Environmental Health IV. The Workplace

Shu-Chi Chang, Ph.D., P.E., P.A.Assistant Professor1 and Division Chief2

1Department of Environmental Engineering2Division of Occupational Safety and Health,

Center for Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety and Health

National Chung Hsing University

Outline

Protective legislation Identification of occupational

health problems Types and sources of occupational

exposures Occupational exposure standards Monitoring the workplace Controls of occupational exposures

Brief history

~400 B.C. Hippocrates observed and adverse health effect on miners and metallurgists

1473: Ulrich Ellenbog Early 1500’s: Georg Bauer 1700: Bernardino Ramazzini 1880’s: Karl B. Lehmann US

US Bureau of Labor in 1885 US Dept. of Labor in 1913 Hamilton’s work in 1943 Occupational hygiene versus industrial hygiene

Protective legislation

Workers’ compensation law This law passed in France, Germany, and

the United Kingdom in the 19th century From covering injuries to covering

diseases No-fault basis OSHA and NIOSH Right-to-know Pollution prevention

Identification of occupational health problems

Identification of occupational health problems

Identification of occupational health problems

Identification of occupational health problems

Problems Mid- and small-sized business Wide spectrum of health effects: physical,

chemical, biological (AIDS and SARS), and neuropsychological

The scale is big Annual deaths are ~65,000 2 broad categories Not evenly distributed Cost in 2000 was more than 130 billions In less developed countries, the problem is even

bigger

Identification of occupational health problems

True impact is unknown Data quality of the records Delayed effects and frequent job change Even known association, the concentration

is still unknown Economic consideration

Employer’s pressure and worker’s pressure Agency’s budget cut Patterns of occupational diseases are

always changing

Trends in occupational injuries and deaths in the United States

Types and sources of occupational exposures

Employing situation changed a lot Two main catagories

Manufacturing: contaminant in the air is the most common. Others are noise, vibration, and ionizing radiation

Service industries: inadequate indoor air quality, low-back pain, and cumulative trauma disorders

Three primary agents of factors

Toxic chemicals Biological agents

Bioaerosol: operating room and dental office Flax dust Fungi in respirators Airborne dust AIDS and hepatitis B

Physical factors Ergonomics: Human machine interface

Carpal tunnel syndrome Lifting and moving, slips and fall, noise, heat stress

Types and sources of occupational exposures

WBGT

Indoor or outdoor without sunshine WBGT = 0.7 × Tw + 0.3 × Tg Outdoor with sunshine

WBGT = 0.7 × Tw + 0.2 × Tg + 0.1 × Td

Tw = Natural wet-bulb temperature (humidity indicator) Tg = Globe thermometer temperature (measured with a

globe thermometer, also known as a black globe thermometer, to measure solar radiation)

Td = Dry-bulb temperature (normal air temperature)

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature

Thermometers

TwTd Tg

Occ

upati

onal

exp

osu

re s

tan

dard

s

Occupational exposure standards

Occupational exposure standards

Occupational exposure standards

Occupational exposure standards

Taiwan’s standard

工作日容許暴露時間 (小時, hour)

A 權噪音音壓級 (Sound pressure, dBA)

8 90 6 92 4 95 3 97 2 100 1 105 12

110

1

4或更少( or less) 115

Monitoring the workplace

Airborne contaminants Biological agents Physical and psychological factors Control of occupational exposures Toxic chemicals

Elimination or substitution Process or equipment modification Isolation or enclosure Local exhaust ventilation and air cleaning Personal protective equipment Proper work practice and housekeeping

Controls of occupational exposures

Controls of occupational exposures

Controls of occupational exposures

Musculoskeletal disorder

Special groups

Teenagers Outdoor workers Health-care workers

Management systems

ISO 14000s OHSAS 18001 ILO-OSH 2001 TOSHMS