title: Workplace exposure to engineered nanomaterials: the Italian path for the definition of occupational health and safety policies.
abstract: This study explores the way the publication of a National White Book on health and safety risks that affect workers in jobs involving Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials influenced the key Italian stakeholders attitude toward this issue and identifies the standpoints and priorities shared among researchers and stakeholders to develop a policy framework to address this issue. The study not only highlights some important assumptions (i.e. the acknowledgment by the key stakeholders of the need for actions and the identification of objectives which can gain a wide consensus) for the establishment of a policy community that sustains the development of a policymaking process on the issue but, through the interaction between stakeholders and OSH researchers, it also identifies some in nuce proposals that represent the starting point for policy interventions aimed at meeting the needs of both stakeholders and scientific community. Results obtained in terms of clarification of interests at stake, identification of potential areas of consensus and level of key national actors' engagement achieved, show the potentialities of adopting a knowledge based and inclusive approach to policy-making to address the issue of prevention and management of health and safety risks related to technological innovation within a framework of scientific uncertainty.
authors.affiliation: INAIL Research Area - Department of Occupational Medicine, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, RM 00040, Italy. Electronic address: m.mirabile@inail.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirabile
authors.affiliation: INAIL Research Area - Department of Occupational Medicine, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, RM 00040, Italy. Electronic address: f.boccuni@inail.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boccuni
authors.affiliation: INAIL Research Area - Department of Occupational Medicine, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, RM 00040, Italy. Electronic address: d.gagliardi@inail.it.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gagliardi
authors.affiliation: INAIL Research Area - Department of Occupational Medicine, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, RM 00040, Italy. Electronic address: b.rondinone@inail.it.
authors.forename: Bruna Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rondinone
authors.affiliation: INAIL Research Area - Department of Occupational Medicine, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, RM 00040, Italy. Electronic address: s.iavicoli@inail.it.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iavicoli
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D049329:Nanostructures; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000592:standards; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards*; D011050:Policy Making; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Emerging risk; Legislative framework; Nanotechnologies; Occupational health and safety; Participatory decision-making process; Stakeholders engagement