OCCUPATIONAL
HEALTH AND SAFETY
By Gilbert Langat
, OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course,the student will be able to:
1.Define occupational health.
2.Outline the aims of occupational health.
3.Describe the philosophy of occupational health.
4.Discuss the occupational health hazards.
5.Explain the common methods of dealing with the hazards.
6.Outline the prevention measures of hazards.
7.Describe the roles of the occupational health OHSOs
, BACKGROUND
• Healthcare workers known to be at risk from blood-borne pathogen
• This include:HBV,HCV and HIV/AIDS.
• It is estimated that sharps contribute 30% of new cases of HBV and
2.5% of annual infections of HIV among health workers in sub-
saharan Africa(WHR,2002)
, Definition of key terms
Hazards: It is anything (e.g. condition, situation practice or behavi
that has potential to cause harm, including injury, disease, death,
environmental, property and equipment damage. It can be a thing o
situation.
Hazard identification: It is the process of examining each work ar
and working task for the purpose of identifying hazardous inherent
the job.
Risk: The likelihood or possibility that a risk will occur e.g. injury,
illness, death, damage, may occur from exposure to hazard.
Risk control: It is taking actions to eliminate health and safety risk
as far as is reasonably practicable.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
By Gilbert Langat
, OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course,the student will be able to:
1.Define occupational health.
2.Outline the aims of occupational health.
3.Describe the philosophy of occupational health.
4.Discuss the occupational health hazards.
5.Explain the common methods of dealing with the hazards.
6.Outline the prevention measures of hazards.
7.Describe the roles of the occupational health OHSOs
, BACKGROUND
• Healthcare workers known to be at risk from blood-borne pathogen
• This include:HBV,HCV and HIV/AIDS.
• It is estimated that sharps contribute 30% of new cases of HBV and
2.5% of annual infections of HIV among health workers in sub-
saharan Africa(WHR,2002)
, Definition of key terms
Hazards: It is anything (e.g. condition, situation practice or behavi
that has potential to cause harm, including injury, disease, death,
environmental, property and equipment damage. It can be a thing o
situation.
Hazard identification: It is the process of examining each work ar
and working task for the purpose of identifying hazardous inherent
the job.
Risk: The likelihood or possibility that a risk will occur e.g. injury,
illness, death, damage, may occur from exposure to hazard.
Risk control: It is taking actions to eliminate health and safety risk
as far as is reasonably practicable.
