01 Occupational Hazards-Intro (7-2-2017) - Lecture

Occupational hazard can be defined as the
risk to the health of a person usually arising

out of employment.
It can also refer to work, material, substance,
process or situation that predisposes or itself
causes accidents or disease at work place.
The history of occupational hazard awareness
can be traced back to the 18th century when
Bernardino Ramazzini, who is referred to as
the ‘Father of Occupational Medicine’,
recognized the role of occupation in the
dynamics of health and diseases.
Occupational hazards can be
a fatal accident
minor to severe injuries
allergic and systemic effects
Besides these consequences which occur

immediately, there are those that appear at a
later period.
What is a hazard?
A hazard is any source of potential damage,
harm or adverse health effects on something or
someone under certain conditions at work.
Basically, a hazard can cause harm or adverse
effects
to individuals as to organizations
health effects or as property or
equipment
losses
What is risk?
Risk is the chance or probability that a person
will be harmed or experience an adverse health
effect if exposed to a hazard.
It may also apply to situations with property or
equipment loss.
Factors that influence the degree of risk
include:
1. How much a person is exposed to a
hazardous thing or condition,
2. How the person is exposed (e.g.,
breathing in a vapour, skin contact), and
3. How severe are the effects under the
conditions of exposure.
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
OSHA is an agency of the United States
Department of Labor.
It is officially formed on 1971.
The main objective of OSHA is to promote
awareness among the employees about work
hazard and how to protect themselves.
Although modern dentistry has been
described as probably among the least
hazardous of all occupations, many risks
remain in dental practice which continue to
challenge this status.
These include exposure to infectious agents,
including
percutaneous exposure incidents (PEI);
musculoskeletal disorders (MSD);
bio aerosols;
eye injuries;
Vibration induced neuropathy;
exposure to radiation, noise, and dental
materials;
psychological conditions.
Where such risks cannot be engineered out
of the dental clinic, appropriate
occupational health and safety measures
need to be adopted and adhered to, by
dental staff.
Hazard Assessment Process
Dental workers may be exposed to a
variety of workplace hazards in the
course of performing their functions.
The type and degree of exposure is
dependent upon
the type of the specific tasks

services performed
the type of patients

or clients
These problems include:
Biological hazards;
Chemical hazards;
Physical hazards;
Psychological hazards.
Management of hazards in the
workplace comprises
the identification, the education and

assessment and & supervision of
control of hazards employees in respect
of hazards
A systematic approach to hazard
assessment includes the following steps:
1. List all work-related tasks and activities.
2. Identify potential biological, chemical,
physical & psychological hazards associated
with each task.
3. Assess the risk of the hazard by considering
a. the severity of consequences of exposure,
b. the probability that the exposure will
occur,
c. the frequency the task is done.
4. Identify the controls that will eliminate or
reduce the risk.
The hierarchy of controls should be
followed.
This means that
engineering controls are the most
effective,
followed by administrative controls (such
as training and rules),
followed by personal protective
equipment (PPE).
5. Implement the controls for each hazard.
6. Communicate the hazard assessments and
required controls to all workers who
perform the tasks.
7. Evaluate the controls periodically to ensure
they are effective.
The hazard controls must incorporate the
accepted hierarchy of effective controls.
The most effective control is elimination of
the hazard, but this is not always possible.
The next control strategy is the use of
engineering controls.
Engineering controls reduce the possibility of

exposure by controlling the hazard at its
source.
Examples of engineering controls include:
include:
»≫
≫ Ventilation.
»≫
≫ Automated processes.
»≫
≫ Isolation rooms.
»≫
≫ Vaccines.
»≫
≫Safety-engineered devices and equipment.
The next level of control is administrative.

Administrative controls are directed towards
the healthcare workers (HCWs), rather than
directly at the hazard.
Examples of administrative controls include:
include:
»≫
≫ Policies.
»≫
≫ Procedures.
»≫
≫ Health assessments appropriate to the hazard.
»≫
≫ Immunization programs.
»≫
≫ Training.
»≫
≫ Scheduling.
Where engineering and/or administrative controls

are not sufficient to eliminate or reduce the
hazard, the third choice is the use of personal
protective equipment (PPE).
PPE is considered the “last resort” as a
control,
because it relies on proper use, fit and worker
training.
PPE means equipment or clothing worn by a
person for protection from health or safety
hazards associated with conditions at a work
site.
If PPE fails, there is a high likelihood of
HCW exposure.
Often several controls are applied
simultaneously to effectively control a
hazard.

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Occupational hazard can be defined as the

risk to the health of a person usually arising

Besides these consequences which occur

the type of the specific tasks

the type of patients

the identification, the education and

Engineering controls reduce the possibility of

The next level of control is administrative.

Where engineering and/or administrative controls

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