The University Of Jordan/Faculty

Of Graduate Studies

F A CU L T Y O F M E D I CI NE /
F A M I L Y A ND CO MM U N I T Y H E A L T H
D E P AR T M E N T

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH COURSE: PHYSICAL

HAZARDS.

DONE BY: OHOOD F. SHUNNAR

SUPERVISED BY: PROF.DR. MADI AL-JAGHBEER.
 Contents …..
 IDENTIFY PA R T O F T H E O C C U PA T I O N A L H A Z A R D S I N T H I S
SECTION.

C L A S S I F Y T H E M A I N P H Y S I C A L H A Z A R D S .

I D E N T I F Y O S H A D E F I N I T I O N S , A N D B A S I C C O N C E P T T O I D E N T I F Y
I F A S U B S TA N C E I S A H A Z A R D O R N O T ?

G E T A C Q U A I N T E D O F T H E R E S U L T O F T H E E X P O S U R E O F T H E
S U B S TA N C E S H A Z A R D S T H A T W E M I G H T G E T I N V O L V E D I N T H E
WORKPLACE.
 Definition: physical hazards…..

“Physical hazards involve the release of energy in various forms:

 1) noise, the most common and widespread physical hazard, can be continuous
noise or impulse that can cause damage to the ear or deafness. 2) Vibration, either
whole-body vibration or segmental vibration.
 3) Pressure above or below atmospheric pressure : Conditions in the workplace
may expose the worker to unusually high or low pressures. Examples are
decompression sickness and high altitude sickness.
 4) Temperature extremes are found in many occupations.
 5) Ionizing radiation, either electromagnetic ionizing radiation (gamma radiation),
or particle radiation.
 6) Nonionizing radiation consists of electromagnetic radiation of longer
wavelengths when the energy level is too low to ionize atoms but sufficient to cause
physical changes in cells. Ultraviolet radiation is the most common form and causes
sunburn and prolonged exposure over time causes cataracts and skin cancer.”
 Definition by: Tee.L. Guidotti. Global Occupational Health. May ,2011. published by: Oxford Scholarship.
Mainly physical hazards contain :
1. Heat & Cold.
2. Altitude / Barometric Pressure.
3. Noise
4. Vibration.
5. Ionizing radiation.
6. Non-ionizing radiation.
7. Light.
8. Electricity.
*** Ergonomics subtitle
In the physical harms.
 According to many Canadian authorities(Health Canada, National Quality Institute, Industrial
Accident Prevention Association) believe that a healthy and safe workplace is one where the
employer takes advantage of three ways to influence worker health 1.
These are:
1) The physical work environment :
addressing traditional occupational health & safety hazards;
 
2) Personal health resources :
finding ways to encourage and
support healthy lifestyles among their employees.
Such things as providing financial subsidies
for physical activity or sports equipment,
help to quit smoking, health fairs to raise awareness,
or even flexibility to allow gym visits on a lunch hour .
 
3) Organizational culture:
addressing what is sometimes called the “psychosocial” work environment
Such as : respect, appreciation, balanced workloads, decision latitude, and support for work-life harmony. 
Definition of hazards by OSHA:
A hazard is the potential for harm. In practical terms, a hazard often
is associated with a condition or activity that, if left uncontrolled,
can result in an injury or illness.
**controlling hazards :reducing it to the level that’s no
longer harm for the workplace , by: administrative controls, and
personnel protective equipments.
1) Electricity
 Working with electricity can be dangerous. Engineers, electricians, and other professionals
work with electricity directly, including working on overhead lines, cable harnesses, and
circuit assemblies.
 Electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. OSHA's electrical
standards are designed to protect employees exposed to dangers such as electric shock,
electrocution, fires, and explosions.
  loss of electrical power can result in extremely hazardous situations. Flammable or toxic vapors
may be released as a chemical warms when a refrigerator or freezer fails. Fume hoods may cease
to operate, allowing vapors to be released into the work area. If magnetic or mechanical stirrers
fail to operate, safe mixing of reagents may be compromised.
 Relationship between degree of injury and amount of
electrical flow

Current electrical flow Reaction

1 Milliampere Perception level
5 Milliamperes Slight shock felt; not painful but
disturbing
6-30 Milliamperes Painful shock; "let-go" range
50-150 Milliamperes Extreme pain, respiratory arrest, severe
muscular contraction
1000-4,300 Milliamperes Ventricular fibrillation
10,000+ Milliamperes Cardiac arrest, severe burns and
probable death
 1)Electrical shock
 Electrical shock occurs when a person’s body completes the current path between two energized
conductors of an electrical circuit or between an energized conductor and a grounded surface or
object. Essentially, when there is a difference in potential from one part of the body to another
current will flow.

