OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

HAZARDS
By
Dr. Gihan Hosny
Professor of Public Health, Molecular Carcinogenesis & Occupational Medicine,
Division of Environmental Health,
Dept. of Environmental Studies,
Institute of Graduate Studies & Research,
Alexandria University

PHYSICAL
HAZARD

ERGONOMIC CHEMICAL
HAZARD HAZARD

BIOLOGICAL
HAZARD

BOSH Training 2009 1

 CHEMICAL HAZARDS

Chemical Hazards
Routes of entry into the body
Inhalation Skin Contact

Ingestion

BOSH Training 2009 2

 Chemical Hazards
Routes of excretion

Gastro-intestinal Renal (urine) Respiratory Skin (sweat, hair, nails)

(feces) (exhalation)

LD 50 - Dose lethal to 50% of test animals

BOSH Training 2009 3

 Threshold:
•point at which toxicity first appears
•occurs at the point where the body's ability to
detoxify or repair toxic injury has been exceeded.

Chemical Hazards
Measures of concentration of toxic substances

• Threshold Limit Value (TLV)- average concentration of an

airborne substance to which most workers could be
safely exposed over an eight-hour working day or forty-
hour working week throughout a working lifetime

• Maximal Allowable Concentration (MAC)- peak or

maximum concentration of an airborne to which most
workers could be safely exposed.

BOSH Training 2009 4

 Chemical Hazards
Classification of Toxic Effects

• Local toxicity- occurs at the site of chemical contact

• Systemic toxicity- occurs distant from point of contact, may

involve many organ systems

• Acute toxicity- occurs almost immediately (hours/days) after

an exposure

• Chronic toxicity- represents cumulative damage to specific

organ systems; occurs many months or years to have
recognizable clinical disease

Chemical Hazards

Health Effects
 Renal Diseases
 Respiratory Diseases
 Skin Diseases
 Hematologic Diseases
 Cardiovascular Diseases
 Neurologic Diseases
 Carcinogenic
 Teratogenic

BOSH Training 2009 5

 ERGONOMIC HAZARDS

ERGONOMICS
Human Biological Science
+
Engineering Science
____________________________________
MAXIMUM SATISFACTION AND
INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
“ fitting the job to the worker”

BOSH Training 2009 6

 ERGONOMICS
the task
(job content &
context)

the the
organization tool

the the
environment workstation

ERGONOMICS
• Goal
– to reduce work-related musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) developed by workers

• MSDs are injuries and illnesses that affect

muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints or
spinal discs.

BOSH Training 2009 7

 ERGONOMICS
Common Symptoms of MSDs

• Painful joints
• Pain, tingling, numbness in hands, wrists, forearms,
shoulders, knees and feet
• Shooting or stubbing pains
• Swelling or inflammation

ERGONOMICS
Common Symptoms of MSDs

• Fingers or toes turning white

• Back or neck pain
• Stiffness

BOSH Training 2009 8

 MONITORING

• Systematic, continuous, repetitive health-

related activities that should lead to
corrective action

• Types of monitoring
1. Ambient / Environmental
2. Biological
3. Medical Surveillance

BIOLOGICAL
MONITORING

BOSH Training 2009 9

 Biological Monitoring

• Measurement of a substance, its metabolites

or its effects in body tissues, fluids or exhaled
air of exposed person

• Assess exposure and health risk of workers

• Complements exposure assessment by air

sampling

Biological Monitoring

Chemical / Sampling Time BEI

Determinant
LEAD
Lead in Blood Not critical 30ug/100ml
MERCURY
Total inorganic in urine Prior to shift 35ug/g
Total inorganic in blood End of shift at end of 15ug/L
workweek
CARBON MONOXIDE
Carboxyhemoglobin in End of shift 3.5% of Hgb
blood

BOSH Training 2009 10

 MEDICAL
SURVEILLANCE

Medical Surveillance

• Identify cases

• Analyze Trends and Patterns in the Workforce to

Guide Prevention Efforts

• Meet Regulatory Requirements

BOSH Training 2009 11

 Medical Surveillance
• Know the hazard - How worker is exposed
- How worker is affected

• Characterize the hazard - Exposure levels

- Exposure duration

• Know the worker - Susceptibilities

• Obtain information on - Directed towards specific

medical examinations organ system

• Analyze Medical Data - Disease, recovery, rehab

- Effectiveness or failure of
control measures

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF OCCUPATIONAL

HAZARDS
Monitoring Activity Workplace-Related Events Health Effects

Exposure at the workplace

Environmental monitoring - Chemicals None
- Physical agents

Biologically significant exposure

Biological monitoring and - Chemicals absorbed Early
surveillance
- Early (reversible) changes

Clinical diagnosis
Treatment and surveillance
- measurable health effects Late
- Morbidity
- Mortality

End effects
- diseases
- unfavorable events (spontaneous
abortion)

BOSH Training 2009 12

 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
PROGRAMS

Key Elements of the

Occupational Health Program

Health Protection

Health Promotion

Health Rehabilitation

BOSH Training 2009 13