OBJECTIVES

• Why we ask occupation while taking nursing

history ?
• “Prevention is better than cure”.
• Occupational health is directly proportional to
the development of country
 Defining occupational health
• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SHOULD AIM AT THE
PROMOTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE
HIGHEST DEGREE OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND
SOCIAL WELL BEING OF WORKERS IN ALL
OCCUPATIONS.

• Prevention among those who have depart from health

due to working conditions
• Protection of those who have risk to health in their
working conditions
 Global Burden of Occupational
Injury and Disease/Year
Injuries Diseases Total

Fatal 100,000 700,000 800,000

Non-Fatal 99,000,000 10,300,000 109,300,000

100,000,000 11,000,000 111,000,000

*From Leigh, et al., Epidemiology 10(5):626-31, September 2011

 Estimated Annual Incidence of Occupational
Injury & Disease Worldwide, (WHO)
# New Cases/year
Injuries 100,688,000
Diseases
Pesticide poisoning 109,000
Other poisoning 122,000
Cancer 191,000
Mental disorders 318,000
Pneumoconioses 453,000
Noise-induced hearing loss 1,628,000
Skin disorders 1,895,000
Chronic respiratory disease 2,631,000
Musculoskeletal disorders 3,337,000
Health of the workers
OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
•Man and physical, chemical and
1 biological agents

•Man and machine

2

•Man and man

3

7 7/14/2013
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

Physical Chemical Biological

hazards hazards hazards

Mechanical Psychological
hazards hazards

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OCCUPATIONAL
DISEASES
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DISEASE DUE TO PHYSICAL AGENT
• Heat: heat hyperpyrexia, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, heat
cramps, burns and local effects such as prickly heat.

• Cold: trench foot, frost bite, chilblains.

• Light: occupational cataract, miner’s nystagmus.

• Pressure: caisson disease, air embolism, blast(explosion)

• Noise: occupational deafness

• Radiation: cancer, luekaemia, aplastic anaemia, pancytopenia.

• Mechanical factors: injuries, accidents.

• Electricity: burns.
DISEASE DUE TO CHEMICAL AGENT

1. Gases:CO2, CO, HCN, CS2, NH3, N2, H2S, HCL, SO2

2. Dusts (pneumoconiosis)

 Inorganic dust: coal dust: antracosis

silica: silicosis
asbestos: asbestosis, cancer lung
iron: siderosis

 Organic(vegetable dust): cane fiber: bagassosis

cotton dust:byssinosis
tobacco: tobacossis
hay or grain dust: farmers’
lung
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3. Metals and their compounds:
lead ,mercury, cadmium, manganese, beryllium,
arsenic,chromium, etc.

4. Chemicals: acid, alkalies, pesticides

5. Solvents: carbon bisulphide, benzene, trichloroethylene,

chloroform, etc.
DISEASE DUE TO BIOLOGICAL AGENT

Brucellosis, leptospirosis, anthrax, tetanus,

actinomycosis, hydatidosis, psittacosis, encephalities,
fungal infection.

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OCCUPATIONAL CANCER
• Cancer of the skin, lungs, bladder

OCCUPATIONAL DERMATOSIS
• Dermatitis, eczema

DISEASE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ORIGIN

• Industrial neurosis, hypertension, peptic
ulcer.
 PNEUMOCONIOSIS
• Dust within the range of 0.5 to 3 micron is a
health hazard producing, after a variables
period of exposure, a lung disease known as
pneumoconiosis,
• which may gradually cripple a man by
reducing his working capacity due to lung
fibrosis and other complication.

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Hazardous effects of dust on lungs depend
upon a number of factors such as:

Chemical composition

Fineness

Concentration of dust in air

Period of exposure

Health status of the person exposed

• Silicosis
• Anthracosis
• Byssinosis
• Bagassosis
• Asbestosis
• Farmers lungs

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 LEAD POISONING
• Lead is a toxic metal for human body.
• It is used widely in industry.
• Non occupational sources
• Mode of absorption
• Body stores
• Distribution in the body
• Clinical picture

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 Preventive measures
• Substitution of lead with less toxic materials.
• Isolation of all processes which gives rise to
lead dust and fumes.
• Local exhaust ventilation
• Personal protection, personal hygiene and
good house keeping.
• Periodic examination of workers and health
education
• Medical management- saline stomach wash
if ingested.
 OCCUPATIONAL CANCER

• Skin cancer:(75% of total) gas workers, oil refiners,

tar distillers, oven workers, road workers,etc.
• Lung cancer: gas industry, nickle and chromium
work, mining of radio active substance, asbestos
industry
• Bladder cancer: dye stuff, dyeing industries, rubber,
gas and electrical cable industry.
• Leukemia: benzol, roengent rays and radioactive
substance.
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Control of industrial cancer

1. Elimination or control of carcinogens

2. Medical examinations
3. Inspections of factories
4. Notifications
5. Licensing of establishment
6. Personal hygiene measures
7. Education of workers and management
8. research
 OCCUPATIONAL DERMATITIS

1. Physical: heat , cold, moisture, friction, x-ray

and other rays.
2. Chemical : acid, alkalies, dyes, solvents,
grease, tar, pitch, chlorinated phenols.
3. Biological: virus, bacteria, fungi and other
parasites.
4. Plant products: leaves, vegetables, fruits,
flowers, vegetable dust.
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Prevention of occupational dermatitis
• Its largely preventable if proper control measures are
adopted
1. Pre-selection
 pre medical exam
 suspected and with known predisposition should
kept away
2. Protection : clothes, gloves, boots, aprons, etc.
3. Personal hygiene
4. periodic inspection: medical check ups for early
detection and treatment
RADIATION HAZARDS
various sources
effects of radiation
Preventive measures
• Shielding of workers
• Monitoring the employees
• Protective clothing
• Adequate ventilation
• Replacement and periodic examination
• Avoidance of pregnant women to work

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HEALTH PROBLEM DUE TO
INDUSTRIALIZATION

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• Environmental sanitation problems
• Communicable disease
• Food sanitation
• Mental health
• Accidents and social problems
• Morbidity and mortality
 MEASURES FOR HEALTH
PROMOTION OF WORKERS

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• Nutrition
• Communicable disease control
• Environmental sanitation
• Mental health
• Measures for women and children
• Health education
• Family planning
PREVENTION OF OCCUPATIONAL
DISEASE

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MEDICAL MEASURES

Pre-placement examination
Periodical examination
Medical and health care services
Notification
Supervision of working environment
Maintenance and analysis of records
Health education and counseling
ENGINEERING MEASURES

Design of building
Good housekeeping
General ventilation
Mechanization
Substitution
Dust-enclosure and isolation
Local exhaust ventilation
Protection device
Environmental monitoring
Statistical monitoring and research

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LEGISLATION

The Factory Act-1948

The Employees state insurance act-1948

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