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Questions and Answers
Who is known as the 'father of occupational medicine'?
Who is known as the 'father of occupational medicine'?
What major theme is emphasized in Bernardino Ramazzini's work?
What major theme is emphasized in Bernardino Ramazzini's work?
What did Ramazzini advocate for concerning occupational hazards?
What did Ramazzini advocate for concerning occupational hazards?
What occupational disease is associated with chronic exposure to mercury vapors?
What occupational disease is associated with chronic exposure to mercury vapors?
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Which of the following diseases is known to affect coal miners due to dust inhalation?
Which of the following diseases is known to affect coal miners due to dust inhalation?
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What percentage of nonfatal occupational injuries in the US occur in the service-providing sector as of 2008?
What percentage of nonfatal occupational injuries in the US occur in the service-providing sector as of 2008?
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Which of the following is NOT categorized as an occupational disease?
Which of the following is NOT categorized as an occupational disease?
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Which type of hazard includes noise, vibration, and radiation?
Which type of hazard includes noise, vibration, and radiation?
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What are the leading causes of disabling conditions in the workplace?
What are the leading causes of disabling conditions in the workplace?
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Which of the following conditions is linked to job stress?
Which of the following conditions is linked to job stress?
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Which medical specialty focuses on the detection and prevention of diseases that arise from the work environment?
Which medical specialty focuses on the detection and prevention of diseases that arise from the work environment?
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What is the definition of occupational disease?
What is the definition of occupational disease?
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Which historical figure is known for documenting occupational accidents and illnesses?
Which historical figure is known for documenting occupational accidents and illnesses?
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What are five categories of health impacts of occupational hazards often identified in occupational health?
What are five categories of health impacts of occupational hazards often identified in occupational health?
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Which of the following is a method for the prevention of occupationally related diseases?
Which of the following is a method for the prevention of occupationally related diseases?
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Study Notes
Learning Objectives
- Describe four events in the history of occupational health
- Discuss the significance of the occupational environment for health
- List physical & psychological effects of occupational hazards
- State five categories of health impacts of occupational hazards
- List three methods for the prevention of occupationally related disease
Section 1: Occupational Health Concepts
- Worldwide impact of occupational health
- Occupational health & occupational medicine
Section 1: Occupational Disease
- Defined as health outcomes caused or influenced by work environment exposure
- Examples: untreated carpal tunnel syndrome
- WHO estimates ~ 2.02 million deaths & 160 million new incidents yearly
Section 2: History of Occupational Health
- Historical records of work-related illnesses
- Bernardino Ramazzini
- Occupational accidents in the U.S.
Origin of Occupational Health
- Mining: Hippocrates, Galen, Rhazes, Paracelsus, Ramazzini
- Four key periods in early occupational health
Bernardino Ramazzini
- Considered the "father of occupational medicine"
- Described occupational diseases
- Book "De Morbis Artificum Diatriba" (Diseases of Workers) published in 1700
- Highlighted risks associated with workplace chemicals, dust, and metals
Occupational Diseases in Historical Literature
- Miners' asthma: Lung disease from dust inhalation
- Potters' rot: Caused by breathing silica dust
- Mad hatter's disease: Mercury exposure
- Phossy jaw: Phosphorous osteonecrosis
- Mule spinners' cancer: Epithelioma of the scrotum
Historically Significant Occupational Accidents: Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire
- Occurred March 25, 1911, New York City
- 146 women died
- Doors locked, fire escapes non-functional
Historically Significant Occupational Accidents: Gauley Bridge Disaster
- Three-mile tunnel construction in Gauley Mountain, WV, 1931
- Workers exposure to high levels of silica dust
- 1,500 cases of silicosis, 1,000 deaths
Section 3: Regulation of Occupation Safety
- Occupational Safety & Health Act
- NIOSH & OSHA
- Epidemiology of occupational health
Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1970
- Industrial revolution of 1800s
- 1833 - First industrial surgeons
- Reversal during depression of 1920s
- 1930s - first occupational medicine associations
- 1970 - NIOSH and OSHA founded
NIOSH and OSHA Advisory Services & Health Assessment
- Pre-employment, return-to-work, job change
- Exposure worker examination
- Physical therapy & rehabilitation
- Emergency treatment
- Immunological services
- Prevention of occupational disease
- Legislation
- Medical aspects of new processes
- Study of sick absence reduction
- Non-occupational diseases
- First-aid training
- Retirement advice
- Contingency planning for major disasters
Significance of the Occupational Environment for Health
- NIOSH reports: ~ 11,000 employees experience disabling injuries daily
- ~ 5.2 million nonfatal work-related injuries/year
- ~ 5,542 work-related deaths per year
- Direct cost of injuries estimated at: $45.8 billion
- Indirect costs: $229 billion
Leading Causes of Disabling Conditions (2008)
- Sprains & strains
- Cuts, lacerations, & punctures
- Bruises & contusions
- 71.2% of injuries occurred in the service sector
Significance of the Occupational Environment for Health (continued)
- Serious nonfatal injuries extend recovery beyond one day.
