Educational material

1. 1 Ikiriza Antony
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

2. 2
By the end of this lectures students
should be able;
• Differentiate between hazard and
risks
• Describe the Classifications of
occupational health and safety
hazards
• To Identify the occupational health
and safety hazards in various
workplaces
• Discuss the range of hazards in
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

3. 3
 Hazard: is a condition or set of circumstances that has a
potential of causing harm or contributing to injury or
death.
 Safety hazards: hazards that can cause accidents, injuries,
and sometimes even death
 Heath hazards: those hazards that can cause occupational
disease or illness
 Risk: A combination of likelihood that injury or damage
to people’s health, or property will occur and the severity
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

4. 4
Planning and Design (people involved in
planning and design activities may create
hazards)
Production and Distribution (production,
process, distribution can result in hazards)
Maintenance and Repair (hazards may come
from insufficient, delayed and improper
maintenance)
Communication (poor communication or
failures in communications can introduce
hazards)
SOURCES OF HAZARDS

5. 5
Chemical hazards
Physical hazards
Biological hazards
Ergonomic hazards
Psycho-social hazards
TYPES OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

6. 6
Classification of dangerous chemicals
 Carcinogens
 Corrosion
 Oxidizing
 Harmful
 Very toxic and toxic
 Irritant
 Highly flammable
 Explosive
CHEMICAL HAZARDS

7. 7
Hazard warning signs and symbols
Source: Barbara A. Plog, Fundamentals of
Industrial hygiene, 4th. Edition, 1996

8. 8
These are agents that cause cancer
These can be identified in epidemiological
studies
They include: Asbestos, Benzene, Rubber
Manufacture, Coke Oven Emissions, Lead,
Chromium, Wood Dusts, Vinyl Chloride,
Chloroform, DDT, Beryllium, Asbestos,Cadmi
CARCINOGENS

9. 9
1. Asphyxiation
2. Systemic intoxication
3. Pneumoconiosis (occupational lung disease
due to inhalation of dust usually in mines)
4. Cancers
5. Irritation
6. Mutagenicity
7.Teratogenicity
EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS

10. 10
• Extremes of temperature
• Ionizing radiation
• Non ionizing radiation
• Excessive noise
• Vibrations
PHYSICAL HAZARDS

11. 11
Any living organism with potential to caus
e harm to humans
They can be transmitted via inhalation, co
ntact, ingestion and Injection
They include:
 Bacteria
 Viruses
 Fungi
 Mold
 Protozoa
 Animals and insects
BIO HAZARDS (BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS)

12. BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
VIRUSES FUNGI
BACTERIA PARASITES
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13. SELECTED INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND OCCUPATIONS
Agent / Disease Occupation
Colds, influenza, scarlet fever,
diphtheria, smallpox
May be contracted anywhere
Tuberculosis Silica workers, people exposed to heat
and organic dusts, and medical
personnel
Anthrax Animal handlers and handlers of
carcasses, skins, hides, or hair of
infected animals, including wool carpet
carpet processors and handlers.
Ringworm (in horses, cattle,
deer, pigs, cats, dogs, birds)
Pet shop salesmen, stockmen,
breeders of cats and dogs, and other
animal handlers
Tetanus Farmers (spores in soil) or anyone in
contact with manure.
Psittacosis (in parrots, parakeets,
pigeons, ducks, turkeys,
chickens, etc.)
Pet shop personnel, gardeners,
housewives, veterinary surgeons, and
researchers.
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14. SELECTED INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND OCCUPATIONS
Agent / Disease Occupation
Hookworm Miners, agricultural
laborers, planters of sugar,
tobacco, tea, rice and
cotton, and brick and
tunnel workers.
Rabies (e.g. dogs, bats,
rats, pigs, cats)
Veterinarians, letter carriers,
laboratory research
workers, agricultural
workers.
Fungus Farmers, outdoor workers,
animal handlers 14

