STC SA 3 Flashcards
What is Occupational hygiene?
The science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, measurement, evaluation and control of those environmental factors or stressors arising from the place of work which may cause illness, disease, impaired health and wellbeing or significant discomfort and inefficiency among workers or among members of the community
Define the difference between a Hazard vs. risk?
HAZARD means a source of or exposure to danger. It is anything that can cause harm.
RISK is the probability or likelihood that injury or damage will occur.
Define the difference between Sampling vs. monitoring?
SAMPLING is a process consisting of the withdrawal or isolation of a fractional part of a whole. The taking of a sample is to estimate the extent or magnitude of the environmental stressors.
MONITORING means a continuing programme of observation, measurement and judgment of an environmental stressor. Monitoring include planning, carrying out sampling and recording of results to enable a judgment to be made regarding the adequacy of the control measures employed to safeguard the employee and the members of the community.
What are the Occupational exposure limits?
- Time Weighted Average Exposure Limit (TWAEL)
- Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL)
- Ceiling Exposure Values (CEV)
Explain TIME WEIGHTED AVERAGE (TWAEL)?
The limit to which an average employee can be exposed for a normal shift of 8 hours per day, 5 days a week without suffering any ill effects.
Explain SHORT TERM EXPOSURE LIMIT (STEL)?
Can be defined as a 15-minute TWA exposure which should not be exceeded at any time during a workday even if the 8 hours TWA is within the OEL-TWA. There should be at least 60 minutes between successive exposures in this range.
Explain CEILING EXPOSURE VALUES (CEV)?
Concentrations of the biological or chemical agent in the workplace air that must never be exceeded.
What does ALARA stand for?
As Low As Reasonably Achievable.
This term expresses the principle that the exposure to any hazardous material should not only be lower than the stated exposure limit but as low as it reasonably can be.
What is the Sk” notation?
This means that absorption through the skin is a significant route of entry for that substance.
What does the SEN notation stand for?
Sensitisers are those substances that can produce allergic reactions.
Occupational health= occupational hygiene + occ medicine + primary health care
What is meant by “stressors’ and what are the types?
The environmental factors, stressors or risks that may cause sickness, impaired health, discomfort or inefficiency in workers may be classified as chemical, physical, biological, ergonomic and psychological.
Give examples of Chemical Stressors?
Dust, Smoke, Fumes, Mist, Gases and Vapours.
DUSTS: Solid particles generated by handling or crushing of organic or inorganic materials.
SMOKE: A suspension of particles that often originates from combustion. Carbon or soot particles result from the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous material.
FUMES: Solid particles generated by the condensation of a gas, generally after volatilisation from a molten metal.
MISTS: Suspended liquid droplets generated during the condensation from the gaseous to the liquid state. It can also be formed when liquids are broken up into the dispersed state such as by splashing, foaming or atomising. Mists are formed when a finely divided liquid is suspended into the air.
GASES: Gases are formless fluids which occupy space and can be liquefied or solidified by the combined increase in pressure and decrease in temperature to below the critical temperature.
VAPOURS: The gaseous form of substances which are normally in the liquid or solid state at normal room temperature and pressure.
Give examples of Physical Stressors?
Physical stressors includes: Illumination, noise, vibration, thermal conditions, radiation, ventilation and indoor air quality.
Give examples of Ergonomic Stressors?
- Includes improperly designed tools or work areas.
- Improper lifting or reaching, poor visual conditions, or repeated motions in an awkward position may be responsible for accidents and inefficiency of workers in the occupational environment.
- Designing the tools and the job to be done to fit the person should be of prime importance.
Give examples of Biological agent Stressors?
A biological agent means any microorganism, cell culture or human endoparasite, including any which might be genetically modified, which may cause infection, allergy or toxicity, or otherwise create a hazard to human health. Typical stressors that can be encountered in the workplace include insects, rodents, viruses, bacteria and parasites.
Give examples of Psychological Stressors?
Include occupations which might endanger mental health. Examples of psychological health effects that can develop are neurosis, a condition caused by overloading the senses. This might lead to absenteeism, tiredness, sleeplessness, heart disorders, peptic ulcers and even asthma.
What is the Hierarchy of controls?
- Elimination
- Substitution
- Engineering controls
- Administrative control
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Define illuminance?
illuminance is the amount of light falling onto a surface.
Define Luminance?
Luminance is the amount of light reflected from a surface.
Define LUX?
The metric unit for illuminance. 1 Lux = 1,0 lumen/m2
Define Contrast?
Contrast is the relationship between the brightness of an object and its background.
Define Glare?
Glare is a visual condition where there is discomfort and/or a diminished ability to distinguish identifiable objects due to unsuitable illuminance diffusion or luminance limits, or as a result of extreme contrasts, simultaneous or successive, within the field
of vision. Any brightness within the field of vision with such characteristics would cause discomfort, annoyance, interference with vision or eye fatigue.
Define Direct Glare?
Direct Glare caused by luminous objects within the field of vision, e.g. windows, luminaries, etc.
Define Reflective Glare?
Reflective Glare produced by seculars reflection from the task itself or by the reflection of bright sources from surfaces near the task (e.g. shiny bench tops).