Dr Abrar Introduction to occupational Health

1. Presented By
Dr. Abrar Elahi Malik
MBBS, DOMS, DHA, MPH
Director Human Resource Management
Akhtar Saeed Medical College, Lahore

2. The branch of science which deals with the
health issues specifically related to the
occupations & most commonly do not arise
otherwise e.g. Asbestosis which occurs where
asbestos is present

3. People working under the same roof 19 or
more persons
Working space per person 4X4 feet
One acre for 20 workers
BUT
Industrialists employ people on daily basis to
keep the number less than 19

4. A work place where a person is gainfully
employed.
◦ Self Employed (Shop keeper)
◦ Through Employer (in a factory)

5.  Prescribed occupational health hazards
 Notifiable occupational health hazards
 Compensatory occupational health hazards to
compensate for loss of body parts (hands,
feet, fingers, eyesight, deafness etc)

6. Health hazards related to occupation,
observed in practice ;
but yet to be certified as occupational Hazard

7.  Anthracosis,coal miners disease
 Byssinosis,cotton fibres,textile indus.
 Baggasosis,sugarcane industry
 Silicosis ,mining, pottery ,sandblasting
 Asbestosis
 Lead poisoning
 Cancers due to exposure to radioactivity

8.  Noise induced deafness
 Chopping of a body part (hands, feet, finger
amputation)

9. Causative agent
 According to Physical Agents
◦ Pressure
◦ Noise
◦ Vibrations
◦ Heat or Cold (Burns & Frost Bite)
◦ Radioactivity ( Workers in Xray Plants)
◦ Light

10.  Respiratory diseases
 Toxic hazards
 Accidents
 Zoonotic diseases
 Physical hazards

11.  Chemical Agents
◦ Gases
◦ Liquids
◦ Solids
 Biological Agents
◦ Virus Health Hazards
◦ Bacterial health Hazards
◦ Fungi

12.  Lung health hazards
 Skin health hazards
 Kidney health hazards
 Liver health hazards
 Intestinal health hazards
 Hearing health hazards
 Eye health hazards

13.  Have you ever diagnosed a case of byssinosis
or bagassosis?
 Can you differentiate between Ch. Bronchitis
and the above two?
 Either no work is being done which is not possible or
there is no intersectoral communication

14.  Labour Department
 Health Department
 NGOs

15.  Punjab Employees Social Security Institutions
(PESSI)
 Punjab Social Security Health Management
Company (PSSHMC)
 Centre for Improvement of Working
Conditions (CIWC)
 Labour Inspectorate
 Medical Inspectorate (now abolished)
 Medical Inspector of Factories (MIF)

16.  Maintaining & running hospitals &
dispensaries
 Supports employees for
◦ Marriage
◦ Hajj
◦ Education
◦ Pension
◦ Other benefits
 PESSI is doing marvelous work but Cater
services to those who come to them.

17.  Never visit the work places
 Very poor record keeping- no data is
available to categorize or characterize the
patients
 Most of health hazard patients go to LGH as
general patients without any reference from
social security medical centres.

18.  How many MSc Occupational health and diplomas
in industrial health employed in PESSI?
 No specialized/ trained occupational health staff
to diagnose and advise on occupational health
hazards e.g.
◦ Byssinosis
◦ Silicosis
◦ Bagassosis
◦ Asbestosis
◦ Ch. Bronchitis
 Much improvement is required in this department

19.  Good material on Occupational Health
 No record keeping
 Not providing Health Services
 Enviormental & biological monitoring should go
together
Enviormental (sanitation ,water supply,general
plant ,sufficient place, toilet ,ventilation ,lighting)
Biological (Nutrition,communicable
diseases,mental health & family planning)

20.  Environment sanitation
 Water supply
 General Plant
 Sufficient place
 Ventilation
 Lighting
 Protection against hazards
 Housing etc

21.  Nutrition
 Communicable Diseases
 Mental Health
 Health Education
 Family Planning etc

22.  Not doing anything worth mentioning except
controlling child labour

23.  Good field staff
 Rarely instruct workers on health issues
 EDO Health is ex officio Inspector of Factories
(MIF)- Just enters the factories and asks
about the health of the workers, signs the
health cards and collects the fee.

24.  Medical Colleges producing doctors &
paramedics for providing health care services
 Teaching hospitals provide clinical services to
workers & teaching and traning of
occupational health care staff
 Institute of Public Health Lahore producing
health administrators and public health
physicians (99% are alumni of IPH). Also trains
them on occupational health issues

25.  NOSHA (National Occupational Health
Association)
 Lack of coordination & updated information
on the issue

26. Major Accident
 If a worker remains away from duty for 72
hours (>3 days)
Minor Accident
 If a worker remains away from duty for less
than 72 hours (<3 days)
Major accident can be
◦ Fatal
◦ Non fatal
 Disabling
 Non disabling

27.  15 million work hours are wasted out of
which >50% were due to pulleys accidents
 Could be avoided if pulleys or chain belts
were covered properly
 Very little budget is allocated for
Occupational Health in Punjab which is
presently about 1 crore only.
 At least @Rs20 per worker-30 crore are
required

28.  Best setup in Sweden
 All accidents are immediately attended to and
Ambulance and medical care is promptly
available.