title: [Occupational risk factors and medical prevention in corrections officers].
abstract: In Italy, the Law n. 395/1990 defines the tasks and attributions of prison officers. According to the article 25 of the Legislative Decree n. 81/2008, the occupational physician should participate to risk assessment, and carry out the sanitary surveillance. This report analyzes the various tasks of prison staff, identifies the risk factors, and discusses the preventive strategies, including workers formation and education. Biological agents and work-related stress are the main risk factors, as a consequence of prison overcrowding, personnel shortage and work organization complexity. In his preventive action, and particularly in formulating the judgment on work fitness, the occupational physician often clashes with inadequate ministerial funding.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunzio Valerio
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Mennoial
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Stefano M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Candura
mesh_terms: D003441:Crowding; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D007558:Italy; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D016495:Police / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011330:Prisons / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances