OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

 SPECIALIZED FIELDS:
o Promote and maintain the MENTAL, OHYSICAL, and SOCIAL WELL-
BEING of employees.
o Protects employees and other affected by an organization’s activities from risks to
health and safety.
o Provide adequate welfare facilities.
o Establish management structures to implement policies to:
 Manage and control risks.
 Minimize consequence of failure.
 Achieve continual improvements in health and safety performances.
 Be compatible with other business aims.
 Study of many different subjects such as chemistry, physics, biology, engineering,
psychology, sociology, and law.
 BARRIERS TO GOODSTANDARDS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN
WORKPLACE:
o Complexity of workplaces.
o There are competing and conflicting demands upon the people and organizations.
o Good health and safety practice often rely on the PERFECT BEHAVIOR OF
INDIVIDUALS.
HEALTH
 Indicates the absence of diseases and illnesses.
 In workplace, it also includes the absence of physical and mental elements that may
affect the health of the workers, which are directly related to safety and hygiene at work.
HEALTH HAZARD
 Exposure to manual handling, repetitive movements, chemical exposure, work related
infections, radiation exposure, vibration of hand tools, stress, etc.
SAFETY
 Freedom from unacceptable risk of harm.
 It focuses on safety issues before.
 It is easier to suggest that damage to health is not work related.
OCCUPATIONAL ILL-HEALTH
 Any health condition caused, or made worse by, your job.
 Includes sudden injuries or slow injuries such as ill health effects of stress at work.
 These are also health conditions that a worker have before, but upon entering the work it
worsens slowly.
MENTAL ILL-HEALTH
 This can be brought on by overwork, unacceptable pressures, bullying and intimidation,
harassment, or from hazardous exposures to certain chemicals.
WELFARE
 It is the access to basic facilities, to clean drinking water, and basic first aid provision.
ACCIDENT
 Unplanned and unwanted event which leads to injury, damage, or loss.
NEAR MISS
 Unplanned and unwanted event that had the POTENTIAL to lead to injury, damage, or
loss.
DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE
 Specified event that may have to be reported to the relevant authority by law.
 Incidents should be reported regardless whether someone is injured the premises or not
because it affects the whole community.
HAZARD
 Condition or changing set of circumstances that presents a potential for injury, illness, or
property loss.
 Potential or inherent characteristics of an activity, condition, or circumstances which can
produce adverse or harmful consequences.
RISK
 Likelihood that a hazard will cause harm, in combination with the severity of injury,
damage, or loss that might occur.
REASONS FOR MAINTAINING AND PROMOTING GOOD STANDARDS OF
HEALTH AND SAFETY
 MORAL
o Moral duty that one person must another.
o Society as whole demands that people are safe whilst at work.
 SOCIAL
o Also known as LEGAL.
o It is the framework of laws that govern the conduct of businesses and
organizations.
o Employer must provide a safe workplace, protective equipment, safe system of
work, adequate training and supervision, and competent employees.
 ECONOMIC
 o Accidents and ill-health cost money.

BUSINESS CASE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY

 TWO TYPES OF LOSSES THAT AN ORGANIZATION MAY FACE WHEN
ACCIDENT OCCURS
o DIRECT COSTS
 Measurable costs arising directly from the accident.
 EXAMPLES:
 Fines in the criminal court.
 Compensation payable to the victim.
 First aid treatment.
 Worker sick pay.
 Repairs or replacement to damaged equipment and building.
o INDIRECT COSTS
 Costs that arising indirectly as consequence of event.
 Often difficult to quantify precisely and may be hard to identify.
 EXAMPLES:
 Loss of staff from productive duties to investigate the incident.
o Staff can be replaced, but his productivity cannot
quantifiably be replaced.
 Loss of staff morale.
o Impacts productivity, quality, and efficiency.
 Cost of remedial action following an investigation.
 Cost of recruiting and training temporary and replacement labor.
 Compliances with any enforcement notice served.
 Damage to public image and business reputation.
o You cannot put a price or cost to the image of business.
 Damage to industrial relations, perhaps leading to industrial
actions.
INSURED AND UNINSURED COSTS / EMPLOYER’S LIABILITY INSURANCE
 In most countries, it is compulsory to take out employer’s liability insurance so that if a
worker is killed or injured at work there is insurance in place to pay that worker
compensation and to meet the employer’s civil costs.
 Employers usually insure their premises and stocks against fire.
 Some losses are uninsurable by their very nature.
 Uninsured losses are between 8 and 36 times greater than insured losses.
TAKE NOTE:
 OCCUPATIONAL ILL-HEALTH is a greater problem than OCCUPATIONAL
INJURY.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LAWS ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND

SAFETY
 NATIONAL LAWS
o REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11058
 Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Health and Safety
Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations thereof (OSH LAW).
o DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 198-18
 Implementing rules and regulations of RA NO. 11058
 Entitled “Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Health
and Safety Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations thereof”
o LABOR ADVISORY NO. 04-18
 Guide for Compliance of Establishments to DO 198-18.
o PRESEDENTIAL DECREE NO. 442, AS AMENDED
 Decree Instituting a Labor Code Thereby Revising and Consolidating
Labor and Social Laws to Afford Protection to Labor, Promote
Employment and Human Resources Development and Ensure Industrial
Peace Based on Social Justice.
 Also known as LABOR CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES.
 ARTICLE 3. DECLARATION OF BASIC POLICY
 Afford protection to labor.
 Promote full employment.
  Ensure equal work opportunities regardless of sex, race, or creed.
 Regulate relations between workers and employers.
 Assure rights of workers to self-organization, collective
bargaining, security of tenure, and just and humane conditions of
the work.
 ARTICLE 83. NORMAL HOURS OF WORK
 Shall not exceed 8 HOURS A DAY.
 ARTICLE 84. HOURS WORKED
 Includes:
o All time during the employee is required to be on duty.
o All time during an employee is permitted to work.
 Short duration of rest periods shall be counted as hours worked.
 ARTICLE 85. MEAL PERIODS
 Duty of employers to give his employees not less than time-off 60
MINUTES for their regular meals.
 ARTILE 86. NIGHT SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL
 Employees must be paid a night shift differential of not less than
10% of his regular wage for each hour of work performed between
10:00 pm to 6:00 am.
 ARTICLE 87. OVERTIME WORK
 Work may be performed beyond 8 HOURS a day.
 Employee must be paid an overtime work, an additional
compensation equivalent to his regular wage plus at least 25%
thereof.
 Work performed beyond 8 HOURS on a HOLIDAY or REST
DAY shall be paid an additional compensation equivalent to the
rate of the FIRST 8 HOURS on a holiday or rest day at least
30%.
 ARTICLE 88. UNDERTIME NOT OFFSET BY OVERTIME
 Undertime work on any particular day shall not be offset by
overtime work on any other day.
 ARTICLE 91. RIGHT TO WEEK REST DAY
 Employer must provide a rest period of not less than 24 HOURS
consecutive hours after 6 CONSECUTICE NORMAL
WORKDAYS.
 Employer must respect the preference of his employees when
based on religious grounds.
 ARTICLE 92. WHEN EMPLOYER MAY REQUIRE WORK ON A
REST DAY
 In case of actual or impending emergencies.
 In case of urgent work to be performed.
 ARTICLE 130. NIGHTWORK PROHIBITION
  No woman, regardless of age, shall be employed or permitted or
suffered to work, with or without compensation.
 In any industrial undertaking between 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.
 In any commercial or non-industrial undertaking, other than
agricultural, between MIDNIGHT to 6:00 am.
 In any agricultural undertaking at nighttime unless she is given a
period of rest of not less than 9 CONSECUTIVE HOURS.
 ARTICLE 131. EXCEPTIONS
 In cases of actual or impending emergencies.
 In cases of urgent work to be performed.
 Where the woman employee holds a responsible position of
managerial or technical nature.
 Woman employee has been engaged to provide health and welfare
services.
 Where the nature of the work requires the manual skill and
dexterity of women workers.
 Where the women employees are immediate members of the
family operating the establishment or undertaking.
 ARTICLE 132. FACILITIES FOR WOMEN
 Provide seats proper for women and permit them to use such seats
when they are free from work and during working hours.
 Establish separate toilet rooms and lavatories for men and women.
 Provide at least a dressing room for women.
 Establish nursery in a workplace for the benefit of the women
employees.
 Determine appropriate minimum age and other standards for
retirement or termination in special occupations such as those of
flight attendants and the like.
o Flight attendants retire earlier.
 ARTICLE 139. MINIMUM EMPLOYABLE AGE
 No child below 15 YRS of age shall be employed, except when he
works under the sole responsibility of his parents or guardian, and
his employment is not in any way interfere with his schooling.
 15 YEARS to 18 YEARS of age may be employed for such
number of hours and such periods of the day.
 ARTICLE 140. PROHIBITION AGAINST CHILD
DICRIMINATION
 No employer shall discriminate against any person in respect to
terms and conditions of employment on account of his age.
 ARTICLE 156. FIRST-AID TREATMENT
 Employers must keep in his establishment such first-aid medicines
and equipment as the nature and conditions of work may require.
 
Employers must take steps for the training of a sufficient number
of employees in first-aid treatment.
 ARTICLE 157. EMERGENCY MEDICAL AND DENTAL
SERVICES
 Employers must furnish their employees in any locality with free
medical dental attendance and facilities.
 ARTICLE 158. WHEN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL NOT
REQUIRED
 ARTICLE 159. HEALTH PROGRAM
 Employers must develop and implement a comprehensive
occupational health program.
 ARTICLE 160. QUALIFICATIONS OF HEALTH PERSONNEL
 Employed physicians, dentists, and nurses shall have the necessary
training in industrial medicine and occupation health and safety.
 ARTICLE 161. ASSISTANCE OF EMPLOYER
 Employers must provide all the necessary assistance to ensure
adequate and immediate medical and dental attendance and
treatment to an injured or sick employee.
 ARTICLE 162. SAFETRY AND HEALTH STANDARDS
 Secretary of Labor and Employment shall set and enforce
mandatory occupational safety and health standards and update
existing programs to ensure safe and healthful working conditions.
 ARTICLE 163. RESEARCH
 Conduct research to develop innovative methods, techniques, and
approaches for dealing with occupational safety and health
problems.
 To discover latent diseases by establishing causal connections
between diseases and work in environmental conditions.
 To develop medical criteria which will assure insofar as
practicable that no employee will suffer impairment or diminution.
 ARTICLE 164. TRAINING PROGRAMS
 Implement training programs to increase number and competence
of personnel in the field of occupational safety and industrial
health.
 ARTICLE 165. ADMINISTRATION OF SAFETY AND HEALTH
LAWS
 Department of Labor and Employment shall be responsible for the
administration and enforcement of occupational health and safety
laws, regulations, and standards.
o RULE 1940: FIRE PROTECTION AND CONTROL
 1941 GENERAL PROVISION
 Buildings shall be in areas provided for by applicable zoning
regulations of the locality.
 Buildings shall be prescribed by the BUILDING CODE OF THE
PHILIPPINES.
 Fire tests of building and fire protection equipment shall be
provided by the FIRE CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
o DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 208 SERIES OF 2020
 Guidelines for the Implementation of MENTAL HEALTH Workplace
Policies and Programs for the Private Sector.
 For the promotion of mental health.
 For identification and management of mental health problems.
 STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPONENTS
 Workers shall be provided with basic information and education on
mental health.
 Promotion and enhancement of worker’ well-being to have healthy
and productive lives through increasing workers’ awareness on
mental health.
 Promotion of healthy lifestyle and work-life balance.
 Effective management of changes in the work organization and
utilization of human resources systems.
 Establishing mental health programs to support workers.
 Workers’ achievements and efforts recognition program.
 Psychosocial support in management of disaster and extreme life
events.
 Other programs and activities as recommended by the OSH
committee.
 NATIONAL LAWS (PHILIPPINES)
o REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11058
 AN ACT STRENGTHENING COMPLIANCE WITH
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS AND
PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
 Labor as a primary social and economic force.
o Safe and healthy workforce is an integral aspect of nation
building.
 Ensure safe and healthful workplace.
o Full protection against all hazards.
 Provision of Labor Code of the Philippines.
 Protect every worker against injuries, sicknesses, and deaths.
 Strict but dynamic, inclusive, and gender-sensitive measures.
 Apply to all establishments, projects, sites, as well as Philippine Economic
Zone Authority (PEZA) establishments.
 Issue appropriate standards of occupational safety and health.
 IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS (IRR) OF THE
RA NO. 11058
 SECTION 4: DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS, WORKERS, AND
OTHER PERSONS
o DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS:
 Equip place free from hazardous conditions that
could cause harm to the workers.
 Provide complete job safety instructions and proper
orientations to all workers.
 Use only approved specific industry set of standards
of devices and equipment for the workplace.
 Comply with OSH standards.
 Arrange for workers and their representative to have
time and resource to participate actively in the
processes of organizing, planning, implementation,
monitoring, evaluation, and action for improvement
of the OSH management system.
 Provide for measures identifying trainings and
drills, evacuation plans to deal with emergencies.
 Comply with all reportorial requirements of the
OSH standards.
 Register establishment to DOLE as provided under
the OSH standards.
o DUTIES OF WORKERS:
 Participate in capacity building activities on safety
and health and other OSH related topics and
programs.
 Proper use of safety devices and safeguards.
 Comply with instructions to prevent accidents or
imminent danger situations in the workplace.
 Observe prescribed steps to be taken in cases of
emergency.
 Report to their immediate supervisor or any other
responsible safety and health personnel any work
hazard that may be discovered in the workplace.
o DUTIES OF OTHER PERSONS:
 Whenever two or more undertakings are engaged in
activities simultaneously in one workplace, it shall
be the duty of all concerned to COLLABORATE
and COOPERATE to ensure compliance with
OSH standards and regulations.
 SECTION 5: WORKERS’ RIGHT TO KNOW
o The right to safety and health hat work shall be guaranteed.
 o All workers must be appropriately informed by the
employer about all types of hazards in the workplace and
be provided with access to training, education, and
orientation on safety and other hazards and risks.
o All workers shall be provided training and information for
all types of hazards in the workplace in a language and
dialect that they can understand.
o Training and information materials shall be made readily
available and accessible to workers.
o Re-orientation on safety and health for workers in high risk
establishments must be conducted regularly and
immediately.
 SECTION 6: WORKERS’ RIGHT TO REFUSE UNSAFE
WORK
o Worker has the right of refusal to work without threat or
reprisal from the employer if an imminent danger situation
exists.
o If imminent danger is present in the workplace, employer,
safety officer, or workers must immediately notify the
DOLE. Employer or safety officer cannot allow the
workers to return to work if imminent danger is still
present.
o Worker may refuse to work until the lifting of the WORK
STOPPAGE ORDER (WSO) after implementing the
appropriate corrective measures.
o Workers affected by the presence of an imminent danger
situation may be temporarily assigned to other areas within
the workplace if there is no impending issue with safety
and health.
 SECTION 7: WORKERS’ RIGHT TO REPORT ACCIDENT
o Workers and their representative shall have the right to
report accidents, dangerous occurrences, and hazards to the
employer, DOLE, and other concerned competent
government agencies. They shall be free from any form
retaliation.
o Reporting of accidents to DOLE may be made through
DOLE hotline or any form of communication.
 SECTION 8: WORKERS’ RIGHT TO PERSONAL
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
o Employer, contractor, or subcontractor must provide his
workers free of charge PPE for any part of the body that
may be exposed to hazards.
 o PPE must be of the appropriate type as tested and approved
by the DOLE based on its standards and/or other means of
verification.
o PPE must be of appropriate size, weight, and type to
specific workers exposed to hazards.
o Issuance of PPE shall be supplemented by the training on
the application, use, handling, cleaning, and maintenance in
accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
o Failure to provide appropriate PPE in high risk activities
shall give rise to the right of the WORKER TO REFUSE
UNSAFE WORK.
 SECTION 9: SAFETY SIGNAGE AND DEVICES
o All establishments, projects, sites, and all other places
where work is being undertaken shall have safety signages
and devices to warn the workers and the public of the
hazards in the workplace.
o Safety signages and devices shall be posted in prominent
positions at strategic locations in a language understandable
to all. All signages shall be of appropriate quality to ensure
their legibility.
 SECTION 10: SAFETY IN THE USE OF EQUIPMENT
o Employer, contractor, or subcontractor must comply with
the ISH standards set by DOEL on safety and use of
equipment.
o Appropriate training and certification by TECHNICAL
EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
(TESDA), PROFESSIONAL REUGLATION
COMMISSION, or other government agency shall be a
requirement for operators before use of equipment.
 SECTION 11: OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
INFORMATION
o Employer, contractor, or subcontractor shall provide the
workers in all workplaces adequate and suitable
information on:
 Workplace hazards and risks posed on the safety
and health of the workers.
 Control mechanisms in place that reduces or
minimizes the risk of exposure to hazards and other
preventive strategies.
 Appropriate measures for prevention, control, and
protection against hazards.
  Emergency and disaster management protocols,
proper evacuations, and shutdown procedures.
 Information materials shall be revised
REGULARLY by the OSH Committee.
IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF RA NO. 11058 PENALTIES
 Failure or refusal of an employer, contractor, or subcontractor to comply will be fined
ranging from PHP 20,000 – PHP 50,000 depending on the administrative violation
committed.
 An employer, contractor, or subcontractor who is found to have repeatedly violated the
same prohibited act shall be penalized of the CORRESPONDING FINE +
ADDITIONAL FINE EQUIVALENT TO 50% thereof for EVERY INSTANCE OF
REPEAT VIOLATION.
 If any of the following acts is present and there is noncompliance, the penalty of PHP
100,000 ADMINISTRATIVE FINE shall be imposed separate and in ADDITION TO
ADMINISTRATIVE FINE IMPOSED.
 DOLE also stated that when the violation exposes the worker to death, serious injury, or
illness, the imposable penalty will be PHP 100,000.
INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK
 International Labor Organization (ILO) has set out CONVENTION C155 and
RECOMMENTDATION R164 which apply to workplace health and safety standards.
 Most countries and regions have established legal standards that meet or exceed the
minimum standards set out in C155 and R164.
 Legal standards place a duty on the EMPLOYER to ensure that workplaces, work
activities, and work equipment and substances are safe and without risk to health.
 Legal standards also place a duty on WORKERS to look after their own and others
health and safety.
 Failure to comply may lead to enforcement action by the authorities or prosecution
through a country’s criminal courts. SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION USUALLY
RESULTS IN A FINE, BUT MAY RESULT TO IMPRISONMENT.
 Work related injuries may result in compensation being paid to the victim. Some
countries, this is achieved by legal action through the civil courts, whilst other countries
may have worker compensation schemes for this purpose.
EMPLOYER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
 ARTICLE 16 of C155 basic obligations to employers:
o Ensure that workplaces, machinery, equipment, and processes under their control
are safe and without risk to health.
o Ensure that chemical, physical, and biological substances and agents under their
control are without risk to health.
 o To provide adequate protective clothing and protective equipment to prevent risk
of accidents or of adverse effects on health.
 ARTICLE 10 of R164 obligations to employers:
o To provide workplaces and work equipment, and use work methods, which are
safe and pose no risk to health.
o To provide appropriate instructions and training.
o To provide necessary supervision.
o To put in place health and safety arrangements adapted to suit the size and nature
of the undertaking.
o To provide any necessary personal proactive clothing and equipment free of
charge.
o To ensure that the hours of work do not adversely affect the employees’ safety
and health.
o To take measures to eliminate any extreme physical and mental fatigue.
o To stay up to date with knowledge to comply with the above.

WORKERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS

 R164 say that workers should:
o Take reasonable care of their own safety and of others who might be affected by
the things that they do and the things that they fail to do.
o Comply with safety instructions and procedures.
o Use all safety equipment properly and not tamper with it.
o Report any situation which they believe could be a hazard and which they cannot
themselves correct.
o Report any work-related accident or ill health.
 ARTICLE 19 of C155 gives every worker a right:
o To be provided with adequate information on actions the employer has taken to
ensure occupational safety and health.
o To the necessary training in occupational health and safety.
o To be consulted by the employer on all matters of occupational safety and health
relating to their work.
o To leave a workplace which the worker has reason to think presents an imminent
and danger to his life or health and not be compelled to return until it is safe.
ROLE OF ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
 There is NO HARMONIZED GLOBAL STANDARD for the enforcement of health
and safety law, so legal and enforcement systems vary countries to countries.
 General principles which normally apply:
o Having a one or more enforcement agency responsible for enforcing health and
safety law, such as HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICE FORCE.
 o Having a separate fire authority with a role in enforcing fire safety legislations
and/or advising employers.
o Some have insurance companies that fulfill a major role in enforcing safety,
carrying out inspections and audits on a regular basis. These helps improve
standards.
CONSEQUENCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE
 BREACH OF HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION is usually a CRIMINAL
OFFENSE.
 Failure to meet legal standards might lead to:
o Formal Enforcement Action.
o Prosecution of the organization in the criminal courts.
o Prosecution of individuals.
OTHER INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
 INTERNATIONAL ORGANNIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO)
o World’s largest developer of management standards.
o ISO 9001
 Quality Management Standard.
o ISO 14001
 Environmental Management Standard
o ISO 45001
 Occupational Health and Safety Standard (OHSAS) which used to be
OHSAS 18001, published in March 2018
 HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSE)
o In United Kingdom.
 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)
o In United States.
 EUROPEAN AGENCY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK (EU)
 WORKSAFE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
SUMMARY:
 Based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA NO. 11058:
o Every employers, contractors, subcontractors, or person who manages, controls,
or supervises the work shall:
 Equip a place that are free from hazardous conditions.
 Provide a complete job safety instructions and proper orientation to all
workers.
 Ensures that chemical, physical, and biological substances and agents, as
well as ergonomic and psychosocial stresses under their control, are
without risk to health of the workers when appropriate measures of the
protection are taken.
 Use only approved specific industry set of standards of devices and
equipment for the workplace as applicable.
 Comply with OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (OHS)
including training, medical examination, and provisions on protective and
safety devices.
 Make arrangement for workers and their representatives to participate in
the processes of ORGANIZING, PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION,
MONITORING, EVALUATION, and ACTION for improvement of the
OHS Management System.
 Provide for measures identifying trainings, drills, evacuation plans, etc.
 Comply with all reportorial requirements of the OSH standards.
 Register establishment to DOLE as provided under the OSH standards.
o To ensure compliance with OSH standards, workers shall:
 Participate in capacity building on safety and health and other OSH related
topics and programs.
 Use all provided safeguards and safety devices properly.
 Comply with instructions to prevent accidents or imminent danger
situations.
 Observe prescribed steps to be taken in cases of emergencies.
 Report any work hazard that may be discovered in the workplace.
CERTIFIED FIRST AIDER
 Any person that is trained and duly certified to administer first aid by the Philippine Red
Cross or any organization authorized by the Secretary and Employment.
COVERED WORKPLACES
 Establishments, projects, sites, and all other places where work is being undertaken
wherein number of employees, nature of operations, and risks or hazards involved in the
business require compliance with the provisions of this Rules.
EMPLYOER
 Person, natural or juridical, including the principal employer, contractor, or
subcontractor, who directly or indirectly benefits from the services of the employee.
EQUIPMENT
 Any machine with engine or electrical motor as prime mover.
GENERAL SAFETY AND HEALTH INSPECTION
 Examination of the work environment.
HIGH RISK ESTABLISHMENTS
  Workplaces within the presence of hazard or potential hazard within the company may
affect the safety and/or health of workers not only within but also persons outside the
premises of the workplace.
 HIGH LEVEL OF EXPOSURES to safety and health hazards
 Probability of a major accident resulting to disability or death or major illness is likely to
occur if no preventive or control measures are in place.
 WORKPLACES COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH POTENTIALLY HIGH-
RISK ACTIVITIES
o Chemical works and chemical production plants
o Construction
o Deep sea fishing
o Explosives and pyrotechnics factories
o Firefighting
o Healthcare facilities
o Installation of communication accessories, towers, and cables
o LPG filling, refilling, storage, and distribution
o Mining
o Petrochemical and biofuel works and refineries
o Transportation
o Water supply, sewerage, waste management, remediation activities
o Power generation, transmission, and distribution in the energy sector
o Storage, handling, and distribution center for toxic or hazardous chemicals
o Works in which chlorine is used in bulk
MEDIUM RISK ESTABLISHMENTS
 Workplaces where there is moderate exposure to safety and health hazards
 Probability of an accident, injury, or illness is not that high compared to workplaces
considered as high-risk establishments.
 Injury, accident, or illness may occur if no preventive or control measures are in place.
LOW RISK ESTABLISHMENTS
 Workplaces where there is low level of danger or exposure to safety and health hazards.
 With low probability to result in accident, harm, injury, or illness.
IMMINENT DANGER
 Situation caused by a condition or practice in any place employment that could
reasonably be expected to LEAD TO DEATH or SERIOUS PHYSICAL HARM.
MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES
 Also known as MSE.
 Establishments employing less than 10 EMPLOYEES.
  Establishment employing less than 100 EMPLOYEES, regardless of capitalization
OCCUPATIONA HEALTH PERSONNEL
 Also known as OH PERSONNEL.
 Qualified first aider, nurse, dentist, or physician engaged by the employer to provide
occupational health services in the establishments, project, site, or workplace.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CONSULTANT
 Also known as OSH CONSULTANT.
 Qualified Safety Officer 4 (SO4).
 Duly certified by DOLE to perform and/or render consultative services on occupational
safety and health in at least 2 FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION as determined by
DOLE.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PRACTITIONER
 Also known as OSH PRACTITIONER.
 Qualified Safety Officer 3 (SO3).
 Duly certified by DOLE to render occupational safety and health services in a defined
and specific scope or core competency.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
 Also known as PPE.
 Specialized clothing or equipment designed to protect workers against safety and health
hazards that may cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.
SAFETY AND HEALTH AUDIT
 Regular and critical examination of project sites, safety programs, records, and
management performance on program standards on safety and health conducted by the
safety officer.
SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE
 Body created within the workplace tasked with the authority plan, develop, and
implement OSH policies and programs, monitor and evaluate OSH program, and inspect
and investigate all aspects of the work pertaining to the safety and health of workers.
SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM
 Set of detailed rules to govern company policies, processes, and practices in all economic
activities to conform with OSH standards, including the personnel responsible, and
penalties for any violation thereof.
SAFETY OFFICER
  Employee or officer of the company trained by DOLE or DOLE accredited Training
Organization
 Tasked by the employer to implement an OSH program, and ensure that it is in
accordance with the provisions of OSH standards.
 SAFETY OFFICER 1
o Also known as SO1.
o Employee who has completed the MANDATORY 8 HOUR OSH
ORIENTATION COURSE as prescribed in the OSH standards and 2 HOURS
TRAINER’S TRAINING.
 SAFETY OFFICER 2
o Also known as SO2.
o Employee who has completed the MANDATORY 40 HOURS SOH
TRAINING COURSE applicable to the industry.
 SAFETY OFFICER 3
o Also known as SO3.
o Employee who has completed the MANDATORY 40 HOURS SOH
TRAINING COURSE applicable to the industry.
o Additional 48 HOURS of ADVANCED/SPECIALIZED OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY TRAINING COURSE relevant to the industry.
o Relevant experience in OHS for AT LEAST 2 YEARS.
o Other requirements as prescribed in the OSH standards.
o Shall be eligible for certification as OSH PRACTITIONER.
 SAFETY OFFICER 4
o Also known as SO4.
o Employee who has completed the MANDATORY 40 HOURS SOH
TRAINING COURSE applicable to the industry.
o Additional 80 HOURS of ADVANCED/SPECIALIZED OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY TRAINING COURSE relevant to the industry.
o Aggregate of 320 HOURS OF OSH RELATED TRAINING or
EXPERIENCE.
o Actual experience as SO3 for AT LEAST 4 YEARS.
o Other requirements as prescribed in the OSH standards.
o Additional training may be converted to years of experience where 80 HOURS of
training may equal to 1 YEAR experienced and vice versa.
o Shall be eligible for certification as OSH CONSULTANT.
SAFETY SIGNAGE
 Emergency, warning, or danger signposts.
 Safety instructions using the standard colors and sizes, as well as standard symbols for
safety instructions and warnings.
 Prescribed by DOLE in accordance with the OSH standards.
WORKPLACE
 Site or location where workers need to be present or to go by reason of their work.
 Under the direct or indirect control of the employer.
WORKER
 Member of the labor force, regardless of employment status.
WORKERS’ OSH SEMINAR
 Refers to the MANDATORY 8 HOURS MODULE conducted by the safety officer of
the workplace as prescribed by the OSH standards.
THE EMPLOYEE HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

