Model gpa objective X working Compendium

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	GPA4.21f Formerly AA2:NP22
GPA Objective	Objective 4: To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
CC or NGO Name	Department of Occupational Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Project title	Interaction between occupational and genetic factors on lumbar disc degeneration
Keywords	Genetic factors, physical exposure assessment, lumbar disc degeneration
Project leader Email address	Dr Ling Lei, associate professor [e-mail]
Partners (of the CC Network)
Other partners
Funding	National Natural Science Foundation of China
Objective of the project	To explore the interaction between occupational and genetic factors on lumbar disc degeneration.
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project	The model of lumbar disc degeneration risk factors (by 2008)
Target group and/or beneficiaries	Professionals, employers, employees.
Summary of the project	According to MRI diagnosis and using case-control study, genetic effects will be analyzed by comparing gene and genotype frequency differences of IX collagen, aggrecan, MMP－3 and VDR; Occupational effects will be qualitatively and quantitatively assessed by analyzing the characteristics of lumbar disc degeneration including incidence, site, types and severity in various occupational physical workload exposure; by which occupational and genetic interaction contributed to lumbar disc degeneration will be explored.
Dissemination	WHO document, Conferences and publications
Impact (global or regional)	Regional
Progress on Project	1. A case-control study was carried out and found that risk factors of lumbar disc degeneration associated with age, back injury history, whole body vibration, bending/twisting and heavy work seemed to be synergized in subjects with mutation genotypes of MMP-3 and/or VDR-Apa. An interactive effect profoundly existed between the mutation genotype of MMP-3 and whole body vibration exposure. 2. At present, we are conducting a cross-sectional survey focused on occupational risk factors of foundry workers, and assessing if synergistic effects would have existed among workers with polymorphisms of COL9A2 and COL9A3 of IX collagen and aggrecan genes.
List of outcomes already achieved by this project	As above
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	GPA4.21g AA3:E2 (WHO) AA3:26
Activity Area Number and title	AA3 Practical approaches to identify and reduce occupational risks
CC or NGO Name	Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML)
Project title	Economic Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Occupational Back Pain: A Prospective Case Study for Porters in the Wholesale Produce Market in Brazil
Keywords	State the key words of the project. For example: Occupational Back pain , Cost-Effectiveness Of Ergonomic Interventions, Economic Evaluation of Interventions, Net-Cost
Project leader Email address	Heleno Rodrigues Corrêa Filho [e-mail] , Maria Inês Monteiro [e-mail]
Partners (of the CC Network)	Dr. Supriya Lahiri [e-mail] Charles Levenstein [e-mail] Ana Isabel Bruzzi Bezerra Paraguay, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, São Paulo State University (http://www.fsp.usp.br/).
Other partners
Funding	Seed Funding FOGARTY, NIH
Objective of the project	Economic Evaluation of Ergonomic Interventions through a Prospective Study
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project	• Validation and adaptation of the “Net-Cost Model” through a prospective study (2008) and Cost-Effectiveness Estimates of Interventions • To develop economic evaluation training packages for occupational health professionals deliverable through e-learning and face-to-face (by 2009)
Target group and/or beneficiaries	All enterprises – both in the formal and informal sector.
Summary of the project	Our goal is to apply, adapt and improve upon the net-cost model developed at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO) for evaluating ergonomic interventions through a prospective study of the CEASA market, a national distributor of produce, in Campinas Brazil. There is a high prevalence of back problems among the employees that are involved in carrying out the tasks of loading and unloading the cargo trucks and in displaying the products on the shelves. We propose to collaborate with UNICAMP (Brazil) in the above study. The study will be of four years duration. In the first year, we shall collect baseline data (of the current situation without the introduction of additional interventions) on LBP injuries among workers, medical care costs, productivity losses and data on other socioeconomic variables. This will also enable us to determine the type of ergonomic interventions that we would be proposing for the reduction of these injuries. In the second through fourth year relevant data will be collected for the adaptation of the net-cost model and estimation of cost-effectiveness estimates.
Dissemination	WHO documents; university studies; worker and enterprise meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences, journal publication
Impact (global or regional)	Global
Progress on Project	A preliminary cross-sectional survey based on sampling quotas allowed to analyze of 82 porters, aged 19 to 71 years with low schooling (24.4% attended school for at least 8 years). Their entire work life average was 31.3 years (SD=12.1) with a long history of being a porter (mean=15.5 years; SD=9.0). Workloads were pilled over two wheeled wood trolleys (±20 boxes, ±1/2 Ton) in a night shift from 5 A.M.-12 noon three days per week. Total workload per man was 5 tons/day or 15tons/week. Back pain during the last week was reported by 18.3% and 31.7% experienced episodes of back pain in the last six months. Use of pain relief medicines were reported by 31.7% at the day of the interview, with 26.8% telling being sick in the last 15 days. None of the groups of Union leaders, bosses, market administration or health professionals retained strength or political drive to overcome or ignore the others. Small sales menace to disappear because of the great supermarket networks. The unique common objective of all social actors is to provide food and food security for the population and small and medium sized commerce. May be they realize this common goal a little too late.
