Occupational health surveillance strategies for an ethnically diverse Asian employee population.
1. Implementation of a medical/health surveillance program can prevent the damaging effects of lead toxicity. Lead toxicity may be a result of acute or chronic exposure and can affect the hematopoietic, nervous, renal, and reproductive systems. 2. Minority groups tend to be overrepresented in lead industries. Further, an increase in high lead levels can be compounded by cultural influences. Education must be geared toward the specific employee populations. 3. Successful programs require assistance from all team members--occupational health nurse, safety engineer, industrial hygienist, and environmental engineer. Occupational health nurses play an important role in implementation of medical/health surveillance programs by scheduling regular blood testing, monitoring results, and educating employees.
Sakamoto
M
M
Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Vaughan
J
J
Tobias
B
B
D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D001213:Asian; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States