OCCUPATIONAL LIFESTYLE DISEASES-AN EMERGING ISSUE (original) (raw)
Related papers
Contribution of occupational risk factors to the global burden of disease
The World Health Organization conducted a comparative risk assessment to ascertain the contributions of 26 risk factors to the global burden of disease. Five occupational risk factors accounted for an estimated 37% of back pain, 16% of hearing loss, 13% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 11% of asthma, 9% of lung cancer, 8% of injuries, and 2% of leukemia worldwide. Virtually all cases of silicosis, asbestosis, and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis were work-related. Contaminated sharps injuries accounted for 40% of hepatitis B, 40% of hepatitis C, and 4% of HIV/AIDS infections among health care workers. Data limitations, primarily in developing countries, prevented the inclusion of other major occupational risk factors. These selected occupational risks accounted for about 850 000 deaths and 24 million years of healthy life lost each year. The deaths due to these selected occupational risk factors constitute only 43% of the International Labour Organization’s estimate of 2 millio...
Elsevier eBooks, 2008
Background This article provides an overview of the adverse health effects caused by exposure to safety and health hazards at work and briefly outlines approaches to reducing hazards to promote workplace safety and health, all of which will be explored in greater depth in other articles. Although work has inherent hazards, working is fundamentally positive. It provides food, clothing, and shelter, creates cities and transportation systems, and forms the basis for human civilization. Work shapes society and profoundly affects the person conducting it. To the extent that workers gain income and other benefits, accomplishment, and social engagement, they share in the positive aspects of work. However, benefits to the individual and to society must include the systematic development of hazard identification and intervention to prevent the illnesses, injuries, and loss of life that unfortunately continue to characterize this important human activity.
Occupational health problems in modern work environment
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 2004
Analysis of occupational health problems in Lithuania and their relation to factors of modern work environment is presented. The article analyses the health of transport workers, airlines pilots and stewards, video display terminal workers and its relation to work environment. To investigate and evaluate influence of changing occupational environment to workers' health. Complex evaluation including several enterprises with different work profile and conditions. Evaluation of work environment, assessment of psychophysiological and ophthalmological data of workers as well as morbidity studies were performed. Occupational environment of transport workers is related with high levels of noise, vibration, mercury, carbon monoxide, welding aerosols, and dust. Main diseases for transport workers are upper respiratory tract and lung diseases, accidents, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders. Cases of temporal morbidity for pilots and stewards are upper respiratory tract and lung d...
The Global Burden of Occupational Disease
Current Environmental Health Reports, 2017
Purpose of Review Burden of occupational disease estimation contributes to understanding of both magnitude and relative importance of different occupational hazards and provides essential information for targeting risk reduction. This review summarises recent key findings and discusses their impact on occupational regulation and practice. Recent Findings New methods have been developed to estimate burden of occupational disease that take account of the latency of many chronic diseases and allow for exposure trends and workforce turnover. Results from these studies have shown in several countries and globally that, in spite of improvements in workplace technology, practices and exposures over the last decades, occupational hazards remain an important cause of ill health and mortality worldwide. Summary Major data gaps have been identified particularly regarding exposure information. Reliable data on employment and disease are also lacking especially in developing countries. Burden of occupational disease estimates form an important part of decision-making processes.
Health Hazards of Industrial Workers: Preventive Measures
Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities
Workers in every occupation face a multitude of hazards in the work place - occupational health and. Safety addresses the broad range of workplace hazards from accident prevention to the more insidious hazards, including toxic fumes, dust, noise, heat, stress, etc. Preventing work-related diseases and accidents must be the goal of occupational health and safety programs. The occupational health service is a link in the work organization. Human life is high in the hierarchy of values for the health professions. Health is a major determinant of the quality of life. Societal values have greater importance in the world of labor, with its complex informal and formal social structures. The cultural values of both workers and the community at large have to be considered. Present-day technology is a valuable asset if its limitations are understood. Computers and their software already provide thoroughly tested systems of data recording, processing, retrieval, and analysis, obviating the nee...
The global burden of selected occupational diseases and injury risks: Methodology and summary
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2005
Background Around the globe, work has a heavy impact on health. To better advise policy makers, we assessed the global burden of disease and injury due to selected occupational hazards. This article presents an overview, and describes the methodology employed in the companion studies. Methods Using the World Health Organization (WHO) Comparative Risk Assessment methodology, we applied relative risk measures to the proportions of the population exposed to selected occupational hazards to estimate attributable fractions, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Numerous occupational risk factors had to be excluded due to inadequate global data. Results In 2000, the selected risk factors were responsible worldwide for 37% of back pain, 16% of hearing loss, 13% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 11% of asthma, 8% of injuries, 9% of lung cancer, and 2% of leukemia. These risks at work caused 850,000 deaths worldwide and resulted in the loss of about 24 million years of healthy life. Needlesticks accounted for about 40% of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infections and 4.4% of HIV infections in health care workers. Conclusions Exposure to occupational hazards accounts for a significant proportion of the global burden of disease and injury, which could be substantially reduced through application of proven risk prevention strategies.