Occupational safety and health Flashcards
What landmark laws were passed in the US during the 1970s that improved the health and safety of workers?
- 1970 – Environmental Protection Act (EPA) – The clean air act …….reduction of the environmental pollution in the atmosphere so that we live and work in a safe environment
- 1970 – Occupation Safety & Health Act (OSHA) of the Department of Labor – provided the right that Worker`s safety is priority than business profitability
What are the seven common standards/requirements of OSHA at workplaces?
- The general rule of OSHA is that the health and safety of the worker is priority
- Training: each person should be trained how to perform a particular job before required to do the job
- Hazardous material: workers should be protected from infectious, chemical, physical hazards
- PPE: head, ear, eye, face, nose/respiratory, skin/body, hand, feet
- Equipment and devices: should fit and be comfortable to the worker
- Building & its internal structures: Floor, surface, storage rooms, & walking surfaces
a. are kept clean, orderly, and sanitary
b. are free from sharp/protruding objects, chemical leaks, spills, snow, & ice
c. safe entry and at least 2 exit routes to immediately evacuate during emergency - Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards
What is OSHA?
OSHA works to ensure that there is no hazard at workplace from physical & engineering design of the equipment, devices, buildings, & surfaces
How many veterinarians are there in the USA?
~80,000
79,600
The job market grows by how much annually?
17%
Where can veterinarians work?
What are the types of occupational hazards
encountered vets at
working places?
- Biological (infectious)
- Chemical
- Radiation
- Physical
- Ergonomics (bad design of devices & equipment)
- Psychological stress
Describe biological (infectious) occupational hazards encountered by vets in the workplace.
- Blood-borne (zoonotic viremia, bacteremia),
- Contagious pathogens,
- Vector-borne if bitten by vectors from your patient animals
- Air-borne (TB, anthrax, Corona,
Chlamydia, Q fever, avian/swine influenza)
Describe chemical occupational hazards encountered by vets in the workplace.
- Anesthesia/euthanasia, corrosive detergents (acid & alkaline), irritant
disinfectants, insecticides/pesticides, explosives, inflammables
Describe radiation occupational hazards encountered by vets in the workplace.
- Radiation (X-ray, gamma-ray, radioactive, laser, ultraviolet)
Describe physical occupational hazards encountered by vets in the workplace.
- Injuries by animals (biting, kicking); slips, trips, & falls; sharp & needle stick
- Heat (hot or cold in abattoir); vibration & noise (hearing); electrical
Describe ergonomic (bad design of devices &
equipment) occupational hazards encountered by vets in the workplace.
- Improperly adjusted workstation;
- Awkward posture, prolonged standing, lifting, bending
cause musculoskeletal
disorders of the worker
Describe psychological occupational hazards encountered by vets in the workplace.
- Stress, shift work, violence
Give examples of biological hazards that are occupational hazards.
List the infectious hazards affect USA personnel? Where are they exposed?
They include:
1. Salmonellosis
2. Cryptosporidiosis
3. Plague (
Y. pestis)
4. Sporotrichosis
5. MRSA infection
6. Psittacosis (Chlamydia)
7. Dermatophytosis
8. Leptospirosis
9. Bartonellosis
10. Q fever
Exposed at workplaces such as:
✓ clinic
✓ zoo
✓ wildlife research
✓ Shelter
✓ Slaughterhouse
✓ lab
✓ etc.
List the infectious hazards affect Canadian personnel?
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from poultry?
✓ Salmonellosis (+++)
✓ Influenza A (+++)
✓ Psittacosis (++)
✓ E. coli (+)
✓ MRSA Staph aureus (+)
+++ = high hazard; ++ = moderate hazard; + = relatively low hazard
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from swine?
✓ Erysipelothrix (+++)
✓ MRSA Staph aureus (+++)
✓ Strep. suis (+++)
✓ Influenza A (+++)
✓ Salmonellosis (++)
✓ E.coli (++)
✓ Hepatitis E (++)
✓ Brucella (++)
✓ Ringworm (++)
✓ Leptospira (++)
✓ Anthrax (+)
✓ Rabies (+)
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from sheep and goats?
