Chapter30-OccupationalHygieneGOALS,DEFINITIONSANDGENERALINFORMATIONBereniceI.FerrariGoelzerWorkisessentialforlife,developmentandpersonalfulfilment.Unfortunately,indispensableactivitiessuchasfoodproduction,extractionofrawmaterials,manufacturingofgoods,energyproductionandservicesinvolveprocesses,operationsandmaterialswhichcan,toagreaterorlesserextent,createhazardstothehealthofworkersandthoseinnearbycommunities,aswellastothegeneralenvironment.However,thegenerationandreleaseofharmfulagentsintheworkenvironmentcanbeprevented,throughadequatehazardcontrolinterventions,whichnotonlyprotectworkers’healthbutalsolimitthedamagetotheenvironmentoftenassociatedwithindustrialization.Ifaharmfulchemicaliseliminatedfromaworkprocess,itwillneitheraffecttheworkersnorgobeyond,topollutetheenvironment.Theprofessionthataimsspecificallyatthepreventionandcontrolofhazardsarisingfromworkprocessesisoccupationalhygiene.Thegoalsofoccupationalhygieneincludetheprotectionandpromotionofworkers’health,theprotectionoftheenvironmentandcontributiontoasafeandsustainabledevelopment.Theneedforoccupationalhygieneintheprotectionofworkers’healthcannotbeoveremphasized.Evenwhenfeasible,thediagnosisandthecureofanoccupationaldiseasewillnotpreventfurtheroccurrences,ifexposuretotheaetiologicalagentdoesnotcease.Solongastheunhealthyworkenvironmentremainsunchanged,itspotentialtoimpairhealthremains.Onlythecontrolofhealthhazardscanbreaktheviciouscircleillustratedinfigure30.1.Figure30.1InteractionsbetweenpeopleandtheenvironmentHowever,preventiveactionshouldstartmuchearlier,notonlybeforethemanifestationofanyhealthimpairmentbutevenbeforeexposureactuallyoccurs.Theworkenvironmentshouldbeundercontinuoussurveillancesothathazardousagentsandfactorscanbedetectedandremoved,orcontrolled,beforetheycauseanyilleffects;thisistheroleofoccupationalhygiene.Furthermore,occupationalhygienemayalsocontributetoasafeandsustainabledevelopment,thatis“toensurethat(development)meetstheneedsofthepresentwithoutcompromisingtheabilityofthefuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds”(WorldCommissiononEnvironmentandDevelopment1987).Meetingtheneedsofthepresentworldpopulationwithoutdepletingordamagingtheglobalresourcebase,andwithoutcausingadversehealthandenvironmentalconsequences,requiresknowledgeandmeanstoinfluenceaction(WHO1992a);whenrelatedtoworkprocessesthisiscloselyrelatedtooccupationalhygienepractice.Occupationalhealthrequiresamultidisciplinaryapproachandinvolvesfundamentaldisciplines,oneofwhichisoccupationalhygiene,alongwithotherswhichincludeoccupationalmedicineandnursing,ergonomicsandworkpsychology.Aschematicrepresentationofthescopesofactionforoccupationalphysiciansandoccupationalhygienistsispresentedinfigure30.2.Figure30.2ScopesofactionforoccupationalphysiciansandoccupationalhygienistsItisimportantthatdecisionmakers,managersandworkersthemselves,aswellasalloccupationalhealthprofessionals,understandtheessentialrolethatoccupationalhygieneplaysintheprotectionofworkers’healthandoftheenvironment,aswellastheneedforspecializedprofessionalsinthisfield.Thecloselinkbetweenoccupationalandenvironmentalhealthshouldalsobekeptinmind,sincethepreventionofpollutionfromindustrialsources,throughtheadequatehandlinganddisposalofhazardouseffluentsandwaste,shouldbestartedattheworkplacelevel.(See“Evaluationoftheworkenvironment”).ConceptsandDefinitionsOccupationalhygieneOccupationa...
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