From cross-tabulations to multipurpose exposure information systems: A new job-exposure matrix

Abstract

Previous job‐exposure matrices (JEM) have usually cross‐tabulated classified exposure information by chemical agent and occupational class. A new Finnish job‐exposure matrix (FINJEM) was constructed for exposure assessment in large register‐based studies. Unlike most other JEMs, FINJEM was designed to contain definitions, inferences, exposure data, and references. This documentation enables FINJEM to be applied also as a general exposure information system for hazard control, risk quantification and hazard surveillance. The system includes, e.g., workforce data, and it provides information on the numbers of exposed workers in Finland by agent, occupation, and level of exposure. The exposures of FINJEM cover major physical, chemical, microbiological, ergonomic, and psychosocial factors. The assessment period is 1945–1997, divided into several subperiods. Exposure is described by the prevalence of exposure and the level of exposure among the exposed, both estimated mainly on continuous scales. The user may also define the final criteria of exposure, and thereby influence the magnitude of misclassification. Am. J. Ind. Med. 33:409–417, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Study of the validity of a job-exposure matrix for psychosocial work factors: results from the national French SUMER survey

“…As far as we know, there were the national surveys using the JCQ among random samples of the US working population (Karasek and Theorell 1990;Schwartz et al 1988), the Swedish surveys using the Swedish Demand-Control Model among national random samples (Johnson and Stewart 1993;Johnson et al 1990;Fredlund et al 2000), a Finnish national survey using proxies of the main JCQ components (Kauppinen et al 1998), and the Danish Monica II study including a representative sample and proxies for demands and latitude (Netterstrom and Kristensen 2005).…”

“…JEMs have generally been elaborated using evaluation of experts in a given Weld of exposure assessment. Regarding psychosocial work factors, expert assessment has been shown to have major shortcomings (Kauppinen et al 1998). As a consequence, the only exposure assessment possible may be the self-reporting of these factors.…”

Occupational chronic solvent encephalopathy in Finland 1995–2007: incidence and exposure

“…This may reXect underrated neurotoxicity of aliphatic compounds. FINJEM provides occupation-speciWc estimates on the probability and the level of exposure to selected work-related risk factors, but the deWnition of occupation-and agent dimensions, however, limits its use because all workers with the same occupational title are assigned to the same class irrespective of their actual exposure status or level (Benke et al 2001;Kauppinen et al 1998). The misclassiWcation of exposure may skew the number of exposed workers, thus leading to incidenceWgure unreliability.…”

“…The Finnish Job-Exposure Matrix (FINJEM) provides information on the number of exposed workers in Finland by occupation, agent, and level of exposure. The level of exposure is based on measurements at representative workplaces (Kauppinen et al 1998). To estimate the incidence of CSE in solvent-exposed workforce, we used the data on the number of exposed workers retrieved according to agent, i.e.…”

Impairment of color vision in aircraft maintenance workers

“…The civilian job history calendar was used to determine civilian exposure to organic solvents and lead prior to or subsequent to their Air Force enlistment. These data were obtained by initially classifying jobs to the Australian Standard ClassiWcation of Occupation (McLennan 1997; Australian Bureau of Statistics 1997) and translated into the Finnish occupation codes used in the Finnish Job Exposure Matrix (FINJEM) (Kauppinen 1998). Participants were classiWed as having an exposure if they had reported a civilian job for which the FINJEM probability of exposure was greater than 20%.…”