TAKE NOTE:
 Organization’s operations plan should assume that in the event of any widespread
disaster, natural or man-made, the different Department’s will have to depend primarily
on their own efforts to protect life and property from fire.
 At least some employees are trained in the basic element of fire control.

HISTORY OF TOXICOLOGY
 Appearance of disease in human populations is influenced by the quality of air, water,
and food; topography of land; and general living habits.
  Cave dwellers had some knowledge of the adverse effects of a variety of naturally
occurring substances. They used it for hunting and warfare.
 ORFILA (1815)
o Spanish physician.
o Established toxicology as a distinct scientific discipline.

CONCEPT OF TOXICOLOGY
 TOXICANT
o Also known as POISON.
o Chemical capable of producing a harmful reaction in a living organism.
 ADVERSE EFFECT
o Any change that interferes with an organism’s normal functioning.
 TOXIC EFFECT
o Reversible or irreversible harmful effect on the body because of contact with a
substance via respiratory tract, skin, eye, mouth, or another route.
o Undesirable disturbances of physiological function caused by an overexposure to
chemical or physical agents.
o SIDE EFFECTS in response to MEDICATION and VACCINES.
 TOXICITY
o Entails the dimension of quantity or dose.
o Depends on the DEGREE OF EXPOSURE and ABSORPTION.
o Many chemicals essential for health in small quantities are HIGHLY TOXIC in
LARGER QUANTITIES.
o ABILITY of a substance TO PRODUCE UNWANTED EFFECT when the
substance has reached a sufficient concentration at a certain site in the body.
o Determines the level or degree of hazard along with the chemical and physical
properties of a substance.
1. Two liquids can possess same degree of toxicity but present different
degrees of hazard.
o MAJOR TYPES:
1. TOXINS
 Biological compounds.
 RICIN
o Lectin produced in the seeds of castor oil plants.
o Dose of purified ricin powder the size of a few grains of
table salt can kill an adult.
2. CARCINOGEN
 Induces cancer or increase its incidence and can affect any cells or
tissues.
 BENZENE
 o Toxic flammable liquid byproduct of COAL
DISTILLATION.
o Used as an industrial solvent.
o Damages BONE MARROW and the CENTRAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM.
o Found in crude oil and a major part of gasoline.
o Used to make plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, rubber,
lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.
3. MUTAGEN
 May induce HEREDITARY GENETIC DEFECTS or increase
their incidence and effect on the germ cells (GONADS).
 According to AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS
INSTITUTE (N43.17-2002)
o Radiation Safety for Personnel Security Screening Systems
Using X-Rays.
 Maximum effective dose an individual could
receive when walking through walkthrough x-ray is
0.1 MICROSIVERT.
 According to HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING, a CHRST
X-RAY delivers approximately 0.1 MILLISIVERT (mSv) or 100
MICROSIVERT.
o Doctors recommend us to have chest x-ray for every 6
MONTHS.
 Annual effective dose of us receives from the BACKGROUND
RADIATION is about 3600 MICROSIVERT.
 In OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, maximum
allowable exposure to radiation is 50000 MICROSIVERT.
 CT SCAN, MRI, and OTHER EXPENSIVE “X-RAY” has high
level of radiation.
 Many natural constituents of food are mutagenic and are produced
by plants as defense agents.
 Mutagenic compounds can also be produced during food cooking
and preparation.
4. TERATOGENS
 May induce nonhereditary congenital malformations or increase
their incidence and effect on the growing fetus.
 DIOXIN CONTRIBUTORS
o Paper, Pesticide, and Steel Byproducts
o Volcanic Eruptions and Forest Fires
o Incineration of PVC and Plastics
o Thermal Power Plant and Automotive Emissions
o Waste Incineration
 5. ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS
 Effects are VISIBLE.
 Can physically manifest.
 Hormone mimic, chemical that may interfere with the body’s
endocrine system and produce developmental, reproductive,
neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.
 Such as:
o Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE)
o Bisphenol A (BPA)
 Found in water bottles (bottle itself)
o Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
o Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)
o Heavy metals
 Animals exposed to these chemicals have altered reproductive
development and are often sterile.
 Effects to Humans
o Infertility and hormonally related cancers are increasing.
o Phthalates have been implicated as potential endocrine
disruptors.
 Commonly found in cosmetics, fragrances, nail
polish, medication, toys, food packaging.
o Cannot make a link between endocrine disrupters and
human illness.
 HAZARD
o Probability that this concentration will occur at that site.
o Defining what types of harmful effects could occur and under what
circumstances.
o Toxicologists would create hazard profile for a chemical by:
1. Identifying all the ways it could potentially cause harm.
2. Amount of exposure (DOSE) necessary to do so.
 RISK
o Likelihood that harm from a specific hazard will occur.
o Probability that an adverse effect will result from some exposure or condition.
o FOUR STEPS IN ASSESSING RISK DAILY:
1. Hazard Identification
 Does exposure to substance cause increased likelihood of adverse
health effect such as cancer or birth defects?
2. Dose-Response Assessment
 What is the relationship between amount of exposure and
seriousness of adverse health effect?
3. Exposure Assessment
  How much, how often, and how long are humans exposed to
substance in question?
4. Risk Characterization
 What is the probability of individual or population having adverse
health effect?
 Evaluates data from dose-response assessment and exposure
assessment.
o RISK = HAZARD x EXPOSURE
 TOXICOLOGY
o Study of how toxicants cause adverse effects on living organisms.
o Greek words:
1. Toxicon
2. Logos
o Study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms.
o Study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments, and detection of poisoning.
o Science that studies the harmful properties of substances.
o It assesses the probability of their occurrence.
o It includes the study of prevention and amelioration of adverse effects.
o KINDS OF TOXICOLOGY:
1. MECHANISTIC TOXICOLOGY
 Study how a chemical CAUSE toxic effects by investigating its
absorption, distribution, and excretion.
2. DECRIPTIVE TOXICOLOGY
 Toxic properties of chemical agents are systematically studies for
various endpoints using a variety of different organisms.
3. CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY
 Study of toxic effects of various drugs in the body.
 Concerned with the treatment and prevention of drug toxicity in
the population.
 ECOTOXICOLOGY
o Study of contaminants in the biosphere and their harmful effects on ecosystems,
as well as how they often adversely affect the ecosystems.
o Helps policy makers determine costs and benefits of industrial and technological
advances.
o DILUTION PARADIGM IS NOT VALID
 1. Dilution is the solution to pollution.
o BOOMERANG PARADIGM IS ACCEPTED
1. What you throw away can come back and hurt you.
 TOXICOLOGIST
o Doses rats with varying levels of chemicals to see if they develop cancer.
o It is difficult to extrapolate results to humans.
 EPIDEMIOLOGISTS
o Look at historical exposure of groups of humans.
o See if the exposed group have increased cancer rate.
 POISON
o According to PARACELSUS.
1. All substances are poisons.
2. There is none that is not a poison.
3. RIGHT DOSE DIFFERENTIATES A POISON AND A REMEDY.
 PARACELSUS (1493-1541)
o Scientist and physician who was born in Switzerland.
o Pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine.
o FATHER OF TOXICOLOGY.
 INDUSTRIAL TOXICOLOGY
o Comparing one chemical agent with another but is meaningless without data
designating the biological species used and the conditions under which the
harmful effects were induced.
o Chemical stimulus can be considered to have produced a toxic effect when it
satisfies the criteria:
1. Observable or measurable physiological deviation has been produced in
any organ or organ system.
2. The observed change can be duplicated from animal to animal even
though the dose effect relationships vary.
 Every organism has different tolerance.
3. Stimulus has changed normal physiological processes in such a way that a
protective mechanism is impaired in its defense against other adverse
stimuli.
4. Effect is either reversible or at least attenuated when the stimulus is
removed.
5. The effect does not occur without a stimulus or occurs so infrequently that
it indicates generalized or nonspecific response. When high degrees of
susceptibility are noted, equally significant degrees of resistance should be
apparent.
6. Observation must be noted and must be reproducible by other
investigators.
o Physiological change reduces the efficiency of an organ or function and
physiological reserve.
o Affects performance either permanently or temporarily.
o EVALUATION OF A CHEMICAL HAZARD
1. Involves establishing the following:
 Amount and duration of exposure.
 Physical characteristics of the substance because some are vapor
that the worker cannot usually sense.
 Conditions under which exposure occurs.
 Determination of the effects of other substances in a combined
exposure.
2. Chemical properties of a compound are often one of the main factors in its
hazard potential.
 VAPOR PRESSURE
o Indicates how quickly a liquid or solid evaporates.
o Partially determines whether a substance has the potential
to pose a hazard from inhalation.
o Many solvents are quite volatile and vaporize readily into
the air to produce high concentrations of vapor.
o \/ BOILING POINT SOLVENT = /\ EVAPORATION
RATE = /\ HAZARD
 It is more volatile than an equally toxic solvent with
a high boiling point.
 One example is paint thinner.
3. Chemical injury can be
 LOCAL
o Results from DIRECT CONTACT of the irritant with
tissue.
o Skin can be severely burned.
o Surface of the eye can be injured to the extent that vision
may be impaired.
o Lining of the trachea and the lungs can be injured because
of inhaling toxic amounts of vapors, fumes, dust, or mists.
 SYSTEMATIC
4. Toxicological reactions can be SLIGHT or SEVERE.
o ENTRY TO THE BODY
 It is necessary to know how a substance enters the body and the
bloodstream.
 For an adverse effect to occur, toxic substance must first reach the organ
or bodily site where it causes damage.
 COMMON ROUTES OF ENTRY
 INHALATION
o Major route of entry.
 o Any airborne substance can be inhaled.
o Inside surface of lungs is very large and is a POOR
CHEMICAL BARRIER.
o Many chemicals that are inhaled can easily and quickly
enter the bloodstream form the lung tissue.
 SKIN ABSORPTION
o Chemicals move through the skin.
o Skin is a very good barrier and provides protection from
many hazards, but some substances can penetrate then enter
the bloodstream.
 INGESTION
o Can be done at same time as the inhalation.
o Chemicals are being eaten.
o Digestive tract to liver or lymphatic system and to the
bloodstream.
o Some are not absorbed and just pass by through the body
and are excreted in the feces.
 INJECTION
o Not necessarily through NEEDLE.
o Infrequent route of worker chemical exposure.
o Skin puncture and injuries associated with bloodborne
pathogens.
o Pressurized water or spray can puncture your skin.
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP
 Amount of chemical entering the body is usually given as mg of chemical / kg of body
weight.
 DOSE IS DEPENDENT UPON
o Concentration
o Properties of the toxicant
o Timing and frequency of exposure
o Length of exposure
o Exposure pathway
 Dose given are expressed as the quantity administered PER UNIT BODY WEIGHT,
QUANTITY PER SKIN SURFACE, or QUANTITY PER UNIT VOLUME OF
RESPIRED AIR.
 Can also be expressed as the PRODUCT of CONCENTRATION (C) and TIME
DURATION (T) of exposure.
o K = CT
 /\ CONCENTRATION = /\ EXPOSURE = /\ ADVERSE EFFECT
 Can be useful in predicting safe limits for some airborne contaminants in the workplace.
  THRESHOLD CONCEPT
o Most chemicals there is a threshold of effect or a no effect level.
o Most toxic chemical known produces NO MEASURABLE EFFECT if it is in
SMALL AMOUNTS.
THE DOSE MAKES THE POISON
 DOSE AMOUNT
o Measure of the magnitude of the dose.
 DOSE FREQUENCY
o How OFTEN exposure occurs.
 DOSE DURATION
o How LONG a total period dose exposure occurs.
 SUBJECT VARIABILITY (NATURAL)
o Individual characteristics such as AGE, SEX, BODY WEIGHT, ETHNIC
BACKGROUND, and GENETICS.
 SUBJECT VARIABILITY (HEALTH STATUS)
o Whether any pre-existing health conditions may affect susceptibility to an agent.
 ROUTE OF EXPOSURE
o Way in which the person is exposed.

DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF EXPOSURE

 ACUTE EXPOSURE
o Exposed <24 HOURS.
o LETHAL concentrations and SHORT-TERM exposures.
o Endpoint is usually DEATH.
 SUB-ACUTE EXPOSURE
o 1 MONTH or less.
 SUBCHRONIC EXPOSURE
o 1-3 MONTHS.
 CHRONIC EXPOSURE
o > 3 MONTHS
o Involves SUB-LETHAL concentrations and LONG-TERM exposure.
 ADMINISTERED DOSE
o In the experiment situation, the dose to which animals are exposed.
 INTERNAL DOSE
o Amount absorbed into the organism.
 TARGET ORGAN DOSE
o Amount that reaches the sites at which the adverse effects occurs.
MEASUREMENT OF DOSE
  Lab-based controlled animal studies using measures of the amount ingested, it is possible
to accurately calculate the total amount of the agent the animal is exposed to each day,
and thus the daily dose.
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL / HUMAN STUDIES:
o Amount of an agent ingested is likely to vary from day to day.
o Measure of the concentration of the agent in the media of interest are unlikely to
be available daily.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
 Study of poison or pollutants and their action on the environment.
CONCEPT OF POLLUTION
 FACTORS THAT CHANFE THE NATURAL QUALITY OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
o PHYSICAL FACTORS
 Change naturally in short term.
 Flood, fire, storm, etc.
 Longer term change
 Climate change
 Activities of man
o CHEMICAL FACTORS
 Changes through elevation of concentration of substances.
o BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
 Biological processes
 Nonpredatory effects
 Man-induced events
 POLLUTANT
o Substance or effect which adversely alters the environment by CHANGING
THE GROWTH RATE OF SPECIES, INTERFERES WITH HEALTH,
COMFORT, AMENITIES or PROPERTY VALUE of the people.
o Causes degradation and/or damage to the natural functioning of the biosphere.
o CLASSIFICATIONS
 NATURALLY OCCURING POLLUTANTS
 Includes poisonous plants, venomous reptiles, insects.
 Also includes toxic minerals.
 MAN MADE POLLUTANTS
 Production and use of energy, industrial chemicals, and increased
agricultural activity.
o MAY LEAD TO:
 AIR POLLUTION
 MAJOR SUBSTANCES
o Carbon Monoxide (ABOUT 52%)
 o Sulfur Oxides (14%)
o Hydrocarbons (14%)
o Nitrogen Oxides (14%)
o Particulate Matter (4%)
 AQUATIC POLLUTION
 SOURCES
o NATURAL
 Eutrophication
o MAN MADE
 Domestic Sewage
 TERRESTRIAL POLLUTION
 SOURCES
o NATURAL
 Local accumulation of toxic minerals.
o MAN MADE
 Dumped wastes from municipal or domestic places.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND DISEASE
 PERSISTENCE
o Characteristic o certain chemicals that are EXTREMELY STABLE and may
take many years to be broken down into simpler forms by natural processes.
o Synthetic chemicals (not found in nature)
o Natural decomposers have not evolved a way to break it down.
 BIOACCUMULATION
o Buildup of a persistent toxic substance in an organism’s body.
o Often found in fatty tissues.
o Synthetic chemical does not metabolize well.
o The pollutant is not increasing or decreasing in number.
o Remains in the body for extended periods of time even you do cleanse.
 BIOMAGNIFICATION
o Increased concentration of toxic chemicals in the tissues of organisms that are at
higher levels in food webs.
o Pollutants magnify.
TAKE NOTE:
 AGE, DIET, ETHNIC DIFFERENCES, and NURTITION may affect an individual’s
risk of toxicity and cancer.
 HUMAN RISK PERCEPTION
o Affected by the degree of pleasure or displeasure associated with the particular
risk.
 There is a regular check up to workers in the high-risk companies.
 If a substance has a physical appearance, it can be easily identified.
 Regulatory exposure limits are set so that the combination of concentrations and time
durations are theoretically below the levels that produce injury to exposed individuals.
 DOSE MAKES THE POISON.
 Our capacity to absorb VITAMIN C is only 300 mg.
o Even if we take > 300mg, our body will just absorb 300 mg.
 TOXICOLOGY
o Complex science that is based on the principle of DOSE and RESPONSE.
 o Provides an interesting and exciting way to apply science to important problems
of social, environmental, and public health significance.
 ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES
o Further adds to the complexity of toxicology.
 Focus more on minimizing hazard by DESIGNING SAFER CHEMICALS.
 Understanding HOW, or the MECHANISM, something produces a toxic effect can lead
to new ways of preventing or treating chemically based diseases.
 Many diseases are the result of an interaction between our genetics and chemicals in our
environment.
 POLLUTION IS CAUSED BY THE ACTIVITIES OF MAN.

HAZARD
 In workplace health and safety, it is any source of potential damage, harm, or adverse
health effects on something or someone.
HEALTH HAZARD IN THE WORKPLACE
 CSA Z1002 STANDARD
o A New Zealand standard.
o OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY – HAZARD
IDENTIFICATION AND ELIMINATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT AND
CONTROL
 HARM
 Physical injury or damage to health.
 HAZARD
 Potential source of harm to a worker.
 SELECT AGENT
o A bacterium, virus, or toxin that has the potential to pose severe threat to public
health and safety.
TYPES OF HEATH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE
 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
o Organic substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms.
o It includes pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, toxins, spores, fungi, and
bioactive substances.
 Microorganisms can penetrate the human body through damage skin or
mucus membrane and via animal bites or syringe entry wounds.
 All BODILY FLUIDS are biological hazards.
o Considered to include BIOLOGICAL VECTORS or TRANSMITTERS of
diseases.
o Pose risks for many workers in a wide variety of ways.
o Heightened public fears about disease transmissions within the workplace.
o Others have been in the workplace for many years.
o Some occupations are known to have high risk for certain biologically induced
diseases.
o In 2005, it is estimated that around 320,000 workers die each year from
communicable diseases caused by work related exposures to biological hazards.
o Exposure to molds and yeasts are common in some industrial processes.
o Exposure is widespread and the risk of exposure is not always obvious.
o CAPABLE OF CAUSING THREE KINDS OF ILLNESSES
 INFECTION
 Caused by parasites, viruses, or bacteria.
 ALLERGIES
 Causes by contact with organic types of dusts, enzymes, and mites.
 POISONING
o SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS
 LEGIONNAIRE’S DISEASE
 Caused by the bacteria LEGIONELLA.
o Type of bacterium found naturally in freshwater
environments.
o Grows best in large, complex water systems that are not
adequately maintained.
 Can become a health concern when it grows and spreads in human-
made building water systems:
o Showerheads and Sink Faucets
o Cooling Towers
o Hot Tubs that are not drained after each use.
o Decorative Fountains
o Hot Water Tanks and Heaters
o Large Plumbing Systems
 After it grows in building water system, it must spread in
DROPLETS enough for people to breathe in.
 ROUTE OF ENTRY:
o INHALATION
o INGESTION
 No vaccine that can prevent this disease.
 PREVENTION
o WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
 Make sure building owners and managers maintain
building water systems.
 SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS)
 Thought to be caused by a coronavirus.
  Caused by a specific group of viruses.
 Spread from droplets in the air.
 October 5, 2012, National Select Agent Registry Program
published a final rule declaring that this is a SELECT AGENT.
 TRANSMISSION:
o Close person to person contact.
o Transmitted most readily by RESPIRATORY
DROPLETS.
o Nonhuman to Human Transmission
o Might spread more broadly through the air.
 PREVENTION:
o ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING AND
DISINFECTION
 Cleaning and disinfection are critical to the control
of SARS-CoV transmission
o HAND HYGIENE
o PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
 MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROM CORONAVIRUS
(MERS-CoV)
 Viral respiratory caused by a novel coronavirus that was first
identifies in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
 Does not seem to pass easily from person to person unless there is
close contact.
 A zoonotic virus which is transmitted between animals and people.
 Believed to have originated in bats and transmitted to dromedary
camels.
 TRANSMISSION:
o Nonhuman to Human Transmission
o Human to Human Transmission
 No vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.
 CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
 Infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered
coronavirus.
 Began in WUHAN, CHINA in DECEMBER 2019.
 TRANSMISSION:
o Human to Human Transmission
 Close contact.
o Nonhuman to Human Transmission
o Droplet spread
 PROTECTION MEASURE
 o Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19
outbreak.
o Maintain at least 1 meter distance between yourself and
anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
o Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
o Make sure you and other people follow good respiratory
hygiene.
o Stay home if you feel unwell.
o Follow directions of your local health authority.
 According to studies, 30% to 50% of the cases came from
asymptomatic people.
o Biological agents are microorganisms and can be categorized as:
 FUNGI
 Most are harmless to humans, but some can cause disease.
 BACTERIA
 Single-celled organisms that are found in vast numbers in and on
the human body.
 Some are harmless and some cause diseases.
 VIRUSES
 Very small infectious organisms that reproduce by hijacking living
cells to manufacture more viruses.
 Many cause diseases.
 PRIONS
 Abnormal, transmissible agents to induce abnormal folding of
normal cellular prion proteins in the brain, leading to BRAIN
DAMAGE.
o DIVERSE WORKPLACES WHERE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPOSURE
TO BIOHAZARD AGENTS
 WORKERS MAINTAING WATER SYSTEMS
 WORKERS ASSOCIATED WITH BIRDS
 CHLAMYDIA PSITTACI
o Often infects birds.
 o Cause disease to humans called PSITTACOSIS, which
can cause mild illness or pneumonia.
 HISTOPLASMA CAPSULATUM
o Global fungal pathogen.
o Causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide.
o Dimorphic ascomycete that grows in its hyphal form in
soil, bird, and bat guano.
 WORKERS IN WOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES
 SEWAGE AND COMPOST WORKERS
 RENOVATORS OF ITEMS
 WORKERS IN TEXTILE MANUFACTURING
 WORKERS IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY
 Zoonotic bacteria.
 FORESTRY WORKERS
 Zoonotic diseases or agents.
 WORKERS HANDLING ANIMAL HAIR AND ROUGH LEATHER
 Zoonotic diseases.
 Dermatophytic fungi.
 WORKERS HANDLING PRODUCTS OF PLANT ORIGIN
 CHILD CARE WORKERS
 Enteric diseases.
 Viruses.
 Dermatophycoses.
 Protozoal diseases.
 PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS
 Bloodborne pathogens.
 Viral respiratory diseases.
 CHEMICAL HAZARDS
 ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
 PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
 o Same as PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS because it refers to mental health.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
o Same as PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS because it refers to mental health.
o More on bullying in a larger context.
HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS

