Question

1. Discuss the health and safety concerns across sectors (Focus sectors should include Agricultural sector, Industrial sector, and the service sector).

Answer 1

Health and Safety also commonly referred to as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). This is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work. The main aim of an occupational safety and health program is to foster a safe and healthy work environment and also protects co-workers, family members, employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the workplace environment.

According to World Health Organisation(WHO), Health has been defined as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."Occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards."

Occupational Hazards

Work provides many economic and other benefits, a wide array of workplace hazards also present risks to the health and safety of people at work. These include but are not limited to chemicals, biological agents, physical factors, adverse ergonomic conditions, allergens, a complex network of safety risks and a broad range of psychosocial risk factors.

i) Physical hazards affect many people in the workplace.

ii) Biological hazards (biohazards) include infectious microorganisms such as viruses and toxins produced by those organisms.

iii) Dangerous chemicals can pose a chemical hazard in the workplace.

iv) Psychosocial hazards include risks to the mental and emotional well-being of workers.

Health and safety concerns across sectors

i) Industrial sector

Health risk factors and concerns vary depending upon the industry:

a) Construction

• It is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world with high risk for fall, which is the most common cause of fatal and non- fatal injuries.  
• Proper safety equipment such as harnesses and guardrails and procedures such as securing ladders and inspecting scaffolding can curtail the risk of occupational injuries in the construction industry.
• Due to the fact that accidents may have disastrous consequences for employees as well as organizations, it is of utmost importance to ensure health and safety of workers and compliance with HSE construction requirements.
• Health and safety legislation in the construction industry involves many rules and regulations.
• Prevalence rates for exposure to physical/chemical hazards were especially high for the construction sector.
• Other physical/chemical hazards with high prevalence rates in the construction industry were frequently working outdoors and frequent exposure to vapors, gas, dust, or fumes.

b) Fishing

• Exposure to cold, wind and rough seas
• Substantial participation of physical effort
• Frequency of injuries during work
• Unpredictability and abruptness of threats
• Equipment failure
• Psychological stress
• Constant economic pressure.

c) Agriculture

• Agriculture workers are often at risk of work-related injuries, lung disease, noise-induced hearing loss, skin disease, as well as certain cancers related to chemical use or prolonged sun exposure.
• On industrialized farms, injuries frequently involve the use of agricultural machinery.
• Pesticides and other chemicals used in farming can also be hazardous to worker health and workers exposed to pesticides may experience illnesses or birth defects.
• As an industry in which families, including children, commonly work alongside their families, agriculture is a common source of occupational injuries and illnesses among younger workers.
• Common causes of fatal injuries among young farm worker include drowning, machinery and motor vehicle-related accidents.

d) Service Sector

• As the number of service sector jobs has risen in developed countries, more and more jobs have become sedentary, presenting a different array of health problems than those associated with manufacturing and the primary sector.
• Contemporary problems such as the growing rate of obesity and issues relating to occupational stress, workplace bullying, and overwork in many countries have further complicated the interaction between work and health.

e) Mining and oil and gas extraction

• The mining industry still has one of the highest rates of fatalities of any industry.
• There are a range of hazards present in surface and underground mining operations. In surface mining, leading hazards include such issues as geological stability, contact with plant and equipment, blasting, thermal environments (heat and cold), respiratory health.
• In underground mining operations hazards include respiratory health, explosions and gas, geological instability, electrical equipment, contact with plant and equipment, heat stress, inrush of bodies of water, falls from height, confined spaces and ionising radiation

f) Health sector

• Healthcare workers are exposed to many hazards that can adversely affect their health and well-being.
• Long hours, changing shifts, physically demanding tasks, violence, and exposures to infectious diseases and harmful chemicals are examples of hazards that put these workers at risk for illness and injury.
• The injury and illness rate in hospitals is higher than the rates in construction and manufacturing – two industries that are traditionally thought to be relatively hazardous.
• For nurses, long hours of prolonged standing may lead to varicose veins, DVT, etc.
• Stress related headaches, migraines, etc.