เรื่อง ความรู้เบื้องต้นเกี่ยวกับอาชีวอนามัย และความปลอดภัย (Introductory Occupational Health and Safety) Mr. Suwech Pimnumyen, LL.B., B.Sc., B.Ed., B.P.H. (Occupational Health and Safety), M.S. (Environmental Management) Full-time Lecturer, Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Rai College

What Is Occupational Health? Occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards. The health of the workers has several determinants, including risk factors at the workplace leading to cancers, accidents, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory diseases, hearing loss, circulatory diseases, stress related disorders and communicable diseases and others. Employment and working conditions in the formal or informal economy embrace other important determinants, including, working hours, salary, workplace policies concerning maternity leave, health promotion and protection provisions, etc.

Health worker occupational health A health care facility is a workplace as well as a place for receiving and giving care. Health care facilities around the world employ over 59 million workers who are exposed to a complex variety of health and safety hazards everyday

Hazards or unsafety everyday including; - biological hazards, such as TB, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, SARS; - chemical hazards, such as, glutaraldehyde, ethylene oxide; - physical hazards, such as noise, radiation, slips trips and falls; - ergonomic hazards, such as heavy lifting; - psychosocial hazards, such as shiftwork, violence and stress; - fire and explosion hazards, such as using oxygen, alcohol sanitizing gels; and - electrical hazards, such as frayed electrical cords.

10 facts on environmental and occupational health and cancer 1. The environment is a factor in 19% of cancer cases. This includes working settings and results in 1.3 million deaths every year Form:

agents, mixtures, and exposure situations are carcinogenic to humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified 107 agents, mixtures, and exposure situations as carcinogenic to humans. These include asbestos, benzene, arsenic, cadmium, ethylene oxide, benzo[a]pyrene, silica, ultraviolet radiation including ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices, radon, aluminum and coke production, iron and steel founding, and the rubber manufacturing industry.

3. Radon exposure caused 3-14% of lung cancers deaths in It is the second most important cause of lung cancer in many countries.

cancer deaths due to air pollution in Death due to air pollution can be further categorized with: deaths caused by outdoor air pollution; deaths due to solid fuels used for cooking and heating; estimated deaths due to second-hand smoke.

5. Occupational lung carcinogens caused cancer deaths in Selected occupational lung carcinogens, such as beryllium and silica, were estimated to cause lung cancer deaths in 2004, while asbestos caused deaths (from mesothelioma).

6. UV radiation is responsible for melanoma-associated deaths and basal and squamous skin carcinomas in Certain chemicals, such as benzene, and ionizing radiation exposure caused leukaemia deaths in 2004.

cancer deaths in Bangladesh due to arsenic. Arsenic in the drinking water was estimated to cause deaths from lung, bladder, kidney and skin cancers in Bangladesh alone.

9. Prevention measures key to reducing cancer. In China, a programme helped install 129 million new stoves in rural homes between 1982 and A subsequent evaluation showed around a 40% reduction in lung cancer which was associated with using cleaner coal stoves with chimneys instead of traditional open coal fires. This is an example of how using primary prevention measures that eliminate or decrease exposure to environmental carcinogens, including in occupational settings, is key to reducing the incidence of cancer.

By creating environmental and transport policies that encourage cycling and walking one could prevent some of the deaths due to breast, colon and rectum cancer. 10.Physical activity can reduce some forms of cancer.