Updated information on the EUROJEM
A wide range of 10 different exposures of main interest for work-related mortality and morbidity have been harmonised to feed into a first version of a comprehensive European Job-Exposure Matrix (EuroJEM1.0), coded into ISCO-88 (COM). The exposures are:
- Chemicals and particles, 1970-2020 (10-year intervals), exposure prevalence (3 categories), estimated average exposure level among the exposed, for: Respirable crystalline silica, Nickel, Wood dust, Diesel engine exhaust
- Physical exposures, 1970-2020 (5-year intervals): Occupational noise exposure (continuous scale)
- Psychosocial exposure, 1990-2015 (no subdivision), exposure prevalence, (4 categories): Quantitative job demands, Decision authority
- Physical workload, 1997-2019 (no subdivision), exposure prevalence (5 categories): Faster breathing due to heavy physical workload, Working in forward bent posture, Heavy lifting, Working in kneeling or squatting, Working with hands above shoulder level
The harmonised JEMs weigh heavily on data from the Nordic countries and Western Europe with a main gap for Eastern Europe calling for caution in applying them to this region.
Ongoing efforts include validation of the harmonised JEMs, as well as arrangements to ensure that EuroJEM will remain accessible and updated beyond EPHOR.