Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
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Making the Difference in Occupational Health: Three Original and Significant Cases Presented at ICOH Congresses in the 20th Century

  • Iavicoli, Sergio (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL)) ;
  • Valenti, Antonio (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL)) ;
  • Barillari, Caterina (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL)) ;
  • Fortuna, Grazia (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL)) ;
  • Boccuni, Valeria (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL)) ;
  • Carnevale, Francesco (Center of Documentation for the History of Welfare and Health) ;
  • Riva, Michele A. (School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca) ;
  • Kang, Seong-Kyu (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center) ;
  • Tomassini, Luigi (Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna)
  • Received : 2019.11.14
  • Accepted : 2020.03.25
  • Published : 2020.06.30
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Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to illustrate the historical role of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) congresses as an arena where national and international occupational medicine can dialogue and as the first example of scientific transferability of the research and prevention results that have had such an impact on global public health. Methods: We used the ICOH Heritage Repository, in which ICOH congress proceedings (from the first congress in Milan in 1906 to the last congress, held in Dublin in 2018), are organised in an orderly way, updated and easily accessible according to open access logic. Results: We describe studies by three physicians who submitted significant scientific work to ICOH congresses, one on the battle against ancylostomiasis (Volante, 1906), the second (Quarelli, 1928) on carbon disulphide poisoning, and the third (Viola, 1969) on the carcinogenicity of vinyl chloride monomer. Priority is given to Italian cases, on account of the authors' obvious familiarity with the issues. Conclusion: The visibility offered in ICOH conferences and their published proceedings has boosted the international spread of their findings, contributing to the scientific transferability of the research results and influencing the development of policies and prevention interventions that have had a great impact on global public health.

Keywords

References

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