List of outcomes already achieved by this project	As above
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	GPA4.21h Formerly AA3:31
GPA Objective	Objective 4: To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
CC or NGO Name	Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), Germany (WHO-CC for Occupational Health)
Project title	Examination of the stress of the lumbar spine caused by whole-body vibration with variable frequency, magnitude and direction
Keywords
Project leader Email address	Dr. Marianne Schust [e-mail]
Partners (of the CC Network)	Technical University Darmstadt (Germany), Technical University Hamburg-Harburg (Germany)
Other partners	INRS, CIOP und HSL
Funding	BAuA
Objective of the project
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project	It is planned to finish the investigation of the frequency weightings for the evaluation of wholebody vibration in all three axes by the end of 2009. The results concerning the implementation of active muscle reactions in the model can be expected in the middle of 2010. The activities with regard to the health effects of shear forces on the lumbar spine will be finished at the end of 2010. A comprehensive presentation of the project will be given in the autumn of 2011 at an international conference.
Target group and/or beneficiaries	Workers exposed to whole-body vibration, drivers, manufacturers of mobile machinery, inspectorates, occupational health physicians
Summary of the project	Finite element (FE-) models of man were improved and validated based on human experimental in vivo data in order to predict compressive and shear forces acting on lumbar discs during whole-body vibration in x-, y- and z-axis. The models were adapted to ten classes of anthropometric data of European drivers and five different typical driving postures. A set of transfer functions was calculated that can simulate altogether 50 different FE-models. The models were improved by the consideration of intensity dependence, interface conditions and an anatomical based sub-model of the lumbar vertebra. Fatigue failure of lumbar vertebral endplates (ISO 2631-5) can be used as criterion to predict the health risk due to long-term exposure. New experimental in-vitro data (Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Germany) were compared with such predictions. The comparisons assisted the selection of suitable quantitative relationships. The associations between anthropometric data, age, size and mechanical characteristics of lumbar motion segments were investigated considering the magnitude and duration of dynamic compression and shear load. Current activities: Experimental studies (cross-modality matching, biodynamics) were performed to investigate frequency weightings for the evaluation of whole-body vibration in all three axes. The data analyses are in progress. First results has been presented in September 2007 at the 42^nd UK Conference on Human responses to Vibration. Further improvements of the FE-models can be expected by the implementation of active muscle reactions in the model, basing on results of experimental studies. The pilot studies has been carried out. The main studies will start in January 2009. The method of evaluation of the health risk caused by long-term intensive occupational whole-body vibration will be extended. At present, the adverse effects of compressive forces can be explained by the theory of fatigue failure of the vertebral endplates. A fundamental research project has been started off in order to investigate the health effects of shear forces on the lumbar spine during in-vitro tests of specimens in September 2008.
Dissemination	The results will be disseminated among the scientific and public community by publications and presentations. Moreover, the risk assessment method based on the FE-model will be implicated in the European and International Standardisation and will be tested in selected companies.
Impact (global or regional)	Global
Progress on Project	Finite element (FE-) models of man were improved and validated based on human experimental in vivo data in order to predict compressive and shear forces acting on lumbar discs during whole-body vibration in x-, y and z-axis. The models were adapted to ten classes of anthropometric data of European drivers and five different typical driving postures. A set of transfer functions was calculated that can simulate altogether 50 different FE-models. Fatigue failure of lumbar vertebral endplates (ISO 2631-5) can be used as criterion to predict the health risk due to long-term exposure. New experimental in-vitro data (Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Germany) were compared with such predictions. The comparisons assisted the selection of suitable quantitative relationships. The application of the new evaluation procedure to many different exposure conditions obtained in Europe indicate the necessity to decrease the limit value of the European directive 2002/44/EC for whole-body vibration in the z-axis and to revise current evaluation methods (ISO 2631-1, ISO 2631-5). ‘In-progress’ Activities Experimental laboratory in-vivo studies (cross-modality matching, biodynamics) to investigate frequency weightings for low-frequency whole body vibration in different axes. Further improvement of the FE-model and in-vitro studies with lumbar spinal units in order to examine fatigue strength in dependence on age.
List of outcomes already achieved by this project
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012	The application of the new evaluation procedure for many different exposure conditions obtained in Europe indicates the necessity to decrease the limit value of the European directive 2002/44/EC for whole-body vibration in the z-axis and to revise current evaluation methods (ISO 2631-1, ISO 2631-5).

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	GPA4.21i Formerly AA3: I2
GPA Objective	Objective 4: To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
CC or NGO Name	Department of Occupational Health, Fudan University, China)
Project title	Epidemiological Study of Occupational Injuries in an Iron & Steel Complex
Keywords	Occupational Injuries, an Iron & Steel Complex, Epidemiological Study
Project leader Email address	Zhaolin Xia Email address: [e-mail]
Partners (of the CC Network)
Other partners	Baoshan Steel Company. Shanghai, China
Funding	Each collaborating partner is responsible for its respective costs Grant from LMRIS.
