Towards an Integrated Prevention of Chemical Risk of Dermal Exposure to Bitumen in Road Workers: Development of a Methodology Based on Ergotoxicology

This work is part of an initiative to prevent risks for asphalt workers of dermal exposure to toxic substances present in bitumen. An iterative method was developed, based on both an ergotoxicological approach and on the combining of observations of construction workers’ work activities with physical and physiological measures. This methodological approach based on self-analysis allowed us to better understand the protection defects observed in the operators, their perception of the asphalt’s toxicity based on smell, as well as the information which operators had about the products used. The results show that the representations drawn from the work activity differed according to which level in the company the people worked in. On the basis of the discussions about the work activity, it was also possible to ascertain the operators’ representations in their private lives. A combined, collective effort to adapt these representations could provide the leverage needed to successfully transform chemical risk prevention practices.