September 23rd, 2015 – An Italian has been elected at the helm of the Scientific Committee on Radiation and Work. Professor Fabriziomaria Gobba, of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine, Clinical and Public Health at Unimore, is the first Italian to preside over the organization. For the next three years (2015-2018), he will head one of the most important committees within the International Commission on Occupational Health – ICOH. The appointment of the Professor – as stated in a note from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – took place in Seoul (Korea) during the last World Congress of the Association of Occupational Medicine, the largest global event of this branch of medicine, that saw the participation of over 3500 doctors and professionals from nearly 100 different countries. “The appointment to the presidency of the Scientific Committee – emphasizes Professor Gobba – gives me great satisfaction, because it is a recognition of the work carried out over the years with my collaborators.” Health risks related to work activities are certainly still a significant problem, despite efforts that allowed for progress in this field. For example, it is estimated that over 10% of all lung cancers, over 20% of those of the bladder and of leukaemias, and between 20% and 40% of back pain problems can be related to the work environment, which contributes, directly or indirectly, to 5-10% of all male deaths. This according to a recent Scandinavian study. These diseases could all be potentially avoidable through appropriate prevention. One of the important and topical areas of Occupational Medicine concerns health risks and effects that can be caused by the exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. The Scientific Committee on Radiation and Work will be responsible for keeping up to date the expertise of occupational doctors and other professionals in the prevention of risks, in the implementation of protection measures for workers exposed to ionizing and non-ionizing radtion, and in the promotion of the international adoption of more effective preventive measures, working in close collaboration with the most influential organizations worldwide in health matters, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Office (ILO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The objective that Professor Gobba aims to develop within his mandate is to acquire more definitive knowledge on the issue of visual impairment caused by low exposure to ionizing radiation in the health workforce; and that of health damages caused by excessive exposure to solar radiation at work. (Red)
