Occupational hazard
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An occupational hazard is a
hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm Harm is a moral and legal concept. Bernard Gert construes harm as any of the following: * pain * death * disability * mortality * loss of abil ity or freedom * loss of pleasure. Joel Feinberg giv ...
experienced in the workplace. This encompasses many types of hazards, including
chemical hazard A chemical hazard is a (non-biological) substance that has the potential to cause harm to life or health. Chemicals are widely used in the home and in many other places. Exposure to chemicals can cause acute or long-term detrimental health ef ...
s,
biological hazards A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bio ...
(biohazards), psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards. In the United States, the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...
(NIOSH) conduct workplace investigations and research addressing workplace health and safety hazards resulting in guidelines. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...
(OSHA) establishes enforceable standards to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. In the EU, a similar role is taken by
EU-OSHA The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union with the task of collecting, analysing and disseminating relevant information that can serve the needs of people involved in safety and h ...
. Occupational hazard as a term signifies both long-term and short-term risks associated with the workplace environment. It is a field of study within
occupational safety and health Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...
and
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
. Short term risks may include physical injury (e.g., eye, back, head, etc.,), while long-term risks may be an increased risk of developing
occupational disease An occupational disease is any chronic ailment that occurs as a result of work or occupational activity. It is an aspect of occupational safety and health. An occupational disease is typically identified when it is shown that it is more prevale ...
, such as
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
or
heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...
. In general, adverse health effects caused by short term risks are reversible while those caused by long term risks are irreversible.


Chemical hazards

Chemical hazards are a subtype of occupational hazards that involve a wide variety of
chemicals A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...
. Exposure to chemicals in the workplace can cause acute or long-term detrimental health effects. There are many classifications of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents,
carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...
s, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins,
asthmagen An asthmagen is a substance that can cause asthma in exposed people. Workplace asthmagens induce what is called occupational asthma. A 2016 study of occupational asthmagens in Australia identified 277 in 27 groups, including ammonia, latex, pestici ...
s, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitizers. NIOSH sets
recommended exposure limit A recommended exposure limit (REL) is an occupational exposure limit that has been recommended by the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The REL is a level that NIOSH believes would be protective of worker safet ...
s (REL) as well as recommends preventative measures on specific chemicals in order to reduce or eliminate negative health effects from exposure to those chemicals. Additionally, NIOSH keeps an index of chemical hazards based on their
chemical name A chemical nomenclature is a set of rules to generate systematic names for chemical compounds. The nomenclature used most frequently worldwide is the one created and developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The ...
,
Chemical Abstracts Service CAS (formerly Chemical Abstracts Service) is a division of the American Chemical Society. It is a source of chemical information. CAS is located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Print periodicals ''Chemical Abstracts'' is a periodical index t ...
Registry Number (CAS No.), and RTECS Number. Furthermore, OSHA has set permissible exposure limits (PEL) on around 500 chemicals which are enforceable by law. These exposure limits include evidence that a certain amount of a chemical exposure is linked to one or more adverse health effects. For instance,
heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...
is more prevalent in workers who are exposed to the chemicals found in engine exhausts. Exposure to carbon tetrachloride has shown to cause liver and kidney damage. Exposure to benzene has been linked to leukemia.


Biological hazards

Biological agents, which create biological hazards, include
bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...
,
fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
,
viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1 ...
,
microorganism A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...
s, and
toxin A toxin is a naturally occurring organic poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. Toxins occur especially as a protein or conjugated protein. The term toxin was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849– ...
s. These biological agents can cause adverse health effects in workers.
Influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...
is an example of a biological hazard which affects a broad population of workers. Exposure to toxins generated by
insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s,
spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
s,
snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
s,
scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
s, etc., require physical contact be made between the worker and the living organism. Skin exposure to biological agents can cause
contact dermatitis Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes are ...
(caused by exposure to
urushiol Urushiol is an oily mixture of organic compounds with allergenic properties found in plants of the family Anacardiaceae, especially '' Toxicodendron'' ''spp.'' (e.g., poison oak, Chinese lacquer tree, poison ivy, poison sumac), ''Comoclad ...
from poisonous ''
Toxicodendron ''Toxicodendron'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. It contains trees, shrubs and woody vines, including poison ivy, poison oak, and the lacquer tree. All members of the genus produce the skin-irritating oi ...
'' plants),
Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...
,
West Nile virus West Nile virus (WNV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes West Nile fever. It is a member of the family '' Flaviviridae'', from the genus '' Flavivirus'', which also contains the Zika virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. The v ...
, and
coccidioidomycosis Coccidioidomycosis (, ), commonly known as cocci, Valley fever, as well as California fever, desert rheumatism, or San Joaquin Valley fever, is a mammalian fungal disease caused by '' Coccidioides immitis'' or ''Coccidioides posadasii''. Coccid ...
(caused by exposure to fungi). According to NIOSH, outdoor workers at risk for these hazards "include farmers, foresters, landscapers, groundskeepers, gardeners, painters, roofers, pavers, construction workers, laborers, mechanics, and any other workers who spend time outside." Health care professionals are at risk to exposure to blood-borne illnesses (such as
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
,
hepatitis B Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the '' Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection. Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. ...
, and
hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...
) and particularly to
emerging infectious disease An emerging infectious disease (EID) is an infectious disease whose incidence has increased recently (in the past 20 years), and could increase in the near future. The minority that are capable of developing efficient transmission between human ...
s, especially when not enough resources are available to control the spread of the disease. Veterinary health workers, including
veterinarians A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
, are at risk for exposure to
zoonotic A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite or prion) that has jumped from a non-human (usually a vertebrate) to a human. ...
disease. Those who do clinical work in the field or in a laboratory risk exposure to West Nile virus if performing
necropsies An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
on birds affected by the virus or are otherwise working with infected tissue. Other occupations at risk to biological hazard exposure include poultry workers, who are exposed to bacteria; and tattooists and piercers, who risk exposure to blood-borne pathogens.


