The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Occupational Medicine (OM) has assumed a role of great responsibility in Italy. The need to prevent and manage the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in the workplaces, has subverted the principles of OM, which is focused on the prevention and protection of occupat...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Edizioni FS Publisher
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | GIornale Italiano di Psicologia e Medicina del Lavoro |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://gipmel.it/wp-content/uploads/10.690882022LMDC4.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849319957596209152 |
|---|---|
| author | Giuseppe TAINO Concetta BUONOCORE Tiziana GAZZOLDI Francesca SOLAZZO Irene TAINO Alberto DELOGU |
| author_facet | Giuseppe TAINO Concetta BUONOCORE Tiziana GAZZOLDI Francesca SOLAZZO Irene TAINO Alberto DELOGU |
| author_sort | Giuseppe TAINO |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Occupational Medicine (OM) has assumed a role of great responsibility in Italy. The need to prevent and manage the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in the workplaces, has subverted the principles of OM, which is focused on the prevention and protection of occupational risks. In this perspective, the occupational physician (called “Medico Competente”) appointed by private and public companies has become a global health and safety advisor to the employer. The study aims to describe the containment strategy against COVID-19 infection adopted by a chemical industry in the Lombardy Region between February-April 2020, namely during the most critical phase of the pandemic in Italy.
Methods: The population examined in our study is the entire population of a large petrochemical industrial site, totaling 670 workers. The time interval considered was the period from the end of February to the end of April 2020. A strategy was implemented for the containment of the epidemic at the production site with the collaboration of various professionals and the employees themselves. Through telephone triage, employees absent due to flu-like symptoms were assigned an initial assessment, followed by subsequent periodic reassessment to monitor the progress of their clinical status.
Results: It was found that 182 workers out of a total of 670 employees were absent due to illness. Of the absent workers, 98 (54%) complained of the flu-like syndrome and 84 (46%) were absent due to other illnesses. Of the workers, 14.6% had suspected symptoms of COVID-19 during the reporting period.
Discussion and Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the key role played by the “Medico Competente” in protecting the health of workers and communities. During the health emergency period, OM helped keep national production active and contributed to the definition of measures to protect the health and safety of workers. In this emergency period, the “Medico Competente” was assigned new tasks and functions, which should be considered not as an aggravation of responsibilities, but as an enhancement of the professionalism and skills of the specialist in OM. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c2ec8c8f660d473a93ee5403805ccdc2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2785-1338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Edizioni FS Publisher |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GIornale Italiano di Psicologia e Medicina del Lavoro |
| spelling | doaj-art-c2ec8c8f660d473a93ee5403805ccdc22025-08-20T03:50:16ZengEdizioni FS PublisherGIornale Italiano di Psicologia e Medicina del Lavoro2785-13382022-06-0121384910.69088/2022/LMDC4The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in ItalyGiuseppe TAINO0Concetta BUONOCORE1Tiziana GAZZOLDI2Francesca SOLAZZO3Irene TAINO4Alberto DELOGU5“IRCCS S. Maugeri”, Foundation-Pavia-Unit Hospital of Occupational Medicine (UOOML), Pavia, Italy“IRCCS S. Maugeri”, Foundation-Pavia-Unit Hospital of Occupational Medicine (UOOML), Pavia, Italy“IRCCS S. Maugeri”, Foundation-Pavia-Unit Hospital of Occupational Medicine (UOOML), Pavia, Italy“IRCCS S. Maugeri”, Foundation-Pavia-Unit Hospital of Occupational Medicine (UOOML), Pavia, Italy“IRCCS S. Maugeri”, Foundation-Pavia-Unit Hospital of Occupational Medicine (UOOML), Pavia, Italy“IRCCS S. Maugeri”, Foundation-Pavia-Unit Hospital of Occupational Medicine (UOOML), Pavia, ItalyIntroduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Occupational Medicine (OM) has assumed a role of great responsibility in Italy. The need to prevent and manage the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in the workplaces, has subverted the principles of OM, which is focused on the prevention and protection of occupational risks. In this perspective, the occupational physician (called “Medico Competente”) appointed by private and public companies has become a global health and safety advisor to the employer. The study aims to describe the containment strategy against COVID-19 infection adopted by a chemical industry in the Lombardy Region between February-April 2020, namely during the most critical phase of the pandemic in Italy. Methods: The population examined in our study is the entire population of a large petrochemical industrial site, totaling 670 workers. The time interval considered was the period from the end of February to the end of April 2020. A strategy was implemented for the containment of the epidemic at the production site with the collaboration of various professionals and the employees themselves. Through telephone triage, employees absent due to flu-like symptoms were assigned an initial assessment, followed by subsequent periodic reassessment to monitor the progress of their clinical status. Results: It was found that 182 workers out of a total of 670 employees were absent due to illness. Of the absent workers, 98 (54%) complained of the flu-like syndrome and 84 (46%) were absent due to other illnesses. Of the workers, 14.6% had suspected symptoms of COVID-19 during the reporting period. Discussion and Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the key role played by the “Medico Competente” in protecting the health of workers and communities. During the health emergency period, OM helped keep national production active and contributed to the definition of measures to protect the health and safety of workers. In this emergency period, the “Medico Competente” was assigned new tasks and functions, which should be considered not as an aggravation of responsibilities, but as an enhancement of the professionalism and skills of the specialist in OM.https://gipmel.it/wp-content/uploads/10.690882022LMDC4.pdfoccupational physiciansars cov 2health surveillance |
| spellingShingle | Giuseppe TAINO Concetta BUONOCORE Tiziana GAZZOLDI Francesca SOLAZZO Irene TAINO Alberto DELOGU The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy GIornale Italiano di Psicologia e Medicina del Lavoro occupational physician sars cov 2 health surveillance |
| title | The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy |
| title_full | The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy |
| title_fullStr | The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy |
| title_short | The “medico competente” and the management of COVID-19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic: The experience in a large chemical industry in Italy |
| title_sort | medico competente and the management of covid 19 emergency in the first phase of the pandemic the experience in a large chemical industry in italy |
| topic | occupational physician sars cov 2 health surveillance |
| url | https://gipmel.it/wp-content/uploads/10.690882022LMDC4.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT giuseppetaino themedicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT concettabuonocore themedicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT tizianagazzoldi themedicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT francescasolazzo themedicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT irenetaino themedicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT albertodelogu themedicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT giuseppetaino medicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT concettabuonocore medicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT tizianagazzoldi medicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT francescasolazzo medicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT irenetaino medicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly AT albertodelogu medicocompetenteandthemanagementofcovid19emergencyinthefirstphaseofthepandemictheexperienceinalargechemicalindustryinitaly |