Occupational health deals with protecting worker health and safety in the workplace. Some key challenges in Tanzania include financial instability due to low wages, a large informal workforce, and lack of training. New chemical and physical hazards as well as globalization also present challenges. Specific issues in Tanzania include ergonomic, physical, chemical, and biological hazards. Effective occupational health requires cooperation across workplaces and following established safety practices.

2. Question.
Critically evaluate the main challenges of
occupational health. Give examples on the main
types found in Tanzania local environment.

3. Introduction.
According to World Health Organization (WHO)
the word “health” has been defined as a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being
and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.
Occupational Health is an art and science
dedicated to the anticipation, evaluation,
communication, and control of hazards or
stressors in, or arising from the workplace that
may result in injury, illness, or impaired well-
being, or discomfort of workers and or members
of the community. Innocent .L. Swai, Bsc EHS(2011).

4. Introduction cont…..
 Occupational health is a multidisciplinary field of
healthcare concerned with enabling an individual to
undertake their occupation, in the way that causes
least harm to their health. For example, with the
promotion of health and safety at work, which is
concerned with preventing harm from any incidental
hazards, arising in the workplace.
 Occupational health should aim at the promotion and
maintenance of the highest degree of physical,
mental and social well-being of workers in all
occupations and the placing and maintenance of the
worker in an occupational environment adapted to
his physiological and psychological capabilities.

5. Challenges of occupational
health.
 Financial instability.
o Low wages.
 Low skilled workers
 The challenge of New chemical substances and physical
energies.
 Occurrence of new occupational diseases of various
origins.
 Globalization.

6. Challenges cont…..
 Lack to access of training and education.
o Ageing of working population
 Poor accidents management.
o Problem related to growing mobility of workers
population.
 Corruption.
 Majority of workers are in the informal sector(85%)

7.  In Tanzania we have pieces of legislation covering the
occupational health and safety of an employee and these include
the Employment and Labor Relations Act of 2004.However a more
specific, relevant and direct legislation is the Occupational Health
and Safety Act of 2003.
 The Act is aimed at protecting workers’ rights in health and safety
in the workplace. It also provides for the protection of persons
other than persons at work against hazards to health and safety
arising out of or in connection with activities of persons at work
and to provide for.

8. Main types of occupational health found in
Tanzania local environment.
 Ergonomic hazards.
 Physical hazards.
 Chemical hazards.
 Biological hazards.

9. CONCLUSION.
Every collaborator is responsible at the
workplace for his or her own safety as well as
the safety of the colleagues, a preventive plan
can be efficient only with the corporation of
every worker .You can engage in a safe working
environment and become proactive by following
the established safe work practices or rules like
to be aware of the safety infrastructures and
safety rules in your working environment and
related to activity.

10. MERCI D’AVOIR
ECOUTE.