Occupational Hazards: Classification

Occupational Hazards Overview - Hazard Hotspotting

• Occupational Hazard (ILO): Workplace conditions, processes, or substances adversely affecting employee health and well-being. Significant in India's varied industrial landscape.
• Broad Categories (📌 P C B M E P S):
  • Physical (noise, heat)
  • Chemical (dusts, gases)
  • Biological (bacteria, viruses)
  • Mechanical (unguarded machinery)
  • Ergonomic (poor posture)
  • Psychosocial (stress, violence)

⭐ India's Factories Act (1948) and Mines Act (1952) are pivotal for occupational safety and health.

Physical & Mechanical Hazards - Zap, Clang, Ouch!

Physical Hazards:

Mechanical Hazards:

• Unguarded machinery: Amputations, crushing.
• Slips, trips, falls: Fractures, sprains, head injuries.
• Struck-by/Crushed-by objects: Trauma, internal damage.

⭐ Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is a highly prevalent preventable occupational disease, often starting at high frequencies (4kHz dip). Permissible exposure limit: 85 dBA for 8-hr TWA (Time-Weighted Average).

Chemical Hazards - Toxic Tag-Team

• Routes of Entry: Inhalation (most common), Skin absorption, Ingestion.

• Classification by Physical Form & Effects:

  Form	Example(s)	Key Health Effect(s)
  Dusts	Silica ($SiO_2$), Asbestos, Coal	Silicosis, Asbestosis, Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis (CWP)
  Fumes	Metal oxides (e.g., $PbO$)	Lead poisoning (Blood $Pb$ > 10 µg/dL), Metal Fume Fever
  Mists/Aerosols	Pesticides, Acid mists	Systemic toxicity, Respiratory irritation
  Vapors/Gases	$CO$, Solvents (Benzene), $H_2S$	Asphyxiation ($CO$), CNS effects, Organ damage

• Classification by Physiological Action:

  • Asphyxiants: $CO$, $H_2S$ (Chemical); $N_2$, $CO_2$ (Simple)
  • Irritants: Ammonia, $Cl_2$
  • Systemic Poisons: Lead, Mercury, Pesticides
  • Carcinogens: Asbestos, Benzene
  • Mutagens, Teratogens

⭐ Benzene exposure is linked to Aplastic Anemia and Leukemia.

Biological & Ergonomic Hazards - Germs & Jerks

Biological Hazards: Germs causing infections.

Ergonomic Hazards: Jerks from poor work design.

• Repetitive movements (e.g., typing, assembly)
• Awkward postures (e.g., bending, overhead work)
• Forceful exertions (e.g., lifting, pushing)
• Static load (prolonged standing/sitting)
• Poor workstation design (mismatched chair/desk)
  • Leads to: Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) e.g., Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), Low Back Pain (LBP), Tendinitis.

Psychosocial Hazards - Mind Field Mayhem

Workplace factors negatively impacting mental health and well-being.

• Key Types:
  • Work-related Stress (WRS)
  • Bullying/Mobbing
  • Workplace Violence
  • Harassment
  • Burnout
  • Shift work issues
  • Job factors: Lack of control, High demands, Low support
• Major Health Effects:
  • Mental: Anxiety, Depression, PTSD
  • Physical: Sleep disturbances, Substance abuse, Cardiovascular diseases

⭐ Karasek's Job Demand-Control-Support model is a key framework for understanding work stress and its health impacts.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

• Physical hazards: Noise (NIHL), heat (stroke), vibration (Raynaud's), radiation, light.
• Chemical hazards: Dusts (pneumoconiosis), gases (CO), metals (lead), solvents, pesticides.
• Biological hazards: Bacteria (anthrax), viruses (hepatitis B), fungi, parasites.
• Mechanical hazards: Injuries from machinery, falls, cuts, slips, trips.
• Ergonomic hazards: Poor posture, repetitive tasks, improper lifting leading to MSDs.
• Psychosocial hazards: Stress, violence, burnout, shift work impact.
• Pneumoconiosis: Key lung disease from dust (silicosis, asbestosis, CWP).