Occupational Health Services

By- Sneha Mallick

4th year B.Sc nursing student
Introduction
 Definition
• Occupational health: As per joint committee of ILO/ WHO-
occupational health refers to promotion and protection of the
health of worker, control of diseases by early diagnosis and
prompt treatment, control of disablement and rehabilitation of
disabled workers. The health of workers in factories and
industries are affected by condition prevailing there in.
 Occupational health nursing
• Occupational health nursing has been defined by American Association Of
Occupational Health Nurses as – The application of nursing principles in
conserving the health of workers in all occupations. It involves prevention,
early diagnosis of health problems, treatment of illness and injury and
requires special skills and knowledge in the fields of health, education and
counselling, environmental health, rehabilitation and human relations.
 Occupational environment
• The external conditions of workplace that influences and which
may affect the health workers include-
Physical agents
Biological agents
Chemical agents
Mechanical agents
Psychosocial agents
Occupational hazards and diseases
• Physical hazards and diseases:
• Extreme temperature
• High humidity
• Noise
• Light
• Vibrations
• Radiations
 Chemical hazards and diseases
• There are a variety of chemical agents which are hazardous and are in form of:
• Gases like CO, Ozone, Carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide etc.
• Fumes and vapours from various types of acids, mercury vapours etc.
• Mists like chronic acid mist in electroplating industries.
• Dusts- solid particles created on crushing and grinding rock, ores, metals,
coal, wood etc.
The chemical agents are harmful to skin, respiratory system and GI system .
 Biological hazards and diseases
• Biological hazards in work environment include a variety of infective and
parasitic agents. These may cause variety of diseases, e.g hookworm
infestation .
Workers working in training factory, veterinary hospitals and
dispensaries, zoo, circus, farming, butchering houses etc. are exposed to
various zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, mycotic infections, parasitic
infections, anthrux etc. may contract any infection from their patients such as
Tb, HIV, serum hepatitis etc.
 Mechanical hazards and diseases
• Mechanical hazards refers to mechanical agents such as unprotected
machines, their protruding moving parts, lack of safety measures. These
may cause variety of accidents which may cause partial or permanent
disabilities.
 Psychosocial hazards and diseases
• Psychosocial hazards refers to psycho-social agents which may be
hazardous. This may result in psychosocial problems like workers may not
be able to adjust with the others due to relationship problem; there can be
tensions, frustrations due to lack of job satisfaction, insecurity, poor social
relationship etc.
These may also result in physical health problems like high or low BP,
indigestion, insomnia, loss of appetite, heart burn.
 Occupational Accidents
• Often accidents occur in various industries. There are varieties of reasons for
accidents in industries. Theoritically, these can be classified as;
• Human factors
• Environmental factors
Health problems of industrialization
 Occupational health services
• Occupational health services comprise comprehensive healthcare services
which are provided not only to workers but also to the members of their
family. The services include primary, secondary and tertiary level services to
promote and protect health, prevent and control accidents, diseases,
disabilities and rehabilitation.
 Aims and objectives
• The joint ILO/ WHO committee on occupational health in the course of first
session held in 1950, listed the following general aims:
• Promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental,
social wellbeing in all occupations
• Protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from
factors adverse to health.
• Placing and maintenance of the workers in an occupational environment
adopted to his physiological and psychological equipment.
To achieve these general aims, it is necessary to serve the
following objectives:
• Identify all the hazardous conditions which might be there in workplace.
• Plan and implement protective and control measures to deal with identified
hazardous conditions in workplace.
• Provide effective services to protect those who are especially vulnerable to
adverse working conditions.
• Provide effective services
 Health promotion measures
• Pre-placement and pre-employment examination.
• Job training and continuing education.
• Periodical health check-ups.
• Health education and counselling.
• Provision of wholesome environment.
• Provision of welfare facilities.
• Housing facilities.
 Health Protection Measures

• Immunization against specific infective agents.

• Use of shoes against hookworms.
• Protection of workers against physical agents.
• Protection against chemical agents.
• Health education of workers.
 Early diagnosis and treatment
• It is very essential for arresting the disease, early recovery, regaining health,
preventing any disabilities. There should be an occupational health team
depending upon the nature of occupations.
 Disability limitation and rehabilitation
• These require early diagnosis and prompt treatment, rectification of
conditions responsible for occupational health problem.
 The nurse in occupational health
• The nurse has a key role in occupational health. She contributes in all
activities recommended and planes for health promotion, protection,
prevention and control of occupational health problems.
 Occupational health nurse
• The occupational health nurse must be professional, mature, responsible,
reliable and possess good health. Her professional image would help her
gain the respect of management, the workers and professional colleagues.
 Roles and responsibilities of occupational
health nurse
• Carrying out the therapeutic programme designed by physicians for sick
patients.
• Maintainance of the physical and psychological conductive to recovery the
health.
• Engaging the patient and his family in his recovery and rehabilitation
• Carrying out preventive measures.
• Co-ordinating nursing efforts.
 Occupational health programme in India
• Occupational health was one of the components of national health policy
1983 was also included in National Policy 2000. In 1998- 99 the GOI, Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare launched a national programme for control of
occupational diseases.
• Prevention, control and treatment of silicosis and silicotuberculosis in agate
industry.
• Prevention and control of occupational health hazards in salt workers.
• Prevention of occupational health problems of tobacco harvesters.
The objectives laid down in Eleventh Five- Year
Plan:
• To review the existing set- up for occupational safety.
• Examine the efficacy of administrative machinery at the state to ensure
occupational safety and health to workers.
• Suggest modalities for setting up National Board of occupational safety and
health to develop service providers a bond of health professionals.
• Suggest measures to ensure occupational health and safety of workers in
agricultural and non- agricultural occupations.
 Administration of Occupational Health
Services
• At the Central level: At the central level, there is an organization of
Directorate General for factory inspection and advisory services. In addition
other national level research institutes which are active in occupational
health are:
• The Central Mining and Research Station, Dhanbad.
• Industrial Toxicology Research Station, Lucknow.
• Occupational Health Research Institute, Ahmedabad under ICMR.
• Indian Institute of technology, Kanpur.
 Contd………
• At state level: There is no Industrial Health Division in the State Health
Directorate, except in the state of UP. Under the Factories Act 1948. The
state responsibilities have been vested in the chief inspector of factories.
 Global strategy for Occupational Health
• The Global Strategy for achieving Occupational Health for All ( WHO- SEAR, 1999)
includes the following areas:
• Strengthening of international and national health policies.
• Developing healthy work environment.
• Strengthening occupational health services.
• Establishing support services.
• Developing human resources.
• Strengthening research.
• Improvement of registration and data system services.
Summarization
Previous year questions
2018
• Define occupational health. 2+2+5+6
• What are the main components of occupational environment?
• Explain different types of hazards among employees in a cotton industry.
• How can you prevent and control the occupational health hazards?
 PYQ
2015
1. What is the meaning of ergonomics? 2+5+8
2. Enumerate diff. Occupational health hazards among employees in India.
3. Describe the roles of occupational health nurse in maintaining health in cotton industry.
2021
4. Define industrial health.
5. Define health hazards in industry.
6. Describe the safety measures at prevention of industrial health hazards.
7. Role of nurse in prevention of industrial health hazards. 2+3+5+5
 PYQ
• 2022/23
1. Define occupational health.
2. Enumerate occupational health hazards.
3. Roles and responsibilities of community health nurse in prevention of
occupational health hazards 2+6+7
Conclusion