ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

In a voluntary national effort, U.S. industry, education, labor, and government have initiated the development of standards for job skills and competencies in jobs in 15 economic sectors. The aim of the skill standards is to maintain a globally competitive workforce. Efforts to include occupational safety and health knowledge and skills as core elements in these standards are described. The first skill standards to include occupational safety and health competencies were developed for the manufacturing sector, evaluated by 3,800 workers in 700 companies, and published. National skill standards can stimulate extensive training in occupational safety and health, with resultant application to a larger percentage of workers than ever before.

Ao se estudar e analisar resíduos sólidos, nota-se a relação entre os aspectos ocupacionais, ambientais e de saúde. Os resíduos sólidos provenientes de materiais contendo amianto são comprovadamente nocivos, causando o adoecimento dos trabalhadores e culminando em uma questão de saúde pública. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar o manejo das telhas de fibrocimento contendo amianto e a existência de perspectivas de desamiantização nas instalações da Universidade Federal da Bahia em Salvador/BA. Trata-se de um estudo do tipo exploratório com abordagem qualitativa em que a coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com trabalhadores telhadistas, servidores, estudantes e professores dessa universidade e por meio do exame das legislações vigentes. A análise documental mostrou que os dispositivos legais e normativos identificados carecem de recursos e ações para serem implementados e que não há uma política de incentivo à desamiantização, assim como revelou a carência de áreas públicas para destinação final ambientalmente adequada do material contaminado e a falta de uma fiscalização apropriada. A pesquisa não identificou haver uma perspectiva de desamiantização na UFBA, apesar de ter constatado a existência de pessoas expostas ao risco invisível provocado pelo amianto. O estudo mostra um cenário de degradação ambiental e preocupante para a saúde coletiva, mas que também estimula a discussão de soluções e o desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas.

Context: The Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology (INOR) is the leading institution for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of cancer in Cuba. The main methods used in cancer treatment are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The last one involves the handling of hazardous substances, such as cytostatics, which implies a health risk to persons occupationally exposed to it. There are two sites where a considerable among of cytostatic is handled (Ambulatory Chemotherapy Room (ACR) and the Central Unit of Cytostatic Mixture Preparation (CUCM)). Genotoxicity biomarkers of exposure and effects have been widely used to detect occupational environment hazards.

Aims: To evaluate genotoxicity biomarkers indicative of exposure and effects to cytostatics.

Methods: In this study were tested samples taken from the surfaces of biological safety cabinets located in the Central Unit of Cytostatic Mixture using SOS – Chromotest. We also evaluated samples of oral mucosa exfoliated cells from exposed and control subjects, by micronucleus test.

Results: All subjects were exposed and subjects who administered the mixes in the institution had an increased of DNA damage in comparison with the pharmaceutical staff that prepared it and wear the primary protection barriers properly.

Conclusions: These results underline the efficiency of genotoxicological biomarkers in detecting the exposure levels and the deleterious effect of cytostatics on occupationally exposed personal.

Chapter in the Edited book "Sick and Tired: Health and Safety Inequalities", Edited by Stephanie Premji

Recognition, prevention and compensation are predicated on prevailing social discourses about hazards and health problems. Jane McArthur, in Chapter 6, considers the role of the media in perpetuating dominant representations of breast cancer, a disease that claims the lives of over half a million women worldwide each year (WHO 2016). Based on an analysis of Toronto Star newspaper articles, McArthur determines that constructions of breast cancer risk in media discourses centre on lifestyle, genetics and personal responsibility, while occupational and environmental risks and primary prevention are largely omitted. She argues that discourses that emphasize individual choice and modifiable personal behaviours fail to account for the current scientific understandings of breast cancer risks and reflect neoliberal dogmas and policies.

