Étude de la co-exposition aux contraintes physiques et aux produits chimiques neurotoxiques chez les salariés des Pays de la Loire

In many working environments, employees face important biomechanical constraints, heavy physical demands and/or shift work. However, epidemiological surveillance has rarely addressed the issue of co-exposure to neurotoxic chemicals and biomechanical risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders that may affect peripheral nerves. Data from the regional sample of the SUMER 2003 survey were used to study these professional co-exposure phenomena in the Pays de la Loire region. After raking ratio adjustment of the regional survey data (i.e. 916,361 employees after extrapolation), descriptive analyses were carried out separately for men and women and showed that 43% of men and 27% of women were exposed to repetitive tasks and/or vibrating tools and/or cold environment, and 30% of men and 5% of women were exposed to at least one neurotoxic chemical. In men, co-exposure to neurotoxic chemicals and biomechanical constraints was common, especially in the construction and metal processing sectors. This study shows that co-exposure to biomechanical and chemical factors which may cause peripheral neuropathies focuses on the same occupational categories.