Franco Giuliano
Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, School of Medicine of Modena, Modena, Italy.
Arch Environ Occup Health. 2011;66(4):236-40. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2010.539642.
The paper aims at focusing the relationship between scientific evidence and ethical values' issues of occupational health practice according to the new Italian law 81/2008 stating that the occupational health physician (OHP) is required to act according to the Code of Ethics of the International Commission on Occupational Health. The code itself emphasizes that (i) the practice should be relevant, knowledge-based, sound, and appropriate to the occupational risks and (ii) the objectives and methods of health surveillance must be clearly defined. Because exposure to nanoparticles involves several uncertainties about health effects and may limit the effectiveness of workers' health surveillance, OHPs face a several ethical dilemmas, involving different stakeholders. The dilemmas arising from the practice should be dealt with according to the ethical principles of beneficence, autonomy, and justice in order to take a decision.
本文旨在聚焦根据意大利新的第81/2008号法律，职业健康实践中科学证据与伦理价值问题之间的关系。该法律规定职业健康医生（OHP）必须按照国际职业健康委员会的伦理准则行事。该准则本身强调：（i）实践应相关、基于知识、合理且适合职业风险；（ii）健康监测的目标和方法必须明确界定。由于接触纳米颗粒涉及健康影响方面的若干不确定性，且可能限制工人健康监测的有效性，职业健康医生面临若干伦理困境，涉及不同利益相关者。实践中产生的困境应根据行善、自主和公正的伦理原则来处理，以便做出决策。