Background: The handloom sector is one of the important sectors which carries cultural heritage and give socioeconomic
stability of the villages. Objective: The aim of the study is to identify the occupational risk factors of the workers present
in the textile yarn dyeing units of Nadia district, West Bengal, India. Materials and Methods: A total of 167 male workers
from 24 cottage based industry are randomly selected for the present study. Physical and physiological parameters along
with personal details of the subjects are collected. 399 postures of 40 main tasks of dyeing process are analyzed by
Ovako working posture analysis system along with other environmental parameters. Statistical analysis is used to evaluate
mean value, standard deviation, odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and level of significance for the link of work-related
musculoskeletal disorders with different variables. Result: It is observed that accident rates are high among very small
scale units’ workers in comparison with small-scale units’ workers. The workers maintain different awkward postures
during their prolonged working hours without a proper work-rest cycle. Due to high workplace temperature and humidity,
low illumination level and wrong body postures more than 85% workers feeling very tired or fatigue after the work.
Conclusion: Awareness about the risk factors of the working environment can minimize the occupational health hazards
of yearn dyeing workers.
KEY WORDS: Yarn Dyeing; Socioeconomic Stability; Posture; Occupational Health; Ovako Working Posture Analysis System

Background: Molasses making is one of the most agro-based sectors in India where about 4.50 core rural people are
involved in the sugarcane cultivation and 5 lakh are directly engaged in the small-scale industries. The workers are prone
to different health problems, but the effect has rarely been evaluated. Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the
musculoskeletal disorders of the molasses making workers and its association with age, experience, education, and addiction
to smoking and alcohol. Materials and Methods: Working postures are analyzed by Ovako Working Posture Analysis
System method. A modified Nordic questionnaire is used to survey the workers’ work-related musculoskeletal disorders
(WMSDs), job details, and socioeconomic status. Statistical tests, namely, mean, standard deviation, odds ratio (OR), and
95% confidence interval (95% CI) are computed to analyze the data. Results: Due to poor working postures, a large number
of workers are suffering from lower back and shoulder pain. Strong associations are observed between upper back pain
with the age group of 31-45 years (OR 2.03, 95% CI [0.84, 4.91]) and illiterate (OR 2.06, 95% CI [0.90, 4.71]) workers.
High ORs for musculoskeletal disorders are found among experienced and non-addicted workers. Conclusions: Definite
pattern of risk factors can be obtained by including workplace stress and strain in the study. Awareness and educational
campaign about the wrong working postures and WMSDs will help to reduce the risk factors.
KEY WORDS: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders; Molasses Workers; Ovako Working Posture Analysis System,
Odd Ratio

The environmental health and occupational toxicology is basically concerned with adverse effects of healthy environment and toxicity around humans resulting from exposure to chemical faced at work or in any other environment. This paper introduces the how the humans are constantly interacted and involved with the environment both at home, workplace and everywhere they go. These interactions with the environment they have an impact on quality of life, years of being health, and health disparities. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2016) defines the environment, in relation to health, as all the physical, chemical and organic factors that externally affect the lives of the people and associated to its behaviors to the quality of life people live. Environmental health is about preventing or control illness, injury, and disability related to interactions between people and their environment (WHO, 2006).
This paper also makes a deep analyze on the interaction of people with health environment, toxic environment, occupational hazards and exposure because humans stay in a chemical world. The inhalation, ingestion and absorption done by the mouth, noise, and skin pores acquire many of the chemicals. In scientific practice, the environmental health professional and occupational toxicologists have to pick out and treat the unfavorable health results of these exposures. The environmental health professional and occupational toxicologists also look into and pick out risks related to chemicals used in the place of work or into the human environment. Thus, this makes this course of environmental health and occupational toxicology more significant to public health professional as the results of healthy environment, toxic environmental and occupational hazards affect the profession and the community that public health professionals care much about.
It in this regards, this paper was divided into seven sections where three of them deals with environmental health, toxicology, and occupational toxicology which is the scientific part of the this paper and the other sections that deals with the general introduction of this paper, general discussion of the paper in relation to public health, conclusion and bibliography. This paper also talks about the relationship between environmental health and occupational toxicology as well in regard to public health

Sugar industry is a growing sector to combat increasing demands of sweeteners throughout the world. Sugar, molasses, jiggery, khandasari etc. are made from sugarcane whereas bagasses and ethanol are the by-products. Poor rural people are directly engaged in the production work under various stressful conditions. Prevalence of several fatal occupational and workplace health hazards is seen among these sugarcane industry workers. Research works of different investigators are reviewed to highlight problems of sugarcane workers for future scopes of work.

