Special collection of recent Cochrane Reviews now freely available

On the 28th of April, the International Labour Organization celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The theme for 2013 is the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. To commemorate the day, the Cochrane Occupational Safety and Health Review Group at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health will publish, also on April 28th, a special collection of recent Cochrane Reviews of the research evidence of interventions aimed at preventing occupational diseases. The collection is freely available to everyone.

Dr Harri Vainio, Director General of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, recommends that employers use this set of research evidence to develop preventive policy and practice so that they can achieve tangible health benefits for their employees.

Labour unions worldwide also commemorate workers who have died at work or as a result of exposure at work on this day. Fortunately, many statistics indicate that workplace health and safety have improved worldwide over time. Occupational injury rates have shown a steady decline over the last 100 years. In Finland although the number of accidents at work has remained steady over recent years, the amount of occupational diseases has declined.

Occupational hearing loss is still reported as one of the most frequent occupational diseases in many countries. Around the world, workers and employers struggle with problems such as disability related to back pain and other musculoskeletal problems. In health care, we still cannot fully protect workers from the risks of contracting infectious diseases in their work. Many blank spots remain in the evidence base for preventing occupational diseases. However what is available today can still impact on and improve the preventive potential of health and safety interventions at work.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an esteemed global research community with more than 28 000 active members. The Collaboration produces syntheses of medical research, called Cochrane reviews. The reviews are produced and published by 53 review groups that each have their own speciality area. Each review collects and summarizes the best available evidence of a given intervention that aims to address a particular health issue. Occupational safety and health reviews are intended to influence guidance and procedures at workplaces and occupational health services so that harmful exposures can be reduced and work-related diseases can be prevented and treated as effectively as possible.

Additional information:

Jani Ruotsalainen, Managing Editor, jani.ruotsalainen[at]ttl.fi

See also:

The special collection will be published on the front page of the Cochrane Library at:

http://www.thecochranelibrary.com

Occupational Safety and Health Review Group (www.osh.cochrane.org)

the Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.org)

ILO, World Day for Safety and Health at Work

The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health researches, develops and specializes in well-being at work. It promotes occupational health and safety and the well-being of workers. It is an independent institution under public law, working under the administrative sector of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. It has six regional offices, and its headquarters are in Helsinki. It employs just under 800 people.