Unit of Occupational Medicine

The unit consists of five research groups – Bodin, Brulin, Falkstedt, Håkansta and Selander. 

Our unit conducts research and education aimed at identifying and preventing health hazards in the workplace. Our work focuses on chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial factors that may affect workers’ health and well-being. Our activities span research, education, and knowledge dissemination. The unit contributes to the training of medical students, occupational health nurses and physicians, and specialists in occupational and environmental medicine. The unit includes approximately 70 researchers, staff members, and affiliated scientists working within the field of occupational medicine.

Cohorts and epidemiological research

Within the unit, the multidimensional job exposure matrix SWEJEM is being developed to classify exposure to chemicals, particles, noise, vibrations, physical strain, psychosocial factors, and precarious employment conditions. SWEJEM is used in large-scale epidemiological cohort studies and constitutes a national research infrastructure. We also maintain several extensive datasets in which health outcomes among working men and women are studied over time: ATHOS, SNOW, and SWIP, as well as the mother–child cohort FAIR. Health outcomes studied include cardiovascular disease, cancer, pregnancy complications, mental health conditions, and exclusion from the labour market due to health problems.

Measurement projects 

The unit also conducts measurement projects in workplace settings, where new methods for assessing ergonomic strain are evaluated using smart textiles alongside more traditional measurements of particles, chemicals, noise, and vibrations in relation to biomarkers. In addition, the work environment is assessed using qualitative methods, and new types of workplace interventions are developed and evaluated.

Ongoing research projects 

The unit conducts research on a wide range of occupational health topics. Current projects examine how non-standard employment, digitalisation, and algorithmic management affect working conditions and health, as well as how digital technologies influence the organisation of work and the work environment. Other research focuses on psychosocial and organisational factors in working life, including shift work, stress-related ill health, and sustainable work environments, particularly in healthcare. Additional projects investigate how working conditions and labour market factors contribute to musculoskeletal disorders and psychological distress, as well as the health effects of chemical and physical exposures in the workplace.

EuroJEM is a tool designed for conducting occupational exposure assessments in large populations where individual data is unavailable. It includes a comprehensive set of job-exposure matrices (JEMs) that cover a wide range of occupational exposures across Europe. Built upon harmonized, high-quality JEMs from multiple countries, EuroJEM also incorporates new, specially developed JEMs created for this project. The result is a robust tool that addresses some of the most prevalent and significant occupational exposures in the labor market. 

Its primary objective is to provide comprehensive and state-of the-art exposure assessment information for population studies, both within and outside the EPHOR project. It is derived from an extensive list of both existing and newly developed Job Exposure Matrices (JEMs) – covering a wide range of exposure factors. These factors include chemical, physical, psychosocial and ergonomic exposures.  

A variety of methodologies have been employed in the development of these Job-Exposure Matrices (JEMs), each targeting specific populations, regions or time periods. Within the EuroJEM individual JEMs are being harmonized in terms of both coding systems and exposure assignments across various agents. The reference point for this alignment is the European version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) coding system, 1988 edition (ISCO-88(COM)). 

ErgoArmMeter is a professional inclinometer application for measuring arm elevation during work. It is developed by Liyun Yang (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) under the supervision of Mikael Forsman (Karolinska Institutet). This project is a collaboration between Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet (KI) and School of Technology and Health at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

The unit is closely associated with the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (CAMM) at Region Stockholm. 

Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (CAMM) aims to promote equal and improved public health by identifying, assessing, and preventing health risks in both the workplace and the surrounding environment. Their work includes patient investigations, risk mapping, knowledge dissemination, teaching, and research.

CAMM is a knowledge centre within Region Stockholm. They address health risks in occupational and environmental settings caused by:

• Chemical and biological factors, such as air pollution, chemicals, and allergens.
• Physical factors, such as noise, vibrations, electromagnetic fields, and other radiation, as well as the direct and indirect effects of climate change.
• Social and organisational factors, such as work organisation, working conditions, and stress.
• Ergonomic factors, such as heavy manual handling, uncomfortable working positions, and sedentary work.

Patient Clinics 

CAMM has three patient clinics: the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic, the Skin Allergy Clinic, and the Allergy Consultant Clinic, which accept patients by referral. 

University Healthcare Unit 

CAMM is a university healthcare unit and meets the requirements for academic infrastructure, competence, and quality as stipulated in the national ALF agreement.

Knowledge Dissemination and Expert Support 

A significant part of CAMM's work involves providing knowledge support and dissemination. They produce reports, hold seminars and training sessions, send out newsletters, and teach, primarily at Karolinska Institutet. They also provide expert support to the Health and Medical Care Administration (HSF) and other parts of Region Stockholm when developing policies and action plans.

Research 

CAMM collaborates with Karolinska Institutet in research and teaching. They are mainly affiliated with the Institute of Environmental Medicine.