A substantial body of scientific evidence indicates that exposures to common chemicals and radiation, alone and in combination, are contributing to the increase in breast cancer incidence observed over the past several decades. Key recurring themes in the growing scientific literature on breast cancer and environmental risk factors are: (a) the importance of understanding the effects of mixtures and interactions between various chemicals, radiation and other risk factors for the disease; and (b) the increasing evidence that timing of exposures matters, with exposures during early periods of development being particularly critical to later risk of developing breast cancer. A review of the scientific literature shows several classes of environmental factors have been implicated in an increased risk for breast cancer, including hormones and endocrine-disrupting compounds, organic chemicals and by-products of industrial and vehicular combustion, and both ionizing and non-ionizing radiat...

CONTENTS
Section 1 Scope of Application 1
Section 2 Definition of Terms 1
Section 3 Onsite Sanitation 3
Section 4 Offsite Sanitation 7
Section 5 Drainage 13
Section 6 Special Establishments 14
Section 7 Health Care Establishments 16
Section 8 Reuse and Disposal 17
Section 9 Occupational Health and Safety Plans and Programs 19
Section 10 Permits and Clearances 19
Section 11 Roles and Responsibilities 23
Section 12 Inspection and Evaluation 28
Section 13 Penal Provision 31
Section 14 Separability Clause 32
Section 15 Repealing Clause 32
Section 16 Effectivity 32

Current practice in healthcare risk management is supported by many tools for risk assessment (understanding problems), but none for risk control (solving problems).  The results: a failure to improve safety, and a waste of the investment made in risk assessment.  The Active Risk Control (ARC) Toolkit, available for free, fills this void with a systematic, structured approach to risk control.

Flour dust occurs across the range of food industries; its exposure may induce acute or chronic respiratory ailments. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of flour dust on the lung function. The lung function was studied in forty-six male flour mill workers and a similar number of male control subjects; all participants were non-smokers with the age range from 18 to 65 years. The subjects were matched for age, height, weight and socioeconomic status. The pulmonary function test was performed by using an electronic spirometer (Compact Vitalograph, UK) and results were compared by a paired t-test. Significant reduction in the overall mean values of FVC, FEV1, PEF, and MW were observed in wheat flour mill workers relative to their matched controls. Based on the results of the present study, we conclude that the flour mill workers in Pakistan, like grain workers elsewhere, are at an increased risk of developing occupationally related pulmonary function impairments. The r...