15. BODY FLUIDS WITH HIGH VIRAL LOAD
 Blood
 Semen
 Vaginal and cervical mucus
 Breastmilk
 Amniotic fluid
 Cerebrospinal fluid
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16. 16
In summary exposure to Biohazards can be thro
ugh;
 Laboratory research
 Hospitals
 Laundry
 Housekeeping
 Health care
 Diet
 Contact with the skin
EXPOSURES TO BIO HAZARDS

17. 17
 There are numerous psychosocial factors, which
operate at workplace.
 These are the human relationships among
workers themselves and those in authorities over
them.
 Examples of psychosocial factors include:-
The type and rhythm of work.
Work stability.
Sexual and other forms of harassment
Job satisfaction.
Leadership style.
 Security.
 Workers` participation and communication.
Motivation and incentives.
PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS

18. STRESS
Manifestations of Stress
PHYSIOLOGICAL
 Heart rate
 Blood pressure
 Indigestion
BEHAVIORAL
 Drug use
 Alcohol intake
 Heavy smoking
 Impulsive emotiona
l behavior
 Poor work & family
relationship
 Social isolation
 Family abandonme
nt
 Sleep problems
PSYCHOLOGICAL
 Fatigue
 Anxiety
 Tension
 Irritability
 Depression
 Boredom
 Inability to concentrat
e
 Low esteem
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19. • Ergonomics, also known as human
engineering or human factors
engineering.
• The science of designing machines,
products, and systems to maximize the
safety, comfort, and efficiency of the
people who use them.
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
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20. • As result of improper designing of work
systems.
• May cause musculoskeletal injuries.
• The main areas of concern for ergonomic
hazards include:
• equipment layout and operation
• lifting, pushing and pulling (manual
handling)
• systems and computer programs
• task, job and workplace design
• workstation design and height.
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
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21. ERGONOMICS
the
tool
the
workstation
the task
(job content
& context)
the
organization
the
environment
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22. RISK FACTOR: ERGONOMICS
Static
posture
22

23. Forceful exertion
Risk Factor: ERGONOMICS
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24. RISK FACTOR: ERGONOMICS
Repetitive movement 24

25. RISK FACTOR: ERGONOMICS
Extreme range of motion
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26. RISK FACTOR: ERGONOMICS
Awkward posture
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27. OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
 Occupational diseases are adverse health conditions in the
human being, the occurrence or severity of which is
related to exposure to factors on the job or in the work
environment.
 Such factors can be:
Physical: e.g. heat, noise, radiation
Chemical: e.g. solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, dust
Biological: e.g. tuberculosis, hepatitis B virus, HIV
Ergonomic: e.g. improperly designed tools or work areas,
repetitive motions
Psychosocial stressors: e.g. lack of control over work,
inadequate personal support
Mechanical: these mainly cause work accidents and
injuries rather than occupational diseases.
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28. OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Occupational diseases are slow to
develop, less dramatic and even less
obvious.
Due to their gradual effects they do
not receive publicity.
Losses attributable to occupational
diseases over time are more difficult
to describe compared to injuries.
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29. MOST COMMON OCC DISEASES
 Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
 Pneumoconioses (mining operations)
 Respiratory eg. Occupational asthma (paints)
 Occupational dermatoses (skin disorders)
 MSDs (lack of ergonomics)
 Psychiatric disorders (post-traumatic stress), drug
abuse
 Hepatitis B and C, TB, HIV, anthrax, etc (health
care, vet)
 Occupational cancer (chemical, pesticides, dyes)
 Cardiovascular disorders
 Gasto-intestinal disorders
 Visual disorders
 Neurological disorders
 Reproductive disorders 29

30. SUMMARY
There is an unlimited number of hazards that
can be found in almost every workplace.
These include both obvious unsafe working
conditions and insidious, less obvious hazards.
Hazards often are built into the workplace.
Therefore, workplace managers must ensure
that hazards are removed, rather than trying
to get workers to adapt to unsafe conditions.
The most effective accident and disease
prevention begins when work processes are
still in the design stage, when safe conditions
can be built into the work process.
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31. ACTIVITY
Read and make notes about identification
of occupational health and safety hazards
Discuss the different occupational hazards
in your workplace.

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