TAKE NOTE:
 Hazard if the POTENTIAL for harm or an adverse effect.
 In 2005, it is estimated that around 320,000 workers die each year from communicable
diseases caused by work related exposures to biological hazards.
 People do not spread Legionnaire’s disease and Pontiac fever to other people but is
possible under rare condition.
 Health personnel are requesting a 3-METER social distancing due to COVID-19.
 Some countries, like United States and Vietnam, stopped supporting WHO because they
thought that WHO has connection to China.
 SWAB TESTING is much more reliable than RAPID TESTING.
 According to SANOFI, vaccines for COVID-19 should be done to the source.
Eliminating first the source.
  Containment of microorganisms and other biological hazards in all workplaces is critical
to the health of the workers and to the community.
 ENGINEERING CONTROLS can minimize occupational biohazardous exposures.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
 Chemicals are encountered in different physical forms.
o Dusts
o Fumes
o Gases
o Mists
o Vapors
o Liquid
 The form of chemicals significantly affects how it might enter the body.
 HAZARDOUS PROPERTIES
o TOXIC
 SMALL DOSES cause death or serious ill health when inhaled,
swallowed, or absorbed via skin.


o HARMFUL
 Causes death or serious ill health when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed
via skin in LARGE DOSES.


o CORROSIVE
 Destroy living tissues on contact.


o IRRITANT
  Causes inflammation of the skin or mucus membranes through immediate,
prolonged, or repeated contact.


o CARCINOGENIC
 May cause cancer when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed via the skin.


 Can be hazardous, meaning it can have:
o ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS
 Also known as SHORT TERM HEALTH EFFECTS.
 As a result of exposure to HIGH LEVELS of the substance.
 Sometimes over very short period.
 Usually quite quickly after exposure begins.
o CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS
 Also known as LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTS
 As a result of exposure to LOWER LEVELS of the substance, over long
periods.
 Usually in week, months, or years after exposure began.

o
 SENSING AGENTS
o Chemicals that can produce an allergic reaction that will gradually worsen on
repeat exposures.
 o GROUPS OF SENSING CHEMICALS
 SKIN SENSITISERS
 Causes allergic dermatitis on contact with the skin.
 DERMATITIS
o Non-infectious skin condition where the skin becomes dry,
flaky, cracked, and painful.
o It is usually reversible with treatment.
o MAIN TYPES OF DERMATITIS
 PRIMARY CONTACT DERMATITIS
 Following immediate, repeated, or
prolonged contact with a primary skin
irritant.
 Restricted to the skin that was in
CONTACT with the irritant substance only.
 SECONDARY CONTACT DERMATITIS
 Also known as ALLERGIC CONTACT
DERMATITIS.
 Following immediate, repeated, or
prolonged contact with a skin sensitizing
agent.
 Often appears on DIFFERENT PARTS of
the body other than the point of contact with
the substance.
 Can flare up in response to very small
exposures once the person has become
sensitized.
 RESPIRATORY SENSITISERS
 Causes asthma on inhalation into the lungs.
 ASTHMA
o Condition where the airways of a person’s lungs become
irritated in response to a trigger, constricting in size, and
producing mucus that makes breathing difficult.
FORMS OF CHEMICAL AGENTS
 PHYSICAL FORM
o Makes a big difference on how easy it is for that chemical to enter the body.
 LIQUID FORM
o Assumes that form of the container into which it is put many of liquid chemicals
that are used in industry are solvents.
o TWO KINDS OF SOLVENT SYSTEMS
 AQUEOUS SOLVENT SYSTEM
 Solvent system based on WATER.
 
Low hazard from inhalation or from systemic toxicity.

INCLUDES:
o Acid
o Alkali
o Detergent
 ORGANIC SOLVENT SYSTEM
 Solvent system based in CARBON-CONTAINING
COMPOUNDS.
 Often volatile (/\ EVAPORATION RATE).
 Materials that can dissolve other materials.
 INCLUDES:
o Acetone
o 1,1,1 – trichloroethane
 GAS FORM
o Formless fluid at normal temperature and pressure.
o Liquids often being converted to gaseous state due to altered conditions of
temperature and pressure.
 VAPOR FORM
o Portion of a liquid that evaporates either by a change of temperature or pressure.
o INHALATION and ABSORPTION are the most common routes of entry in the
WORKPLACE.
o Air dispersion of molecules formed when volatile chemical (SOLID or LIQUID)
evaporates.
 PARTICULATE FORM
o Also known as AEROSOL.
o Small particle of chemical.
o INCLUDES:
 DUST
 Particle that are a wide range of sizes.
 Usually result from some mechanical action such as crushing or
grinding.
 FUME
 Extremely small particles.
 LESS THAN A MICRON in diameter.
 Generated by heating a solid to a point at which it vaporizes and
then condenses.
 Very small metal particles from welding operations and foundries.
 Not generated by automobile exhaust.
 FIBER
 Thin and elongated particles.
 AT LEAST 5 MICROMETERS in length.
  Asbestos and Fiberglass.
 MIST
 Liquid droplets in air.
 Finely divided suspended liquids that are formed by agitating or
spraying liquids.
COMMON CHEMICAL AGENTS IN WORKPLACE
 SOLID
o Solid block of material.
 DUST
o Very small solid particles normally created by grinding, polishing, blasting,
milling, etc.
o Capable of becoming airborne.
 FUME
o Very small metallic particles that have condensed from the gaseous state during
work with molten metal.
 GAS
o Basic state of matter that expands to fill the spaces available.
 MIST
o Very small liquid droplets suspended in air which are normally created by
spraying.
 VAPOR
o Gaseous form of a substance that exists as solid or liquid at normal temperature
and pressure.
 LIQUID
o Basic state of matter that is free-flowing fluid.

TWO CATEGORIES OF SUBSTANCE THAT ARE INFREQUENTLY FOUND IN

WORKPLACE
 MUTAGENS
o May cause genetic mutations that can be inherited.
 TOXIC TO REPRODUCTION
o May cause sterility or affect an unborn child.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMICALS HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH

 TYPES OF DANGER
o PHYSICO-CHEMICAL EFFECTS
 Highly flammable, explosive, or oxidizing chemicals.
o HEALTH EFFECTS
 Toxic or carcinogenic.
o ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
  Harmful to aquatic life.
EXPOSURE ENTRY ROUTES
 INHALATION
o It is the most common route of entry.
o Breathed in.
o Involves airborne contaminants that can be inhaled directly into the lungs and can
be physically classified as gases, vapors, and particulate matter.
o Major route of entry for hazardous chemicals in the work environment.
 INGESTION
o Swallowing via eating or drinking.
o People can unknowingly eat or drink harmful chemicals.
o Toxic compounds can be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood.
o Inhaled toxic dusts can also be ingested in hazardous amounts.
o If toxic dust swallowed with food or saliva is not soluble in digestive fluids, it is
eliminated DIRECTLY through the intestinal tract.
o Toxic materials that are readily soluble in digestive fluids can eb absorbed into
the blood from the digestive system.
 ABSORPTION
o Draw through skin or eye surface can occur quite rapidly if the skin is cut or
abraded.
o INTACT SKIN offers a reasonably good barrier to chemicals.
o There are many compounds that can be absorbed through intact skin.
o Some are absorbed through openings for hair follicles.
o Others are dissolve in the fats and oils of the skin.
o Compounds that are good solvents for fats can also be absorbed through the skin.
o Many organic compounds can produce SYSTEMIC POISONING by DIRECT
CONTACT with the skin.
 INJECTION
o Penetration through the skin.
o Infrequent in the industry.
o Can be done directly into the bloodstream, peritoneal cavity, pleural cavity, skin,
muscle, and other place a needle or high-pressure orifice can reach.
o Effects vary with the location of administration.
o Increasing attention to prevention of skin puncture and injection injuries
associated with bloodborne pathogens.
o Risk of infection is significant following accidental skin puncture by a needle or
instrument contaminated with infected blood or tissue.
FACTORS AFFECTING EXPOSURES
 Form and innate chemical activity
  Dosage, especially dose-time relationship
 Exposure route
 Age
 Sex
 Ability of chemical to be absorbed
 Metabolism
 Distribution within the body
 Excretion
 Presence of other chemicals

HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
 ELIMINATION AND SUBSTITUTION
o Substitution of solvent-based paints into water-based paints.
o Elimination of the use of chemical adhesive by using fasteners such as screws or
nails.

o
 ENGINEERING CONTROL
o Provision of proper ventilation.
o Process and equipment modification.
 o Isolation / automation.
o

 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL
o Establish written programs and policies.
o Training.
o Monitor / measure exposure levels.
o Inspection and maintenance.
o Restricted area signage.
o Develop STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP).
o Make an inventory of all chemicals which are handled and stored in the place of
work and collect the information from various sections together.
o Limit values base on calculation and risk estimation.
o If limit values in the exposure to chemicals are not exceeded, ALMOST everyone
can work without adverse effects to health.
 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
o Respirators.
o Gloves.
o Safety Glasses.
o Long Clothing.
o It can also be a sign board.
INCOMPATIBILITY OF COMMON CHEMICALS
o When certain hazardous chemicals are stored or mixed, violent reactions may occur
because the chemicals are unsuitable for mixing or are INCOMPATIBLE.
o Classes of incompatible chemicals should be SEGREGATED from each other during
storage.
o HAZARD CLASS STORAGE
o FLAMMABLE / COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS AND ORGANIC ACIDS
o FLAMMABLE SOLIDS
o MINERAL ACIDS
o CAUSTICS
o OXIDIZERS
o PERCHLORIC ACID
o COMPRESSED GASES
o

o
o

o
 o

MATERIALS SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS)

o Prime source of information on the hazardous properties of chemical products, although
the quality of such information is highly variable.
o OSHA HAZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD requires that all chemical
manufacturers and importers supply an appropriate MSDS to their company.
o Usually developed by the chemical manufacturer.
o Required to be readily available to employees.
o

o
 o

TAKE NOTE:
 TOXICITY depends on the reception of our body to resist it.
 CARBON DIOXIDE
o Became the representative of greenhouse gases.
o Became the standard measurement of greenhouse gases.
 ASBESTOS
o Banned due to harmful effects.
o 2% is being used today.
o ASBESTOSIS occurs 10 – 20 YEARS after multiple exposures.
 If you see a chemical, always look at the side posted on its container.
 Do not drink or eat in or near the chemical storage areas.
 There are still compounds that can be absorbed through intact skin.
 < 2 OUT OF 10 know how to protect oneself in handling of dangerous chemicals.
 ALWAYS ask for the MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS).

PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
 Anything in the design or management of work that INCREASES the RISK of WORK-
RELATED STRESS.
 WORK-RELATED STRESS
 o Physical, mental, and emotional reactions that occur when a worker perceives the
demand of their work exceed their ability or resource to cope.
 They are not limited to STRESS, VIOLENCE, and other workplace stressors.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARD FACTORS INCLUDE:
o High and Low Job Demands
o Low Job Control
o Poor Support
o Poor Workplace Relationship
o Low Role Clarity
o Poor Organizational Change Management
o Low Reward and Recognition
o Poor Organizational Justice
o Poor Environmental Conditions
o Remote and Isolated Work
o Violent or Traumatic Events
 EXPOSURE:
o Impacts mental and physical health of a worker or an employee through stress,
psychological strain, job burnout, anxiety, depression, muscular aches and pains,
irritability, poor concentration, and disturbed sleep.
o PSYCHOLOGIACL INJURY, PHYSICAL ILLNESS, and POOR HEALTH
BEHAVIORS are also related in a way that when one is present, the others are
also likely to be impacted negatively.


IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
 Psychosocial hazards and its factors are identified using a risk management process.
 RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS
o A FOUR-STEP process for controlling exposure to health and safety risks
associated with hazards in the workplace.
 STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS
 Identify all the reasonably foreseeable work-related psychosocial
hazards.
 Look for any WORKPLACE FACTORS such as workload,
leadership, culture, social factors, and organization of work.
 CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY:
o Having conversations, supervisors, and health and safety
specialists.
o Inspecting the workplace to see how work is carried out,
noting any rushing, delays, or work back clogs.
o Observing how people interact with each other during work
activities.
o Reviewing relevant information and records such as
incident reports and workers’ compensation claims for both
psychosocial injury and other disorders known to be linked
to work-related stress.
o Using surveys to gather information form workers,
supervisors, and managers.
 STEP 2: ASSESS AND PRIORITIZE THE RISK
 Likelihood and consequences of injury or illness that may result
from exposure to psychosocial hazards should be assessed and
prioritized.
 Risk associated with exposure to work-related psychosocial
hazards can be assessed by understanding worker complaints,
observing interactions between workers, gaining feedback from
workers, having one-on=one discussions with workers, and
through the use of focus groups or a worker survey.
 Findings from your psychosocial risk assessment will inform any
decisions about the likelihood and consequences of injury or
illness from exposure to psychosocial hazards.
 TOOLS TO HELP ASSESSING AND PRIORITIZING
RISKS:
o PEOPLE AT WORK SURVEY
 Helps organizations to proactively identify and
manage workplace risks using a psychosocial risk
assessment tool completed by workers.
 Most of the time the supervisors are the ones who
do risk assessment tools.
o PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK ASSESSMENT
  Helps in conducting a risk assessment on your
workplace and identify and implement controls to
respond to any identified risks.
o FOCUS GROUPS
 Also known as SAFETY COMMITTEE.
 Small groups (6 – 10 PEOPLE) from across the
organization.
 Provides forums for assessing the risk of exposure
to psychosocial hazards.
 The participants consider each of the psychosocial
hazards and how they may or may not apply to the
workplace.
 STEP 3: CONTROL RISKS
 ESTABLISHING, IMPLEMENTING, and MAINTAINING
the most appropriate control measures that are reasonably practical
in the circumstances.
 When selecting a control, it is important to CONSULT with
workers and justify why it was chosen over a different control
measure.
 STEP 4: REVIEW CONTROL MEASURES
 This is to ensure that the control measures made are effective and
working as planned.
 This would also help us know whether the control measures made
need modification or not.
 This will assist in monitoring the extent to which legal obligations
have been fulfilled.
 The DYNAMICS and COMPLEXITY of an organization is
dependent on the changes such as in supervisors, workers,
processes, procedure can have MARKED, UNEXPECTED, and
UNPLANNED effects on workers.


o IN MANAGING EXPOSURE TO RISKS WE NEED:
  To identify the hazards
 To assess the risks
 To control the risks
 To review control measures to ensure they are working as planned.
o PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT should be a PROACTIVE
PROCESS.
 Often, this only occurs after a person suffers from any psychological harm
or distress.
 This can be costly and miss other important and related factors due to its
narrow focus.
 Can mean that the employers are not complying with their duty to
eliminate or minimize risks to worker health and safety from being
exposed to psychosocial hazards and factors at work.
WORK
 Generally beneficial to MENTAL HEALTH and PERSONAL WELLBEING.
 Provides people with STRUCTURE and PURPOSE and a SENSE OF IDENTITY.
 Provides OPPORTUNITIES for people to DEVELOP and USE their skills, to form
social relationships, and to increase their feelings of self-worth.
 Can have adverse consequences for health and wellbeing.
 Risks to psychological health at work may arise from organization or personal factors.
 MAJOR FACTORS
o Poor Design of Work and Jobs.
o Poor Communication and Interpersonal Relationships.
o Bullying.
o Occupational Violence.
o Fatigue.
 Risks to psychological health must be viewed in the same way as other health and safety
risks.
 A commitment to prevention of work-related stress must be included in an organization’s
health and safety policies.
 EXAMPLES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARD:
o ALCOHOL IN THE WORKPLACE
 ALCOHOL RELATED ABSENTEEISM is very costly and often
occurs when a worker has consumed a large amount of alcohol the
previous day.
 15% of workplace injuries worldwide are attributable to drug and alcohol
use.
 60% of individuals who consume drugs and alcohol at harmful levels are
in full time employment.
 Alcohol usage in the workplace can result to negative outcomes for
workers and organizations.
 
RISKS TO WORKERS
 ADVERSE PHYSICAL HEALTH EFFECTS
o Alcohol is the second leading cause of preventable
hospitalization and death.
 ADVERSE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS
o Evidence indicates alcohol consumption can contribute to
poorer mental health.
 LOSS OF INCOME
o This is due to absence or dismissal of the worker.
 POSSIBLE VIOLENCE
o People are more likely to behave violently when under the
influence of alcohol.
o People are twice as likely to be abused physically and
verbally by a person under the influence of alcohol.
 RISKS TO ORGANIZATION
 WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS
o This can result to injuries or death.
 ABSENTEEISM
o Resulting from excessive alcohol consumption.
 LOST PRODUCTIVITY
o From presenteeism because of alcohol.
 REDUCED MORALE
 NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OTHER WORKERS
o Other workers might cover for their absent colleagues that
are intoxicated.
o BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE
 Repeated, unreasonable behavior directed towards a worker or group of
workers, that creates a risk to health and safety.
 Identified as an important risk and hazard across all the workplace
jurisdiction.
 If bullying and other workplace conflict if identified and dealt with early
the situation can be addressed and resolved, preventing bullying from
becoming acceptable behavior which can result in workplace injury.
 Can cause SIGNIFICANT PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK to workers who
experience or witness such behavior.
 Leads to a deterioration of a worker’s mental health.
 Psychosocial risks may arise from the poor management of risk factors.
 Can be a result of poor workplace culture supported by an environment
which allows such behavior to occur
 POOR PEOPLE MANAGEMENT SKILLS and lack of
SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP can also add to the stress.
 Effects are dependent to the nature of the bullying.
  EFFECTS INCLUDES:
 Stress, Anxiety, or Sleep Disturbances.
 Mental Health Issues.
 Reduced Quality of Family and Home Life.
 Increased Absenteeism and Staff Turnover.
 Reduced Work Performance.
PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
 Any hazard that affects the mental well-being or mental health of the worker by
overwhelming individual coping mechanisms and impacting the worker’s ability to work
in a healthy and safe manner.
 SOURCES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
o WORK ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS
 Workplace Violence and Harassment


 Working Alone


 Change


 Technological Change
 
 Fatigue and Hours of Work


 Job Demands


o PERSONAL FACTORS
 Substance Abuse
 Depression, Anxiety, and other Mental Illness
 Age-Related Factors
 Work-Life Conflict
 PREVENTION TO EXPOSURE
o Ensure plans are in place PROACTIVELY to deal with violence or abuse.
o Identify working alone situations and develop control strategies.
 o Actively participate in employer programs, procedures, and plans to reduce
psychological hazards in the workplace.
o Develop and regularly review hazard assessments related to psychological
hazards.
o Recognize that the hazard may vary according to the client situation and develop
action plans accordingly.
 BENEFITS OF HAVING A PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE
o It fosters employees’ health and well-being while enhancing organizational
performances.
o It benefits both employees and organization.
o BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES
 Increased Job Satisfaction
 Higher Moral
 Better Physical and Mental Health
 Enhanced Motivation
 Improved Ability to Manage Stress
 JOB DEMANDS
o One of the most common sources of poor psychological health and safety.
o While workers need challenging task to maintain their interest and motivation,
and to develop new skills, it is important that demands do not exceed their ability
to cope.
o Workers can usually cope with demanding work if it is not excessive, they are
supported by their supervisors, colleagues, and they are given the right amount of
job control.
o TYPES OF JOB DEMANDS
 MENTAL OR COGNITIVE DEMANDS
 LOW or HIGH levels.
 It requires very high levels of concentration or sustained attention
over an extended duration.
 Works which is not cognitively demanding can include tasks that
are monotonous or do not require much attention or concentration.
 Both types of work can be fatiguing and stressful, with increased
error rates and poor work quality.
 IDENTIFYING WHEN THIS MIGHT BE HAZARDOUS
o SITUATIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO HIGH LEVELS
OF COGNITIVE DEMAND
 Analyzing complex/detailed information.
 Making complex decisions in situations
WITHOUT GUIDELINES or PROCEDURES.
 Doing complex mathematical calculations.
  Needing to quickly evaluate complex situations,
reach sound judgments, and make effective
decisions under pressure.
 Determining effective strategies or solutions to
respond to complaints or issues, whether it is
people-related in the workplace or from external
customers and clients.
o SITUATIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO LOW LEVELS
OF COGNITIVE DEMAND
 Have little mental stimulations or problem solving.
 Requires people to undertake repetitive tasks with
little variety.
 IMPLEMENTING CONTROLS
o Make use of algorithms, clinical decision-making
guidelines, or robotics where practical to assist workers.
o Redesign the work where possible through reducing time
pressure or adjusting job requirements to reduce cognitive
demands.
o Design the completion of work tasks in a way that complex
tasks are undertaken by multiple team members, where
appropriate, to share the load.
o Provide workers with sufficient time to perform the tasks
assigned and provide suitable, appropriately maintained
equipment.
o Schedule regular breaks throughout the day and ensure that
workers are taking required breaks and getting adequate
rest.
o Implement systems to support workers when they are
required to make difficult decisions or when there are
negative consequences to decisions.
o Rotate tasks and activities so that workers are not
overexposed to cognitively demanding work or recurrent
monotonous work.
o Endure that tasks are matched to the skill and capability
level of your workers.
o Give workers some control over the way they do their work
including pace and order of tasks.
 MITIGATION TO THE IMPACTS
o Create an environment in which workers feel comfortable
raising concerns and speaking up about difficulties coping
with work tasks.
 o Develop workers’ cognitive skills through involvement in
complex decision-making and problem-solving activities.
o Provide opportunities for knowledge and skill development
to help workers better manage tasks and cognitive demand.
o Offer counselling support to workers who are experiencing
high stress levels.
o Provide practical assistance when workers are doing
challenging tasks.
 TIME PRESSURE OR ROLE OVERLOAD
 Excessive time pressures or a demanding workload.
 IDENTIFYING THAT THIS MIGHT BE HAZARDOUS
o Allocating tasks to workers that are beyond their level of
competence or capacity.
 PHYSICAL DEMANDS
 Workers use their body to generate, restrain, or absorb forces and
movements or expend high levels of energy.
 May be considered a hazardous manual task and requires risk
assessment.
 Risks increases when physical activity must be completed in a tight
timeframe or difficult environment condition.
 EMOTIONAL DEMANDS
 Requires workers to show false displays of emotion.
 When workers are exposed to emotionally distressing or sensitive
situations.
 CHALLENGING WORK HOURS
 Shift work or irregular working hours is difficult to predict.
 This is associated with a greater risk of fatigue.
LEGISLATIONS RELATED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS
 DOLE DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 208 SERIES OF 2020:
o Workplace Policies and Programs for the Private Sector.
o SCOPE AND COVERAGE:
 Promotion of mental health and identification and management of mental
health problems, including assistance to OFWs and other Filipinos
overseas who are at risk or with mental health problems.
 PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 442
o ARTICLE 91. RIGHT TO WEEKLY REST DAY
 It shall be the duty of every employer, whether operating for profit or not,
to provide each of his employees a rest period of not < 24
CONSECUTIVE HOURS after 6 CONSECUTIVE NORMAL
WORKDAYS.
DECREASING EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTROLS


TAKE NOTE:
 WORKERS are exposed to a combination of psychosocial hazards and its factors, which
may be present all the time or occasionally.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL is more on the outside factors and what you feel on the things
happening around you while PSYCHOLOGICAL is the personal behavior and reaction
of an individual to the factors.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARD is linked to numbers of physical illnesses and injuries.
o Meaning if psychosocial hazard is present, there is a high possibility that any
physical illnesses and injuries may occur, and vice versa.
 Remember that PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT should be a PROACTIVE
PROCESS.
o This would help us in preventing it ahead of time or address it immediately.
o There is no uniform situation, so it is important to continuously review the
HAZARD IDENTIFICAITON and RISK ASSESSMENT.
o Risk assessment can be done every 6 MONTHS or MORE OFTEN.
 It is not good to always accept request, even though you will learn new things, because
you will be confused, or you will not clarify what your role really is.
 For a worker, it is important to recognize and reward his good deeds. This will help boost
his psychosocial and psychological health.
 It is important to have conversation to workers because it come to know what their
mental health status.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT is a continuous exercise within the
organizations.
 The DYNAMICS and COMPLEXITY of an organization is dependent on the changes
such as in supervisors, workers, processes, procedure can have MARKED,
UNEXPECTED, and UNPLANNED effects on workers.
  MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE does not mean that you are “siraulo” because all of us can
have this issue.
 If you see your work as stressful, then it is does not help you and will cause you
sufferings.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS are the one of the main causes of workplace stress leading to
a deterioration of a workers’ mental health.
 When working, do not bring your personal problems because it affects your productivity.
 Most of the companies focuses on PPEs instead of in infrastructures and its
administrative.

