CRITERIA FOR THE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO REPETITIVEMOVEMENTS

In the light of the experience and guidelines developed by other count ries and of Italian legislative and operational conditions, the author s outline a strategy for a health surveillance programme for work-rela ted musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs. In particular, the p aper defines the various aims of the health surveillance programme and identifies significant relevant criteria for its implementation (i.e. existence of risks or effects). A screening schedule is presented bas ed on subsequent investigations (first and second level surveillance); the authors discuss the principal methods used for processing the res ults of the health surveillance programme, in collective (i.e. statist ical comparisons, planning of periodical investigations) and individua l terms (job fitness judgements, reporting of suspected occupational d iseases).