13.2 Occupational health and safety

Occupational health and safety protects workers from job-related harm. It covers physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial hazards that can cause injuries, illnesses, or even death in the workplace.

Epidemiology plays a key role in identifying and preventing occupational risks. Through various study designs and data collection methods, researchers can pinpoint hazards and develop strategies to keep workers safe and healthy on the job.

Occupational Health and Safety Fundamentals

Definition of occupational health

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• Occupational health and safety (OHS) protects workers' health, safety, and well-being through prevention of work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities
• OHS importance affects large portion of population (working adults) reduces healthcare costs increases productivity improves quality of life for workers and families
• Legal and ethical considerations include employer responsibility to provide safe work environment and worker rights to refuse unsafe work

Common occupational health hazards

• Physical hazards include noise exposure leading to hearing loss radiation increasing cancer risk ergonomic issues causing musculoskeletal disorders (carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Chemical hazards encompass toxic substances causing respiratory diseases (asbestosis) skin disorders (contact dermatitis) carcinogens leading to various cancers (lung cancer)
• Biological hazards involve infectious agents causing zoonotic diseases (brucellosis) bloodborne pathogens (hepatitis B)
• Psychosocial hazards include workplace stress leading to mental health issues (depression) shift work causing sleep disorders cardiovascular problems (hypertension)

Epidemiology in occupational health

• Surveillance systems track work-related injuries and illnesses using databases (OSHA 300 logs)
• Cohort studies follow groups of workers over time assessing exposure-outcome relationships (asbestos workers lung cancer)
• Case-control studies compare exposed and unexposed workers to identify risk factors (mesothelioma asbestos exposure)
• Cross-sectional studies assess prevalence of health outcomes in worker populations at a specific time point (carpal tunnel syndrome office workers)
• Exposure assessment techniques include air sampling measuring airborne contaminants biomonitoring analyzing biological markers (blood lead levels)
• Job-exposure matrices link job titles to potential exposures estimating cumulative exposure over time
• Mortality studies analyze causes of death among worker populations identifying occupational risk factors (coal miners black lung disease)

Prevention of occupational hazards

• Hierarchy of controls prioritizes hazard elimination substitution with safer alternatives engineering controls (ventilation systems) administrative controls (job rotation) personal protective equipment (respirators)
• Workplace health promotion programs implement wellness initiatives (fitness classes) health education (nutrition workshops)
• Regulatory approaches establish occupational safety and health standards enforce compliance through inspections (OSHA regulations)
• Risk assessment and management identify prioritize hazards implement control measures (hazard mapping)
• Training and education provide worker safety training (proper lifting techniques) management leadership programs (safety culture development)
• Ergonomic interventions improve workstation design (adjustable chairs) implement task rotation to reduce repetitive strain
• Medical surveillance includes pre-employment screenings periodic health examinations (hearing tests for noise-exposed workers)