nach oben

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

Erschienen in:

01.12.2011 | Review

A systematic review of job-specific workers’ health surveillance activities for fire-fighting, ambulance, police and military personnel

verfasst von: M. J. Plat, M. H. W. Frings-Dresen, J. K. Sluiter

Erschienen in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Ausgabe 8/2011

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Purpose

Some occupations have tasks and activities that require monitoring safety and health aspects of the job; examples of such occupations are emergency services personnel and military personnel. The two objectives of this systematic review were to describe (1) the existing job-specific workers’ health surveillance (WHS) activities and (2) the effectiveness of job-specific WHS interventions with respect to work functioning, for selected jobs.

Methods

The search strategy systematically searched the PubMed, PsycINFO and OSH-update databases. The search strategy consisted of several synonyms of the job titles of interest, combined with synonyms for workers’ health surveillance. The methodological quality was checked.

Results

At least one study was found for each of the following occupations fire fighters, ambulance personnel, police personnel and military personnel. For the first objective, 24 studies described several job-specific WHS activities aimed at aspects of psychological, ‘physical’ (energetic, biomechanical and balance), sense-related, environmental exposure or cardiovascular requirements. The seven studies found for the second objective measured different outcomes related to work functioning. The methodological quality of the interventions varied, but with the exception of one study, all scored over 55% of the maximum score. Six studies showed effectiveness on at least some of the defined outcomes. The studies described several job-specific interventions: a trauma resilience training, healthy lifestyle promotion, physical readiness training, respiratory muscle training, endurance and resistance training, a physical exercise programme and comparing vaccines.

Conclusions

Several examples of job-specific WHS activities were found for the four occupations. Compared to studies focusing on physical tasks, a few studies were found that focus on psychological tasks. Effectiveness studies for job-specific WHS interventions were scarce, although their results were promising. We recommend studying job-specific WHS in effectiveness studies.

Arnetz BB, Nevedal DC, Lumley MA, Backman L, Lublin A (2009) Trauma resilience training for police: psychophysiological and performance effects. J Police Crim Psych 24:1–9CrossRef

Arvey RD, Landon TE (1992) Development of physical ability tests for police officers: a construct validation approach. J Appl Psychol Monogr 77(6):996–1009CrossRef

Åstrand P, Rodahl K, Dahl H et al (2003) Textbook of work physiology. Physiological bases of exercise. Human Kinetics, Champaign

Bos J, Mol E, Visser B, Frings-Dresen MHW (2004) The physical demands upon (Dutch) fire-fighters in relation to the maximum acceptable energetic workload. Ergonomics 47(4):446–460CrossRef

Büyükçakir CC (2005) Hearing loss in Turkish aviators. Military Med 170(7):572–576

Byczek L, Walton SM, Conrad KM, Reichelt PA, Samo DG (2004) Cardiovascular risks in firefighters. AAOHN J 52(2):66–76

Capodaglio EM, Imbriani M, Criffo A (1996) A method for the assessment of fitness in aerobically taxing occupations. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 9(3):227–234

Downs SH, Black N (1998) The feasibility of creating a checklist for the assessment of the methodological quality both of randomised and non-randomised studies of health care interventions. J Epidemiol Commun Health 52:377–384CrossRef

Eick AA, Wang Z, Hughes H, Ford SM, Tobler SK (2009) Comparison of the trivalent live attenuated vs. inactivated influenza vaccines among US military service members. Vaccine 27:3568–3575CrossRef

Elliot DL, Goldberg L, Kuehl KS, Moe EL, Breger RKR, Pickering MA (2007) The PHLAME (promoting healthy lifestyles: alternative models’ Effects) firefighter study: outcomes of two models of behaviour change. JOEM 49(2):204–212

Erneston AG, Ricks MR, Tate TJ, Ana RS (1996) Vision readiness in the United States air force revisited. Military Med 161(1):27–28

Gamble RP, Boreham CAG, Stevens AB (1993) Effects of a 10-week exercise intervention programme on exercise and work capacities in Belfast’s ambulancemen. Occup Med 43:85–89CrossRef

Gerkin D (1995) Firefighters: fitness for duty. Occup Med 10(4):871–876

Greven F, Kerstjens HAM, Duijm F, Eppinga P, de Meer G, Heederik D (2009) Respiratory effects in the aftermath of a major fire in a chemical waste depot. Scand J Work Environ Health 35(5):368–375

Hatch BC, Hilber DJ, Elledge JB, Stout JW, Lee RB (2009) The effects of visual acuity on target discrimination and shooting performance. Optom Vis Sci 86(12):E1359–E1367CrossRef

Hulshof CTJ, MHW Frings-Dresen (2010) International OH systems. Part 2: occupational health delivery in the Netherlands. Occup Health Work 6 (5):19–23

Kelly KJ, Connelly E, Reinhold GA, Byrne M, Prezant DJ (2002) Assessment of health effects in New York city firefighters after exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs): the Staten island transformer fire health surveillance project. Arch Environ Health 57(4):282–293CrossRef

Knapik JJ, Rieger W, Palkoska F, van Camp S, Darakjy S (2009) United States army physical readiness training: rationale and evaluation of the physical training doctrine. J Strength Condit Res 23(4):1353–1362CrossRef

