Occupational Diseases - Classification, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Introduction:

Occupational disease has an adverse effect on human health; the occurrence is related to exposure to work-related factors. Such factors are physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, and psychosocial. Each occupational disease has different signs and symptoms. Occupational hazards affect an individual in the long term run. Occupational disease occurrence is sometimes related to the dose and the timings of the exposure.

What Are Occupational Diseases?

Occupational diseases are the ones arising in or out of the course of employment. The occupational disease occurs due to the presence of certain factors and agents. Exposure to hazardous agents, even in small amounts with daily exposure, can lead to a high risk of health-related conditions. It is a disease or condition that occurs in a group of people with the same occupational exposures at a higher frequency as compared to the rest of the population.

What Are the Classifications of Occupational Disease?

Classification of occupational disease is as follows:

1. Diseases Due to Physical Agents:

• Heat: Exhaustion, syncope (temporary loss of consciousness due to insufficient flow of blood to the brain), cramps, burns, and hyperpyrexia (conditions where the temperature goes above 41.5 degrees Celsius).

• Cold: Frostbite (a condition caused by freezing of skin and underlying skin), trench foot (condition when the feet are wet for a longer time than usual), chilblains (skin bump or spore that occurs due to exposure to freezing temperature).

• Light: Occupational cataract (a form of cataract due to occupational exposure), miner’s nystagmus (disease of the nervous system confined to workers at coal mines).

• Noise: Occupational deafness that occurs when workers are exposed to ototoxic (causing harm to hear and balance) chemicals and loud noise.

• Radiation: Cancer (an uncontrollable division of abnormal cells that destroy body tissue) and leukemia (cancer of blood-forming tissue).

• Electricity: Burn (damage resulting from radiation, chemical, or electric exposure).

• Atmospheric Pressure: Low or high exposure can result in decompression sickness (bend caused by the rapid reduction in pressure surrounded by air or water).

2. Diseases Due to Chemical Agents:

• Gas: Such as sulfur dioxide, fluorine, and chlorine has the potential to irritate the eyes and respiratory system. Several hours of exposure to the gas can lead to diseases such as cardiorespiratory failure (a condition with an unexpected loss of heart function, consciousness and breathing).

• Metals: Metal compounds are commonly encountered in the workplace and home. Mercury toxicity is one of the occupational diseases that occur due to exposure to drugs, paints, thermometers, fungicides, batteries, and other electrical products. Ingestion of mercury can lead to nausea, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. The absorption and inhalation of mercury vapors can cause tremors, salivation, memory loss, irritability, anxiety, depression, and personality changes. Other examples of hazardous metals are cadmium, nickel, manganese, thallium, arsenic, lead, beryllium, and chromium. Exposure to nickel causes lung and nasal cancer, and exposure to chromium and arsenic causes lung and skin cancer.

• Organic Compound: Such as pesticides lead to symptoms of poisoning that includes muscle tremor, nausea, weakness, irritability, and convulsion. Gasoline, oils, fuels, and petrol are other examples of hydrocarbons that, when inhaled or ingested, cause weakness, dizziness, irritation of the lungs, and nausea.

• Dust: Inhaled is responsible for lung disorders. For example, pneumoconiosis (group of lung reactions due to inhaled dust).

3. Diseases Due to Infectious Agents:

• Animal: Diseases can be transmitted to humans that can be acquired by handling the infected bone or unsterilized hair. Example anthrax (caused by a spore-forming bacterium that causes vomiting, skin sores, and shock).

• Contaminated Water: It is another source of acquiring infection. For example, tuberculosis (an infectious bacterial disease that affects the lungs).

4. Diseases Due to Psychological Factors:

• Mental Stress: Can occur as a result of overwork, competition, disinterest, and increased responsibilities that can lead to symptoms like irritation, anger, fatigue, ache, migraine, and depression.

• Violence: Against employees can be seen in terms of increased workload.

What Are Factors for the Development of Occupational Disease?

The factors that determine the development of occupational diseases are :

• Amount of dose or exposure that enters the body.

• Length or duration of exposure.

• Route of entry into the body.

• Biological variation (individual susceptibility).

• Removal from the body.

• Toxicity of chemicals.

• Effect of interaction such as synergistic effects (for example-alcohol, smoking, and exposure to other chemicals).

What Are the Most Common Occupational Diseases?

The most common occupational diseases are :

• Dermatitis: Occurs due to an allergic reaction to the skin caused by biological, physical, or chemical agents. Symptoms may include blisters, swelling, and red and itchy skin.

• Respiratory Illness: Includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung disease that causes obstructive airway) and asthma. Asthma is considered one of the most common occupational diseases in which airways become swell and narrow and produce extra mucus.

• Musculoskeletal Diseases: Are work-related diseases caused by awkward positions, repetitive movements, handling loads, high work demands, and lack of breaks—for example, tendonitis (a condition in which the muscle connected to bone becomes inflamed).

• Hearing Loss: Occurs mainly in occupational workers with more noise exposure than the general population.

• Cancer: Occurs when workers are exposed to carcinogenic substances in their factory or workplace, for example, cancer of the lungs and pharynx.

• Stress and Mental Health Disorders: Can be considered occupational diseases as they are common in today's lifestyle and the workplace.

• Infectious Diseases: Hepatitis B (liver infection caused by hepatitis B) and hepatitis C (viral infection that causes severe liver damage and inflammation), and tuberculosis (an infectious disease that affects the lungs).

• Lead Poisoning: Thisis a huge risk for the person who spends time in the workplace that deals with lead, such as stripping paint, plumbing, pottery, or lead smelting.

How to Prevent the Risk of Occupational Diseases?

The ways in which the risk of occupational disease can be prevented are:

• Eliminate or minimize risks at the source.

• Reduction of risks through physical safeguard or engineering controls.

• Providing safe working procedures.

• Maintaining personal protective equipment at the workplace.

What Are the Main Contributing Factors to Occupational Accidents?

The various contributing factors to occupational accidents are :

• Poor safety culture.

• Lack of awareness and knowledge of information sources.

• The organization lacks a safety and health policy, structure, management system, and work involvement.

• Lack of legislation, government policies, enforcement, and advisory system.

• Poor occupational services.

• Lack of proper statistics and research priority setting.

• Lack of effective education and training.

Conclusion:

Occupational health service is responsible for keeping all employees informed about office hazards. Employee health protection measures should be explained to mark the importance of complying with unpleasant restrictions such as wearing a face mask and protective clothing. First aid facilities should always be provided to every employee.