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The exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is a significant risk factor generally underestimated by outdoor workers and employers. Several studies have pointed out that occupational solar exposure increased eye and skin diseases with a considerable impact on the lives and productivity of affected workers.

This article presents the new Italian database of physical agents, which is available at http://www.portalea-gentifisici.it. It supports in risk assessment employers who have to comply with Italy’s Legislative Decree 81/2008 (transposing into law European Union Directives 2003/10/EC, 2002/44/EC, 2004/40/EC and 2006/25/EC). The database currently contains measurements and declared European Community (EC) values from over 2540 machines; in particular, the database hosts data on mechanical vibration from over 1430 hand-held power tools (e.g., pneumatic and electric hammers, chainsaws, grinders, drills, sanders and saws) and from over 1020 whole-body machines (e.g., buses, fork lifts and wheel tractors). The database is continuously updated as soon as new experimental and declared data are acquired.

We demonstrate the feasibility of coherent spectroscopy experiments in alkali vapors at room temperature by using an automatic all-optical atomic dispenser. The reliability of the system is proved by observing electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonances in siloxane-coated cells where large and stable K densities are achieved by light-controlled atomic desorption from the cell coating. The experimental results prove that this technique preserves the orientation of the atomic system, and, at the same time, allows a fine, continuous, and rapid control of the vapor density also suitable for magnetic-sensitive applications.