✓ Tularemia (+++)
✓ Q fever (+++)
✓ Anthrax (++)
✓ Brucella (++)
✓ E.coli (+)
✓ Salmonellosis (+)
✓ Ringworm (+)
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from beef cattle?
✓ Anthrax (+++)
✓ Leptospira (+++)
✓ Rabies (+++)
✓ Brucella (++)
✓ Salmonellosis (++)
✓ Ringworm (++)
✓ E.coli (+)
✓ MRSA Staph aureus (+)
✓ Q fever (+)
✓ Pseudopox (+)
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from dairy cattle?
✓ Brucella (+++)
✓ Q fever (+++)
✓ Pseudopox (+++)
✓ Ringworm (+++)
✓ Anthrax (++)
✓ E.coli (++)
✓ Salmonellosis (++)
✓ Rabies (++)
✓ Leptospira (++)
✓ MRSA Staph aureus (+)
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from pets?
✓
Bartonella – bite/scratch
✓
Pasteurella – bite/scratch
✓
Rabies – bite?
✓
Bordetella bronchiseptica
✓
Salmonella
✓
Brucella
✓
Yersinia enterocolitica
✓
Campylobacter
✓
Coxiella burnetii
✓
Leptospira
✓
Staphylococcus intermedius
✓
MRSA staph. aureus
What infectious disease can vets or farmers contract from pet reptiles?
✓
Salmonella
✓
E. coli
✓
Aeromoniasis
✓
Campylobacter
✓
Mycobacterium
What infectious disease can vets contract from wildlife?
Who are at higher risk
to biological hazards?
Everybody is at risk, but the following people
have higher risk due to their occupational risk
✓ Veterinarians
✓ Abattoir workers
✓ Wildlife researchers
✓ Farmers
✓ Hunters
What are the chemical hazards to vets?
Detergents and disinfectants are used in what settings?
What chemical hazards do veterinarians encounter during disease outbreak control programs?
detergents, disinfectants & pesticides
What are the physical hazards/injuries to vets?
Radiation includes?
✓ X-ray
✓ gamma-ray
✓ radioactive
✓ laser
✓ ultraviolet
Uncontrolled exposure to radiation may cause?
✓ Leukemia
✓ Aplastic anemia
✓ Pancytopenia
What do radiographers wear to protect themselves from radiation exposure?
Lead gowns
What are some ergonomic hazards that veterinarians face?
Ergonomics hazards (musculoskeletal injuries) to vets due to posture & design issues of devices.
Hazards due to:
* Lifting alone heavy objects
* Unnecessary motions or stretch
e. g. heavy patient animals
Its consequence may be paralysis
What hazards can veterinarians encounter in the clinic?
- Attack from animals
- Blood-borne pathogens
- Airborne pathogens
- Ergonomics
- Slips, trips, falls
- Sharps = needle sticks
What hazards can veterinarians encounter in surgical units?
- Blood-borne pathogens during blood transfusion:
Anaplasma, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Leishmania - Anesthesia gases: Be careful you may anesthetize yourself
- Irradiation by Lasers
- Ergonomics – musculoskeletal injuries
What hazards can veterinarians encounter in diagnostic/research laboratories?
How can we protect vets
from hazards at
workplaces?
Seven method of prevention:
1. Eliminate
2. Substitute
3. Engineering
4. Administrative
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
6. Prevent using laws and medical methods
7. Training and hazard communication
What are the 5 ways in which veterinarians can be protected from biological/zoonotic hazards?
Describe how to prevent vets from zoonosis by vaccination
Describe how to protect veterianrians from chemical hazards.
Describe how to protect veterinarians from physical hazards.
Describe how to protect vets from physical hazards.
Describe how to protect veterinarians from musculoskeletal injuries.
- Never lift alone heavy objects or heavy patient animals
- Instead, use proper lifting assist device and techniques
What is the purpose of PPE?
PPE is your personal defense against biological, chemical and
physical hazards.
What parts of the body require PPE? What would you wear to protect them?
List the forms of PPE to protect your eight body parts.
List the ways in which veterinarians are informed of these hazards in the workplace.
