Documents Farina, Elena 3 results

"Background:The construction industry is at the top of the list of priorities for surveillance and research, although it is often difficult to perform detailed analysis of the risk factors. In mid-2002, construction work started on the Torino to Novara high-speed railway line. A Regional Epidemiological Observatory developed a standardized data collection system that provided a rare opportunity for researchers in Italy to analyze risk factors for occupational injury in a large cohort of workers involved in a single major construction project. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of a cohort of workers employed at construction sites of the high-speed Torino to Novara railway between 2003 and 2005, analyze the main determinants of occupational injury risk and estimate incidence rates.Methods:Frequency rates of occupational injury were calculated by characteristics of workers and firms and relative risks were estimated using a Poisson model.Results:Annual injury incidence decreased over the period and was higher than the Italian construction industry rate. The risk was highest among workers performing the least skilled jobs and with the shortest contracts. Moreover the risk was higher in large enterprises.Conclusions:Although calculated within a specific context, the results provide information applicable to all construction sites. The high risk of occupational injury associated with short-term contracts suggests, at such large and long-term construction sites, to engage workers on a permanent basis for the duration of the construction project."

"Background
In Italy small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for 99.9% of businesses and are constituted more than elsewhere by micro-enterprises. In 2008 an injury prevention project designed for metalworking micro-enterprises was initiated near Turin (Italy).
Aims
The aim of this paper is to describe the project and assess its effectiveness in improving the safety of machinery and quality of workplace environments.
Methods
The multi-component intervention included: baseline assessment visits by technicians without juridical power; free training sessions for company owners; post-intervention inspection of a sample of companies. Indices relating to the machinery and the environment were calculated and pre- post intervention differences were measured. Comparisons between specific groups of participant firms were made.
Results
86.5% of the selected firms took part in at least some components of the intervention. There was a significant overall average improvement of more than 20% in the environment index, while for the machinery there were not statistically significant results. The group of firms which attended the sessions had greater improvements than the group which did not. The proportion of machinery complying with legislation increased, but only for some specific types of machines.
Conclusions
This is a good example of an intervention focusing on a target group of firms that are not usually involved in prevention projects. It is concluded that an intervention, based on visits to the companies and free information meetings, was effective in improving workplace environment safety in metalworking micro-enterprises."

"We investigate how labour market institutions shape the labour response to acute cardiovascular shocks in a highly regulated labour market over the long run. Using Italian administrative data that covers the history of employment, social security and hospitalization of workers, we exploit several identification strategies to remove bias from observable and unobservable confounders. Significant reductions in employment and labour income emerge in the short run and persist over time, with no evidence of re-entry in the longer run. No adjustment is detected in working hours or wages for those who maintain employment. While the Disability Insurance (DI) system contributes to insure workers against the consequences of health shocks, we offer new evidence on the value of employment protective institutions in strengthening unhealthy workers' labour inclusion, in particular for blue-collar workers."