PREVENTION & CONTROL OF OCCUPATIONAL

DISEASES

PRESENTED BY: Dr. OSAMA ZEINALABIDIN

Measures of Health Protection of workers

• Medical:– Pre-employment medical examination– Periodic medical examination– Early diagnosis, treatment and ref. system

• Engineering (designing of the buildings, substitution, isolation ….)

• Personal protective measures (masks …)

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Control of occupational cancers

1. Control/elimination of industrial carcinogens2. Medical examination3. Notification4. Licensing of establishments5. Personal Hygiene6. Research

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Preventive measures of Lead Poisoning

• Substitution• Isolation• Local exhaust ventilation• Personal protection, hygiene, health education• Good housekeeping• Working atmosphere (should not exceed 2.0 -10 mg per

10 cu meters of air• Periodic medical examination

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1. Medical

• Health Education

• Pre-placement examinations

• Supervision of working environment

• Mechanization

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2. Engineering

1. Good housekeeping2. Design of building3. Mechanization4. Substitution5. Control of dust6. Isolation

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Personal Measures

• Masks• Safety shoes• Aprons, Overalls• Screens & safety glasses• Earplugs, Earmuffs• Helmets

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– Early Diagnosis and treatment

– Notification and recording

– Periodic medical examinations

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1. Medical

2. Occupational

3. Psychosocial

Preventing Occupational Disease

I. Measures Applied to the Process or Workplace

A. Substitution of a Non hazardous Substance for Hazardous One

B. Installation of Engineering Controls and Devices

C. Job Re-design , Work Organization Changes and Work Practice Alternatives

II. Measures Primarily Directed Toward Worker

1. Education and Advice

2. Personal Protective Equipment

3. Organizational Measures

To prevent occupational disease

effectively, health professionals must

know how to anticipate and recognize

conditions in those who present with

symptoms and those who are

presymptomatic.

THE THREE LEVELS OF PREVENTIONPrimary Prevention

Is designed to deter or avoid the occurrence of disease or injury

Secondary Prevention

Is designed to identify and adequately treat a disease or injury process as soon as possible, often before any symptoms have developed

Tertiary Prevention

Is designed to treat a disorder when it has advanced beyond its early stages, to avoid complications & limit disability, to address rehabilitative and palliative needs

PRIMARY PREVENTION

Aim:reducing the risk of disease or hazard by reducing

the magnitude of exposure to hazardous substances i.e. exposure dose reduce reduce adverse health consequences

PREVENTION OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

Primary Prevention Secondary Prevention

Control of new hazards Screening

Control of known hazards

Environmental monitoring

Biological monitoring

Identification of vulnerable workers (pre employment medical examination)

Periodic medical examination

Substitution

Engineering controls to minimise exposure

Personal Protective Devices

PREVENTION OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

• Tertiary prevention aims to minimize the consequences in persons who already have disease

• The goal is to limit symptoms or discomfort, minimize injury to the body and maximize functional capacity

1-ENGINEERING CONTROLS:

• Eliminating toxic chemicals.

• Substitution of hazardous substance with a safer one.

• Enclosure of work processes or confining work operations.

• Special ventilation of equipment or special

ventilation of processes that liberate hazards.

2-USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

EQUIPMENTS (PPE) :

- gloves, safety goggles ,helmets ,safety shoes, protective

clothing and respirators.

- To be effective ,PPE must be

- Individual selected

- Properly fitted

- Periodically refitted

- Properly worn and conscientiously

- Regularly maintained and replaced as necessary .

3- ROTATION OF WORKERS

4- PROHIBITING: Eating, Drinking,

Smoking, Chewing Tobacco, Or Gum

And Applying Cosmetics In Regular

Areas.

SECONDARY PREVENTION Aim :• Early identification of health problems

more favorable out come

• Accomplished by identifying health problems before they become clinically apparent

i.e. before workers report feeling ill

II) Hygienic prevention

1-Use of personal protective equipments (PPE)

2-Rotation of workers

3-Prohibiting eating, drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco, or gum and applying cosmetics in regular areas.

4-Labor legislation as: work and rest hours, setting rules for employment women and children and investigation for detection of the cause of workers’ absenteeism.

How to be done ?

By Occupational disease surveillance (periodic

medical examination) e.g. measurement of blood lead level in workers

exposed to lead. An of blood lead level failure of 1ry

prevention corrective action =2ry prevention

i.e. improve 1ry prevention

PERIODIC MEDICAL EXAMINATION (PME)

By which occupational disease can be identified in its latent stage (very early) where intervention (early

treatment) can slow, stop or reverse the progression of the abnormal physiologic condition( pathology ).

Items of PME : Questionnaire Physical examination Biological monitoring (Lab . Evaluation) as chest x-

ray, pulmonary function tests, audiogram, blood, urine, exhaled air

TERTIARY PREVENTION

Aim: Limitation of symptoms and discomfort Minimize injury to the body Maximize function to the body

e.g:- ttt of lead poisoning