I Iavicoli1, A Gambelunghe2, A Magrini3, G Mosconi4, L Soleo5, L Vigna6, R Trevisan7, A Bruno8, A M Chiambretti9, A M Scarpitta10, L Sciacca11, U Valentini12. 1. Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: ivo.iavicoli@unina.it. 2. Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. 3. Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. 4. Unit of Occupational Medicine, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy. 5. Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine "E.C. Vigliani", University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy. 6. Department of Health Services and Preventive Medicine, Occupational Health Unit, Clinica del Lavoro L. Devoto, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. 7. Unit of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy. 8. Centro Unificato di Diabetologia, AO Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - Antica Sede, Torino, Italy. 9. SS Diabetologia, ASLT04, Chivasso, Italy. 10. Diabetes Unit, Paolo Borsellino Hospital, Marsala, Italy. 11. Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Catania, Italy. 12. U.O. Diabetologia, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
Abstract
AIM: The Italian Society of Occupational Medicine (SIML), the Italian Diabetes Society (SID) and the Association of Diabetologists (AMD) joined a working group that produced a consensus paper aimed to assess the available evidence regarding the interplay between specific working conditions, including shift- and night-time work, working activities at high risk of accidents and work at heights, working tasks requiring high-energy expenditure, working activities at extreme temperatures and diabetes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders caused by defects in insulin secretion and/or action affecting millions of people worldwide, many of whom are or wish to be active members of the workforce. Although diabetes, generally, does not prevent a person from properly performing his/her working tasks, disease complications can significantly compromise a person's ability to work. Therefore, it appears evident the need to understand the relationship between occupational risk factors and diabetes. The working group included in the document some practical recommendations useful to ensure diabetic workers the possibility to safely and effectively undertake their jobs and to adequately manage and treat their disease, also in the workplace. In this perspective concerted action of all the workplace preventive figures, occupational physicians and diabetologists should be strongly encouraged. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are necessary to define workplace-based interventions, which should be minimally invasive towards the work organization, allowing diabetic workers to fully realize their work skills while improving their wellbeing at work.
AIM: The Italian Society of Occupational Medicine (SIML), the Italian Diabetes Society (SID) and the Association of Diabetologists (AMD) joined a working group that produced a consensus paper aimed to assess the available evidence regarding the interplay between specific working conditions, including shift- and night-time work, working activities at high risk of accidents and work at heights, working tasks requiring high-energy expenditure, working activities at extreme temperatures and diabetes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders caused by defects in insulin secretion and/or action affecting millions of people worldwide, many of whom are or wish to be active members of the workforce. Although diabetes, generally, does not prevent a person from properly performing his/her working tasks, disease complications can significantly compromise a person's ability to work. Therefore, it appears evident the need to understand the relationship between occupational risk factors and diabetes. The working group included in the document some practical recommendations useful to ensure diabetic workers the possibility to safely and effectively undertake their jobs and to adequately manage and treat their disease, also in the workplace. In this perspective concerted action of all the workplace preventive figures, occupational physicians and diabetologists should be strongly encouraged. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are necessary to define workplace-based interventions, which should be minimally invasive towards the work organization, allowing diabetic workers to fully realize their work skills while improving their wellbeing at work.