerations
5 References
Annex 1: Methodology of scientific literature search
Development of search strategy
Initial screening of output literature search
Search strings as applied in the different databases
Information on biological agents and/or health effects
Information on monitoring systems for biological agents and/or health effects
Information on databases for biological agents and/or health effects
Information on EU Directive 2000/54/EC
ANNEX 2: Questionnaire about work-related diseases due to biological agents
ANNEX 3: Methodology of the interviews (task 2)
Qualitative research approach
Procedure
Participants
Interviews
Instructions document for the interviewers
Instructions for the interviewers via Skype
Quality check
Data analysis
ANNEX 4: Methodology of the focus groups (task 3)
Focus group discussions
Procedure
Participants
Moderators and second interviewers
Denmark
Finland 211
France 211
Germany
Netherlands
Instructions for moderators and second interviewers
Data analysis
ANNEX 5: Examples of policy measures for different sectors as indicated by the experts during the interviews
ANNEX 6: Policy measures based on the focus groups (task 3)
List of figures and tables
Figure 1: Overview of EU-OSHA-commissioned subproject 2 on work-related health effects of biological agents and how the above tasks relate to each other
Figure 2: Overview of methodology applied in tasks 1-3, and selection of sectors based on the output of these tasks
Table 1: Overview of prescribed diseases with a biological cause covered by IIDB in the United Kingdom
Table 2: Comparison of characteristics of selected occupational disease monitoring systems
Table 3: General overview of outputs from selected monitoring systems for occupational diseases in terms of diseases due to exposure to biological agents
Table 4: Prevention measures in specific sectors and occupations
Table 5: Characteristics of the interview participants
Table 6: Types of policy and examples of policy/policy measures discussed during focus groups
Table 7: Number of focus group participants and their familiarity with the three sectors
Table 8: Meeting dates
Table 9: Animal-related occupations - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 10: Animal-related occupations - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘less successful’
Table 11: Waste treatment - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 12: Waste treatment - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘less successful’
Table 13: Health care - overview of policy measures labelled by the experts as ‘more successful’
Table 14: Health care - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘less successful’
Table 15: Arable farming - overview of ‘policy measures’ labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 16: Laboratories - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 17: Laboratories - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘less successful’
Table 18: Policies related to moisture damage/mould problems in buildings (non-sector specific) - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 19: Various sectors - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 20: Sector-transcending policies - overview of policy measures labelled by experts as ‘more successful’
Table 21: Overview of different policy measures mentioned during different focus groups for animal-related occupation, waste treatment and healthcare current and emerging risks
Fonte: osha.europa.eu
© European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2020
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.