Occupational Health

Kabilesh S
7th term Guided by Dr Soundarya
Roll num 9

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Contents
● Ergonomics
● Occupational Hazards
● Occupational diseases

○ Pnemoconconiosis

○ Lead poisoning

○ Occupational cancer

○ Occupational Dermatitis

○ Sicknesses absenteeism
● Health problems due to industrialization
● Measures for health protection of workers
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Occupational health

Occupational health should Demand the promotion and maintenance of

the highest degree of physical mental and social well being of workers in all
occupations

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 Ergonomics
Ergonomics is a world recognised discipline and constitutes an
integral part of any advanced occupational health service

To achieve the best mutual adjustment of the man and his work for
the improvement of human efficiency and well being

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Occupational environment

Man and physical chemical and biological agents

Man and machine
man and man

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Occupational Hazards

● Physical hazard
● chemical hazard
● biological hazard
● mechanical hazard
● psychological hazard

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Physical hazards

● Heat and cold

● light noise
● vibration
● ultraviolet radiation
● ionizing radiation

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Chemical hazards

● Local action
● inhalation
● gases metals and their compounds
● injection

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Psychological hazards

● Psychological and behavioral changes

● psychosomatic illhealth

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Occupational diseases

Disease due to Physical agents

1. Heat
2. Cold
3. Light
4. Pressure
5. Noise
6. Radiation
7. Mechanical factors
8. Electricity

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Diseases due to chemical agents
○ Gases: CO2, CO, HCN, NH3, N2, HAL

○ Dusts (pneumoconiosis)

○ norganic dusts
● Coal dust – Anthracosis
● Silica - Silicosi
● Asbestos - Asbestosis
● Iron - Siderosis

○ Organic dusts
● Cane fibre – Bagassosis
● Cotton dust- Byssinosis
● Tobacco - Tobacossis
● Hay or grain dust – Farmer‘s lung
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● Metals and their compounds

Toxic gases from lead Mercury, cadmium, magnesium, beryllium, arsenic, chromium etc.
● Chemicals

Acids, alkalis, pesticides

● Solvents

Carbon disulfide, benzene trichloroethylene, chloroform etc.

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Diseases due to biological agents

● Brucellosis
● leptospirosis
● Anthrax
● actinomycosis
● tetanus
● fungal infection
● Hydatidosis
● Encephalitis

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● Occupational cancers

Cancer of skin, lungs, bladder

● Occupational dermatitis

Dermatitis, Eczema.
● Diseases of psychological origin

Industrial neurosis, hypertension, peptic ulcer, etc.

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Occupational Lung diseases

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Pneumoconiosis

● Caused due to inhalation of

mineral dust
● Size range of 0.5-3 microns
● Effects depend upon-
1. Chemical composition
2. Fineness
3. Concentration of dust in air
4. Period of exposure
5. Health status of the person
exposed
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 Silicosis
● Caused by inhalation of dust
containing free silica or silicon
dioxide
● First reported in India from the Kolar
gold mines [Mysore]in 1947
● Incidence of silicosis in ceramic and
pottery industries is 15.7%
● Professions associated with disease -
1. Mining, Pottery
2. Stonecutting , sandblasting
3. Glass and cement manufacture
4. Packing of silica flour
5. Quarrying 17
Silicosis- Pathogenesis
Silicosis appears after prolonged exposure to
silica dust , often a few decades. Other factors
include -

● Dose
● Duration of exposure
● Type of silica inhaled
● Individual host factors

Sequence of events to occur includes-

● Silica particles between 0.5-5micron size ,

upon reaching alveoliare taken by
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macrophages and undergo necrosis
Silicosis- Clinical Features
● Functional effects develop slowly and
insidiously
● Main presenting complaint is dyspnoea
● Patient may also develop features of
obstructive or restrictive pattern of the
disease

Complications include-

● Pulmonary tuberculosis
● Rheumatoid arthritis[Caplan’s
Syndrome]
● Cor pulmonale 19
Silicosis- treatment
● There is no specific treatment for
silicosis
● No known method of intervention to
prevent progression of the condition
● Silica exposure must be stopped, to
prevent further lung damage
● Smokers should quit smoking
● Tuberculosis positive patients must be
put on antitubercular treatment
● Prevention remains the most effective
approach
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Anthracosis
● Caused due to accumulation of coal in
the lungs and tissue reaction to its
presence
● Associated with workers in the coal
mining industry
● Two phases involved-
1. Simple pneumoconiosis- Little
respiratory impairment
2. Complicated C.W.P.- Progressive
Massive Fibrosis-severe respiratory
disability frequently results in
premature death 21
Anthracosis
SIMPLE C.W.P.

