ALCOHOL AT WORK. THE EXPERIENCE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Occupational health in Italy has a 3-century history. Alcohol consumption is much older, as the first name of the country, Enotria, means "The Earth of Wine". The Italian occupational health physicians always had to deal with alcohol in the workplace. They developed a strategy based upon risk assessment, medical surveillance, education and auditing to cope with alcohol-related safety and health risks. The so-called A.S.I.A. method, a logical sequence of risk assessment, medical surveillance, information, and audit, can effectively tackle the problem and help avoiding alcohol-related risks also in small and medium-size companies. The La.R.A. study group on hazardous workers also suggested the development of a participatory policy on alcohol and of some specific workplace health actions in the largest companies at least.