Occupational health for woman

1. Occupational health for
woman
BY:
SAJA GADIR
IBRAHIM KEWAN
GROUP: M1751

2. Introduction
The number of women joining the workforce has steadily increased all over the world.
Throughout history, women in developing countries have always worked hard, not only as wives
and mothers but also as workers in different sectors. Often encumbered with many children and
weakened by excessive and frequent pregnancies, working women are subjective to numerous
risks e.g., fatigue, malnutrition, undue mental stress and exposure to various hazards at their
workplaces.

3. Occupational Hazards
•Domestic work exposes women to many hazards which may undermine their health, e.g.,
accidents, burns, backache from bending and chemical exposure from detergents, resulting in
skin problems such as dermatitis.
•Female workers differ from male workers in that they are generally physically smaller and are
subject to specific stressful conditions peculiar to them e.g., menstruation, pregnancy and
lactation. There is a possible effect of the work environment on the health of the women at
these times, e.g. there is a progressive increase in respiratory ventilation during pregnancy
which may lead to increased uptake of inhaled chemicals from the air.
• Psychological problems: Stress related issues are encountered in nearly all jobs held by working
women. The majority of women are employed in low paying jobs. Stress may come from other
sources, e.g., office workers and assembly line workers in factories. Nurses often experiences
stress because their work is physically heavy and hectic.

4. Occupational Hazards
•Chemical agents: Due to higher content of body fat in women than in men, toxic substances such
as organic salts are retained more easily by women that may cause menstrual disturbances.
•Some metals such as lead can cause spontaneous abortions. Chemicals used in hospitals e.g.,
ethylene oxide is known to cause abortions. Many of the women working in agriculture may be
exposed to fertilizers and pesticides. Some of the pesticides are suspected to cause reproductive
damage in women. Women working in textile mills are exposed to organic dusts, e.g. cotton
which may cause Byssinosis.
•Physical agents: Women working in textile industry are exposed to noise, vibration and heat
stress, particularly in the spinning and weaving sections. Noise causes vasoconstriction which
may lead to low birth weight babies. Studies have shown that women are more susceptible to
whole body vibration and heat stress. Whole body vibration may damage the reproductive
system.

5. Occupational Hazards
•Biological agents: Women employed in agriculture are exposed to snake bites, schistosoma,
worm infestation, tetanus, etc.
•Ergonomic problems: Many industrial and agricultural processes and machinery are designed for
male workers making many machines difficult for female worker to operate.

6. Occupational health services for working
women
Occupational health services should be established at all workplaces to ensure that the total
health and safety needs of working women are met.

7. Types of Protection available for women
workers
•Expectant mothers are given maternity leave for 12 weeks, of which 6 weeks precede the
expected date of confinement; during this period they are allowed ‘maternity benefit’, which is a
cash payment, under the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948.
•provision of free antenatal, natal and postnatal services,
•the Factories Act (section66) prohibits night work between 7p.m. and 6a.m.; section 34 prohibits
carrying of excessive weights beyond a certain schedule which has been laid down
•the Indian mines Act (1923) prohibits work underground.
•the Factories Act, 1976 provides for crèches in factories where more than 30 women workers
are employed, and also prohibits the employment of women and children in in certain
dangerous occupations.

8. Conclusion
Regulation and standards applying to the entire labor force should be reviewed continuously for
their relevance and adequacy to female workers. It is for special importance that safe working
conditions are ensured for female workers and pregnant workers in particular. It is important to
prevent occupational hazards that are particularly harmful to women.