PHYSICAL HAZARDS
 Most common workplace hazards.
 Factors within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it.
 TYPES OF PHYSICAL HAZARDS
o TEMPERATURE
 Working in extreme places with extreme temperatures health effects such
as DEHYDRATION, HEAT STRESS, STROKE, HYPOTHERMIA,
FROSTBITE, etc.
 EXPOSURE TO EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE
 Workers in a foundry or bakery.
o Exposure to extreme heat and dry environment.
 Workers in cold storage warehouse.
o Exposure to extreme cold environments.
 Workers outdoors
o Exposure to extremes depending on climate and season.
 COMMON HEALTH AND SAFETY EFFECTS OF WORKING IN
HOT ENVIRONMENT
 DEHYDRATION
o Water is lost because of sweating.
o Precursor to HEAT EXHAUSTOIN, it is usually not
notice or reported by workers.
 MUSCLE CRAMPS
o Result of salt loss through sweating.
 HEAT STRESS
o Core temperature (37C) cannot be controlled and starts to
increase.
o Causes discomfort, lethargy, headaches, and fainting.
 HEAT EXHAUSTION
o Precursor to heat stroke.
o Most seen disorder of heat stroke when treatment is sought.
 o
 HEAT STROKE
o Core temperature increases rapidly.
o It causes hallucinations, coma, and death.
o Most serious heat-related disorder.
o It must be immediately recognized and treated to minimize
its permanent damage.
o Individual with heat stroke does not sweat because the
feeling of heat if felt inside the body.

o
 PREVENTIVE MEASURES
o PROVISION OF GOOD WORKPLACE
VENTILATION
  Moving air has cooling effects.
 When designing, it must have FRESH AIR.


o INSULATE HEAT SOURCES

 By lagging hot pipes.


o PROVISION OF COOL REFUGES
 This is where workers escape the heat from their
workplace.
 

o SHIELD HEAT SOURCES

 To control radiant heat and prevent contact burns.


o PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER

OR ISOTONIC DRINKS
o PROVIDE FREQUENT BREAKS AND JOB
ROTATIONS
o PROVIDE APPROPRIATE CLOTHING FOR USE IN
HOT WORKPLACE
 Consideration must be given to other workplace
hazards.
o PROVIDE AN ACTIVE INFORMATION,
EDUCATION, AND COMMUNICATION
CAMPAIGN


 

 COMMON HEALTH AND SAFETY EFFECTS OF WORKING IN

A COLD ENVIRONMENT
 HYPORTHERMIA
o Core temperature drops BELOW 35C.
o It causes shivering, mood swings, irrational behavior,
lethargy, drowsiness, and death.
o ACUTE PROBLEM resulting from prolonged cold
exposure and heat loss.
 o

 FROST BITE
o Body tissues are frozen.
o It causes tissue damage, necrosis (in EXTREME CASES),
gangrene, and amputation.
o Theoretically, the FREEZING POINT of the SKIN is
about 30F (1C).
o With increasing wind velocity, heat loss is greater and frost
bite occurs more rapidly.
 o
 SLIP HAZARDS
o Floors will become slippery with ice.
 FREEZE-BURN INJURIES
o From skin contacts with very cold surfaces.
o

 OTHER COLD RELATED HAZARDS WITH SYMPTOMS,

SIGNS, CAUSES, AND FIRST AID
 o

 MEASUREMENT OF COLD STRESS

 TWO CLIMATIC FACTORS in the environment influence the
RATE OF HEAT EXCHANGE between a person and the
environment.
o AIR TEMPERATURE
o AIR SPEED
 RECOGNITION
 Subjective responses of workers are a good tool for recognition of
cold stress in the workplace.
 WORKER’S BEHAVIOR TO COLD STRESS EXPOSURE
o Seeks Warm Locations
o Adds Layers of Clothing
o Increasing the Work Rate
 EVALUATION
 WORKPLACE MONITORING
o When temperature fall BELOW 16C, workplace
monitoring should be instituted.
o Below -1C, the DRY BULB TEMPERATURE and AIR
SPEED should be measured and recorded AT LEAST
EVERY 4 HOURS.
o When AIR SPEED > 2 m/s, EQUIVALENT CHILL
TEMPERATURE (ECT) or WIND CHILL INDEX
should be determined.
o WIND CHILL TEMPERATURE INDEX
 Developed by US Army to account for both AIR
TEMPERATURE and AIR SPEED based on
empirical observations of the time for water to
freeze.
 

o When ECT falls BELOW -7C, it should be recorded.

 SYSTEMIC COLD STRESS
o ACGIH recommends that the employer become involved
with protective measures when air temperature is < 5C.
o As the environmental condition becomes very cold,
REWARMING PERIODS should be provided.
o MAXIMUM EXPOSURE TIME depends on AIR
TEMPERATURE and AMBIENT AIR MOVEMENT
and is followed by a 10 MINUTE warmup break.
 o Reductions in the working time are recommended if the
work rate is low to moderate because internal heat
generation will be lower.
 There is a point at which NON-EMERGENCY
WORK is not performed.
 LOCAL COLD STRESS
o Skin cannot freeze until the AIR TEMPERATURE < -1C.
o There is a little risk of LOCAL COLD INJURIES
associated with ECT > -30C (or HEAT LOSS RATE <
1750 W/m2).
o Limiting surface temperature to protect exposed skin
making incidental contact with the surfaces is -7C. if
contact is PROLONGED, limit is -1C.
o Manual dexterity of hands drops when there is an
uninterrupted work for 10 MINUTES to 20 MINUTES at
temperature below 16C.
 PREVENTIVE MEASURES
o Prevent or protect workers from draughts.
o Shield or lad extremely cold surface.
o Provide warm refuges.
o Provide Personal Protective Equipment.
o Provide frequent breaks and job rotation.
o Provide easy access to hot food and drinks.
o Scrape, salt, or grit icy floors.
o Hygiene practices.
o NOISE
 Exposure can cause hearing loss, annoy, and interfere with speech,
interfere in concentration, and thought processes, disturbs sleep, cause
fatigues and aggression, reduce immune response, and lead to heart
disease.
 Usually sound that bears no information and whose intensity usually
varies randomly in time.
 Often used to mean unpleasant sound that the listener does not want to
hear.
 Interferes with the perception of wanted sound.
 Likely to be physiologically harmful.
 EXPOSURES
 CONSTRUCTION
o General building contractors.
o Heavy construction except building Special Trade
Contractors.
 MANUFACTURING
 o Chemical and allied products.
o Petroleum and coal products.
o Transportation equipment.
o Industrial machinery and equipment.
 TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
o Communications.
o Electric, gas, and sanitary services.
o Trucking and warehousing.
 COMMON HEALTH AND SAFETY EFFECTS OF NOISE
EXPOSURE
 Temporary reduction in hearing sensitivity because of short-
duration exposure.
 Temporary ringing in the ears because of short-duration exposure
to excessively loud noises.
 NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS
o Also known as NIHL.
o PERMANENT LOSS of hearing because of repeated
exposure to excessively loud noise.
 TINNITUS
o PERSISTENT RINGING in the ears because of repeated
exposure to excessively loud noise.
 Inability to hear the following due to background noise:
o Hazards such as Vehicle.
o Alarms and Warning Sirens.
o Conversation and Spoke Instructions
 NOISE EXPOSURE LIMITS
 The general agreement on the workplace exposure limit for noise is
85 Db(a) daily personal noise exposure.
 It is set on the basis that the amount of damage done to the ear is
depended to the amount of energy absorbed by the inner ear. This
is determined by TWO FACTORS:
o NOISE LEVEL [measured in dB(A)]
o EXPOSURE DURATION (measured in HOURS and
MINUTES)
 LOUDEST TASKS



 

 LOUDEST TOOLS
 

 BASIC NOISE CONTROL MEASURES:

 REDUCE THE NOISE AT THE SOURCE
o Most desirable method of controlling a noise problem is to
minimize the noise at the source.
o Modifying existing equipment and structures or possibly
introducing noise-reduction measures at the design stage of
new machinery and equipment.
 ENCLOSURE
o Placed around a noise source to prevent noise from getting
outside.
o Normally lined with SOUND-ABSORPTION material to
decrease internal sound pressure buildup.
o Noise can best be prevented from ENTERING or
LEAVING an enclosure by sealing all outlets.
o DOUBLE STRUCTURES can be used for extreme cases.
o ACOUSTIC ENCLOSURE
 To prevent noise from getting inside.
o SOUNDPROOF BOOTHS
 For machine operators and audiometric testing
booths for testing the hearing of employees.
o

 MAINTENANCE
o Replacement or adjustment of worn, loose, or unbalanced
parts of machines.
o Lubrication of machine parts and use of cutting oils.
o Use of properly shaped and sharpened cutting tools.
 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL
o Transfer from job with high noise level to job locations
with lower ones if this procedure would make their daily
noise exposure acceptable.
 o Scheduling machine operating times to reduce the number
of workers exposed to noise.
o Any other administrative decision that results in lower
noise exposure.
 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
o HEARING-PROTECTIVE DEVICES
 SEAL LEAKS
 Virtually airtight seal against the ear canal
or the side of the head.
 MATERIAL LEAKS
 Possible transmission pathway for sound is
directly through the material of the hearing-
protective device.
 VIBRATION OF THE HEARING-
PROTECTIVE DEVICE
 Earplugs can vibrate in a piston-like manner
within the ear canal because of the
flexibility of the flesh in the ear canal.
 It limits their low-frequency attenuation.
 BONE CONDUCTION
 If ear canal were completely closed so that
no sound entered the ear by that path.
 Some sound energy could still reach the
inner eat by means of bone conduction.
o VIBRATION
 Repeated exposure to high levels of vibration can cause injury to workers.
 Contributing factor to whole-body vibrations to high levels of vibration
over time through hand-arm carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain.
 Exposure to excessive vibration into the hand can cause hand-arm
vibration syndrome.
 Health effects can also be seen for whole-body vibration.
 Exposure to standards exist for both hand-arm and whole-body vibrations.
 Health surveillance is appropriate for workers exposed to high vibration
levels.
 EXPOSURE TO VIBRATIONS
 

 PROTECTION AGAINST VIBRATIONS

 Eliminate or substitute the hazard whenever feasible.


