Occupational Skin Diseases prevention is one of the main objectives of Action TD 1206 StanDerm (“Development and Implementation of European Standards on Prevention of Occupational Skin Diseases”), a network of scientists representing 26 countries coordinating prevention-related activities across Europe, aiming to establish prevention standards by improving educational concepts and identifying susceptibility indicators.

Non-specific low back pain (nLBP) is the second most important reason for sick leave in the Netherlands, and more than 50% of the workers on sick leave attribute these complaints to their work. To stimulate recognition and prevention, an occupational disease (OD) registration-guideline was implemented for the assessment of the work-relatedness of nLBP in the Netherlands in 2005.

This is the first direct comparison of trends in OD within Europe and is consistent with a positive impact of European initiatives addressing exposures relevant to asthma and contact dermatitis.

Working conditions can sometimes reduce fertility or be harmful to pregnancy and the unborn child. From 3 November, people with a desire to have children can easily check whether they are exposed to any conditions at work that may interfere with a healthy pregnancy. This can be done using the preconception indicator at www.zwangerwijzer.nl (dutch site).
 

The criteria support professionals in the field of occupational medicine in the assessment of the contribution of work-related risk factors to the occurrence of nonspecific low-back pain in individual workers.