● Said to exist in presence of radiological

abnormalities <1cm in diameter
● Benign disease if there are no
complications
● Symptoms - cough ,
expectoration,[black coloured],
dyspnoea

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Anthracosis
Complicated C.W.P.-

● It is diagnosed when large opacity

[1cm or more in diameter]is observed
in chest xray
● Pathologically characterised by large
masses of black colored fibrous tissue
● Symptoms are similar , but more
severe ,result in severe respiratory
disability and death
● Recurrent pulmonary infection is seen
● Pulmonary funtin test reveals F.V.C
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.decreased and increased residual vol
Anthracosis

Epidemiology -

● Risk of death of coal miners is nearly

twice that of general population
● Coal miner’s Pneumoconiosis has been
declared a notifiable disease in the
Indian Mines Act of 1952, and is also
compensatable in Worker’s
Compensation [amendment] Act of
1959

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Asbestosis
● It is a diffuse interstitial pulmonary
fibrosis that occurs secondary to
inhalation of asbestos fibres
● Asbestos fibres are silicates of varying
composition, with bases of
magnesium , aluminium , calcium and
sodium
● Two main types-
1. Serpentine Variety-93% of commercial
use, Hydrated magnesium silicate
2. Amphibole - 7% of commercial use
Eg:crocidolite ,amosite 26
Asbestosis
Occupational exposure occurs in-

● Asbestos cement factories

● Asbestos textile industry
● Asbestos mining and milling

Asbestos is used in manufacture of

asbestos cement , fire proof textiles ,roof
tiling , brake gaskets , etc

It is mined in Andhra Pradesh,Bihar ,

Karnataka, Rajasthan, imprted from
U.S.S.R., Canada ,U.S. , South Africa 27
Asbestosis-Pathogenesis
● Enters the body by inhalation ,and fine
dust may be deposited in the alveoli
● Asbestos fibres are insoluble
● Dust deposited in the lungs causes
pulmonary fibrosis , leading to
respiratory insufficiency and death
● It may also cause carcinoma of
bronchus , mesothelioma of the pleura
or peritoneum and cancers of the
gastro intestinal tract

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Asbestosis - Clinical
● Fibrosis in asbestosis is due to
mechanical irritation
● It is peribronchial , diffuse in character,
basal in location
● Clinically, the disease is characterised
by dyspnoea , which is frequently out
of proportion to clinical signs in the
lungs
● Advanced cases may show clubbing,
cardiac distress and cyanosis
● Sputum shows Asbestos Bodies, which
are asbestos fibres coated with fibrin
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Asbestosis
X-ray of the chest shows a ground glass
appearance in the lower two thirds of
the lung fields

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Asbestosis- Complications
● Mesothelioma , a rare form of cancer
of the pleura and peritoneum has a
strong association with crocidolite
variety of asbestos
● The disease generally appears after 5-
10 years of exposure

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Asbestosis-Preventive measures
Preventive measures for asbestosis consist
of-

● Use of safer types of asbestos

[chrysolite and amosite]
● Substitution of other insulants: glass
fibre,mineral wool , calcium silicate etc
● Rigorous dust control
● Periodic examination of workers
● Biological monitoring of exposed [By
clinical , xray , lung function , etc]
● Smoking cessation
● Use of protective clothing 33
Byssinosis
● When detected in early stages [acute
byssinosis]it is reversible by
eliminating exposure to the
responsible irritant
● When exposure continues, byssinosis
can cause permanent damage to the
lungs

Treatment -

● In acute setting , patients are advised

to consider alternatives , or atleast
reduce exposure in the work
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environment
Byssinosis
● Smokers must be encouraged to stop
smoking

In acute stages ,treatment may be-

● Bronchodilators for symptomatic relief

● Corticosteroids ,given only in severe
cases

In chronic cases-supportive measurs

● Nebulizer use
● Home oxygen therapy
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Bagassosis
● It is an occupational diseaseof
the lung caused by inhalation
of bagasse or sugarcane dust
● First reported by Ganguli and
Pai in 1955
● Caused by a thermophilic
actinomycete for which the
name Thermoactinomyces
sacchari was suggested

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Bagassosis
Symptoms -

● Breathlessness
● Cough
● Haemoptysis
● Slight fever
● Impairment in pulmonary function

Treatment -

● If treated early , acute inflammatory

condition of the lung is resolved
● Left untreated, there is diffuse fibrosis,
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emphysema and bronchiectasis
Bagassosis - Preventive measures
● Dust control measures for prevention and
suppression of dust such as wet
processing,enclosed apparatus, etc
● Personal protective equipment [ masks, filters ,or
with oxygen or air supply]
● Initial medical examination and periodic medical
check ups of workers are indicated
● Bagasse can be rendered safe for manufacturing
use by keeping moisture content above 20% and
spraying with 2% propionic acid

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Farmer’s Lung
● It is a Type 3 hypersensitivity disease caused
due to inhalation of moldy hay or grain dust
● Fungi and bacteria grow rapidly in hay with a
moisture content of 30% or higher
● Farmer’s lung is caused mostly by
Micropolyspora faeni
● Acute illness is characterised by general and
respiratory symptoms and physical signs
● Repeated attacks cause pulmonary fibrosis
,pulmonary damage and corpulmonale

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Farmer’s Lung
Prevention measures-

● Ventilation of exposure areas

● Use of face masks

Treatment -

● Rest
● Reduction of exposure to antigens
● Acute F.L.D. can be treated by oxygen
therapy

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