Contribution by Sarah McCurdy, CRSP, EP, ROHT
World Health Day April 7
April 7 marks the day of “World Health Day”, which is celebrated annually. “Each year the World Health Organization (WHO) draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world”. This year the WHO is celebrating “Our planet, our health”. To see more information regarding this, visit their website: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day
“WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This includes the climate crisis which is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The climate crisis is also a health crisis.” (WHO, 2022)
Sarah McCurdy, CRSP, ROHT and current President of the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists (CRBOH) discusses the importance of occupational hygiene in the workplace and what you can do to identify areas in your life that may have an impact on your health.
Although “our planet, our health” seems like a daunting subject for some, we can all do our part to advocate for our own heath, especially in the workplace. Occupational hygienists play an important role in our workplaces by anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling workplace hazards to prevent occupational illness, injury, and disease. It is vital that we help our workforce recognize hazards that can impact their heath as well.
Having knowledge of occupational hygiene hazards and their associated health risks in your workplace is important so you can prevent adverse effects. Unlike a lot of safety incidents (e.g., cut finger) occupational diseases are generally not immediate and can have long lasting effects. For example, a construction worker may be exposed to levels of dust and/or silica above the occupational exposure limits. Without controls being implemented this worker could experience irreversible lung disease years after they were exposed.
What are the occupational hygiene hazards that you can recognize in your workplace? Here are some common ones you can look out for in your workplace and at home:
- Noise exposure
- Ergonomics (e.g., desk station set up, manufacturing assembly line set up, etc.)
- Biological hazards (e.g., blood borne pathogens, viruses, etc.)
- Extreme temperatures
- Vibration
- Chemical exposure
- Radiation
- Particulates (e.g., wildfire smoke, construction dust, silica)
- Fumes (e.g., welding fume)
If you recognize that these hazards are a part of your workplace, see if there have been any assessments completed. Once these hazards have been evaluated then appropriate controls can be implemented.
Throughout the years we have seen that our occupational disease fatality rate is higher than our injury fatality rate in Canada. For example, the five-year average injury fatality rate (per 100,000) from 2015 to 2019 in Alberta was 3.9. Whereas the average (2016-2019) occupational disease fatality rate (per 100,000) in Alberta was 4.2. (University of Regina, 2021)
Figure 1 below describes that globally, exposure to risk factors at work result in 2 million premature deaths per year, in which 80% of them being from occupational disease versus the remaining 20% due to injury. Within this category of “disease” were obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and heart disease. (World Health Organization, 2021)
So, let’s all do our part for our planet and our health! If you suspect there is an uncontrolled hazard in your workplace, speak up, talk to your supervisor. If you are experiencing any health-related symptoms, speak with your health care provider. If there are already controls being implemented, follow the guidance that has been set out for you. Work with your employer to help identify areas of concern and investigate the issues. Try to recognize what our exposures are, have a competent person evaluate what we are being exposed to and put controls in place so we can live a long healthy life.
Resources:
Tucker, PhD, S., & Keefe, MSc, A. (2021). (publication). 2021 Report on Work Fatality and Injury Rates in Canada. Regina, SK: University of Saskatchewan.
World Health Organization. (2021, September 17). WHO/ilo: Almost 2 million people die from work-related causes each year. World Health Organization.