General Occupational Health Aide-memoir

Hazards to health (as opposed to safety) can be categorised many ways. This table sets out one classification that concentrates on exposures in seven common areas of occupational health:

Topic	Key observables	Possible harms	Preventing harm and promoting productivity
1. Clean air - Chemical exposures to the lungs, eyes and skin	Smells Containers Dusts Spills	Lung diseases Eye problems Skin problems	Eliminate the use of the substance. Isolate the process. Control contaminants as close as possible to the source with local exhaust ventilation. Minimise exposure by use of ventilation, booths, personal protective equipment (PPE)-as a last resort, damping with water, work practices and techniques. Monitor exposure to hazards with environmental sampling. Monitor personal health with biological monitoring. Provide information and training. Provide for spill control. Label and store properly.
2. Physical actions and sustained postures (Ergonomics)	High force actions Awkward Postures Repeated actions	Acute low back pain Specific back injuries Overuse Disorders	Encourage employers to adopt the twofold approach of: • preventing serious back injuries and • managing acute low back pain. For overuse disorders - look for muscles being held tight for long periods without a break. Promote relaxation through workstation design, working techniques, tool design, speed and length of work.
3. Noise and vibration	Can't hear at one metre. Can be felt in hand tools, workbench powered machinery.	Noise-induced hearing loss Hand-arm and whole-body vibration syndromes.	Carry out a preliminary noise (vibration) survey. Detailed noise surveys may be needed every 5 years. Control of noise and vibration at source. Isolate noise and vibration sources. Use PPE (for noise only). Monitor hearing by audiometry. Provide information and training.
4. Heat and cold	Heat stroke and cold stress.		Be alert to settings where these may occur. Seek specialist advice if, after reading this booklet, you are unable to advise the Employer/ee.
5. Infectious / contagious diseases	Leptospirosis, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Scabies, Campylobacter		Before visiting, ask yourself: are infectious diseases likely?
6. Skin diseases	Skin lesions, redness Irritant or allergic contact dermatitis Urticaria, Skin cancer		Before visiting, ask yourself: are skin diseases likely?
7. Psychosocial	Fatigue, 'stress' on faces	Depression CV disease, Stroke Raised BP.	Stress, fatigue, bullying, violence - all can be issues.

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