BACKGROUND Recent research has found evidence of an association between motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) or near miss accidents (NMAs), and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or its main medical cause, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). However, EDS can also be due to non-medical factors, such as sleep debt (SD), which is common among professional truck drivers. On the opposite side, rest breaks and ...

We conducted a retrospective mortality study among 6672 petroleum marketing and distribution workers from 226 locations throughout Canada. These employees worked for at least 1 year in the marketing distribution segment from 1964 through 1983 or were annuitants as of 1964. Industrial hygienists assigned hydrocarbon (HC) exposure frequency scores for several jobs, departments, and job functions....

The cause of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) remains unknown. We attempted to find out if occupational exposure to toxicants plays a part in the pathogenesis of this disease. In an Australia-wide case-control study we compared the lifetime occupations of 611 SALS and 775 control individuals. Occupations were coded using country-specific as well as international classifications. Th...

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), as well as to identify factors associated with a greater risk of developing OSAS, among truck drivers. METHODS The study population comprised 209 truck drivers (mean age, 38.8 years; 98.5% males) at two branches of a transportation company. The mean body mass index was 26.5 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2). The participants comp...

BACKGROUND The risk of transmission of tuberculosis is high in crowded conditions. Addis Ababa has a relatively high burden of tuberculosis and its city buses are often filled with commuters. Tuberculosis is a potential occupational hazard for city bus drivers and cash collectors. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of tuberculosis among city bus drivers and ...

Summer extreme heat threatens the health of individuals, especially persons who are involved in outdoor activities. Ensuring the normal function of a city, bus drivers are among those who participate in outdoor physical activities and are exposed to excessive heat in hot summer weather. This qualitative study was performed to explore professional bus drivers' in-depth views of extreme heat risk...

This review paper consolidates the key research on the occupational health of urban bus drivers since the 1950s. Several electronic databases were searched and 27 key studies were identified, which form the basis of this paper. Early findings that bus drivers are liable to suffer ill health as a result of the job remain true today. The research has, however, demonstrated a greater understanding...