IntroductionJob exposure matrices (JEM) for physical workload, developed in several European countries, have been utilized to examine associations between physical work demands and ill-health. However, it is unclear whether the exposure measures in these JEMs could be internationally generalizable. The aim was to construct a European JEM (EuroJEM) for physical workload to be used in epidemiological studies based on large European cohorts.Materials and MethodsLiterature search identified 14 European physical JEMs. As a starting point, three national gender-specific JEMs from Sweden, Norway and Finland, showing similarities regarding exposures, exposure definitions and assessments, and occupational classification systems, were selected. All were based on self-reported exposures and used national variants of ISCO-88(COM). Three exposures were harmonised: fast breathing due to physical workload, forward bent posture, and heavy lifting. In the harmonised EuroJEM, exposure was defined as being exposed at least ¼ of the time (fast breathing and forward bent posture) or daily (lifting > 20 kg) and expressed in five categories of proportion of exposed workers within each occupation: 0–5%, 6–24%, 25–49%, 50–74% and 75–100%. The harmonisation was conducted by checking for agreement between the national JEMs regarding exposure category for each occupation and gender. If full agreement, this exposure category was assigned to the EuroJEM. For occupations with disagreement or missing information from JEMs, an expert panel, with knowledge of work tasks and conditions within occupations, discussed the exposure level until consensus was reached.ResultsA first version of a gender-specific EuroJEM for three physical exposures has been constructed, providing levels of proportion exposed for 375 occupations coded with ISCO-88(COM).ConclusionsThe constructed EuroJEM for assessment of exposures to physical workload can be used to study exposure-disease associations, including interactions with other exposures, in large European cohort studies. JEMs from other countries will be included using similar methodology.