RESEARCH PAPER
Adverse health outcomes among workers of wood pellet production facilities
| 1 | Central Institute for Labour Protection / National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), Warsaw, Poland |
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Rafał L. Górny
Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), ul. Czerniakowska 16, 00-701, Warszawa, Poland
Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), ul. Czerniakowska 16, 00-701, Warszawa, Poland
KEYWORDS
pelletwood dustbioaerosolhealth questionnaireoccupational exposureindividual traitsenvironmental factorslogistic regression
TOPICS
Biological agents posing occupational risk in agriculture, forestry, food industry and wood industry and diseases caused by these agents (zoonoses, allergic and immunotoxic diseases)Exposure to physical hazards associated with the use of machinery in agriculture and forestry: noise, vibration, dustPrevention of occupational diseases in agriculture, forestry, food industry and wood industry
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Workers of pellet production facilities (WPPF) are exposed to high concentrations of wood dust and microbial pollutants. Such stimulation may lead to numerous allergic and toxic reactions, infections, and other non-specific syndromes.
Objective:
To check the influence of individual traits of workers and characteristic features / factors of their living and working environments on the probability of adverse outcomes’ appearance.
Material and Methods:
The questionnaire study assessing adverse health effects resulting from individual exposure was conducted among 28 workers of 10 Polish WPPF. The logistic regression (for dichotomous variables) was used to determine the appearance probability (given as odds ratio) of adverse symptoms or diseases.
Results and Conclusions:
WPPF workers may have an increased risk of developing work-related adverse health outcomes. Both the individual traits and environmental exposure factors significantly influence the probability of their occurrence.
Workers of pellet production facilities (WPPF) are exposed to high concentrations of wood dust and microbial pollutants. Such stimulation may lead to numerous allergic and toxic reactions, infections, and other non-specific syndromes.
Objective:
To check the influence of individual traits of workers and characteristic features / factors of their living and working environments on the probability of adverse outcomes’ appearance.
Material and Methods:
The questionnaire study assessing adverse health effects resulting from individual exposure was conducted among 28 workers of 10 Polish WPPF. The logistic regression (for dichotomous variables) was used to determine the appearance probability (given as odds ratio) of adverse symptoms or diseases.
Results and Conclusions:
WPPF workers may have an increased risk of developing work-related adverse health outcomes. Both the individual traits and environmental exposure factors significantly influence the probability of their occurrence.
FUNDING
The study was funded by the Polish Ministry of Science
and Higher Education / National Centre for Research and
Development in Warsaw within the scope of the fourth stage
of the National Programme ‘Improvement of safety and
working conditions (2017–2019)’ through Grant No. II.N.15.
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