Medycyna pracy最新文献

{"title":"Professional burnout and functioning styles in a group of soldiers and civilian employees working in the armed forces.","authors":"Barbara Mróz, Aleksandra Breguła-Wyraz","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01690","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01690","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the level of professional burnout, professional functioning styles, and occupational activity in a group of soldiers and civilian employees working in the military. The theoretical basis was the model of professional burnout of Christine Maslach and the concept of professional functioning styles developed by Barbara Mróz.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The study employed the following tools: Christine Maslach's <i>Maslach Burnout Inventory</i> (MBI) to measure burnout, Barbara Mróz's new, original <i>Professional Functioning Scale</i> (<i>Skala funkcjonowania zawodowego</i> - SFZ) in occupational psychology, and a questionnaire assessing the level of occupational activity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results of statistical analyses showed statistically significant differences between soldiers and civilian employees in selected dimensions of burnout (depersonalization t = 3.723, p < 0.001) and professional functioning styles (authoritarian t = 5.031, p < 0.001; avoidant t = -3.153, p < 0.002; cooperative t = -4.531, p < 0.001). All differences were higher among soldiers. Occupational activity proved to be a statistically significant factor differentiating operational effectiveness and stress resistance (t = -4.934, p < 0.001). Here, the difference was higher among military personnel. Correlations were found between professional functioning styles and burnout levels (authoritarian and avoidant styles were associated with higher burnout levels, the cooperative style had a protective effect). Soldiers: correlation positive (r = 0.270, p < 0.05), prefer an authoritarian style - based on control, decision-making, and hierarchy. Civilian employees: correlation positive (r = 0.377, p < 0.01), that the more often used an authoritarian style in their professional functioning, the higher their overall level of burnout was.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results obtained are relevant for human resource management in military organizations and for the development of psychological support programs and training in coping with stress and developing effective professional functioning styles. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(2):111-118.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"111-118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147694714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors associated with burnout vulnerability in Polish pre-service teachers: insights from the AVEM diagnostic inventory and implications for occupational health prevention.","authors":"Ivana Mašková, Karolina Szatkowska, Wiktor Warchałowski, Dana Buršíková","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01692","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01692","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The present study aimed at the early detection of Polish teacher education students vulnerable to burnout and occupational health issues, using the work-related coping behavior and experience patterns (<i>Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster</i> - AVEM) diagnostic inventory to identify risk work-related patterns (the excessively ambitious pattern A and the resigned pattern B).</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Participants were 431 full-time first-year teacher education students enrolled at various higher education institutions in Poland. They completed a survey including the AVEM inventory, the <i>Motivation for Choosing Teacher Education Questionnaire</i>, the intrinsic religiosity subscale of the <i>Duke University Religion Index</i>, and the revised <i>Life Orientation Test</i>. The predictive values of background variables, attitudes toward teaching and teacher education, career choice motivation, intrinsic religiosity, and dispositional optimism for assignment to the work-related patterns were examined using multinomial logistic regression, with the healthy ambitious pattern G serving as the reference group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 59.63% of participants were assigned to risk patterns indicating increased vulnerability to burnout and occupational health issues. Older students were less likely to be assigned to pattern A (b = -1.28, p < 0.05), whereas those working longer hours alongside their studies were more likely to be assigned to pattern A (b = 1.09, p < 0.05). Students who identified teacher education as their most preferred study choice (b = -6.58, p < 0.05) were less likely to be assigned to pattern B, as were those who chose teacher education based on ability belief (b = -1.61, p < 0.05). Higher levels of optimism protected against both pattern A (b = -3.99, p < 0.001) and pattern B (b = -4.71, p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>It is necessary to implement preventive measures to reduce long-term health risks in future teachers. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to study limitations, such as the use of purposive sampling. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(2):119-136.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":"77 2","pages":"119-136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ability to mentalize and the sense of meaning in life in the professional group of nurses: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Łukasz Krzewiński, Patrycja Basińska","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01674","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01674","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mentalization supports emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning, and meaning in life is a key psychological resource in nursing. This study examined associations between mentalizing capacity and meaning in life among practicing nurses.