 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS

Genetic Multiplicity of
factors exposure
Lifestyle
Duration of
Age exposure

Worker’s WORK- Workplace

Susceptibility Factors Physical
RELATED properties
Race DISEASE
Magnitude of
Gender exposure
Medical Timing of
history exposure
 PHYSICAL
HAZARD

ERGONOMIC CHEMICAL
HAZARD HAZARD

BIOLOGICAL
HAZARD
 WORKPLACE HAZARDS
Safety Hazards Health Hazards

 working conditions where  working conditions which

harm to the workers is of an result in an illness
immediate and violent nature
 Asbestosis Example Photos © RAVANESI@2000

Joe Darabant, 1949, Joe, 1989.

covered with Forced to retire
chrysotile asbestos
in 1974 at age 50
fibers. Worked for
30+ years at the from poor health;
Johns-Manville Plant he died from
in New Jersey, cutting asbestosis in
asbestos shingles and 1990 at age 66.
making asbestos
block and pipe-
covering materials.

Asbestosis is a serious chronic, progressive disease that can eventually lead to

disability or death in people exposed to high amounts of asbestos over a long
period. Asbestos fibers cause the lung tissues to scar; when the scarring
spreads, it becomes harder and harder to breathe. Symptoms include shortness
of breath, a dry crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling, coughing, and chest
pain. This condition is permanent and there is no effective treatment.
PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Physical Hazards
 Noise

 Vibration

 Extreme Temperature

 Illumination

 Pressure
 NOISE
Harmful / unwanted Sound:

 Frequency - measured in (Hertz) cycles per

second

 Loudness or intensity - Decibel (dB)

 Duration- Continuous, Intermittent, Burst

 Permissible Noise Exposure Chart *
Duration/day Sound Level
(hours) (dB)
8 90
4 93
2 96
1 99
0.5 102
0.25 or less 105
*without the need to use hearing protection

OSHA 1981
 NOISE

Types of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

 Temporary Threshold Shift (auditory fatigue)

› temporary loss of hearing acuity after exposure to loud
noise
› recovery within 16-48 hrs

 Permanent Threshold Shift

› irreversible loss of hearing
 Heat Stress

Exposure settings:
 High temperature
 High humidity
 Poor ventilation
 Multiple heat sources
Sources of heat stress:
Hot work
processes
related to
furnaces, kilns,
boilers and
smelting

Natural Conditions
 Health Effects of Heat Stress
Disorders Clinical features

Prickly Heat (Miliaria rubra) Pruritic rash

Heat cramps Cramps in the body,

usually legs

Heat exhaustion Dizziness, fainting attack,

blurring of vision, cold,
clammy and sweaty skin
Heat stroke Cyanosis, muscle
twitchings, disorientation,
delirium, convulsions
Sources of Cold Environment:

Ice plants and freezers in the

food industry

Deep sea diving

Broadcast Industry
Natural environment
Health Effects of Cold Temperature

 Frostbite: reddening of skin, localized

burning pain and numbness. Fingers,
toes, cheeks, nose, ears are most
susceptible.

 trench foot or immersion foot:

numbness, pain, cramps,
ulceration and gangrene.
 Hypothermia
extreme lowering of the body
temperature
VIBRATION
 Physical factor which affects man by transmission
of mechanical energy from oscillating sources

 Types
› Segmental vibration
› Whole body vibration
 Segmental Vibration:
• Health Effects:
—Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)
—Carpal tunnel syndrome
—tingling, numbness, blanching of fingers
—pain
 Whole Body Vibration:
 Health effects:
› Fatigue
› Irritability
› Headache
› Disorders of the spine
 Illumination
Visibility of a workplace

- as a result of light
- (natural or artificial)

lumens or lux
1 foot candle= 10 lux
 ILLUMINATION
Recommended Illumination Levels
Area of Operation Min Lighting Level (lux)

active storage - 50 lux

production line - 300 lux

clerical work - 500 lux

fine movement work - 1000 lux

Inadequate Illumination
Health Effects
› Visual Fatigue
› Double Vision
› Headaches
› Painful irritation
› Lacrimation
› Conjunctivitis
 Pressure
Atmospheric force that is constantly
applied on the body, as a result of changes
in altitude or artificially induced conditions.
 Pressure
 Acute
 Paresthesias- an abnormal sensation, typically
tingling or pricking (“pins and needles”),
caused chiefly by pressure
 Tremors

 Chronic
 Hypoxia- which the body or a region of the
body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at
the tissue level.
CHEMICAL HAZARDS
 Chemical Hazards
Routes of entry into the body
Inhalation Skin Contact

