Preparation of the "GonKatast" project data for use in investigations into cases of suspected occupational disease and in prevention activity

Status:

completed 09/2010

Aims:

In the "GonKatast" project, measured data on knee straining activities associated with formally recognized occupational disease (BK) No. 2112 ("osteoarthritis of the knee") were recorded in several occupations with the co-operation of a number of statutory accident insurance institutions. The data were evaluated and converted into a form suitable for use in a database of measured values. The objective of this follow-on project is now to present the data in the form of an IFA Report and to make them available for use during investigations in cases of formally recognized occupational diseases, and also for prevention purposes.

Activities/Methods:

The measured data were to be processed in order to make them comprehensible and useful to the various users, such as occupational disease case workers, social courts, and the prevention services. For this purpose, all occupations and task modules studied in the "GonKatast" project were to be described appropriately, and supplemented by images and measured data. The relevance of the measured results was also described adequately with reference to formally recognized occupational diseases (BK) 2102, 2105 and 2112, and discussed in the context of other studies from the scientific literature. In addition, the results were reviewed with regard to their suitability for the identification of selective prevention measures. This information was summarized in the report.

Results:

IFA-Report 1/2010 on GonKatast, a database of measured values relating to occupational knee loading, has been completed and is available online to interested users. The database, which was developed based upon approximately 530 hours of measurements in total, contains data on 16 occupations and 81 specific task modules, with a total of 242 shift recordings. The registry comprises tasks from the occupations of reinforcing ironworkers, floor layers, roofers, screed layers, truck tarp makers, tilers, airport ramp agents, mould makers, plumbers, painters and decorators, natural and artificial stone layers, parquet layers, pavers, pipe layers, welders, and shipyard workers. The report thus constitutes an important basis for workplace investigations during the management of cases of formally recognized occupational diseases (for diseases (BK) 2102, 2105 and 2112); in addition, it provides scope for identifying key prevention aspects in the area of occupational knee strain, and for developing suitable prevention measures. Specific examples of this are presented in the report, as is information on the anatomy, function and diseases of the knee joint.

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