18 intro to occupational health Flashcards
what is the outline of this lecture?
-occupational health/medicine introduction
-occupational disorders
-assessing exposures
-industrial hygiene
what is occupational medicine?
preventative
-that branch of medicine dealing with the effects of the work environment on health, and the effects of ill health on ability to work
-devoted management of occupational illness and injury and promotion of health and productivity
what is environmental medicine?
the branch of medical science devoted to the prevention and management of adverse health outcomes from exposure to chemical or physical agents in the home and community, and their effect on the environment
how is occupational medicine interdisciplinary?
what is the training of occupational medicine?
what are the aphorisms of ramazzini?
he was the first person to write about occupational health
-learn of the hazards by personal visits to the workplace
-ask of your patient, “what is your trade?”
what was discovered about sewer workers?
“I think that some volatile acid is given off by this vault of filth when they disturb it”
-main gases: H2S, ammonia and methane
-had a sewer work (in 1700s so no pipes) so sewage would flow into one sectional tanks
-had to stir to keep flowing with no ventilation, causing symptoms of nausea, vomiting, eye irritation
-Ramazani then entered the tank and exhibited symptoms but they ceased when he was in fresh air
-concluded that volatile gases caused the problem
how do workplace hazards related to illness?
what are the five points in illness to workplace hazards?
what is the disease model?
what is an example of the disease model?
what is the host? (disease model)
-age, conditioning
-lifestyle
-past medical history
-physical and psychological health
what is the environment in the disease model?
-indoor? outdoor?
-confined space?
-atmospheric conditions: temperature, humidity, lighting
-barriers
-other exposures (concurrent)
-psychological environment
what are the agents (hazards) in the disease model?
-what is it?
-is it harmful?
-what is the route of exposure?
what are musculoskeletal injuries and disorders we see alot of?
-low back pain
-shoulder injuries
-carpal tunnel syndrome
-sprains/strains
-chronic pain
what are the skin occupational diseases?
-irritant contact dermatitis
-allergic contact dermatitis
-oil acne
-skin cancer
what are some occupational diseases of the lung we see?
-asthma
-toxic inhalation
-inhalational fevers
-pneumoconiosis (lung disease from mineral dust exposure)
what is the occupational disease of hearing loss?
-most common cause is loud noises
-can also be from chemicals (like toluene)
what is another major occupational disease?
cancer (we can be exposed to carcinogen in the workplace)
-asbestos
-radon
-chromium, nickel, arsenic
-aniline dyes, MDA, B-naphthylamine
-vinyl chloride
-UV, ionizing radiation
-benzene
how do we assess exposure?
-ask
-observe
-measure (quantify, if you can)
what did ramazzini say about asking?
-ask of your patient, “what is your trade?”
-find out what they do, how they do it, what exposures may be occurring
what is ask?
-type of job, specific tasks, exposure description
-any health concerns? better away from work?
-do any co-workers experience similar problems?
-specific hazards: chemicals, dusts, noise, radiation, heavy lifting, repetitive motion, etc
-if chemical hazard: ask for the material safety data sheets (MSDS)
-includes gathering information from literature textbooks, and other usual sources (background research)
what do we need to be careful of when asking?
be careful what you ask for
-get a detailed exposure description
-make sure you understand the answer
“i mix flux with the ore in crucibles and then heat it in a 1000 degree oven to extract the bead”
what can workers usually do?
workers know their jobs
-can usually describe work processes and procedures in detail, even if they dont understand all the hazards
what is an MSDS?
material safety data sheet
provide detailed information on chemical hazards and compounds, including:
-physical data
-health hazard information
-reactivity information
-fire and explosion information
ask for them! employer must have them available
how do we observe?
-site visit
-walk through
how do we measure?
-exposure levels (dose)
-area (personal monitoring)
-biological monitoring (medical screening)
what are the other sources of information on hazards?
textbooks
literature review:
-toxline, embase, medline
regulatory agencies:
-Saskatchewan ministry of labour (OHS division)
-occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) (USA)
-national institute of occupational safety and health (NIOSH) (USA)
what is industrial hygiene?
“that science and art devoted to anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental factors, or stresses arising from the workplace”
what did mark twain say?
“i was gratified to be able to answer promptly and i did, i said i didnt know”
