Public Health: Chapter 18

What causes Noise-induced hearing loss?

Repeated trauma most in manufacturing

What is the function of NIOSH?

Research body now in CDC; recommends standards

What are the common Respiratory occupational injuries?

Result from inhalation of toxic substances; Most common work-related asthma (WRA): - Pneumoconiosis - Asbestosis - Silicosis - Byssinosis

What are some occupational safety and health professionals?

- Safety engineers - Certified safety professionals - Health physicists - Industrial hygienists - Occupational physicians - Occupational health nurses

What are the Risk factors for work violence.

- contact with public - exchange of money or delivery - working alone at night in high-crime areas with unstable people - while guarding something working in a community setting

Where are Fatal work related injuries the highest?

- highway incidents (25%) - followed by falls (13%)

Top most dangerous jobs?

-Fishing -Logging -Aircraft Pilots

What did OSHAct form?

-Formed Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) -Formed National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)

What industry is more likely to have a Poisoning occupational injury?

Agriculture workers

What are the Geographic differences of injured workers?

Alaska & Wyoming are the states with the highest occupational death rates; rates higher in rural areas

What are common Skin disease & disorders?

Allergic & irritant dermatitis most common

What are the Poverty & race characteristics of injured workers?

• Non whites have highest death rates • Asians have the lowest death rates • Other death rates vary depending on type of work performed

What are some methods to Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and Disorders?

• Requires vigilance of employer and employee • Agent-host-environmentmodel • Identification and evaluation of agents • Standard setting for the handling of and exposure to causative agents • Elimination or substitution of causative factors • Engineering controls • Environmental monitoring • Medical screenings

What is the importance of Occupational Safety & Health to the Community?

• Workers are a subset of the community population • Workers are usually healthiest people in a community; get highest concentration when exposed • Hazardous agents can affect areas around workplace (soil, water, air, clothes, vehicle) children, elderly & pregnant more sensitive • Community disasters

What are the Industries with highest rates of fatal injuries per 100,000?

• agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting (32.5) • mining (25.6)

What are the characteristics of injured workers?

• lowest for 16-19 year olds • death rates highest for 65+ age group • youth who work > 20 hours per wk. do worse academically & are more likely to abuse drugs & alcohol; a concern is violation of child labor laws

What industries have the Highest non-fatal injuries and illness?

• manufacturing (6.3/100 full-time workers) • construction (6.3) • agriculture, forestry, & fishing (6.1)

What is the cost of work related injuries?

$142 billion loss per year; of that - $73 billion in lost wages & productivity - $26 billion in medical expenses - $31 billion in administrative costs

Reduction of injuries involves what four fundamental tasks?

- Anticipation: • of future adverse events & to prevent them • Hazard inventory should be conducted to detect and record physical, ergonomic, chemical, biological and psychological hazards in work place. - Recognition: • surveillance & monitoring of injuries & diseases - Evaluation: • assessment of data - Control: • interventions to improve safety

What are some Agriculture Safety & Health concerns?

- Farmers are at considerable risk for injuries, lung diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, & certain cancers - Farm machinery associated with many deaths, especially the tractor; tractor rollovers a concern: since 1985 tractors include seat belts & rollover protective structures (ROPS) - Concern for youth farm workers - Migrant at great risk for injury & diseases

What are some prevention strategies of workplace violence?

- First a workplace violence prevention policy should be in place - Environmental design • safe cash-handling procedures • separate workers from customers • better lighting • security system at entrances & exits - Administrative controls: staffing policies; procedures for opening & closing; reviewing employee duties that are risky - Behavior strategies: training employees in nonviolent response , conflict resolution, & risks associated with work

What industry is more likely to obtain an Infection?

- Healthcare industry - Hazardous drugs

What are some unsafe occupations?

- Mining - iron smelting - cotton mills & textile factories

How many Americans are victims of workplace violence each year?

1.7 million Americans are victims of workplace violence each year

How many Fatal work-related injuries occur in the US each day/year?

16/day in U.S.; almost 6,000/year

When was child labor law passed and what state passed it?

1835 MA passed child labor law

When was the first worker safety law passed and what state passed it?

1877 MA passed first worker safety law

What was the first state to pass workers' compensation law?

1902 MD became first state to pass workers' compensation law

When did MS pass the workers' compensation law?

1948 MS became last state to pass workers' compensation law

How many workers are there worldwide?

2.6 billion workers (3billion latest)

How many nonfatal injuries & illnesses occur per year?

4.2 million nonfatal injuries & illnesses per year Rates have dropped greatly over last 100 years, but U.S. behind many other countries

Define Occupation disease.

An abnormal condition or disorder, other than one resulting from an occupational injury, caused by factors associated with employment

How is Byssinosis caused?

By inhaling Cotton Fibers aka "brown lung disease"

What is the most common Disabling injury?

Carpel tunnel syndrome - due to repetitive movement.

How many Americans die from work-related injuries each year?

Each day, 16 Americans die from work-related injuries (> 5,700 per year)

How many new cases of work- related diseases occur each year?

Each year, 160 million new cases of work- related diseases

How many occupational injuries occur each year and how many fatalities result?

Each year, 270 million occupational injuries, resulting in 351,000 fatalities

What are the risks to farmers?

Farmers are at considerable risk for injuries, lung diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, & certain cancers

What industries have the Lowest non-fatal injuries and illness?

Finance, insurance, & real estate

Where does most assaults occur in the workplace?

In service settings such - hospitals, nursing homes, & social service agencies

Define Occupation injury.

Injury that results from exposure to a single incident in the work environment

What is a Disabling injury?

Keeps worker away from job.

What gender do all injury & illness involving days away from work?

Men work more hours and ~2/3 of all injury & illness involving days away from work involve men

Provide some examples of Agent-host-environment model?

Nurse: Host - Nurse Environment - Hospital Agent - HIV Coal Miner: Host - Miner Environment - Hole Agent - Coal Lung

What is the difference between occupational disease verses occupational injury?

Occupation disease occur later in life. Occupation injury happen at work

What was the most important law passed by the federal government in regards to Occupational Safety & Health Problems?

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct)

What are the common Musculoskeletal occupational injuries?

The most frequent type is repeated trauma disorder is 65% of all cases

What is the purpose of OSHA?

To create & enforce occupational standards

What was the purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct)?

To ensure that employers in the private sector provide employees with a working environment free of recognized hazards that can cause death or serious harm.

What federal legislation was passed in regards to Occupational Safety & Health Problems?

• 1884 Bureau of Labor created • 1910 Federal Bureau of Mines • 1914 Office of Industrial Hygiene & Sanitation in the PHS (public health service) Many laws passed between 1908 & 1970

What are the Categories of workplace violence?

• Criminal intent (Type I) - Perpetrator has no relationship to the business or its employee. Eg robbery, shoplifting and trespassing • Customer/client (Type II) - Perpetrator has legitimate relationship with business and becomes violent while being served. Eg. Customer, clients, patients, students and inmates • Worker-on-worker (Type III) - Perpetrator is an employee or past employee • Personal relationship (Type IV) - Personal relationship with the intended victim eg. victim of domestic violence assaulted or threatened

What are the temporal differences between injured workers?

• Death rates vary on season of the year & type of work (summer machinery, falling objects, electric current and explosion) • More deaths during weekdays than weekends