Occupational health 1

DEFINITION:

The joint international labor organization committee on Occupational health, 1950 defined occupational health as “The highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations.”

GOALS
To reduce industrial accidents.
To prevent occupational hazards/ diseases.
To achieve maximum human efficiency and machine efficiency.
To reduce sick absenteeism.

OBJECTIVES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH:

-To maintain and promote the physical, mental and social well being of the workers.
- To prevent occupational diseases and injuries.
- To adapt the work place and work environment to the needs of the workers i.e application of ergonomics principle.
- It should be preventive rather than curative.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

It represents a dynamic equilibrium between the worker and his occupational environment.

What is occupational health care?
Occupational health care is preventive health care, which is provided on the basis of the Occupational Health Care Act. The objective of occupational health care is a healthy and safe working environment, a well-functioning working community, prevention of work-related diseases as well as the maintenance of employees’ working ability and functional capacity, and promotion of their health.


Advantages of Occupational health care
Investigates and assesses load factors and hazards and gives expert assistance for eliminating them
Gives information and advice
Estimates employees’ working ability and monitors their health condition
By its knowledge and skills supports action for maintaining working ability in the development of individuals, working environment and working community, in this way also affecting productivity continued
Prevents occupational diseases and other work-related illnesses
Prevents premature incapacity for work, reduces pension costs
Reduces absenteeism due to sickness
Can make calculations of the profitability of occupational safety and health and occupational health care in cooperation with workplaces or encourage workplaces to make these themselves.

THE UNDERTAKINGS FOR THE NEED OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES:

Any undertakings, which employ more than the prescribed number.
Public sector undertakings
Atomic energy unit, explosive production unit, mining unit, and asbestos production unit etc.,
A unit where workers are exposed to health hazards from toxic substances.

FUNCTIONS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE :

1. Pre-employment medical examination.
2. First Aid and emergency service.
3. Supervision of the work environment for the control of dangerous substances in the work environment.
4. Special periodic medical examination particularly for the workers in dangerous operations.
5. Health education for disseminating information on specific hazards and risks in the work environment.
6. Special examination and surveillance of health of women and children
7. Advising the employer or management for improving working conditions, and placement of hazards.
8. Monitoring of working environment for assessment and control of hazards.
9. Supervision over sanitation, hygiene and canteen facilities.
10. Liaison and cooperation with the safety committees
11. Maintenance of medical records for medical check-up and follow-up for maintaining health standards and also for evaluation.
12. To carry out other parallel activities such as nutrition programme, family planning, social services recreation etc., Concerning the health and welfare of the workers


THE FACTORS FOR EFFECTIVENESS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES:
The nature of industry; small, medium or large and its location.
Existing infrastructure of health services.
Trained manpower.
Workers involvement and employers commitment.
Surveillance of the working environment by means of epidemiological studies and testing.

Components occupational health services :

Medical treatment, First aid treatment in emergency.
Health education, First aid education.
Medical examination
Pre employment examination
Medical treatment, First aid treatment in emergency.
Health education, First aid education.
Medical examination
Pre employment examination
Periodic medical examination
Special medical examination
. Health counseling
. Stress management
. Mental health
. And Physical health
. Rehabilitation programme
. Medical rehabilitation
. Social rehabilitation
. Educational rehabilitation
. Vocational rehabilitation
Assessment of dusts pollution
Assessment of noise pollution
Assessment of vibration
Assessment heat radiation
Assessment of radiation
Supervision of the working environment
Hazard identification
Monitoring
Evaluation
Engineering project review
Control measures
Development of personal protective devices
Family welfare program
. To take care of employee and
dependents
. Disaster management
. Health records maintenance


OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH WORKSHOP UNITS

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND TOXICOLOGY UNIT

Air Quality Monitoring
Air-borne particulate sampling
Ambient noise measurement and control
Ventilation testing
Lighting evaluation
Thermal stress evaluation
Biological Monitoring of workers exposed to lead, Manganese, Chromium and Nickel

OCCUPATIONAL PHYSIOLOGY UNIT

Evaluation of occupational work capacity
Differential Diagnosis of exercise induced cardio-pulmonary stress
Disability Evaluation
Evaluation of fitness for highly demanding jobs

MEDITEL- A Radio Telemetry (3- Channel) system

Pulse Rate
Body Temperature
Energy Expenditure


PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS
VITALOGRAPH S-MODEL SPIROMETER (Total lung volume, timed lung volume and flow lung volume)
WHOLE BODY PLETHYSMOGRAPH (residual lung volume, total lung capacity, air-way resistance, static and dynamic compliance)

OCCUPATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY UNIT

Stress Management
Job enrichment
Executive skill development
Organizational development
Safety awareness system development
Absenteeism control
Job satisfaction
Mental health survey and human relation

TOXICOLOGY LABORATORY UNIT

PHOTOELECTRIC COLORIMETER
SPECTROPHOTOMETER
ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETER
PLASMA EMISSION SPECTROMETER
And GAS CHROMOTOGRAPHY


Work physiology & Ergonomics Unit – CONT..
Development of exercise program
Study of vibration exposure
Categorization of work load
Determination of energy expenditure
And design ergonomics (machinery, equipment)
Evaluation of occupational work capacity
Ergonomics analysis of work systems
Work station design
Development of pre employment job fitness tests
Job analysis

MORGAN EXERCISE TEST SYSTEM

TEST MONITOR UNIT (E.C.G Monitor, Ventilation Monitor and gas analyser)
MAGNA 88 MICROCOMPUTER
And a PRINTER with graphic resolution
HEAT STRESS EVALUATION
Sling Psychrometer
Kata Thermometer
Hot Wire Anemometer
WBGT index meter
Dry Bulb thermometer
Wet Bulb thermometer
Globe thermometer
Air velocity
Physiological response to heat
Humidity


APPLICATION OF HEAT STRESS EVALUATION
Heat stress index
Predicted four hour sweat rate

NOISE LEVEL MEASUREMENT

Sound level meter
Octave filter sets
Personnel Noise Dose meter

ILLUMINATION & RADIATION MEASUREMENT

Lux meter
UV digital meter
Gamma Radiation Survey Meter

EVALUATION OF VIBRATION

Human Response Vibration Meter
EVALUATION OF ATMOSPHERIC CONTAMINANTS
Personal air samplers
Drager Multigas Detector
Drager Polymeter
Drager CMS analyser
Real Time Aerosol Monitor
Gravimetric Dust Sampler
Hexhlet air sampler


GLOPAL STRATEGY FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH –CONT..
Strengthening of international and national policies for health at work and development of policy tools
Developing healthy working environment
Developing healthy work practices and promoting health at work
Strengthening occupational health services
Establishing support services for occupational health