OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Flashcards
A cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting
the health and safety of the people engaged in work
or employment
occupational health
anything that has the potential to cause harm
hazard
likelihood that a particular hazard will occur
risk
environmental factors or stressors in
the workplace, or etiologic agents of occupational
diseases
health hazrds
may either be due to unsafe
condition in the workplace or unsafe act of the worker
safety hazards
4 classification of health hazards
Physical Hazards
Biological Hazards
Chemical Hazards
Ergonomic stressors
Involves contact with various forms of energy
physical hazards
examples of physical hazards
o Temperature (heat and cold)
o Lighting
o Noise
o Radiation (Ionizing and Non-ionizing
radiation)
o Vibration
o Barometric pressure
Agents or organisms which transmit diseases to man
and affect his or her health adversely
biological hazards
3 major sources of microbes in work environment
- Those stemming from infective individuals
- Those arising from microbial decomposition of various
substances associate with particular occupations - Those associated with certain types of environment
common bacteria in healthcare environment
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus
- Escherichia coli
- Salmonella typhi
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
common bacteria in healthcare environment
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus
- Escherichia coli
- Salmonella typhi
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
common viruses in healthcare environment
hepa B
HIV
Are the infection control techniques that were
recommended following the AIDS outbreak in the
1980s
universal precautions
Essentially it means that every patient is treated as if
they are infected and therefore precautions are taken
to minimize risk
universal precautions
Substances used ,and/or generated as raw materials,
intermediate products, finished products and waste
materials
chemical hazards
Widely used system for cataloging information on
chemicals, chemical compounds and chemical
mixtures
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
Information includes properties of a particular
substance, instructions for the safe use, potential
hazards associated with a particular material or
product, provision of procedures for handling or
working with that substance in a safe manner
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
Scientific discipline concerned with the understanding
of interactions among human and other elements of a
system, and the profession that applies theory,
principles, data and methods to design in order to
optimize human well-being and overall system
performance
ergonomics
Refers to factors that result in worker’s discomfort, in
relation to his/her job
ergonomics stressors
a methodology for performing a
risk assessment
job safety analysis
control measures
- administrative control
- engineering control
- use of PPEs
- Branch of public health
- Concerned with all aspects of the natural and built
environment that may affect human health**
environmental health
Aspects of human health and disease that are
determined by factors in the environment
–WHO
environmental health
refers to the theory and practice of assessing
and controlling factors in the environment that can
potentially affect health
environmental health
May be also known as sanitarians, public health
inspectors, environmental health specialist, or
environmental health officers
environmental health practitioners
aspects of EH
- Water sanitation
- Food sanitation
- Community waste management
- Rodent control
- Vector control
- Air pollution control
- Occupation health
- Radiologic health
- Sanitary housing
- Disaster management
types of water
- potable water
- polluted water
- contaminated water
safe, clean, free from contaminants and
pollution, recommended for drinking purposes
potable water
water which has suffered impairment on its
physical qualities
polluted water
– contains infectious agents, materials
and toxic or poisonous substances, condemned for drinking
purposes
contaminated water
types of water according to sources
- rain water
- surface water
- underground water
- piped water
source of all fresh water, distilled pure water
which may get contaminated at atmosphere during collection
and storage
rain water
natural flow of water as a result of ground
see page like water from rivers, lakes, springs, streams
surface water
below the layers of the earth usually
clean and safe except when located near the source of
pollution such as septic tank
underground water
– distributed to houses by means of pipes
usually treated
piped water
impurities in water
physical
chemical
bacteriologic
biologic
radiologic
– inert suspension of floating substances
that are carried by water that cause cloudiness or turbidity
physical impurities
– dissolved constituents of water which
account mostly for the color of water
chemical impurities
– include microscopic plants and animals
other than bacteria present in water
biologic impurities
results of nuclear weapon testing and
discharge of radioisotopes and other radioactive wastes into
water courses
radiologic impurities
This is done to enumerate the total viable
population of bacteria present in sample
standard plate count
This is done to determine the specific type of
coliform bacteria present in sample
test for coliform
– index of fecal contamination
and serves as an indicator group in bacteriologic
analysis of water
escherichia coli
cont. test for coliform:
- presumptive test
- confirmatory test
- completed test
process whereby water particles are
brought into intimate contact with air for the
purpose of affecting the exchange of gas,
peculiar taste and odor are removed
aeration
process whereby water particles are
brought into intimate contact with air for the
purpose of affecting the exchange of gas,
peculiar taste and odor are removed
aeration
method of removing calcium and
magnesium salts which might affect the
qualities of water
softening
– treatment process aimed at
preventing dental carries or tooth decay
especially among children
fluoridation
– removal of taste, odor,
color of water by the use of activated charcoal
as absorbent
contact treatment
caused by living organisms such as
bacteria and parasite entering the body with food as
vehicle for transmission
food-borne infection
– this maybe caused by
bacterial toxins or chemicals, may also be naturally
occurring poisons present in plants, mushrooms, fishes
and spoiled foods
food poisoning/intoxication
methods of food preservation
- refrigeration(cooling)
- drying
- salting
- pickling/souring
- sugaring
- smoking
- canning
Low temperate (0-4 oC) prevents
bacterial activity. Natural flavor maybe maintained
refrigeration
- Removes moisture from food stuff essential for
bacterial growth and multiplication since bacteria need water or
moisture to live and multiply so drying will kill the bacteria
drying
- Involves the addition of relatively large amounts of
common table salts to preserve foods. Salt is bacteriostatic.
salting
Preserving food using weak acid
(vinegar, lactic acid)
picking/souring
- Involves the storage of foods in syrup containing
more than about 50% sugar as sucrose or dextrose
sugaring
- Involves the storage of foods in syrup containing
more than about 50% sugar as sucrose or dextrose
sugaring
This involves rapid drying over smoke. The
preserving action comes from some preservatives in the
smoke. Usually done in meat and fish
smoking
This involves rapid drying over smoke. The
preserving action comes from some preservatives in the
smoke. Usually done in meat and fish
smoking
Sterilization, cooking and preserving in air tight tin
cans
canning
3 basic methods of refuse disposal
- storage
- collection
- final disposal
structure that is used for reception, disposal and
storage of feces and human excreta
privy
Introduction into the atmosphere of substance harmful
to public health
air pollution
Any substances found in the atmosphere other than
nitrogen and inert gases in their normal concentration
that is detrimental to health
air pollutants
5 common air pollutants
- ground level ozone
- nitrogen oxides
- particulate matters
- sulfur oxides
- carbon dioxide
measures to prevent & control air pollution
- Eliminate or reduce the source
- Use of anti-air pollution devices in industries
- Are planning/zoning
- Legislation – enforcing laws and regulations prohibiting
the use of smoke-belching vehicles and promotion of
anti-pollution measures especially in industries - Health education
- Tree planting
- Ozone is an odorless, colorless gas composed of
three oxygen atoms. It is not usually emitted directly
into the air but at ground level and is created by a
chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen and
volatile organic compound (VOC) in the presence of
heat and sunligh
ground level ozone
Sources: motor vehicles, electric utilities and other
industrial, commercial and residential sources that
burn fuel
nitrogen oxides
- Particles found in the air including dust, dirt, smoke
and liquid droplets. Particles can be suspended in the
air for long period of time
particulate matters
- It dissolves easily in air
- Sources are industrial facilities that derive their
products from raw materials like metallic ore and
crude oil (examples are petroleum refineries, cement
manufacturing and metal processing facilities)
sulfur oxides
