The latest Prize was awarded for a paper focusing on feedback on measured dust concentrations reducing exposure levels among farmers by Ioannis Basinas, Torben Sigsgaard, Jakob Hjort Bønløkke, Nils Testrup Andersen, Øyvind Omland, Hans Kromhout and Vivi Schlünssen. The main author, Ioannis Basinas from the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) in the UK, will receive the Prize on behalf of all the authors on the first day of BOHS’s Annual Conference on the 2 April 2019 and will give a presentation on the research. 

This paper presents robust but challenging results for occupational hygienists. In a randomised trial, farms which received information about dust concentrations and suggested practices for reducing exposures showed a 20-30% reduction in exposure levels compared to equivalent farms which did not receive similar information. The reasons for the reduction are unclear but the authors point to changes in work practices and behaviours resulting from this relatively small intervention. The paper can be read in full on the Annals website here and can be found in volume 60, issue 7, 1 August 2016, pages 812–824. 

Ioannis Basinas states,

Our study highlights the positive reductions that can be realised by making available measurement results and simple information. This very simple and cost-efficient exposure reduction approach can be applied more generally in exposure reduction programs in workplaces. My co-authors and I are very honoured to receive such a prestigious and historical prize. We hope that our specific work will encourage further systematic research of interventions to reduce exposure under real working conditions, which at present, although so much needed, remain very sparse in the field of occupational hygiene. 

Neil Grace, President of BOHS, announces,

A huge congratulations to the magnificent seven authors of the winning paper. Once again, this shows the importance of diverse research papers in the Annals and also the varied and interesting subjects that we see within the work exposures and health arena.

Dr Simon Festing, Chief Executive of BOHS, says,

The Society would like to convey its warmest congratulations to the winner of this important prize, and thank the judging panel for their time and wisdom in the award process. Our journal is a highly prestigious academic publication which helps to promote occupational hygiene worldwide to help achieve our goal of a healthy working environment for everyone.

Two other papers were nominated for the Prize. The second-place article centres on “Quantitative respirator fit, face sizes and determinants of fit in South African diagnostic laboratory respirator users“ by Jeanneth Manganyi, Kerry S. Wilson, and David Rees. The third highest score went to “The Use Of Metabolomics To Identify Biological Signatures Of Manganese Exposure” by Marissa Baker, Chris Simpson, Yvonne Lin, Laura Shireman and Noah Seixas.