- Magnitude of nonfatal injuries in the US, ~ 1.2-1.6 million/year
Section 4: Occupational Diseases
- Agents of occupational health, systems of the human body affected by occupational threats
Occupationally Associated Diseases & Conditions
- Allergic, irritant dermatitis
- Respiratory diseases (COPD, asthma)
- Fertility & pregnancy issues
- Hearing loss due to noise
- Infectious diseases
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Traumatic injuries & fatalities
- Job-related stress
Agents of Occupational Disease
- Large number of agents & diversity of unhealthful workplaces
- Three main kinds of hazards:
- Physical: Noise, vibration, light, temperature, radiation
- Chemical: Liquids (vapors, mists, fogs), Solids (dusts), Gases (CO & others)
- Biological: Bacteria, viruses, fungus
Physical Agents: Sound
- Produced by vibrating bodies
- Form of mechanical energy
- Carries in air as longitudinal waves
- Impinges on the auditory system & produces a physical response
Physical Agents: Noise
- A type of sound that is unwanted
- Can be many pure tones, a narrow band of frequencies, or sound impulses
- Can be annoying and disrupt performance or cause adverse effects
Physical Agents: Noise (continued)
- Ototoxic agents can cause hearing loss
- Hearing loss from noise is cumulative
- Noise can cause other hearing disorders (temporary shifts; difficulty with understanding words; signal detection)
Noise: Sound Measurement
- dB: decibels
- Measurements of sound pressure (Pa) for different sounds
- Calculations of sound in decibels per examples
Noise: Human Frequency Range and Limits
- Showing frequency range of human hearing, threshold for pain
- Limit of damage risk
- Showing sound pressure
Effects of Noise < Than 85 dB
- Chart showing the effect of noise at different decibels
Chemical Agents
- Exposure to chemicals in workplace can lead to diverse health risks.
- Non-infectious occupational dermatitis from irritants, sensitizers.
- Symptoms of dermatitis and treatment (e.g. hand washing and protective gear)
Gases
- Carbon Monoxide, occurs during incomplete combustion, often odorless, and hazardous
- Chlorine & Hydrochloric acid, can cause pulmonary edema,
- Hydrogen sulfide has a rotten odor, and can lead to pulmonary edema, convulsions, and unconsciousness
Dust
- Pneumoconiosis is caused by dust in the lungs.
- Silicosis from silica dust causes lung inflammation and difficulty breathing.
- Types of silicosis (chronic, accelerated, acute)
- Causes pulmonary fibrosis & loss of lung function
Chemical Agents: Dust (continued)
- Asbestosis & mesothelioma, are causes of death related to asbestos exposure.
- Asbestos is a hazardous material.
Section 5: The Tragic Experience of Asbestos Use
- What is asbestos?
- Asbestos in industry.
- Health impact of asbestos exposure.
- Asbestos and cancer
Occupational Cancer
- Cluster cases
- Skin cancer in arsenic workers
- Liver cancer in PVC workers
- Difficult to relate exposures to cancer.
- Animal models used for studies.
- Classification of cancer agents
Cancer Agents Occupational Settings
- Chart representing agents of cancer, body sites affected, and typical occupations
Cancer
- Disorder of cell growth
- Benign or malignant
- Inheritance
- Environmental factors: weakness, anemia, cachexia
- 8% of cancers are occupational due to physical or chemical agents
- Synergism for example (asbestos + smoking equals increased risk)
- Cancer cell growth explanation of the cell structure and reproduction
Theory of Oncogenesis
- All cells contain proto-oncogenes.