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>In a cross-sectional survey (February-March 2025) of 93 nurses (66 women, 27 men) working in hospital wards and public outpatient clinics in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland), mentalization was assessed with the <i>Mentalization Scale</i> (MentS), including the subscales: <i>Mentalization of Self</i>, <i>Mentalization of Others</i>, and <i>Motivation to Mentalize</i>. Meaning in life was measured with the <i>Meaning in Life Questionnaire</i> (MLQ) - the <i>Presence</i> and <i>Search</i> subscales of the MLQ - and the <i>Purpose in Life Test</i> (PIL). The PIL dimension attitude towards death and suicide was excluded due to unacceptable internal consistency ( α = 0.07). Analyses used Pearson correlations with false discovery rate control (Benjamini-Hochberg, q = 0.05) and multiple regression models entering the 3 MentS dimensions simultaneously while controlling for age and gender (N = 91, listwise deletion).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Self-oriented mentalizing correlated with MLQ <i>Presence</i> (r = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18-0.53) and strongly with PIL purpose in life (r = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61-0.81). Associations were generally stronger for PIL dimensions than for MLQ<i> Search</i>. In regression, self-oriented mentalizing uniquely predicted MLQ<i> Presence</i> (ß = 0.40, R² = 0.182) and PIL total (ß = 0.54, R² = 0.464). The regression model for MLQ <i>Search</i> was not significant (R²= 0.092).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Higher mentalizing - particularly self-oriented mentalizing - was associated with a stronger sense of meaning in life in nurses, primarily reflecting meaning presence rather than meaning search. Given the cross-sectional design and convenience sample, findings are associative and warrant replication in larger studies. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(2):101-109.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"101-109"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147679955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Development and validation of high-performance liquid chromatography methodology for quantify determination of azodicarbonamide in the workplace air].","authors":"Joanna Kowalska, Małgorzata Pośniak","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01685","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01685","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Occupational exposure to azodicarbonamide (ADCA) can occur via the respiratory tract or through skin in workplaces, e.g., in the production of plastics and rubber where it is used as a foaming agent or a porosity-increasing agent. Due to the irritant nature of ADCA on the respiratory tract, a concentration limit for it in workplace air has been established. This article presents a method for determining this substance in air.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The determination method consists of the following steps: passing air containing ADCA through a glass fiber filter, extracting the substance adsorbed on the filter with acetonitrile, adding 1-naphthyl isothiocyanate and analyzing the obtained derivative using liquid chromatography. The studies were performed using an Agilent Technologies 1200 series chromatograph with a diode array detector at an analytical wavelength of 220 nm and an Ultra C18 column with a length of 25 cm and a diameter of 4.6 mm.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The method is linear (r = 0.9998) in the working range of 0.08-1.6 μg/ml. This range, for an air sample of 360 l, allows for the determination of 0.002-0.04 mg of ADCA per cubic meter of air. The instrument detection limit was 0.03 ng/ml, and the instrument quantification limit was 0.10 ng/ml.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The obtained values, including precision and expanded uncertainty for measurements, meet the requirements of the European standard PN-EN 482. The usefulness of the method for estimating workers' inhalation exposure to ADCA was confirmed. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(2):137-146.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"137-146"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147694679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[The reality of transgender employees in Poland: legal aspects, assessment of work capacity, and mental health].","authors":"Kaja Staszewska, Dorota Merecz-Kot, Dominika Dörre-Kolasa, Marta Wiszniewska","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01694","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01694","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transgender people in Poland face numerous legal challenges and problems arising from functioning in the professional environment. The procedure for legal gender recognition is not governed by uniform procedural regulations, which causes a high level of stress and uncertainty relating to the final court decision. Even in cases where the ruling is favourable to the applicant, there is a lack of consistent administrative guidelines enabling prompt and safe updating of personal data in official documents. Additionally, before completing the legal transition process, transgender individuals often cannot use their preferred name or pronouns in internal company documents, which may exacerbate gender dysphoria. Ambiguous occupational medicine standards further intensify employment-related difficulties, allowing for interpretative arbitrariness and hindering the ability to obtain a medical certificate of fitness for work. Moreover, in the workplace, transgender people are often exposed to pathological phenomena such as microaggressions and discrimination, which constitute a significant risk factor for the deterioration of their mental health. In light of these challenges, this article addresses the situation of transgender employees in Poland. The authors focus on the analysis of legal barriers, occupational health assessment difficulties, and negative workplace phenomena that may lead to serious consequences for mental health. The aim of this paper is to highlight key problems and indicate possible directions for action to improve the professional situation of transgender individuals. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(2):163-178.