1 / 36

An I ntroduction to Work and Health

An I ntroduction to Work and Health. Chapter 1 Lutgart Braeckman, MD, PhD, UGent , Belgium Version 3/8/2012. Module Aims. To increase awareness and To provide a practical understanding of work and health related issues

devon
Download Presentation

An I ntroduction to Work and Health

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. An IntroductiontoWorkand Health Chapter 1 Lutgart Braeckman, MD, PhD, UGent, Belgium Version 3/8/2012

  2. Module Aims • Toincrease awareness and • Toprovide a practical understanding of workand health related issues • Toinformandenthuse students aboutthe field of occupationalmedicineand health

  3. Learning Objectives At the end of chapter 1 students will be able to : • Explain the two-ways relationship of work and health • Understand the socio-economic impact of (un)employment • Recognize the range of health hazards encountered in the workplace • Understand the valueand the role of occupational health services andphysicians • Findreliable sources on workandhealth related issues

  4. What is OccupationalHealth? • The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations by preventing departures from health, controlling risks and the adaptation of work to people, and people to their jobs. (ILO/WHO 1950)

  5. Importance of Occupational Health • The ILO estimatesthateachyear 2.3 million persons die fromwork-related accidents anddiseasesincluding 360.000 fatal accidents andanestimated 1.95 millionfatalwork-relateddiseases. • In economicterms, roughly 4% of the annual GDP is siphoned off by direct and indirect costs of occupational accident anddiseases. (FACTS ILO 2009)

  6. Importance of Occupational Health • Most adultsspend a third of theirlives at work • Multitude of health hazards at work

  7. Hazards and risks A B • A = Hazard : anythingthatcancauseharm • B = Risk : the chance, high or low, thatsomebodywill beharmedby the hazard

  8. Deathsattributed to 19 leadingfactors,by country incomelevel, WHO 2004

  9. Percentage of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributedto 19 leadingriskfactors, by country incomelevel, WHO 2004

  10. Ranking of selected risk factors: 10 leading risk factor causes of death in high-income countries*, 2004 DEATHs (millions) * Countriesgroupedbygrossnationalincome per capita – low income (US$ 825 orless), high income (US$ 10.066 or more)

  11. Ranking of selected risk factors: 10 leading risk factor causes of DALYs by income group*, 2004 DALYs (millions)

  12. History of occupationalmedicine • Occupational medicine was founded by the Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini (1633-1714). His De MorbisArtificium (On Artificially Caused Diseases) published in 1700 was the first systematic study of occupational diseases. • When taking a patient’s history, he added the question “what is your occupation?”

  13. EU Safety and Health at Worklaw • Directive 89/391/EEC • Each member country decidespreciselyhowtheyimplement the directive.

  14. Multiple key actors • Government - Legislation • Employers • Workersandtheirrepresentatives - Trade unions • Occupationalhealth services A multidisciplinary approach: safety, health, industrialhygiene, ergonomics, health promotion, psychosocial aspects,… • And YOU!

  15. and other disciplines Psychologist Hygienist Engineer Worker Doctor Nurse

  16. Roleandtasks of OHS and the occupationalphysician • Identification, assessment and control of the risks from health hazards at work • Providing training and education • Surveillance of workers' health in relation to work • Contributing to occupational rehabilitation • Organising first aid

  17. European labour market • In 2010, the EU-27 labourforce counted 235 million people Employment by economic activity, %

  18. EWCS survey 2010

  19. EWCS survey 2010

  20. Changingworld of work • Europe’s workforce is: • ageing • becoming more female • employing an increasing proportion of migrant workers, both legal and undeclared • using more temporary and part-time workers • making increasing use of new technology. (Fifth European WorkConditions Survey – EWCS 2010)

  21. Two-waysrelationship • The effect of work on health • Work as a causative factor • Work as anaggravating factor • Work as a contributory factor • The effect of health on work • Incapacityanddisability

  22. Two-waysrelationship • Effect of work on health a) Negative : accidents, occupationaldiseases, work-relateddiseases, absenteeism, effects on family andoffspring b) Positive : Self-esteem, income, learning, meet new peopleand make friends

  23. Two-waysrelationship • Effect of health on work a) Negative : incapacityanddisability b) Positive : high quality, increasedproductivity

  24. Workload models - balance WORKLOAD INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES • SHIFTHOURS • TYPE OF WORK • ENVIRONMENT • … • SEX • AGE • LIFE STYLE • EXISTING DISEASES • HERITABILITY, ….

  25. Accidents at work • An accident at work is defined as “a discrete occurence in the course of workwhichleads to physicalor mental harm.”

  26. Accidents at work • According to the Labour Force Survey 6.9 million persons in the EU27 (15-64 years) had one or more accidents the past year (2007) • Every year 5.580people die in the European Union as a consequence of work-related accidents, according to EUROSTAT figures

  27. Accidents at work (EUROSTAT)

  28. Occupationaldiseases • Besides that, the International LabourOrganisation estimates that an additional 159.500 workers in the EU die every year from occupational diseases. • These are “conditions forwhich occupational exposure is the soleor the major cause”, for example: mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos.

  29. Occupationaldiseases

  30. Iceberg Metaphor • Cases of illness correctly diagnosed by clinicians in the community often represent only the “tip of the iceberg.” • Many additional cases may be too early to diagnose or may remain asymptomatic.

  31. The “iceberg” of OccupationalDiseases Reported NotReported Recognized as BeingRelatedtoWork MedicalAttentionReceived, ButRelationship of Illness to WorkNotRecognized Symptoms, But No MedicalAttentionSought Affected, But No Symptoms

  32. Absenteeism According to the LabourForceSurvey (2007): • 5 millionpersons in the EU27 sickfor at leastonedaydue to an accident • 1.5 million of themprolongedsick (onemonthor more) • 12.5 millionwere sick for at leastonedaydue to work-relateddiseases

  33. Future Action Plan • General physicians and medical specialists are usually the first point of health care contact for many employees • All physicians and nurses should consider the work factor and pay attention to the effects of work on health and vice-versa • Key questions : WARP • Key screening questionsforoccupationalhistorytaking

  34. KeyQuestions : WARP • Work : could the work of the patient be (part of) the cause or the aggravation of his/her complaint or disease? • Activities : could the complaint / disease of the patient have consequences for his/her activities and participation in work • Referral : should I refer my patient to an occupational physician or another specialist • Prevention : Can I do something to prevent the (return of the) complaint or disease?

  35. Key Screening Questions • What type of work do you do? • Do you think your health problems might be related to your work? • Are your symptoms different at work and at home? • Are you currently or in the past exposed to noise, chemicals, dusts, metals, radiation, shiftwork, …? • Are any of your co-workers experiencing similar symptoms? • Is there an occupational health doctor or nurse at your workplace who I could speak to?

  36. Keyorganisations http://www.who.int/en http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm http://osha.europa.eu/en http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home

More Related