The effects of an electrical shock can vary from a slight tingle to immediate cardiac
arrest. The severity depends on several factors:
 · Body resistance (wet or dry skin are major factors of resistance)
 · Circuit voltage
 · Amount of current flowing through the body
 · Current path through the body
 · Area of contact
 · Duration of contact
(by AVO training institute).

Electric shock is the passing of electric current

through the body. Electrical contact can
cause involuntary physical movements. The
electrical current may
 prevent you from releasing your grip from a
live conductor
 throw you into contact with a higher voltage
conductor
 cause you to lose your balance and fall
 cause severe internal and external burns
 kill you.
 2) Electrical burns

 Burns are the most common shock related injury. An electrical accident can result in an electrical
burn, arc burn, thermal contact burn, or a combination of burns. Electrical burns are among the
most serious burns and require immediate medical attention. They occur when an electric
current flows through tissue or bone, generating heat that causes tissue damage. The body
cannot dissipate the heat generated by current flowing through the resistance of the tissue therefore
burns occur.
3) Arc or flash burns result from high temperatures caused by an electric arc or explosion near
the body. These burns should be treated promptly.
4)Thermal contact burns are caused when the skin touches hot surfaces of overheated electric
conductors, conduits, or other energized equipment. Thermal burns also can be caused when
clothing catches on fire, as may occur when an electric arc is produced.
 How these injuries happen??

Injuries associated with electrical contact occur when:

 Direct contact is made with the electrical energy.
 Electricity arcs (jumps) through a gas, such as air, to a person who is grounded.
(Grounding means the person provides an alternative route to the ground for the
electricity.)
 Heat generated by an electric arc causes thermal burns.
 Materials that catch on fire (from heating or ignition by electrical currents) cause flame
burns.
 High voltage contact burns internal tissues, while leaving only very small injuries on
the outside of the skin. (The injured person is literally burning from the inside out (a
horribly painful and disfiguring injury).
 Muscle contractions or a startle reaction cause a person to fall. The resulting injuries
can be particularly serious if the person falls from a ladder, scaffold or other height.
Altitudes ( barometric pressure)….
 In the preamble to the final Respiratory Protection Standard, OSHA discussed extensively its
rationale for requiring that employees breathe air consisting of at least 19.5 percent oxygen.
The following excerpt, taken from the preamble, explains the basis for this requirement:

1) Human beings must breathe oxygen to survive, and begin to suffer adverse health effects when
the oxygen level of their breathing air drops below [19.5 percent oxygen]. Below 19.5 percent
oxygen , air is considered oxygen-deficient. At concentrations of 16 to 19.5 percent, workers
engaged in any form of exertion can rapidly become symptomatic as their tissues fail to obtain the
oxygen necessary to function properly . Increased breathing rates, accelerated heartbeat, and
impaired thinking or coordination occur more quickly in an oxygen-deficient environment. Even
a momentary loss of coordination may be devastating to a worker if it occurs while the worker is
performing a potentially dangerous activity, such as climbing a ladder.

2) Concentrations of 12 to 16 percent oxygen cause tachypnea ,tachycardia, and impaired attention,

thinking, and coordination even in people who are resting. 
3) At oxygen levels of 10 to 14 percent, faulty judgment, intermittent respiration, and exhaustion can
be expected even with minimal exertion. Breathing air containing 6 to 10 percent oxygen results in
nausea, vomiting, lethargic movements, and perhaps unconsciousness. Breathing air containing
less than 6 percent oxygen produces convulsions, then apnea, followed by cardiac standstill. These
symptoms occur immediately. Even if a worker survives the hypoxic insult, organs may show
evidence of hypoxic damage, which may be irreversible
 Acute mountain sickness can progress to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema
 (HACE), which are potentially fatal.
 Chronic mountain sickness, also known as Monge's disease, is a different condition that only occurs after very
prolonged exposure to high altitude.

