JOB EXPOSURE MATRICES IN INDUSTRY

Job exposure matrices (JEM) are designed to link information on occupa tion with information on exposure to specific workplace hazards. in sp ite of some [imitations, JEM are particularly useful in large retrospe ctive epidemiological studies. The development of JEM designed for a c ompany or an industrial sector have a more specific field of applicati on than JEM used in population-based studies, and can therefore be bas ed on a more detailed classification of occupations and better exposur e information. This article reviews on-going research related to the d esign of JEM in support of industry-based studies. The review covers d esign aspects related to the structure of JEM, and specially the four main axes that may produce differences on exposure characteristics: ag ent (exposure), job, time and place. Attention has also been given to the different sources of information on exposure, the characteristics of the exposure and the validation of exposure estimates.