Occupational Health and Safety: Hazards, Prevention, Protection
Health and Safety in the Workplace
Health is the complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being. An occupational hazard is the possibility that a worker suffers a work-related injury.
Prevention and Protection
Prevention: Measures taken to prevent or reduce occupational risks.
Protection: Measures taken to reduce damage.
Risk Factors
Risk factors related to working conditions include safety and environmental risks. These can be:
- Physical
- Chemical
- Biological
Risks associated with the human factor can be related to:
- Personal characteristics
- Lack of training
- Carrying out dangerous acts
Accidents at Work
Technically, any abnormal, unwanted, or undesired event that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, interrupting work, is considered an accident.
Legally, it is any injury suffered by the worker as a result of work performed as an employee.
Occupational Disease
Technically, it is the slow and gradual deterioration of a worker’s health caused by exposure to pollutants.
Legally, these are listed in the catalog of public administration and are caused by the agents detailed therein.
Preventive Disciplines
The preventive disciplines are:
- Occupational safety
- Industrial hygiene
- Ergonomics
- Psychosociology
- Occupational medicine
Principles of Prevention
- Avoiding risks
- Adapting work to the person
- Prioritizing collective protection over individual protection
- Giving instructions to workers
- Combating risks at the source
- Evaluating unavoidable risks
Protective Measures
Collective protective measures: Protect a group of workers, in general.
Individual protective measures: Protect a single worker using individual protective equipment (PPE), specific to each risk.
Workplace
A workplace is considered to be any area under the direct or indirect control of the employer.
Electricity
The main hazards are:
- Electrocution by direct or indirect contact
- Fire by short circuit
- Explosion caused by electrical spark or arc
Fire Safety
For a fire, you need:
- Fuel
- Comburent
- Heat
- Chain reaction
Types of Fire
- Class A: Solid, organic matter, leaving burning coals (e.g., tissues, paper, wood).
- Class B: Liquid and solid fuels with low fusion levels, generating large amounts of smoke and noxious fumes.
- Class C: Refers to reactive chemical compounds and metals (e.g., sodium, uranium).
Workplace Signage
- Prohibition: Round, red border, black on white, prohibiting dangerous conduct.
- Obligation: Round, white on blue, requiring specific behavior.
- Warning: Triangular, black on yellow, warning of risk.
- Evacuation: Rectangular, white on green, indicating escape routes.
- Fire Hydrant: Rectangular, white on red, indicating fire-fighting equipment.
Noise Levels
- 87dB and peak from 137dB: Maximum exposure values, considering the attenuation of hearing protectors.
- 85dB and peak of 137dB: Mandatory use of protection and risk assessment in the position.
- 80dB and peak of 135dB: Optional use of protectors, job evaluation every 3 years.
Lighting
Lighting is highly important. The amount of light is measured in lux.
- Precision work: 5000 lux
- Very high precision: 1000 lux
- High precision: 500 lux
- Moderate precision: 200 lux
- Low precision: 100 lux
Temperature
Workplace temperature is the result of humidity, ventilation, and air velocity.
- For sedentary jobs: Between 17°C and 27°C.
- For light work: Between 14°C and 25°C.