Occupational Hazards & Safety: Prevention and Response
Health and Occupational Hazards
What is Health?
Health is a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, implying the absence of disease or infirmity.
Health Factors:
- Physical Factor: The absence of disease and the well-being of the body.
- Mental or Psychological Factor: A balance between the physical and mental state.
- Social Factor: The definition of health from a social perspective is influenced by economic, educational, and political situations.
Types of Damage in the Workplace
- Accidents: Sudden, unexpected, and usually avoidable incidents causing bodily harm and compromising a person’s physical integrity.
- Occupational Diseases: Illnesses contracted as a result of work performed.
- Occupational Fatigue: Physical and mental exhaustion caused by work-related factors.
- Job Dissatisfaction: Negative feelings and attitudes towards one’s job.
Occupational Risk and Prevention
The Law on Prevention of Occupational Hazards defines occupational risk as the possibility of a worker suffering harm arising from their work.
Occupational Risk Prevention involves activities and actions taken at all stages of business activity to prevent or reduce occupational hazards.
Occupational Hazard Types:
- Physical: Noise, vibration, radiation, thermal conditions.
- Chemical: Solid, liquid, gaseous substances.
- Biological: Bacteria, viruses, fungi.
- Psychosocial: Stress, harassment, bullying.
- Physical Fatigue: Physical effort, posture, handling loads.
Effects of Occupational Hazards:
- Specific Pathology: Occupational accidents and diseases directly linked to work activities.
- Non-specific Pathology: Diseases like fatigue and stress that cannot be solely attributed to the job.
Protection and Prevention Techniques
Technical Training:
- Safety education and hygiene training.
- Job-specific training.
Preventive Techniques:
- Workplace safety measures.
- Industrial hygiene practices.
- Occupational medicine services.
- Ergonomics: Designing the workplace to fit the worker.
- Psychology and mental health support.
Phases of Preventive Action:
- Identification of occupational risks in the company.
- Location of hazards.
- Evaluation of risks.
- Investigation of the causes.
- Proposal for improvement.
- Implementation of the proposal.
- Verification of effectiveness.
Responsibilities for Prevention
- Business Owner: Overall responsibility for workplace safety.
- Prevention Services: Specialized departments or external providers responsible for implementing preventive measures.
- Safety Representatives: Elected worker representatives who monitor and promote safety in the workplace.
- Workers: Responsibility for following safety procedures and reporting hazards.
Risk Mitigation and Protective Measures
Protective Equipment:
- Individual: Helmets, boots, safety belts, etc.
- Personal: Paid for by the employer and tailored to individual needs.
Other Measures:
- Safety signage.
- Safety of machinery and tools.
- Security of buildings.
Fire Protection
Elements of Fire:
- Fuel
- Oxidizer (e.g., oxygen)
- Heat
- Chain reaction
Fire Detection:
- Human observation
- Fire detection equipment
- Mixed systems
Extinguishing Methods:
- Water
- Powder
- Foam
First Aid and Emergency Response
Triage:
Triage involves a rapid assessment of victims to classify them by priority for evacuation and treatment. Color-coded cards are often used to indicate the severity of injuries.
Triage Categories:
- 1st Priority (Red Card): Immediate evacuation and treatment required.
- 2nd Priority (Yellow Card): Secondary priority for evacuation and treatment.
- 3rd Priority (Green Card): Minor injuries, can wait for treatment.
- 4th Priority (Black or Gray Card): Deceased or those with injuries deemed unsurvivable.
Burns:
The severity of a burn is determined by its size and depth. Burns affecting more than 50% of the body surface are often fatal. Burns exceeding 25% are considered very serious.
Bleeding:
Bleeding is the leakage of blood from a ruptured blood vessel. It requires immediate attention to control blood loss.