Definitions:
 High altitude 1,500 to 3,500 meters (4,900 to 11,500 ft) - The onset of physiological effects of diminished
inspiratory oxygen pressure (PiO2) includes decreased exercise performance and increased ventilation (lower
arterial PCO2). Minor impairment exists in arterial oxygen transport (arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2) at least
90%), but arterial PO2 is significantly diminished. Because of the large number of people who ascend rapidly to
altitudes between 2,400 and 4,000 m, high-altitude illness is common in this range.
 Very high altitude 3,500 to 5,500 meters (11,500 to 18,000 ft) - Maximum SaO 2 falls below 90% as the arterial
PO2 falls below 60mmHg. Extreme hypoxemia may occur during exercise, during sleep, and in the presence of
high altitude pulmonary edema or other acute lung conditions. Severe altitude illness occurs most commonly in
this range.
 Extreme altitude (above 5,500 meters (18,000 ft) - Marked hypoxemia, hypocapnia, and alkalosis are
characteristic of extreme altitudes. Progressive deterioration of physiologic function eventually outstrips
acclimatization. As a result, no permanent human habitation occurs above 6,000 m. A period of acclimatization
is necessary when ascending to extreme altitude; abrupt ascent without supplemental oxygen for other than brief
exposures invites severe altitude sickness.
 Individual responses to altitude can vary greatly. No one is immune from the effects or the
potential dangers. To lessen the risk of high-altitude health hazards, be in good health, dress
warmly, drink lots of fluids, avoid alcohol and drugs, and pace yourself.

high altitude sickness ( it commonly occur at 2,400 meter about 8,000 feet)

Minor emergency Major emergency

Mild shortness of breath Severe Unrelenting Sudden
Dizziness Headaches
Light headedness Shortness of Breath (at rest)
Headaches Chest Pain
Visual Change Abdominal Pain
Palpitations Major Signs
Chest Tightness Slurred Speech
Nausea Visual Disturbance, Loss of
Coordination ,Paralysis ,Seizures
Collapse ,Slow or Rapid Heart Beat
Labored Breathing
Cough with blood tinged sputum
Unrelenting Nausea or Vomiting
Frostbite
 One of the climber's greatest enemies is the cold temperatures you face at high altitudes.
Skin's freezing point is 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Any time the temperature dips below 25
degrees, frostbite is a serious risk. When living in a cold climate, frostbite is a less of a
concern when shelter is readily available. Freezing temperatures at 8,000 feet and above risk
a climber's fingers and toes since there is a lack of shelter and continual exposure. While the
right gear can help protect against the cold, the wind and reduced circulation at higher
elevations makes frostbite a big problem for climbers.
 Decompression sickness

 DCS; also known as divers' disease, the bends or caisson disease.

Its known for low barometric pressure most common for divers.
Its classified disease depends on signs and symptoms..

 Type I (simple) for symptoms involving only the skin, musculoskeletal system, or lymphatic system,
and Type II (serious) for symptoms where other organs (such as the central nervous system) are
involved . Type II DCS is considered more serious and usually has worse outcomes. Following
changes to treatment methods, this classification is now much less useful in diagnosis, since
neurological symptoms may develop after the initial presentation, and both Type I and Type II
DCS have the same initial management.
DCS type Bubble location S&S
Musckoloskeletal Mostly large joints(elbows, •Localized deep pain, ranging from mild to excruciating.
shoulders, hip, wrists, knees, Sometimes a dull ache, but rarely a sharp pain.
ankles •Active and passive motion of the joint aggravates the pain.

Cutaneous Skin •Itching, usually around the ears, face, neck, arms,
,sensation of tiny insects crawling over the skin
(formication),Mottled or marbled skin usually around the
shoulders, upper chest and abdomen. pitting edema.

Neurologic Brain •Altered sensation, tingling or numbness , increased

sensitivity . Confusion or memory loss .Visual
abnormalities .unconsciousness and seizure.

Neurologic Spinal cord Ascending weakness or paralysis in the legs. chest pain .
Urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence.

Constitutional Whole body Headache . Unexplained fatigue

Audiovestibular Inner ear Loss of balance. Dizziness, vertigo,  nausea,  vomiting

Hearing loss

Pulmonary Lung Dry persistent cough

Burning chest pain under the sternum, aggravated by breathing
Shortness of breath.
3) Non-ionizing (ultraviolet) & Ionizing radiation
 Radiation is energy that is emitted through space or matter. Some types of radiation travel as
waves and others as particles. When we switch on a light bulb, light comes to us as radiation.
When the sun rises, we feel warm because the sun radiates energy in the form of light and heat.
 Radiation does not need a medium in which to travel.

 Radiation is divided into two categories:

1. ionizing radiation
2. non-ionizing radiation
 Ionizing radiation is high energy electromagnetic radiation that is able to disrupt the
structure of atoms or molecules. It is given off by X-ray machines and radioactive
materials, such as plutonium. Some amount of background ionizing radiation is present
everywhere. It comes from the earth and outer space.

