WORKING CONDITIONS

摘要

A national working-conditions survey in France has revealed huge disparities between the harmful work exposures of managers and employees, with 20 times as many skilled workers exposed to hazardous chemicals as their bosses~1. The latest edition of the Medical Surveillance of Employees at Occupational Risks (SUMER) surveyed 33,600 employees, randomly selected by 1,243 participating OH physicians. The study was carried out between April 2016 and September 2017 with 26,500 usable questionnaires returned.The study revealed that 22.0% of unskilled workers are exposed to shiftwork, compared with 2.8% of managerial staff, while 32.7% of skilled workers are exposed to at least three chemical products, compared with 1.7% of managers. An estimated 9.7% of workers (1.8 million) continue to be exposed to at least one carcinogenic agent - down from 13.8% in 2003 (the first year of recording carcinogens). Exposure to biological agents has increased - up from 10.2% in 1994 to 19.3% in 2017.