Environmental Health IV. The Workplace Shu-Chi Chang, Ph.D., P.E., P.A. Assistant Professor 1 and Division Chief 2 1 Department of Environmental Engineering 2 Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Center for Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety and Health National Chung Hsing University

Outline Protective legislation Identification of occupational health problems Types and sources of occupational exposures Occupational exposure standards Monitoring the workplace Controls of occupational exposures

Brief history ~400 B.C. Hippocrates observed and adverse health effect on miners and metallurgists 1473: Ulrich Ellenbog Early 1500 ’ s: Georg Bauer 1700: Bernardino Ramazzini 1880 ’ s: Karl B. Lehmann US US Bureau of Labor in 1885 US Dept. of Labor in 1913 Hamilton ’ s work in 1943 Occupational hygiene versus industrial hygiene

Protective legislation Workers ’ compensation law This law passed in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in the 19th century From covering injuries to covering diseases No-fault basis OSHA and NIOSH Right-to-know Pollution prevention

Identification of occupational health problems

Problems Mid- and small-sized business Wide spectrum of health effects: physical, chemical, biological (AIDS and SARS), and neuropsychological The scale is big Annual deaths are ~65,000 2 broad categories Not evenly distributed Cost in 2000 was more than 130 billions In less developed countries, the problem is even bigger

Identification of occupational health problems True impact is unknown Data quality of the records Delayed effects and frequent job change Even known association, the concentration is still unknown Economic consideration Employer ’ s pressure and worker ’ s pressure Agency ’ s budget cut Patterns of occupational diseases are always changing

Trends in occupational injuries and deaths in the United States

Types and sources of occupational exposures Employing situation changed a lot Two main catagories Manufacturing: contaminant in the air is the most common. Others are noise, vibration, and ionizing radiation Service industries: inadequate indoor air quality, low-back pain, and cumulative trauma disorders

Three primary agents of factors Toxic chemicals Biological agents Bioaerosol: operating room and dental office Flax dust Fungi in respirators Airborne dust AIDS and hepatitis B Physical factors Ergonomics: Human machine interface Carpal tunnel syndrome Lifting and moving, slips and fall, noise, heat stress

Types and sources of occupational exposures

WBGT Indoor or outdoor without sunshine WBGT = 0.7 × Tw × Tg Outdoor with sunshine WBGT = 0.7 × Tw × Tg × Td Tw = Natural wet-bulb temperature (humidity indicator)Natural wet-bulb temperature Tg = Globe thermometer temperature (measured with a globe thermometer, also known as a black globe thermometer, to measure solar radiation)Globe thermometer temperature Td = Dry-bulb temperature (normal air temperature)Dry-bulb temperature Wet Bulb Globe Temperature

Thermometers Tw Td Tg

Occupational exposure standards

Taiwan ’ s standard

Monitoring the workplace Airborne contaminants Biological agents Physical and psychological factors Control of occupational exposures Toxic chemicals Elimination or substitution Process or equipment modification Isolation or enclosure Local exhaust ventilation and air cleaning Personal protective equipment Proper work practice and housekeeping

Controls of occupational exposures

Musculoskeletal disorder

Special groups Teenagers Outdoor workers Health-care workers

Management systems ISO 14000s OHSAS ILO-OSH 2001 TOSHMS