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"163-178"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147679902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Carcinogens and mutagens in Polish enterprises in 2022-2023].","authors":"Katarzyna Konieczko, Agnieszka Klimecka, Karolina Jeżak, Stella Bujak-Pietrek, Joanna Jurewicz","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01691","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The aim of the study is to present information on the occurrence of carcinogenic or mutagenic agents in Polish enterprises in 2022-2023, based on information from the Central Register of Data on Exposure to Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic Chemical Substances, Their Mixtures, Agents or Technological Processes (Centralny rejestr danych o narażeniu na substancje chemiczne, ich mieszaniny, czynniki lub procesy technologiczne o działaniu rakotwórczym, mutagennym lub reprotoksycznym - CRCR) maintained at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Employers who employ workers with carcinogenic, mutagenic, and, from 2024, also reprotoxic agents, are legally obliged to register such works. Information from voivodeships is submitted annually to the sanitary and labor inspection, and nationwide data are collected in the CRCR. The study used data for 2022-2023, collected and verified by the CRCR staff in 2023-2024. Data for groups of agents - chemical substances, physical factor - ionizing radiation, and technological processes - were also analyzed. Previous data (2005-2021) were used for comparison.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 2022-2023 data were collected from 14 500 and 17 100 enterprises. An increase also occurred for specific groups of agents - chemical substances, technological processes, and the only physical agent legally recognized as carcinogen and mutagen - ionizing radiation. The largest increase concerned technological processes - >26% (7653 and 9685 during the analyzed years). The most frequently reported were 2 technological processes - work involving exposure to wood dust and the respirable fraction of crystalline silica - followed by ionizing radiation and 2 chemical substances: unspecified low-boiling-point gasoline and formaldehyde.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The increase in the number of reports is due not only to economic and technological developments, but also to legal changes that have expanded the list of carcinogenic or mutagenic agents. The further extending the list of substances subject to the obligation to register in workplaces to include reprotoxic substances will result in a sharp increase in the number of notifications for 2024. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(1):49-59.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"49-59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147358438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Patient's criminal liability for providing false medical information in the procedure for applying for a driving license].","authors":"Marcin Rybacki, Rafał Kubiak","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01666","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The case report concerns a patient who, during a medical examination conducted to asses medical fitness to drive motor vehicles, concealed the truth about his health condition. Particular attention was paid to the discussion of the patient's responsibility for the content of information provided in the interview. The article discusses criminal liability for making a false statement, for obtaining false certification by fraud and for using a document obtained by fraud. Attention was also drawn to the social obligation to denounce, which may also apply to physicians involved in medical certification. In case of medical examinations of drivers, every patient has a legal and moral obligation to provide the physician with truthful and complete information about his/her health, medications, past illnesses, and lifestyle. Providing false information or concealing important information can lead to an incorrect final diagnosis and, consequently, an incorrect decision, which can endanger the health and life of not only the driver but also other road users. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(1):71-80.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"71-80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147358468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk factors of occupational injuries and prevention strategy among Chinese frontline firefighters.","authors":"Qiang Song, Xinyu Gu","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01663","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01663","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Occupational injuries among firefighters significantly impact their job performance. To reduce these injuries and enhance their professional capabilities, this study investigates and comprehensively evaluates the factors contributing to occupational injuries among frontline firefighters in China. It analyzes the underlying mechanisms of these injuries and proposes preventive strategies.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>This study employed questionnaire surveys and factor analysis methods to conduct a comprehensive investigation and comprehensive assessment of occupational injuries and their influencing factors among 200 firefighters in China. The research subjects were randomly selected from the grassroots firefighters in cities of FuJian Province. Among them, 179 firefighters successfully completed the questionnaire survey. Through exploratory factor analysis, the key factors influencing firefighters' injuries were identified.