LECTURE NOTES
For Environmental and Occupational Health Students
Occupational Health
and Safety
Takele Tadesse
Mengesha Admassu
University of Gondar
In collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter Center,
the Ethiopia Ministry of Health and, and The Ethiopia Ministry of Education
August 2006
, Funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement No. 663-A-00-00-0358-00.
Produced in collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter
Center, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education.
Important Guidelines for Printing and Photocopying
Limited permission is granted free of charge to print or photocopy all pages of this
publication for educational, not-for-profit use by health care workers, students or
faculty. All copies must retain all author credits and copyright notices included in the
original document. Under no circumstances is it permissible to sell or distribute on a
commercial basis, or to claim authorship of, copies of material reproduced from this
publication.
©2006 by Takele Tadesse and Mengesha Admassu
All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided above, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission of the author or authors.
This material is intended for educational use only by practicing health care workers or
students and faculty in a health care field.
,Occupational Health and Safety
CHAPTER ONE
OCCUPATIONAL HEATH AND SAFETY
1.1. Learning objectives
At the end of this chapter, the student will be able to:
1. Define occupational health
2. Discuss challenges for the development of occupational
health and safety.
3. Explain the scope of occupational health and safety.
4. Describe the interrelationship between ooccupational health
and development
5. Identify the elements of a work environment.
6. Discuss the three common interactions in the work place.
7. Explain the interrelationships between work and health.
1.2. Introduction
Occupational health and safety is one of the most important aspects
of human concern. It aims an adaptation of working environment to
workers for the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of
physical, mental and social well being of workers in all occupations.
The question of occupational health and safety, as a global issue, is
now taking a new turn. The main contributory factors towards this
idiocyncracy seem to be due to the rapid industrial and agricultural
development that are taking place in the developing countries, and
the emergence of new products and product processes from these
1
, Occupational Health and Safety
places. Many of these countries are moving from manual labour to
service mechanization in the main productive sectors, such as
manufacturing, mining and agriculture, hence the potential
occupational health ramifications should be anticipated. Also the
insatiable desire of these countries for technical advancement has
brought about the importation of sophisticated machinery and pieces
of equipment not only into the industrial production sector, but also
to services and commerce. This invariably has been associated with
a change in the structure of the labour force as a whole including a
rise in the employment of women. As to be expected the health
problems would also change. For example, more emphasis on
ergonomics and occupational psychosocial factors would be needed
in the services industry. This obviously would be a new challenge for
occupational health and safety practice in most of the African
countries because the tool to deal with such a problems and the
expertise is not yet advanced when compared to the developed
countries.
The benefit of occupational health service in developing countries is
seen locally as well as on a national level. The positive impact of
occupational health service locally may be observed in reducing
morbidity and work-related injuries. In addition, this also means
fewer losses to employer and worker as there will be a reduction of
wage losses and decreased compensation costs. The reduction of
absenteeism is of great importance concerning skilled labour,
especially so in countries where there is a shortage of skilled labour.
2
For Environmental and Occupational Health Students
Occupational Health
and Safety
Takele Tadesse
Mengesha Admassu
University of Gondar
In collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter Center,
the Ethiopia Ministry of Health and, and The Ethiopia Ministry of Education
August 2006
, Funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement No. 663-A-00-00-0358-00.
Produced in collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter
Center, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education.
Important Guidelines for Printing and Photocopying
Limited permission is granted free of charge to print or photocopy all pages of this
publication for educational, not-for-profit use by health care workers, students or
faculty. All copies must retain all author credits and copyright notices included in the
original document. Under no circumstances is it permissible to sell or distribute on a
commercial basis, or to claim authorship of, copies of material reproduced from this
publication.
©2006 by Takele Tadesse and Mengesha Admassu
All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided above, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission of the author or authors.
This material is intended for educational use only by practicing health care workers or
students and faculty in a health care field.
,Occupational Health and Safety
CHAPTER ONE
OCCUPATIONAL HEATH AND SAFETY
1.1. Learning objectives
At the end of this chapter, the student will be able to:
1. Define occupational health
2. Discuss challenges for the development of occupational
health and safety.
3. Explain the scope of occupational health and safety.
4. Describe the interrelationship between ooccupational health
and development
5. Identify the elements of a work environment.
6. Discuss the three common interactions in the work place.
7. Explain the interrelationships between work and health.
1.2. Introduction
Occupational health and safety is one of the most important aspects
of human concern. It aims an adaptation of working environment to
workers for the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of
physical, mental and social well being of workers in all occupations.
The question of occupational health and safety, as a global issue, is
now taking a new turn. The main contributory factors towards this
idiocyncracy seem to be due to the rapid industrial and agricultural
development that are taking place in the developing countries, and
the emergence of new products and product processes from these
1
, Occupational Health and Safety
places. Many of these countries are moving from manual labour to
service mechanization in the main productive sectors, such as
manufacturing, mining and agriculture, hence the potential
occupational health ramifications should be anticipated. Also the
insatiable desire of these countries for technical advancement has
brought about the importation of sophisticated machinery and pieces
of equipment not only into the industrial production sector, but also
to services and commerce. This invariably has been associated with
a change in the structure of the labour force as a whole including a
rise in the employment of women. As to be expected the health
problems would also change. For example, more emphasis on
ergonomics and occupational psychosocial factors would be needed
in the services industry. This obviously would be a new challenge for
occupational health and safety practice in most of the African
countries because the tool to deal with such a problems and the
expertise is not yet advanced when compared to the developed
countries.
The benefit of occupational health service in developing countries is
seen locally as well as on a national level. The positive impact of
occupational health service locally may be observed in reducing
morbidity and work-related injuries. In addition, this also means
fewer losses to employer and worker as there will be a reduction of
wage losses and decreased compensation costs. The reduction of
absenteeism is of great importance concerning skilled labour,
especially so in countries where there is a shortage of skilled labour.
2
