Importance of occupational health – This book covers the entire syllabus of “Community Health Nursing” prescribed by the Universities of Bangladesh- for Basic and diploma nursing students. We tried to accommodate latest information and topics.
This book is examination friendly setup according to the teachers’ lectures and examination’s questions. At the end of the book previous university questions are given. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourished. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.
Importance of occupational health
Importance of occupational Health
1. The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations.
2. The prevention among workers of departure from health caused by their working conditions.
3. The protection of workers in their employment from risk resulting from factors adverse to health.
4. The placing and maintenance of the workers in an occupational environment adapted to this physiological and psychological equipment.
5. The adaptation of work to man and each man to his job.
Occupational health hazard
An industrial worker may be exposed to 5 types of hazards, depending upon his occupation:
1. Physical hazards.
2. Chemical hazards.
3. Biological hazards,
4. Mechanical hazards.
5. Psychosocial hazards.
1. Physical hazards
a. Heat:
- Direct effects: Bums, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps.
- Indirect effects: Decreased efficiency, increased fatigue, enhanced accident rates.
b. Cold: Chilblains, Erythrocyanosis, Immersion foot. Frostbite,
c. Light:
Due to poor illumination:
- Acute effects: Eye-strain, Headache, Eye-pair. Lachrymation, congestion around the cornea, Eye-fatigue.
- Chronic effects: Miner’s nystagmus.
Due of excessive brightness or glare: Discomfort, Annoyance. Visual fatigue.
d. Noise:
- Auditory’ effect: Temporary or permanent hearing loss.
- Non-auditory effects: Nervousness, Fatigue, Interference with communication by speech. Decreased efficiency. Annoyance.
e. Vibration: White fingers and Injuries of the joints, the hands, elbows & shoulders.
f. U-V radiation: Intense conjunctivitis. Keratitis.
g. Ionizing radiation: Genetic changes, Malformation, Cancer, leukemia, Depilation, Ulceration, Sterility, Death.
2. Chemical hazards: Chemical agents act in 3 ways
a. Local action:
✓ By primary irritant action: Some chemical (acids, alkali, arsenic and Mercury) causes
- Dermatitis.
- Eczema,
- Ulcers,
- Cancer.
✓ By an allergic action Some Chemical causes- Dermatitis.
✓ Some Chemical Such as TNT+ aniline causes- Systemic effects.
b. Inhalation:
Dusts: (Pneumoconiosis)
✓ Inorganic Dusts:
- Coal dust-Anthracosis.
- Silica Silicosis
- Asbestos Asbestosis, cancer lung
- Iron Siderosis
Organic (vegetable) Dusts:
✓ Cane fibre Bagassosis
✓ Cotton dust-Byssinosis
✓Tobacco Tobacossis (11)
✓Hay or grain dust →Farmer’s lung
Gases: They are classified as:
✓Simple gases e.g. 02, H2
✓Asphyxiating gases e.g.; CO, Cyanide gas.
✓Anesthetic gases e.g.: Chloroform, Ether.
Metals &their compounds: Lead, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium etc. cause toxic effects upon inhalation.
c. Ingestion: Occupational diseases may also result from ingestion of chemical substances such as lead. Mercury, arsenic chromium, cadmium phosphorus etc.
3. Biological hazards
- Brucellosis
- Leptospirosis
- Anthrax
- Tetanus
- Encephalitis
- Fungal infections
- Schistosomiasis
- Hydatidosis
- Psittacosis
4. Mechanical hazards
- Accidents
- Injuries
5. Psychosocial hazards
- Psychological & behavioural changes:
- Hostility
- Aggressiveness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Tardiness
- Alcoholism
- Drug abuse
- Sickness absenteeism.
- Psychosomatic ill health
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Pain in shoulders, neck & back
- Propensity to peptic ulcer
- Hypertension,
- Heart disease
- Rapid aging.
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