- Carcinogens convert proto-oncogenes into oncogenes (ex: tobacco, viruses, radiation, & chemicals)
- Oncogenes activate cancer cell development.
- Cells contain tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) that inhibit growth.
- TSG p53 is mutated in >50% of human tumors.
Asbestos
- Asbestos is a group of six fibrous silicate minerals.
- Important asbestos minerals: amosite, chrysolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite
Asbestos and Industry
- Asbestos related materials, like brake linings, textiles, insulation, caulking compounds, floor tiles, cement
Asbestos and Cancer
- Alveolar macrophages adhere to a larger asbestos body
- Chronic inflammation from asbestos exposure can lead to cancer.
Asbestos-related Disease: Lung Cancer
- Lung cancer caused by low exposure to asbestos dust
- Uncontrolled growth of abnormal lung cells
- Small cell and non-small cell lung cancers.
Epithelial cells Mesothelioma
- Epithelial cells in lung and other organs are sensitive to asbestos exposure
- Lung mesothelioma from pleural linings are incurable
- Mesothelioma is also a "marker disease" for additional cancers
- Gastrointestinal cancers (colon, rectum, esophagus) can also be related to asbestos exposure
Section 6: Other Occupational Issues
- Occupational asthma
- Seasonal farm workers
- Stress at the workplace
- Microbial agents
Organic Dust: Asthma
- Chronic disorder of the airways
- Airways become inflamed and constricted
- Symptoms: wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, nighttime or early morning coughing
- Examples: byssinosis (cotton dust), bagassosis (sugar cane)
Seasonal Farmworkers Health
- 1.1-3 million migrant workers in U.S.
- Risks related to pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, environmental conditions (dust, heat), dehydration, and exposures (pathogens).
- Farm machinery and transportation accidents
Seasonal Farmworkers Health (continued)
- Involves frequent lifting of heavy objects & handling of imbalanced objects.
- Prolonged bending/kneeling/twisting repetitive hand tasks and other physical stressors.
- Increased risk for musculoskeletal sprain & strain injuries, resulting in physical pain & disability
Work-Related Stress
- Job stress as harmful physical & emotional responses
- Match between job needs and worker capabilities, resources, & needs
- Impacts on poor health & even injury
- Consequences of stress: chronic stress, term going postal, somatic conditions (e.g., coronary heart disease) & mental disorders including depression
Stress and Associated Conditions
- Sources of job stress: Work overload, Job dissatisfaction, Job insecurity, Lack of control over their environment, repetitive tasks, abusive public, inadequate compensation
Occupational Diseases; Stress and Associated Conditions
- Chart showing annual rates of anxiety, stress, & neurotic disorders from 1992 - 2001
- Charts show the distribution of these types of cases based on occupation
Microbial Agents
- Source of health risks for many workers
- Exposures range from healthcare-related to agricultural work, relating to bacteria, viruses & disease-carrying insects
Section 7: Safe Workplace
- Primary interventions, surveillance of conditions at the workplace, role of federal offices keeping a safe work environment
Prevention of Occupational Disease
- Primary prevention is the best method of occupational hazards.
- Engineering control: Physical modifications of the work environment to reduce hazards
- Modification of work practices: safety education & training programs
- Administrative controls: Organization of work shifts & rotation of employees
Prevention of Occupational Disease (continued)
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): protection against air-borne hazards, such as chemical, gases, & airborne particles
- Devices to protect hearing: Ear plugs
- Equipment to protect eyes: goggles, face shields, safety glasses & respirators
- Public health surveillance data about occupational injuries, illnesses, and maintenance of a database for exposure to occupational hazards (i.e. noise, industrial chemicals, & ionizing radiation.
Exposure Limits
- Workplace exposures are higher than exposures of the general population.
- Established guidelines & regulations by government agencies
- TLV (threshold limit value) represents airborne concentrations and conditions.
- AGGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) provides annual guidelines for industrial hygienists for safe exposure to agents.
Public Health Surveillance
- Surveillance systems collect data to understand occupational injuries and illnesses.
- Data maintenance on exposure databases (occupational hazards)
U.S. Agencies that Conduct Surveillance
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
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Description
Test your knowledge on the key concepts and historical events in occupational health. This quiz covers the significance of the occupational environment, the impact of hazards on health, and methods for prevention. Explore occupational diseases and their historical context to deepen your understanding of this vital field.