 Non-ionizing radiation does not have enough energy to disrupt the structure of atoms
or molecules. Examples of non-ionizing radiation include radiation from the sun, light,
electric power lines, radio and TV antenna, lasers, industrial heaters and driers,
microvewave ovens and ultraviolet (UV) lamps.
 Ionizing radiation

 Ionizing radiation can damage cells, the building blocks of the body. It can:
1) kill a cell – no effect is noticeable if only a few cells are killed. In cases of extremely
high exposure, too many cells may be killed and result in sickness or death
2) alter a cell – damaged cells may multiply and cause cancer many years later
3) alter a reproductive cell – an altered reproductive cell may cause genetic changes in
children and grandchildren, referred to as hereditary effects .
Ionizing Radiation
 Symbol.
 Forms of electromagnetic radiation. These differ only in frequency and wave length.
 Heat waves
 Radio waves
 Infrared light
 Visible light
 Ultraviolet light
 X rays
 Gamma rays

 Longer wave length, lower frequency waves (heat and radio) have less energy than shorter wave
length, higher frequency waves (X and gamma rays). Not all electromagnetic (EM) radiation is
ionizing. Only the high frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum which includes X rays
and gamma rays is ionizing.
Ultraviolet radiations

You should avoid midday sun and

use sun protection cream with an
SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or
greater.
 Common types of non-ionizing radiation and their sources include:
 ultraviolet light: welding, fluorescent lights, mercury and xenon lamps
 infrared light: industrial heaters and driers, welding, lasers
 microwaves: radar, cooking, communication, telemetry
 radiofrequency: industrial heating, sealing, gluing, melting, tempering, welding and
sterilization, communication, metallurgy, cellular telephones
 extremely low frequency: electricity transmission, induction heaters, steel and aluminum
industry
 static magnetic fields: the earth, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance
Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radiation at 60 HZ is produced by power lines, electrical wiring, and electrical
equipment. Common sources of intense exposure include ELF induction furnaces and high-voltage power lines.

Radiofrequency and Microwave Radiation

Microwave radiation (MW) is absorbed near the skin, while Radiofrequency (RF) radiation may be absorbed throughout the
body. At high enough intensities both will damage tissue through heating. Sources of RF and MW radiation include radio
emitters and cell phones.

Infrared Radiation (IR) 

The skin and eyes absorb infrared radiation (IR) as heat. Workers normally notice excessive exposure through heat
sensation and pain. Sources of IR radiation include furnaces, heat lamps, and IR lasers.

Visible Light Radiation

The different visible frequencies of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum are "seen" by our eyes as different colors. Good
lighting is conducive to increased production, and may help prevent incidents related to poor lighting conditions. Excessive
visible radiation can damage the eyes and skin.

Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) 

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) has a high photon energy range and is particularly hazardous because there are usually no
immediate symptoms of excessive exposure. Sources of UV radiation include the sun, black lights, welding arcs, and UV
lasers.

Laser Hazards Lasers typically emit optical (UV, visible light, IR) radiations and are primarily an eye and skin hazard.
Common lasers include CO2 IR laser; helium - neon, neodymium YAG, and ruby visible lasers, and the Nitrogen UV laser.
Source Biological effect
Visible light Eye – photochemical cataract; skin –
erythema, inc. pigmentation
Sunlight, fire, light bulbs, Lasers Skin photoaging; eye – photochemical & thermal
retinal injury
Sunlight, thermal radiation,  Eye – thermal retinal injury, thermal cataract; skin
incandescent light bulbs, Lasers, remote controls burn
Sunlight, Thermal radiation, Incandescent light Eye – corneal burn, cataract; skin burn
bulbs, Lasers
Sunlight, Thermal radiation, Incandescent light Eye – corneal burn, cataract; heating of body
bulbs, Far-infrared laser surface
PCS phones, some mobile/cell phones,
microwave ovens, cordless phones, motion Heating of body tissue
detectors, long-distance telecommunications,
radar, Wi-Fi
Mobile/cell phones, television, FM, AM, Heating of body tissue, raised body temperature
shortwave, cordless phones
Power lines Cumulation of charge on body surface; disturbance
of nerve & muscle responses
Strong magnets, MRI Magnetic – vertigo/nausea; electric – charge on
body surface
Thanks for listening
 References

www.osha.gov.
http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_Safety_and_H
ealth_Administration
.
www.who.int/ionizing_radiation.
www.who.int/non-ionizing radiation.
http://
emedicine.medscape.com/article/769717-overview.
www.avotraining.com/the hazards of electricity-do
you know what they are?.