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Identifying Workplaces Hazards
Highlights
Most people spend the largest proportion of their waking hours at the work place. Many, however, often undertake agricultural or cottage industry activities within their homes or fields. In favourable circumstances, work contributes to good health and economic achievements. But some factors can bring in hazards that need to be addressed.
Most people spend the largest proportion of their waking hours at the work place. Many, however, often undertake agricultural or cottage industry activities within their homes or fields. In favourable circumstances, work contributes to good health and economic achievements. But some factors can bring in hazards that need to be addressed.
For some, the work environment exposes them to health hazards that contribute to
- injuries
- respiratory diseases
- cancer
- musculoskeletal disorders
- reproductive disorders
- cardiovascular diseases
- mental and neurological illnesses
- hearing loss
Such health hazards are termed occupational health hazards since they are associated with occupation.Workers who are exposed to heavy physical workloads are miners, lumberjacks, construction workers, farmers, fishermen, storage workers and healthcare personnel. Repetitive tasks and static muscular load can lead to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders and may result in short-term and permanent work disability. Unshielded machinery, unsafe structures and dangerous tools are some of the most prevalent work place hazards.
Prevention
The only way to prevent black lung disease is to avoid long-term exposure to coal dust.Coal mines may help prevent this condition by lowering coal dust level and providing protective clothing to coal miners.
Noise
Workers in mining, manufacturing and construction industries are exposed to high levels of noise.
Sound levels higher than 80 to 90 dB (decibels- unit of sound) for more than eight hours a day are harmful to the human ear.
Adverse effects of sound Psychological: Noise leads to emotional disturbances such as annoyance, disturbed sleep, lack of concentration and reduced efficiency.
Auditory effects
Auditory fatigue – Occurs when noise level is in the range of 85 to 90 dB e.g noise of a food blender.
SDeafness or impaired hearing – It may be temporary or permanent.
Temporary hearing loss occurs due to continuous exposure to noise as in case of telephone operators. Repeated or continuous exposure to noise of more than 90 dB may result in permanent loss of hearing. This effect is more serious in case of persons having ear diseases and they should avoid noisy working environment.
Non-auditory effects
Interference with speech and communication: In the presence of high level noise, one needs to strain his voice by increasing loudness to make speech intelligible e.g. in foundries, boiler cabins, etc. Street hawkers or salesmen of small stalls in busy markets yell at the top of their voices so that they are heard. Due to this, they suffer from voice disorders or even cancer of the voice-box later in life.
• Annoyance: Most people are annoyed by noise and some may become neurotic. Such people lose their temper quickly and become irritable.
• Efficiency: High level of noise at work place reduces working efficiency. Quiet environment helps in increasing efficiency.
• General change in the body: Exposure to noise increases blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing and sweating or headache. Giddiness, nausea, fatigue, disturbed sleep, distorted colour perception and reduced night vision are general symptoms observed in victims of noise. People working in night shifts or those suffering from hypertension get affected by noise earlier than others. Chemicals and biological agents
Workers in many industries are exposed to chemicals which are hazardous and may be even carcinogenic such as in textiles, cement and construction industries. Substances such as benzene, chromium, nitrosamines and asbestos may cause cancers of lung, bladder, skin, mesothelium, liver, etc. The only effective control strategy is primary prevention that eliminates exposure completely or that effectively isolates the worker from exposure to carcinogens.
Occupational asthma is caused due to exposure to organic dusts, microorganisms, bacteria, fungi and moulds and several chemicals. Silicosis, first reported from Kolar gold mines in 1947, is a common disease among miners, pottery and the ceramic industry workers. Pneumoconiosis and byssinosis are common among mica and textile industry workers respectively.
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