Psychosocial hazards

Psychosocial hazards are occupational hazards that affect someone's social life or psychological health. Psychosocial hazards in the workplace include
occupational burnout According to the World Health Organization (WHO), occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress, with symptoms characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s ...
and occupational stress, which can lead to burnout. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of occupational burnout include a cynical attitude towards work, severe lack of motivation at work, erratic sleeping habits, and disillusionment about one's occupation.


Physical hazards

Physical hazards are a subtype of occupational hazards that involve
environmental hazard An environmental hazard is a substance, state or event which has the potential to threaten the surrounding natural environment or adversely affect people's health, including pollution and natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes. It can i ...
s that can cause harm with or without contact. Physical hazards include
ergonomic hazard Ergonomic hazards are physical conditions that may pose a risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system. Ergonomic hazards include awkward postures, static postures, high forces, repetitive motion, or short intervals between activities. The risk ...
s,
radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...
, heat and cold stress, vibration hazards, and noise hazards.


Heat and cold stress

Heat and cold stress occur when the temperature is significantly different from room temperature (68-74 degrees Fahrenheit). When the body is exposed to heat stress, excess sweating can lead to a range of heat-related illnesses. Excessive cold can also lead to several cold-related illnesses like hypothermia, frost bite, etc.


Vibration hazards

Occupational vibration hazards most often occur when a worker is operating machinery that vibrates as a symptom of its functioning (e.g., chainsaws, power drills, etc.). The most common type of vibration syndrome is Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Long-term exposure to HAVS can lead to damage occurring in the blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and joints of the hand, wrist, and arm.


Noise

Each year in the US, twenty-two million workers are exposed to noise levels that could potentially harm their health.
Occupational hearing loss Occupational hearing loss (OHL) is hearing loss that occurs as a result of occupational hazards, such as excessive noise and ototoxic chemicals. Noise is a common workplace hazard, and recognized as the risk factor for noise-induced hearing loss ...
is the most common occupational illness in the manufacturing sector. Workers in exceptionally high noise environments, such as
musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
s, mine workers, and even those involved with
stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
, are at a much higher risk of developing hearing loss, when compared to other workers (e.g., factory workers, etc.). While permanent noise-induced hearing is often preventable through proper hearing protection, limiting the amount of time one is exposed to high levels of noise is still required. As such a widespread issue, NIOSH has been committed to preventing future hearing loss for workers by establishing
recommended exposure limit A recommended exposure limit (REL) is an occupational exposure limit that has been recommended by the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The REL is a level that NIOSH believes would be protective of worker safet ...
s (RELs) of 85 dB(A) for an 8-house time-weighed average (TWA). The
Buy Quiet Buy Quiet is an American health and safety initiative to select and purchase the lowest noise emitting power tools and machinery in order to reduce occupational and community noise exposure. Buy Quiet Programs are examples of noise control strategi ...
program was developed by NIOSH to encourage employers to reduce workplace noise levels by purchasing quieter models of tools and machinery. Additionally, a partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has resulted in the creation of the
Safe-in-Sound Award The Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award is an occupational health and safety award that was established in 2007 through a partnership between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National ...
to recognize excellence and innovation in the field of hearing loss prevention. Furthermore, OSHA's development and implementation of the Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) has required employers to more effectively protect their workers against noise levels that are too high. The HCP empowers workers to not only receive noise exposure testing, as well as audiometric testing, but also to have access to noise protection devices adequate for the noise levels they are being exposed to.


See also

* Health hazards in semiconductor manufacturing occupations *
Health and safety hazards of nanomaterials The health and safety hazards of nanomaterials include the potential toxicity of various types of nanomaterials, as well as fire and dust explosion hazards. Because nanotechnology is a recent development, the health and safety effects of exposu ...
* Health and safety hazards of 3D printing * Hazards of synthetic biology *
Occupational hazards in dentistry Occupational hazards in dentistry are occupational hazards that are specifically associated within a dental care environment. Members of the dental team including dentists, hygienists, dental nurses and radiographers must ensure local protocols are ...
* Occupational hazards of fire debris cleanup * Occupational hazards of grain facilities * Occupational hazards of human nail dust * Occupational hazards of solar panel installation


References

{{Underwater diving, divsaf * Occupational safety and health