Kow D, Aw T-C (2003) Surveillance in occupational health. Occup Environ Med 60:705–710CrossRef

Kraemer WJ, Vescovi JS, Volek JS, Nindl BC, Newon RU, Patton JF et al (2004) Effects of concurrent resistance and aerobic training on load-bearing performance and the army physical fitness test. Military Med 169(12):994–999

Levin SM, Herbert R, Moline JM, Todd AC, Stevenson L, Landsbergis P et al (2004) Physical health status of world trade center rescue, recovery workers, volunteers-New York city, July 2002–August. Morb Mortal Week Report 53(35):807–812

Louhevaara V, Soukainen LusaS, Tulppo M, Tuomi P, Kajaste T (1994) Development and evaluation of a test drill for assessing physical work capacity of fire fighters. Int J Industr Ergonom 13:139–146CrossRef

McDiarmid EngelhardtSM, Oliver M, Gucer P, Wilson PD, Kane R et al (2007) Health surveillance of gulf war I veterans exposed to depleted uranium: updating the cohort. Health Phys 93(1):60–73CrossRef

Naghii MR (2006) The importance of body weight and weight management for military personnel. Mil Med 171(6):550–555

NVAB (2005) Guidance workers’ health surveillance [In Dutch: Leidraad Preventief medisch onderzoek]. Utrecht, the Netherlands, NVAB

Osborn GD (1976) Validation physical agility tests. The police chief 43–46

Payne W, Harvey J (2010) A framework for the design and development of physical employment tests and standards. Ergonomics 53(7):858–871CrossRef

Plat MJ, Frings-Dresen MHW, Sluiter JK (2010a) Reproducibility and validity of the stair-climb test for fire fighters. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 83:725–731CrossRef

Plat MJ, Frings-Dresen MHW, Sluiter JK (2010b) Clinimetric quality of the fire fighting simulation test as part of the Dutch fire fighters workers’ health surveillance. BMC Health Services Res 10:32CrossRef

Punakallio A (2003) Balance abilities of different-aged workers in physically demanding jobs. J Occup Rehab 13(1):33–43CrossRef

Richmond VL, Rayson MP, Wilkinson DM, Carter JM, Blacker SD, Nevill A et al (2008) Development of an operational fitness test for the royal air force. Ergonomics 51(6):935–946CrossRef

Sluiter JK (2006) High-demand jobs: age-related diversity in work ability? Appl Ergon 37(4):429–440CrossRef

Soteriades ES, Hauser R, Kawachi I, Liarokapis D, Christiani DC, Kales SN (2005) Obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in firefighters: a prospective cohort study. Obesity Res 13(10):1756–1763CrossRef

Sothmann MS, Gebhardt DL, Baker TA, Kastello GM, Sheppard VA (2004) Performance requirements of physically strenuous occupations: validating minimum standards for muscular strength and endurance. Ergonomics 47(8):864–875CrossRef

Sperlich B, Fricke H, de Marées M, Linville JW, Mester J (2009) Does respiratory muscle training increase physical performance? Mil Med 174(9):977–982

Strating M, Bakker RH, Dijkstra GJ, Lemmink KAPM, Groothoff JW (2010) A job-related fitness test for the Dutch police. Occup Med 60:255–260CrossRef

Technical and ethical guidelines for workers’ health surveillance (1998) Geneva, International Labour Office (Occupational Safety and Health Series No. 72)

Vanderburgh PM, Flanagan S (2000) The backpack run test: a model for a fair and occupationally relevant military fitness test. Mil Med 165(5):418–421

Vimercati L, Bisceglia L, Tato I, Beliotta MR, Russo A, Martina C et al (2006) Biological monitoring and allergic sensitization in traffic police officers exposed to urban air pollution. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 19(4):57–60

Weaver JL, McAlister WH (2001) Vision readiness of the reserve forces of the U.S. Army. Mil Med 166(1):64–66

Winwood PC, Tuckey MR, Peters R, Dollard MF (2009) Identification and measurement of work-related psychological injury: piloting the psychological injury risk indicator among frontline police. JOEM 51(9):1057–1065

Wright KM, Huffman AH, Adler AB, Castro CA (2002) Psychological screening program overview. Mil Med 167(10):853–861

Titel: A systematic review of job-specific workers’ health surveillance activities for fire-fighting, ambulance, police and military personnel
verfasst von: M. J. Plat
M. H. W. Frings-Dresen
J. K. Sluiter
Publikationsdatum: 01.12.2011
Verlag: Springer-Verlag
Erschienen in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Ausgabe 8/2011
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Elektronische ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0614-y

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 8/2011

Work–family conflict and prolonged fatigue among Japanese married male physicians

An effectiveness evaluation of a multifaceted preventive intervention on occupational injuries in foundries: a 13-year follow-up study with interrupted time series analysis

Update of a cohort mortality study of workers exposed to methylene chloride employed at a plant producing cellulose triacetate film base

Identifying patterns of recovery experiences and their links to psychological outcomes across one year

Fractions of cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders attributable to job strain

Perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to temporary and permanent workers’ psychological symptoms: a two samples study