Occupational Diseases and Harzards

• Diseases due to physical agents
• Heat eg Heat exhaustion, burns, prickly heat.
• Cold eg Frost bite
• Light eg cataract in miners
• Pressure eg air embolism

What is an Occupational Harzards?

• It is a risk accepted as a consequence of a particular occupation. Occupational harzards can be experienced in the workplace.
• Occupational harzards can encompass many types hazards, psychological harzards, and physical harzards.

Occupational Diseases and Harzards cont’d

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• Noise eg Deafness
• Radiation eg cancer, leukaemia, aplastic anaemia
• Mechanical Factors eg Injuries, accidents
• Electricity eg Burns, Shock

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Occupational Diseases and Harzards cont’d

• Diseases due to Chemical agents
• Gases– CO2, CO, N2, H2S, HCl SO2 these cause gas poisoning
• Dusts - Pneumoconiosis
• Inorganic dust –
• Coal dust –Anthracosis
• Silica – silicosis
• Asbestos – Asbestosis
• Iron - Siderosis

b) Cane - Bagassosis

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Occupational Diseases and Harzards cont’d

• Coal dust –Anthracosis
• Silica – silicosis
• Asbestos – Asbestosis
• Iron - Siderosis
• b) Cane - Bagassosis

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Occupational Diseases and Harzards cont’d

• Cotton dust - Byssinosis
• Tobacco -- Tobacosis
• Hay or grain dust -- Farmers lung

Occupational Diseases and Harzards cont’d

• Diseases due to metals. Lead, alkaline, Mercury
• Diseases due to biological agents – Brucellosis
• Occpational cancers – Cancer of skin
• Diseases of psychological origin

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Occupational Problems

Of Agriculture

Occupational Problems of Agriculture

• There are technically two forms of Agriculture in Nigeria.
• Peasant and Mechanised farming. The health problems may therefore vary according to the nature of the differing components of the work environment in the two types of agriculture.
• Physical harzards; Excessive heat of the sun, noise from aging tractors. Flooding.

Agro-chemical Problems

• Pesticides - some pesticides destroy all living things in the farm including some insects like earthworms that may be useful in the farm.
• Herbicides – selective and non selective very often destroy useful natural growing plants and vegetables. Some of the herbicides release free oxygen radical- releasing and oxidizing agent that is absorbed into the sprayer’s skin or inhaled into his lungs thus causing destruction of the lungs.

Agro-Chemicals cont’d

• Halogenated Hydrocarbons (DDT) Dieldrin, Benzyl hexachloride etc. They produce poisoning on chronic exposure. Their effects lasts long in the soil because they are not biodegradable.

Agro-Chemicals cont’d

• Organophosphates. (Parathion and Malathion) they usually produce acute poisoning but unlike the halogenated hydrocarbons, they are baiodegradable. Because they act by inhibiting cholinestrase thus poisoning and causing excessive salivation, nervouusness, tremors, and convulsions. Chronic poisoning cause peripheral neuropathy. Ie it affects periphral nerves.

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Agro – chemicals cont’d

• Prevention of the chemicals requires use of face masks during spraying.
• Appropriate symptomatic treatment as applicable.
• Chemicals used for storage of agricultural produce should take not of the expiry period and do not use the agric product before the expiry.

Animal husbandry

• Zoonotic diseases; close contact with animals exposes the farmer to zoonotic diseases such as rabies, bovine TB, brucellosis, anthrax, tetanus, etc.

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Hospital Radiation Harzards

• X-RAY EXPOSURE – This is harmful to young cells hence young females in their reproductive ages should not be exposed.

Industrial Accidents

• Accidents are a common happenings where machines man interphase exists. Man hours are lost due to accidents whether in factories, mining machines,
• Factors are;
• Human Factors.
• Environmental Factors.

Industrial Accidents

• Human Factors: Physical capability of the individual. His visual acuity, physical fitness, etc. Inexperience, 85% of industrial accidents happen within the first 6 months. 23% happen in the next 6 months while only 3% happen in the third 6 months.
• Another factor is that more industrial accidents happen after working for over 5 hours when fatigue begins to set in.
• Physiological Factors.

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Industrial Accidents

• Psychological Factors;
• Mental factors,
• Carelessness,
• Inatentiveness,
• Overconfidence,
• Emotional stress

Industrial Accidents

• Environmental Factors:
• High temperature,
• Poor ilumination,
• High humidity.

Health Problems Due to Induatrialisation

• Sanitation problems
• Water polution from industrial effluents
• Air pollution
• Communicable diseases eg TB. Rabies, Typhoid,
• Social problems, Alcoholism, drug addiction etc
• Morbidity and Mortality

Measures for Health Protection of workers

• Nutrition; When the number of workers exceeds 250, a canteen should be provided with quality foods and snacks.
• The number of workers should determine getting a medical Doctor and nurses for regular check ups. Early detection and treatment of ailments.
• Environmental sanitation and portable water supply should be in place.

Measures for Health Protection of workers

• Supervision of the work environment, the aeration, temperature, illumination, noise level allertness of workers etc.
• Health Education and counselling

Ergonomics and Engineering Measures

• Design of buildings. The floor, height of walls, windows for ventilation, doors etc.
• Good house keeping.
• Designing machine to fit man.
• Appropriate protectives for man.

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Benefits of Occupational Health Insuarance to the employee

• Medical benefit
• Sickness benefit
• Maternity benefit
• Disablement benefit
• Funeral benefit
• Rehabilitation allowance

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Thanks for listening

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