Health and Safety at Work

Occupational exposures such as welding and diesel fumes, mineral dust, organic solvents, heat, noise, heavy lifting and shift work, caused the loss of 90 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2016 (World Health Organization). EHEN researchers collaborated with occupational health scientists to develop tools for evidence-based and cost-effective prevention of work-related diseases.

Examples of EPHOR’s exposome approach

• Developed EuroJEM, a tool for conducting occupational exposure assessments in large populations. It is built upon both harmonised and newly developed job exposure matrices (JEMs) from multiple countries, and addresses the most prevalent and significant occupational exposures.
• Piloted minimally invasive biosampling, a low-cost and efficient method enabling workers to take their own blood samples for molecular biomonitoring.
• Trialled wearable sensors in the workplace, and worked with occupational health and safety specialists to develop guidelines for their successful and correct use.

EPHOR scientific evidence

EPHOR researchers collated and reviewedevidence on 200 occupational exposures to show which chemical, biological, physical and psychosocial exposures are linked to over 60 non-communicable diseases to identify priority areas for future research. Moreover, some diseases, such as sarcoidosis, are associated to more than one exposure, each of which may promote a different disease phenotype. During the COVID-19 pandemic, EPHOR developed a job exposure matrix to gain insight into occupations with high exposure to COVID-19 and the role of working conditions on infection risk. Both genetic background and exposure to silicates – (crystalline) silica and asbestos – are highly relevant to the development of (sub-) clinical systemic autoimmune disease.

More details about the scientific achievements can be found here.

Next steps for research and policy

• Build a framework for occupational exposome passports enabling the structured collection of personal exposure data to provide personalised risk assessments of developing diseases.
• Use molecular biomonitoring techniques to explore how occupational exposures such as mineral dust and organic solvents affect immune system responses.
• Investigate the dynamics of non-occupational exposures with working life, such as the effect of night shift work on diet, mental health and social and family relations.

EPHOR has developed data, impact assessment approaches and early detection technologies to enable policy makers to shift their focus to preventive actions designed to stop workers falling ill.