Paule Rey

EFFECT OF AN INTERMITTENT LIGHT STIMULATION ON THE CRITICAL FUSION FREQUENCY

The effect of intermittent light stimulation (ILS) on the critical fusion frequency (CFF) has been studied. Some stimulation frequencies (effective frequencies) induced a drop in the CFF. These frequencies are lower than the initial CFF and higher than 2 cps. The maximum drop was obtained for a frequency equal to about half of the CFF of the subject. The relation between the drop of the CFF and the frequency of stimulation can be expressed as a U-shaped curve. It can be mathematically formulated for each subject with three constants which varied remarkably little from subject to subject. The time course of the drop for a given frequency as well as the kinetics of recovery were exponential. The time constant was independent of the frequency of the ILS. If the stimulus consisted in printed letters read by the subject, a drop of the CFF followed by a recovery was observed, both with an exponential time course. The influence of these effects on the techniques used to measure the critical fusion frequency has ...

Importance de l'exposition bactérienne chez les employés de la voirie chargés de la levée des ordures

ZusammenfassungDie Kehrichtmänner sind während ihrer Arbeit durch verschieden dichte und verschiedene mikrobiologische Aerosole gefährdet. Die Granulometrie weist daraufhin, dass diese Aerosole auf die Erscheinung und die Verschlimmerung der chronischen Bronchitis bedeutsam einwirken könnten.SummaryDuring their Work, Dustmen are exposed to important and various microbiological Aerosols, which, according to the Granulometry, could have an Influence on the Start and the Progress of chronic Bronchitis.During their Work, Dustmen are exposed to important and various microbiological Aerosols, which, according to the Granulometry, could have an Influence on the Start and the Progress of chronic Bronchitis.

Compensation for occupational injuries and diseases: its effect upon prevention at the workplace

In Switzerland, as in many other industrialized countries, the nature and extent of prevention at the workplace is determined, at least partially, by known cases of compensated occupational injuries and diseases. At both the national and international levels (ILO conventions), injuries and diseases that fit appropriate lists and definitions are eligible for compensation. It has been found, based upon an investigation of a representative sample (965 subjects) of the working population in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, that this restrictive view does not take into account the fact that a large proportion of injuries and diseases are claimed by the victims to be caused by their job. These injuries and diseases, responsible for at least one months absence from work, are not considered to be eligible for compensation but must be covered by the patients own insurance. Moreover, the survey showed that workers considered the ill effects on health and safety to be a consequence less of the physical working environment than of the work organization, and that this category of risks was not recognized. Thus, in addition to the reduction of hazards by the application of industrial hygiene, an informed improvement of the workplace and the work organization was required. Consequently, laws and regulations on occupational injuries and diseases should be changed in order to emphasize the role of more appropriate preventive tools, which includes ergonomics.

Epidémiologie de la bronchite chronique

In this short paper, the definition of chronic bronchitis, as it is now widely accepted by epidemiologists, is given and a comparison is made with the disease as usually referred to by general practitioners. Risk factors which are related to the development of the disease are then briefly discussed and the importance of internal parameters is underlined. At last, the methodological difficulties which arise in the assessment of the relationship between air pollution and respiratory symptoms are emphasized.

Risques professionnels: Etude par échantillonnage en Suisse romande

SummaryTo prevent professional injuries and diseases, the need of analyzing risks at the work place from the individual as well as from collective point of view, is emphasized by lawmaker.The present study shows that, using epidemiology enquiries allows one to analyse the prevalence of professionnal diseases in a population, without using the “LAA type” lists. Once can see that these diseases, though linked to professional activity, go far beyond the limits of the insurance prescribed definitions.

Ergonomic Criteria Necessary to Epidemiological Studies in Industrial Medicine and Public Health

Abstract While protective measures in industrialized countries mention ergonomic factors as possible means to improve health, safely and well-being at the work place, more and more ergonomic variables are introduced in recent epidemiological studies concerning the relationship between work hazards and health effects. After a short review of this literature, the author attempts to list relevant ergonomic criteria for further researches in industrial medicine and public health. Criteres Ergonomiques Necessaires aux Etudes Epidemiologiques en Medecine du Travail et en Sante Publique Notwendige Ergonomische Kriterien fur Epidemiologische Studien in der Arbeitsmedizin und im Offentlichen Gesundheitswesen

Les données sur l'accident de la CNA peuvent-elles être utiles à l'épidémiologie si cette dernière est destinée à valider les mesures préventives?

In the general frame of an inquiry concerning the development of occupational health in Switzerland and its forthcoming place inside the Swiss health system, data on accidents were communicated to us by the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund. In this paper, the question is raised whether those data may be effectively submitted to the epidemiological analysis in order to quantify the accident risk and to validate preventive measures. Results will be presented in a subsequent article.

The Functional Examination of the Human Photopic Visual System with the Aid of Psychophysical Flicker Thresholds and ERG Flicker Responses

This paper deals with the use of flicker fusion thresholds, as plotted by De Lange, and averaged flicker ERG recorded with conventional clinical equipment. Different methods are developed to quantify the morphological changes of the ERG responses and express them in empirical attenuation curves. The objective and subjective results are discussed in point of view of the De Lange model.

Divergences concernant la perception des risques chimiques

In Switzerland, employers and employees are requested to settle together the amount of risk and priorities for each industrial activity, for the needs of a federal commission in charge of occupational health specialists. After our results, this aim will be difficult to achieve, since the feelings of employers and employees on similar safety problems vary widely. In particular, chemical risks did not evoke similar reactions in employers and employees of the French and of the German-speaking regions. In order to help employers and employees to reach a consensus, a method will be developed in a near future.

[Principles of decisional analysis applied to the screening for occupational diseases: the example of occupational fluorosis].

In this paper, two oral presentations are combined. The first described the broad aspects of decision analysis and the second mentioned those medical data which need to be gathered in order to apply the model to industrial fluorosis. For this purpose, biological and medical observations were collected, both from workers of the aluminium industry and from controls. The five successive steps for building up a decision tree are then demonstrated, the aim of which being to evaluate the fitness of a screening strategy. A computer programme has been developed which may be applied both to occupational or non occupational diseases. Referring to industrial fluorosis, the computerized decision tree showed that screening with preshift urinary fluor, clinical and radiological signs, plus bone fluor rate is required, as soon as the risk corresponds to a 7% prevalence of the disease.