Slide 1
Workplace conditions can contribute to illness and injury
Occupational health studies how work affects health. Dusts, chemicals, physical demands and other workplace conditions can influence illness and injury.
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The relevant exposure may be built into a task rather than obvious from a job title. Understanding what a person actually does can reveal hazards that a broad occupation label misses.
Slide 2
Removing a hazard reduces exposure at its source
Removing a hazardous process or substituting a safer one can reduce exposure at its source. These are high priorities in the hierarchy of controls.
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Substitution needs its own evaluation: a replacement should not introduce an equally serious hazard. The aim is a safer process overall, not merely exchanging one unfamiliar material for another.
Slide 3
Equipment design can separate workers from exposure
Engineering controls change equipment or the environment to reduce exposure. Examples include enclosing a process or capturing contaminants where they arise.
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Controls built into a process can depend less on repeated individual action. That is why prevention frameworks generally prioritize controlling the source before relying entirely on each worker’s behavior.
Slide 4
Procedures and protective equipment need consistent use
Work practices, scheduling and personal protective equipment can also reduce risk. Their effectiveness depends on suitable selection and consistent implementation.
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Protective equipment requires more than availability: fit, maintenance and correct use can matter. Multiple controls may operate together when a hazard cannot be removed completely.
Slide 5
Patterns of illness can reveal a shared workplace problem
Medical surveillance can help identify work-related illness earlier. Patterns among exposed workers can point toward conditions that need investigation.
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Work-related asthma is one example where monitoring and exposure control connect. Detecting disease does not replace prevention; it can supply evidence that the workplace’s protective measures need reassessment.
Sources
- Hierarchy of Controls
CDC, NIOSH
- Preventing Work-related Asthma
CDC, NIOSH