Spirometry is part of the mandatory instrumental labor examinations and is used to assess the worker’s respiratory and pulmonary system functions.
Let’s see together what it is and how it works.
Spirometry: what is it and how does it work?
Spirometry is a test used to check respiratory and pulmonary health and is particularly suitable for all those workers who during the course of their duties are subject to harmful substances, who perform their duties in poorly ventilated environments or where there is the presence of, for example, fumes or dust that can damage the respiratory system precisely of those in contact with them.
The spirometric examination measures both the volumes of air contained in the lungs and the flows, i.e., the rate at which the volumes are expelled.
It is divided into two categories:
– SIMPLE SPIROMETRY:
can measure dynamic lung volumes by measuring the amount of air each worker can inhale and exhale from the lungs with maximum effort.
– GLOBAL SPIROMETRY:
Instead, it measures static lung volumes by allowing measurement of the precisely global presence of air in the lungs.
How spirometry works
Spirometry is an examination that is usually performed annually, is noninvasive, simple to perform, and takes only a few minutes. The worker, with the support and medical guidance of the Medical Officer (who is in charge of health surveillance), simply has to blow vigorously inside a tube that is connected to the spirometer: this instrument will record the worker’s values by comparing them with a reference value taking into consideration age, sex, weight and height.
The Physician-in-Charge will be able to identify any pathology or even just fatigues that will probably need to be monitored or that warrant specialist investigation.
When the examination is performed
Depending on the worker’s health condition, the environment in which he or she performs his or her duties, or his or her age, spirometry examination should be carried out periodically.
The Physician-in-Charge may still require it in certain certain cases, such as:
– at the beginning of the employment relationship;
– upon the worker’s return after a long period of absence;
– to a possible change of job description;
– if the worker feels that the activity related to his job is causing him respiratory problems.
The results of spirometry
The results of the spirometry will cause the Physician to make his or her judgment as to the suitability for the task assigned to the worker.
Based on the values found, lung capacity is classified in different ways:
– is defined as NORMAL in cases where the respiratory system is found to be totally free and in perfect health;
– OSTRUCTIVE, in the case where obstacles are found that prevent normal breathing;
– is defined as RESTRICTIVE where there is the presence of less respiratory flow than normal, with a reduction in lung volume;
– is defined as MIXED when there is the presence of both obstructive and restrictive conditions.
Each of these conditions in turn can be classified into LIEVE, MODERATE, SEVERE, and VERY SEVERE.
For certain categories of workers, keeping tabs on their respiratory health is vital. For this reason, spirometry is a useful test to prevent worsening and/or the onset of serious respiratory diseases (such as bronchitis and asthma).