Ingestion
 Chemical Hazards
Routes of excretion

Gastro-intestinal Renal (urine) Respiratory Skin (sweat, hair, nails)

(feces) (exhalation)
 Chemical Hazards
Measures of concentration of toxic substances

 Threshold Limit Value (TLV)- average concentration of

an airborne substance to which most workers could be
safely exposed over an eight-hour working day or forty-
hour working week throughout a working lifetime

 Maximal Allowable Concentration (MAC)- peak or

maximum concentration of an airborne to which most
workers could be safely exposed.
Chemical Hazards
Health Effects
 Renal Diseases
 Respiratory Diseases
 Skin Diseases
 Hematologic Diseases
 Cardiovascular Diseases
 Neurologic Diseases
 Carcinogenic
 Teratogenic
BOSH Training 2009 OSHC
BOSH Training 2009 OSHC
BOSH Training 2009 OSHC
BIOLOGICAL
HAZARDS
 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

VIRUSES FUNGI

BACTERIA PARASITES
 TETANUS
 A neurological disorder
characterized by increased muscle
tone and spasms, that is caused by
tetanospasmin, a protein toxin
elaborated by the organism
Clostridium tetani.

 It arises from the contamination of

wounds with Clostridium spores.
 TETANUS
 Clinical Manifestations
› Increased tone in the
masseter muscle (lockjaw)
› Sustained contraction of the
facial muscles (risus
sardonicus) and back
muscles (opisthotonus)

 Prevention
› Active immunization with
tetanus toxoid
› Careful wound
management
 TUBERCULOSIS
 caused by the bacteria,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
 caused by droplet nuclei
released when sneezing and
coughing
 Symptoms: weight loss, low
grade afternoon fever,
persistent cough and
sometimes, blood-streaked
expectoration or hemoptysis
DOTS Strategy…the Solution!
Directly Observed Therapy Short Course

With DOTS
90% CURE RATE
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
ERGONOMICS
the task
(job content &
context)

the the
tool workstation
 ERGONOMICS
Common Symptoms of MSDs

 Painful joints
 Pain, tingling, numbness in hands, wrists,
forearms, shoulders, knees and feet
 Shooting or stabbing pains
 Swelling or inflammation
 ERGONOMICS
Common Symptoms of MSDs

 Fingers or toes turning white

 Back or neck pain
 Stiffness
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Risk Factor: ERGONOMICS

Static
posture

Forceful exertion
Risk Factor: ERGONOMICS

Repetitive movement Extreme range of motion

Risk Factor: ERGONOMICS

Awkward posture
End of Presentation
Work Environment Monitoring
- Is carried out to evaluate occupational hazards resulting from
exposure to the following agents
- Physical agents
- Chemical agents
- Biological agents
 Objectives of WEM
 To determine levels of exposure among workers
 To assess the effectiveness of control measures
 To investigate complaints
 To determine compliance with the regulations
 Sources of data

- Walk-Through Survey
- Chemical Inventory
- Process and Equipment Review
- Plant Layout
 Sources of data

Walk-Through Survey- Pinpoint the

location of the existing hazard so that proper
actions can be taken.
 Sources of data
Chemical Inventory- MSDS
 Sources of data
Process and Equipment Review- By
examining the processes, you can determine
the possible injuries, health effects or
accidents.
 Sources of data

Plant Layout- a diagram indicating

all equipment, process flow and
location of workers
 Types of Monitoring
1. General Monitoring-  the measurement
of a contaminant concentration in the
workroom

2. Personal Monitoring- the measurement

of a particular employee’s exposure to
airborne contaminants.
 Types of Monitoring
3. Biological Monitoring- involves the measurement of changes in
the composition of body fluids, tissue or expired air to determine
absorption of a potentially hazardous material. Examples are
measurement of lead and mercury in blood or in urine. 
Equipment used for Environmental
Monitoring
Physical Agents
1. Noise/ Sound (sound level meters,
waveband analyzers, audiometer)

2. Light (photometer, illumination meter)

3. Heat and Stress (Wet bulb globe
thermometer)

4. Radiation (radiation survey meter)

 Chemical Agents
- gas/ dust contaminants (indicator tubes, stationary and
personal samplers, high and low volume samplers

Personal sampling Grab sampling Area sampling

Biological Agents

Microscopes Microbial Samplers

Other Work Environment Measurement
(WEM) Parameters:

Dust
Asbestos
Organic Solvents
Heavy Metals
Acids
Gases
Other Chemicals
Mercury
Phenol
 
 Analysis of results
- Collected samples from WEM are analyzed in the
laboratory.

 Comparison of measurement results with

standards
- Time-Weighted (TLV-TWA)
- Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)
- Ceiling (TLV-C)
Thank you