Occupational Hazards

☞An occupational hazard is the illness one may acquire due to his occupation.

☞Eg : People working in a chemical factory may get affected due to presence of certain chemicals.

☞Types of Occupational Hazards :

• Physical Hazards : falling off heights, slipping and tripping, electrical hazards, fire hazards, Health hazards
• Chemical Hazards
• Biological Hazards
• Behavioral Hazards
• Radiological Hazards
• Ergonomic Hazards

☞Bright light sources behind the display screen can create contrast problems making it difficult to clearly see your work.

☞To avoid this problem :

• Use blinds or drapes on windows to eliminate bright light.
• Avoid intense or uneven lightning in your field of vision.
• Reorient the workstation so bright lights from open windows are at right angles with the computer screen.
• Use well-distributed diffuse light.

☞Poor sitting postures.

☞Excessive duration of sitting in one position.

☞This results in pain and strain.

☞To avoid this problem :

• Stretching at regular intervals or doing some simple yoga in your seat can mitigate such hazards.

☞Improper handling can result in injuries.

☞Example : sharp Edged equipment if not handled properly can cause cuts.

☞Lifting aur moving heavy items without proper procedure aur techniques can be a source of potential hazard.

☞To avoid this problem :

• Staff members should be trained.
• A relevant manual should be made available by the administration.

☞Long working hours can be stressful and so can aggressive conflicts or arguments.

☞To avoid this problem :

• Have some relaxing hobbies.

☞Potential hazards may include :

• Poor ventilation
• Chairs and tables of inappropriate height
• Hard furniture
• Poor lighting
• Staff unaware of emergency procedures
• Poor housekeeping
• Bullying
• Ganging up against someone

☞To avoid this problem :

• The staff should be made aware of organisation policies to fight against all the given hazards related to a working environment.