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The injury rate among the participating firefighters in 2023 was 40.78%. The highest injury rate was observed during daily training (58.52%). Notably, the injury rate tends to decrease with increasing age. The most common types of injuries were sprains and strains (57.10%), with the knee joint exhibiting the highest incidence of injury among all body parts (47.00%). The primary factors influencing occupational injuries among firefighters include training factors, support factors, educational factors, and mental health factors, which collectively account for a variance contribution rate of 79.56%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Training, support, educational, and mental health factors are the 4 primary influences on firefighters' occupational injuries. The administrative department should strengthen the study and practice of physical fitness theory for firefighters, prioritize the prevention of occupational training injuries, enhance the scientific rigor of training programs, and promote the occupational health of firefighters. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(1):1-10.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147358456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Intentional use of harmful biological agents in workplaces in Poland].","authors":"Anna Kozajda, Emilia Miśkiewicz, Joanna Jurewicz","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01681","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01681","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The work is a report on the intentional use of harmful biological agents in workplaces in Poland based on National Register of Biological Agents (Krajowy Rejestr Czynników Biologicznych - KRCB) as of June 2025.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The KRCB is a central database gathering notifications of the intentional use of biological agents in risk groups 2-4 in work processes in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Health of December 11, 2020, amending the regulation regarding biological agents.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Notifications were sent by 749 enterprises for: diagnostic - 59.3%, research - 32.4% and industrial purposes - 8.1%. Notifications were most often sent by microbial laboratories (N = 438, 58.5%), scientific-research institutions (N = 229, 30.6%) and industrial enterprises (N = 82, 11.0%). In total, 7795 workers (87.6% women, 12.4% men) were exposed to biological agents intentionally used at work. Biological agents from risk groups 2 and 3 were used by 97.6% and 15.9% enterprises, respectively. The most frequently were used bacteria <i>Escherichia coli</i> (with the exception of non-pathogenic strains) - 4823 exposed workers (61.9%), <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> - respectively 4655 (59.7%) and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> - 4188 (53.7%). National Register of Biological Agents gathered 9 notifications of intentionally using of the biological agent carcinogenic to humans, including viruses (hepatitis B virus [N = 2015 workers, 25.8%], hepatitis C virus [N = 1982, 25.4%], human immunodeficiency virus type 1 [N = 1796, 22.7%], Epstein-Barr virus [N = 196, 2.5%], human papilloma virus [N = 60, 0.8%], human herpes virus type 8 [N = 16, 0.2%], human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 [N = 38, 0.5%]), bacteria (<i>Helicobacter pylori</i> [N = 327, 4.2%]), parasite (<i>Schistosoma haematobium</i> [N = 9, 0.1%]).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Intentionally used biological agents most often pose a threat to workers of microbial laboratories, but a higher health risk concerns workers of scientific-research institutions. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(1):11-26.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"11-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147392121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational exposure to wood dust - legal aspects and preventive strategies.","authors":"Alina Mroczek, Janusz Kasperczyk","doi":"10.13075/mp.5893.01668","DOIUrl":"10.13075/mp.5893.01668","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Occupational exposure to wood dust is a major public health and occupational safety concern, particularly in woodworking, furniture production, and the wood-based materials industry. Its carcinogenic, allergenic, and toxic potential depends on wood species, physicochemical properties, processing methods, and applied chemical treatments. The aim of this review was to analyze occupational exposure to wood dust by synthesizing current evidence on worker health risks, measurement methods, legal regulations, and preventive strategies, in order to evaluate the adequacy of existing solutions and identify areas requiring further improvement. The review is based on 61 literature sources: publications, legal acts, official guidelines from international and national institutions (International Agency for Research on Cancer, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Statistics Poland, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Polish Ministry of Health). Sources published 2010-2024 were analyzed with particular focus on dust characteristics, exposure limits, measurement methods, preventive measures, and regulatory frameworks. Exposure to wood dust contributes to both acute and chronic respiratory conditions, skin and eye irritation, and a higher incidence of upper respiratory tract cancers. Recent regulatory changes have expanded the classification of wood dust as a carcinogen to include all species. Despite existing occupational exposure limits (OELs), exceedances remain common in woodworking industries. Conventional monitoring methods may underestimate respirable and ultrafine particles (UFP <100 nm), which pose substantial health risks. Preventive strategies - including technical controls, ventilation, personal protective equipment, and medical surveillance - significantly reduce airborne dust concentrations and worker exposure. Findings indicate a need to update OELs and harmonize regulations with current scientific evidence. Effective prevention requires integrating legal requirements, engineering controls, process automation, and medical and educational interventions. Strengthening national standards within the European Union regulatory framework and improving measurement methods - especially for inhalable and ultrafine fractions - are essential to ensuring adequate worker protection. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(1):61-70.</p>","PeriodicalId":101460,"journal":{"name":"Medycyna pracy","volume":" ","pages":"61-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147358490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}