Objective of the project	to obtain the prevalence and distribution of fatal occupational injuries (FIO) and severe injuries (SI) in an Iron & Steel Corporation during the period of 1995-2002; then to identify and classify the risk factors in order to prevent and control the injuries; to investigate and understand the injury-induced burden, including the lost-work-time and the direct and indirect economic loss of occupational injuries.
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project	the expected outcome: In collaboration with local institutes, to establish a research fields for following-up intervention study of the project; to establish a institution to integrate occupational safety and health consulting service in the Iron & Steel Corporation. the deadline: December 2008
Target group and/or beneficiaries	Iron steel plant
Summary of the project	In order to identify current status of the prevalence of occupational injury in iron steel plan.
Dissemination	publishing papers and project reports
Impact; global/regional	Global
Progress on Project	A paper “Epidemiology of Fatal Occupational Injuries in an Iron and Steel Complex during 1958-2001 in China ” was published in Chinese Journal of Environ. & Occup. Med. in April, 2006
List of outcomes already achieved by this project	As above
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	GPA4.21j Formerly AA4:CE3c
GPA Objective	Objective 4: To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
CC or NGO Name	Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Costa Rica
Project title	Strengthening of occupational and environmental health research in Central America and the Caribbean
Keywords	Central America, Caribbean, Research, Occupation, Environment
Project leader Email address	Dr. Catharina Wesseling ([e-mail])
Partners (of the CC Network)	Karolinska Institute (Sweden), University of Texas School of Public Health.
Other partners	University of Washington, Stockholm University, Central American universities
Funding	SAREC, Sida, Fogarty Project University of Texas, collaborating institutes
Objective of the project	Generation and strengthening of qualified human resources and scientific-technical knowledge for occupational and environmental health in Central America.
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project	Continuous
Target group and/or beneficiaries	Scientists and science administrators in Central America
Summary of the project	Project scope: Multicentric and bilateral research projects in Central America Central American research training programs Continuing education program. Training in all Central American countries and interchange of local training within the countries.
Dissemination	Academic, technical and popular dissemination
Impact (global or regional)	Regional
Progress on Project	Project going on in four countries in Central America on chronic renal failure in workers health; Central American research training programs plans to continue to develop this regionally, although continues in Costa Rica; continuing education program training in all Central American countries and interchange of local training within the countries; organized 3-4 national courses in Costa Rica for about approximately 100 participants and three regional courses 3 for about 75 people. Organized courses in each country through the network about 3 courses in each of 7 countries. Pre course and post course evaluations are completed. Plan on same level of activity in the next year. EPICOH-NEUROEPI conference is being planned collaboratively to take place in Costa Rica June 9-13, 2008. Organizing committee includes international partners (UIC, too).
List of outcomes already achieved by this project	As above
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	4.21k
PROJECT Title	Contributing to the evidence on occupational health by commissioning Cochrane systematic occupational health reviews
GPA Objective	These activities are registered under Objective 4: “To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice” on the 2009-2012 Global Work Plan (item number AA4:21).
Responsible CC or NGO Name	Safe Work Australia
Project leader(s)	Janice Batt [e-mail]
Network partners	Jos Verbeek, Cochrane Occupational Health Field, [e-mail] Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
WHO Regions involved in this project	NA
Country ministries involved in this project	NA
External partners for this project	Jos Verbeek, Cochrane Occupational Health Field, [e-mail] Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Summary of the project	Safe Work Australia works with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health to commission research outlining the evidence on interventions aimed at reducing manual handling injuries, and injuries in the construction and the agricultural industries or activities in the workplace. Three Cochrane Occupational Health Systematic Reviews are completed and published on the Cochrane Library. A fourth review is underway assessing the efficacy of health examinations for preventing occupational injuries and disease in workers.
Target group and/or beneficiaries	Global
Major Milestones (list up to three dates and milestones)	The systematic review on the “Health examination for preventing occupational injuries and disease in workers” is due for completion in December 2009.
Dissemination plan	World Wide Web through the on-line Cochrane Library. In Australia the Safe Work Australian Council members (tripartite as well as representative of every State and Territory of Australia) will communicate and exchange research with their constituents.
Funding source(s)	Safe Work Australia
List of outcomes already achieved by this project	Three reviews have already been published online in the Cochrane Library: “Manual material handling advice and assistive devices for preventing and treating back pain in workers” 18 July 2007 in Issue 3, 2007, “Interventions for preventing injuries in the construction industry” 17 October 2007 in Issue 4, 2007, and “Interventions for preventing injuries in the agricultural industry” 23 January 2008 in Issue 1, 2008.
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012	The intervention protocol of the fourth review “Health examination for preventing occupational injuries and disease in workers” was published 16 July 2008 in Issue 3, 2008. The systematic review is due for completion in December 2009.