Climate change is a "threat multiplier and a prime cause of universal threat to health in the 21st century, including 4 th industrial revolution. The health effects of climate change will increase dramatically over the next few years and pose a risk to human life and the well-being of billions of people. As we all know, the milieu is fundamental to our sustained earth survival and environmental changes (natural and artificial) affect it either to the benefit or detriment of humans. Climate change is one of such changes in the physical environment which has grave consequences for the existence of mankind. Climate change is interestingly, no longer a speculative subject. There is a good international scientific consensus existing to show that this phenomenon is real and if recent global warming movements continue, temperature rise, ocean levels and more frequently weather conditions that is extreme (storms, heatwaves , droughts, floods, cyclones, etc.) may perhaps cause severe food shortages, loss of shelter, water, livelihoods, extinction of flora and fauna species. In the recent past, the earth has witnessed devastating weather-related events in different portions of the globe including hurricanes (e.g., Katrina and Rita in USA), tsunamis, typhoons, flooding especially in the Asian Continent, wild fires especially in Australia, USA, etc. Currently, the ongoing flood incident in Pakistan that has so far claimed about 1,600 lives and rendered another four million people homeless is a sad reminder of the ugly and devastating consequences of global warming on the environment. There is no gainsaying the 62 Published by SCHOLINK INC. fact that humankind is paying dearly for the massive alterations in the environment that have induced changes in climate. This is because of frequent incidence of changes in climate related disasters in the world today. There is hardly any month that passes without an incident occurring in one part of the globe or another since the advent of the 21 st century. Changes in climate has significant and potentially devastating health consequences, whether through direct actions (e.g., deaths resulting from heat wave and weather disasters) or disruption of complex biological methods (e.g., changes in infectious diseases patterns, supplies in fresh water and production of food).The report of the fourth assessment of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have globally submitted that "it is estimated that the health of millions of people is affected, for instance, malnutrition increases; deaths increase, diseases and injury; burden of increase diarrheal diseases; frequency of increased cardio-respiratory diseases caused by high levels of ground-level ozone in cities due to climate change; besides altered spatial distribution of some communicable diseases". The association amongst changes in climate, its drivers, systemic effects, health and socioeconomic growth, mitigation and adaptation has been specified.

Aggression against nurses and ancillary personnel is a major--overall under-reported--occupational problem in sociomedical facilities for psychiatric and demented patients. The frequency of violent incidents against workers in a residential rehabilitation unit was assessed during medical examinations in the workplace between 1996 and 2009. The majority of the workers had been subjected to physical aggression over time. A violence prevention program that included educational, organizational, and medical measures was implemented in 2002. Interrupted time series analysis showed that the aggression trend prior to intervention was flat (beta3 = -0.004; SD = 0.003; P = 0.241), while there was a significant drop in aggressions after the intervention (beta3, = -0.149; SD = 0.018; P < 0.0001). No late increase in trend was observed in the post-intervention period (beta3, = -0.006; SD = 0.004; P = 0.175). The program contributed to reducing violence in the workplace.

Predictions of future cases of mesothelioma in Australia to the year 2020 are in the order of a total of 10,000 new cases. Compensation claims are testing the attribution in a particular case between occupational asbestos exposure and lung cancer. The cost of the problem necessitates clarifying and standardizing the criteria for a confident diagnosis of asbestos-related disease. The possibility of differences in criteria that determine attribution of asbestos to a disease prompted a consensus meeting of pathologists, epidemiologists, physicians, oncologists, radiologists, and others to define current thinking and to agree on an Australian document based on the scientific evidence for establishing diagnoses and attribution data of asbestos-related diseases in Australia. The participants' findings are reported.

The currently reactor wreckage in Fukushima raised the following important questions: Is our knowledge of the possible dangers of ionizing radiation sufficient to warrant special action? What is the role of the medical community in technical radiation accidents from Windscale to Fukushima? What is the role of the medical community in terrorist radiation attacks? Are we prepared for those challenges? How can medical services communicate information in the media framework? What have we learned recently? And, what should be improved? In this review of the current literature on ionizing radiation, we try to answer these questions. Our conclusion is that medical services have to improve their communication skills and convince the public that the dangers of ionizing radiation can be quantitated within certain limits to support a qualified discussion about its risks and benefits.

To investigate and describe informal e-waste recycling and working conditions at Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. We conducted in-depth interviews which were qualitatively analysed from a grounded theory perspective. Workers obtained e-waste from the various residential areas in Accra, then dismantled and burned them in open air to recover copper, aluminum, steel, and other products for sale to customers on-site or at the nearby Agbogbloshie market. The processers worked under unhealthy conditions often surrounded by refuse and human excreta without any form of protective gear and were thus exposed to frequent burns, cuts, and inhalation of highly contaminated fumes. We observed no form of social security/support system for the workers, who formed informal associations to support one another in times of difficulty. e-waste recycling working conditions were very challenging and presented serious hazards to worker health and wellbeing. Formalizing the e-waste processing activities requires...