OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

HAZARDS
 OBJECTIVE
To describe the different hazards and explain their effects on workers.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
It is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical,
mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations.
 TYPES OF HAZARDS
PHYSICAL HAZARDS BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
1. Noise 1. Bacterial
2. Vibration 2. Viruses
3. Extremes of temperature 3. Fungi
4. Illumination 4. Insects/Parasites
5. Pressure
CHEMICAL HAZARDS (these have 3 typical states) ECONOMIC HAZARDS
1. Liquids 1. Improper Tools and Equipment Design
2. Solids 2. Unnecessary and Unusual Lifting or
3. Gas Reaching
3. Repetitive Motions
4. Stress at work
 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
1. NOISE is harmful sound, which has 3 characteristics (of sound)
Frequency - measured in (Hertz) cycles per second
Loudness - intensity of the sound, measured in decibel (dB)
Duration - continuous, intermittent, burst, waxing/waning

PERMISSIBLE NOISE EXPOSURE (OSHA 1981) without the need for earplug
Duration/day Sound Level
(hours) (dB)

8 90
4 93
2 96
1 99
0.5 102
0.25 or less 105
ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF NOISE
Acoustic Trauma (Explosion, gunshot) - Deafness
Temporary threshold shift (disco)
Poor communication
Increase in blood pressure and stress
CONTROL OF NOISE PROBLEMS IN THE WORKPLACE
Engineering Methods: Purchase new equipment, Preventive maintenance,
Isolation/damping
Administrative Control: Job Rotation/breaks
PPE: Ear plugs/Ear muffs
 2. HEAT STRESS - when the bodys temperature goes higher than 37.5 C

Exposure Settings:
High temperature
High humidity
Poor ventilation
Multiple heat sources

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS OF HEAT

Prickly heat - immature sweat glands
Heat fatigue - bad mood (water loss)
Heat cramps - muscle spasm (water + salts)
Heat exhaustion - fatigue, dehydration, diaphoresis, nausea, vomiting (water + salt +
electrolytes)
Heat stroke overheating, seizure, coma
CONTROL OF HEAT PROBLEMS
Engineering Control: Ventilation, Water sources (fountains/showers)
Administrative Control: Job Rotation/breaks
PPE: Cotton Clothes, multiple changes
 3. COLD STRESS - when the bodys temperature goes below than 36.5 C

Exposure Settings:
Ice plants, Broadcast industry, Semiconductor Industry
Food processing plants, Ice cream plants, Deep Sea diving, Laboratories

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS OF COLD

Hypothermia
Frostbite
Trenchfoot
 4. VIBRATION
Continuous low frequency oscillation that is more likely felt than heard
Affects the body through direct contact
Exposure settings: hand held grinding tools, jack hammer, chainsaw, transportation
HEALTH EFFECTS OF VIBRATION
Inflammation (wrist, elbow, shoulder)
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Fatigue
PREVENTION & TREATMENT
Tool redesign
Maintenance of equipment
Gloves/dampers
5. ILLUMINATION
Visibility of a workplace as a result of light
The source is either natural or artificial
It is measured in lumens or lux

Importance of Illumination
It is important to see what we are doing
ACTIVITY ILLUMINATION (lux)
Active storage 50
Production line 300
Clerical work 500
Fine movement work 1000
ACUTE EFFECTS
Eye strain
Dizziness
Headache
Neck pains
Teary eyes
OTHER HAZARDOUS SOURCES OF ILLUMINATION
Strobe lights
Halogen bulbs
Blue light
UV radiation
 6. PRESSURE
This is the atmospheric force that is constantly applied on the body, as a result of
normal changes in altitude or artificially induced conditions.
ACUTE EFFECTS
Fatigue Incoordination
Apprehension Excitability
Paresthesias Dizziness

Headaches Disorientation

Tremors Convulsions

Depressed Sensorium Narcosis

Pulmonary Edema Death

CONTROL METHODS
Pre-employment training Decompression Chamber
Training (Pre-event) Rehabilitation (Post-event)
Scheduled work duration Medications
Exercise (During Event) Medical Monitoring
 CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chemicals are important in daily operations, including the life of person.
They exist as solids, liquids and gases.

Exposure Settings:
Oil and Fuel
Dust
Metal welding fumes

(Silica, Asbestos)
Acids and Alkalis

Solvents
Lead (Organic and Inorganic)
ROUTES OF ENRTY INTO THE BODY
Skin absorption
Ingestion
Inhalation
Injection
Eye contamination
Organ systems of the body that are affected:
Skin
Lung
Liver

Brain Blood
Kidney Heart
General health effects
Disorientation Unconsciousness
Euphoria Headache
Light Headedness
Nausea, vomiting
Confusion
Paralysis, convulsion, death
 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Biologic hazards are the cause of infectious disease that can originate from
people, animals and plants. Two characteristics: (1) can reproduce, (2) are
living creatures.

Tuberculosis URTI
AIDS Sore eyes
Hepatitis A, B, C, E Sexually Transmitted disease
Chicken pox Skin disease
 ERGONOMIC HAZARDS

Ergonomic is a technique that brings together several disciplines to solve

problems arising from work ad the working environment.

Ergonomic hazards:
Cause pain and fatigue from various sources.
Lead to low productivity and output (mental and physical performance)
Components of Ergonomics:

JOB
The task needed to achieve the result
Governed by guidelines designed to prevent muscle overload
Requires learning, training and skill
WORKSTATION
Place of deployment
Where duties are carried out
Where equipment are located
Machines are the tools
8 hours are spent
TOOL
Integral part of machine-man system
powerful, fast, tireless
Enables man to accomplish his job with reduced effort
An extension of mans body
Increase mans strength and versatility
Enables him to handle other less-structured equipment
Reduces the risk of associated hazards

MAN
An integral part of the man-machine system
Intelligent, adaptive and versatile
The basis of existence - survival
Signs of Ergonomic hazards:
Wearing of wristbands
Shoulder turning
Arm stretching
Absenteeism, increase clinic visit
Intake of pain-relief medication
Risk factors of the JOB/TASK:
Position
Force
Frequency

Control Methods:
Engineering and administrative control
PPE can not be used to address ergonomic hazards