o RADIATION
 Exposure to very high levels of radiation can cause ACUTE health
effects.
 NON-IONIZING RADIATION
 Exposure can be controlled using clothing and PPE or by
maintaining a safe distance from the source and isolation, SSW,
and permits.
 CATEGORIZED AS:
o ULTRAVIOLET (UV)
 Can cause eye and skin damage.
 High-frequency electromagnetic radiation (light)
emitted by white hot material such as the arc
 produces during arc-welding or excess exposure to
sun.
o VISIBLE LIGHT
 Electromagnetic radiation between the UV and IR
frequencies that is visible to the human eye arising
from artificial lighting and display screens.
 Particularly DANGEROUS to the EYES because
human eye retina is very sensitive to it.
o INFRARED (IR)
 Can cause eye and skin damage.
 Lower-frequency electromagnetic radiation (light)
emitted by red hot materials such as molten metals
being poured into castings.
o MICROWAVE
 Absorbed and causes internal heating.
 Lower-frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted
by a microwave generator.
 HIGH DOSE cases internal organ damage.
 Can be fatal.
o RADIOWAVE
 Absorbed and causes internal heating.
 Lower-frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted
by an ANTENNA.
 IONIZING RADIATION
 Causes ACUTE sickness and has CHRONIC effects such as
increased risk of cancer.
 Control of its exposure is based on:
o TIME
 Minimize the duration of exposure.
o DISTANCE
 /\ DISTANCE from radiation source = \/ DOSE
RECEIVED
o SHIELDING
 Type required will be determined by the type of
radiation.
 Dose limits apply.
 Workers exposed are at risk of health effects arising from that
exposure, so it may be necessary to carry out health surveillance,
precise requirements of which will vary according to National
Law.
 ADULT
o 5000 MILLREMS (50000 MICROSIVERTS)
  Current federal occupational limit of exposure per
year for an adult is as low as reasonably achievable;
however, not to exceed 5000 MILLIREMS above
the 300+ MILLIREMS of natural resources of
radiation and any medical radiation.
 A federal advisory committee recommends that the
LIFETIME EXPOSURE be limited to a
PERSON’S AGE multiplied by 1000
MILLIREMS.
 FORMS
o ALPHA PARTICLES
 Sub-atomic particles emitted by some radioactive
substances.
 Do not have much penetrating power.
 Stopped by thin materials.
 Not considered particularly hazardous provided that
the source is outside the body.
 Very hazardous if the source gets into the body by
ingestion or inhalation.
o BETA PARTICLES
 Sub-atomic particles emitted by some radioactive
substances.
 Have more penetrating power.
 Can penetrate through the skin into the living
tissues.
 Considered hazardous when outside the body.
o X-RAYS
 Form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation
(LIGHT) emitted by some radioactive substances
and x-ray generators.
 Have high penetrating power and can pass right
through the human body.
 Considered to be very hazardous.
o GAMMA RAYS
 Have very high penetrating power.
 Can pass right through the human body (even
bones) and through solid objects such as steel and
concrete to a degree.
 Very hazardous.
o NEUTRONS
 Sub-atomic particles emitted by some radioactive
substances.
  Have high penetrating power and can penetrate
through the body.
 Considered to be very hazardous.
 ACUTE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO HIGH DOSES
o Radiation Sickness.
o Blistering and Ulceration of the Skin.
o Hair Loss.
o Dermatitis.
o Cataracts.
o Anemia due to Red Blood Cell Damage.
o Reduced Immune System due to White Blood Cell
Damage.
o Infertility.
 CHRONIC EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO HIGH DOSE
o CHRONIC EFFECTS
 Can arise following exposure to HIGH or LOW
DOSES of radiation.
 There is no known safe level of exposure below
which no chronic effects might occur.
 There is a clear relationship between dose and risk
of these chronic effects.
 /\ DOSE = /\ RISKS
o Cancer
o Genetic Mutations
o Birth Defects.
 MONITORING AND HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
o CONDUCTED BY AN APPROVED PHYSICIAN:
 Before an individual begins working as a classified
worker.
 During periodic health reviews.
 Special surveillance if a dose limit has been
exceeded.
 After an individual ceases work as classified
worker.
 RADIATION EXPOSURE
 o

 EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO PHYSICAL HAZARDS

o
PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING
 Basic way to measure the level of an individual’s heat strain in response to heat stress
conditions.
 INCLUDES BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
o HEART RATE MONITORING
o BODY TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
 It does not include parameters which may be considered medical
monitoring.
WETBULB FLOBE TEMPERATURE (WBGT)
 Also known as AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.
 Measures environmental temperature conditions useful to establish work or rest schedules
and exposure hazard evaluation.
 It does not monitor the specific physiological response of the worker to the thermal dose
being received.


 ACTIVITY MODIFICATION GUIDELINES:

 o Rest-to-Work Ratio
o Hydration Breaks
o Threshold Temperature
 TAKES CONSIDERATION TO:
o Air Temperature
o Humidity
o Heat from the Sun
o Wind Speed
TAKE NOTE:
 In the MIDDLE EAST, it is a must to reduce working hours during hot season to prevent
any heat-related disorders.
 When someone is experiencing HEAT EXHAUSTION, it is a must to put him into a
place that is well air conditioned and encourage them to drink water when they are
conscious.
 When someone is experiencing HEAT STROKE, it is a must to take immediate action
to prevent the permanent damage of it.
 TEMPERATURE and HUMIDITY is important in addressing disorders.
 When WIND SPEED > 2 m/s, the equivalent wind chill index shall be determined.
 Both HOT and COLD working environments create an increased risk of fatigue because
of stress on the body which makes the workers more prone to accidents.
 Employers must provide rewarming devices to workers who are working in cold areas.
 SALTS dissolve ice.
 85 dB(A) is good for 8 HOURS.
 LOUDEST NOISE that can aircraft make is 875 dB(A) and it is the BOEING B-747-
400.’
 RADIATION WORKERS wear badges that are made of PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM
which indicates their EXPOSURE TO RADIATION.

ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
 ERGONOMIC
o Study of HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS for the appropriate design of the
living and work environment.
o HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS
 Capabilities
 Limitations
 Motivations
 Desires
o Coined in 1950 in the UNITED KINGDOM by a group of physical, biological,
and psychological scientists and engineers.
 o Describe the interdisciplinary efforts to design equipment and work tasks so that
they fit the operator.
o Derived from GREEK language word:
 ERGON
 Human, work, and strength.
 NOMOS
 Law or rule.
o GOALS OF ERGONOMICS
 Range from the basic aim of making work safe through increasing human
efficiency to the purpose of creating human well-being.
 HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING
o Application of scientific principles, methods, and data drawn from a variety of
disciplines to the development of engineering systems in which people play a
significant role.

o
 MEASURES OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION
o Improved productivity, efficiency, safety, and acceptance of the resultant system
design.
o The system ranges from the use of a simple tool by a consumer to multi-person-
sociotechnical systems.
o Typically include both TECHNOLOGICAL and HUMAN COMPONENTS.
 o
 3 LEVELS AT WHICH ERGONOMIC KNOWLEDGE CAN BE USED
o TOLERABLE
 Conditions do not pose known dangers to human life or health.
o ACCEPTABLE
 Conditions are those upon which the people involved can voluntarily
agree.
o OPTIMAL
 Conditions are so well adapted to human characteristics, capabilities, and
desires that physical, mental, and social well-being is achieved.
 MATCHING PERSON AND TASK
o People perform widely differing tasks daily in daily work situations.
o Tasks must be MATCHED with HUMAN CAPABLITIES to avoid
OVERLOADING and UNDERLOADING.
o OVERLOADING
 Cause the employee to break down and suffer reduced performance
capability or even permanent damage.
o UNDERLOADING
 Human capabilities are not sufficiently used.
 HUMAN AS INFORMATION PROCESSOR
o In traditional system concept of ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGY, human is
considered a RECEPTOR and PROCESSOR of information or energy, who
then outputs information of energy.
o INPUT, PROCESSING, and OUTPUT follow each other in sequence.
o OUTPUT can be used to run a machine, which may be a simple hand tool or a
space craft.
o AFFORDANCE
 Property of an environment that has certain values to the human.
 EXAMPLE
 
Stairway affords passage for person who can walk, but not for a
person confined to a wheelchair.
o TRADITIONAL ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGISTS
 ACTIVITIES are a LINEAR SEQUENCE of stages, from
PERCEPTION to DECISION to RESPONSE.
o ECOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS
 Linear model is valid.
 They consider human perception and action to be based on
SIMULTANEOUS rather than sequential information.
 This concept requires fundamentally new models of information,
cognition, and performance assessment.
 Current behavioral knowledge is still almost completely based on the
traditional sequential-system concept.
o

 HUMAN CAPACITY FOR WORK

o Individuals differ from each other in their capabilities to perform tasks.
o Workload imposed by a given task differs from person to person.
o May DEPEND on the temporal state of an individual.
o Assessment of workload, whether psychological or physical, commonly relies on
the “RESOURCE CONSTRUCT”.
o Assumes that there is a given quantity of capability and attitude available, a
known (or unknown) portion of which is demanded by the job.
o WORKLOAD
 Portion of the maximal performance that is expended in performing a
given task.
o Any conditions in which more is demanded from the operator than he can give
should obviously be avoided.
o OVERLOAD CONDITION RESULTS
 Performance of the task will not be optimal, and the operator is likely to
suffer physically or psychologically from the overload.
o Task demand that is below the operator’s capacity leaves a residual capacity.
o Its measurement provides an assessment of the actual workload.
o PROPERTIES OF WORKLOAD MEASURES
  DIAGNOSTICITY
 How precise is the nature of the load revealed?
 SENSITIVITY
 How well is a change in workload detected?
 INTRUSIVENESS
 Does the measurement interfere with task performance?
 VALIDITY
 Does the metric measure what it is supposed to?
 RELIABILITY
 Is the metric stable and consistent over time?
 OPERATOR ACCEPTANCE
 EASE OF USE
o Common sense and general understanding make the distinction between physical
(PHYSIOLOGICAL) and mental (PSYCHOLOGICAL) workload obvious and
explain the meaning of both.
o There is no distinct, universally accepted definition of MENTAL WORKLOAD.
(TSANG and WILSON, 1997)
o During WORLD WAR II, attention was predominant of interest, which was
followed by concern about information processing and cognitive issues as human-
operated systems became increasingly complex.
o MEASURING MENTAL WORKLOAD
 4 DIFFERENT APPROACHES:
 3 OBJECTIVE MEASURES
o Primary Task Performance
o Secondary Task Performance
o Physiological Events.
 1 SUBJECTIVE ASSESMENT
 Measures of task performance, as well as of subjective assessment,
presume that both zero and full capacities are known, since they assess the
portion of capacity loading.
 FOURTH EMPIRICAL APPROACH to measure workload relies on
the measurement of the primary-task performance by observing how
noncritical components of the primary task are performed.
 SECONDARY TASKS EMPLOYED IN MEASURING
WORKLOAD
 SIMPLE REACTION TIME
o Draws on perceptual and response execution resources.
 CHOICE REACTION TIME
o Same as with SIMPLE REACTION TIME, but with
greater demands.
 TRACKING
 o Requires central processing and motor resources,
depending on the order of control dynamics.
 MONITORING OF THE OCCURRENCE OF STIMULI
o Draws heavily on perceptual resources.
 SHORT TERM MEMORY TASKS
o Heavy demand on central processing resources.
 MATHEMATICS
o Draws most heavily on central processing resources.
 SHADOWING
o Subjects repeats verbal or numerical material as presented.
o Heaviest demands on perceptual resources.
 TIME ESTIMATIONS
o SUBJECT ESTIMATES TIME PASSED:
 Draws upon perceptual and central processing
resources.
o SUBJECT INDICATES SEQUENCE OF REGULAR
TIME INTERVALS BY MOTOR ACTIVITY:
 Makes large demands on motor output resources.
o HUMAN CAPACITY FOR PHYSICAL WORK
 Individual’s capacity for physical work is usually determined by the limits
of his RESPIRATORY and CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS to
deliver oxygen to the working muscles, and by the limits of the
METABOLIC SYSTEM to use chemically stored energy to do muscular
work.
 MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE often used to describe the UPPER
LIMIT of the aggregate capacity.
 TOLERANCE TIMES for maximal efforts are measured in hour and
minutes, even in second for a sprint runner.
 In MODERN INDUSTRIAL SETTING, maximal effort may be
required for brief periods.
o CLASSIFICATION FOR WORK
 LIGHT WORK
 Associated with rather small energy expenditures and is
accompanied by a heart rate of approximately 90 BEAT / MIN.
 MEDIUM WORK
 Associated with heart rate of approximately 100 BEATS / MIN.
 Oxygen required by the working muscles still covered.
 HEAVY WORK
 Associated with heart rate of approximately 120 BEATS / MIN.
 Oxygen required is still supplied if the person is physically capable
to do such work and specifically trained in this job.
 

o
 DESIGN OF WORK TASK AND WORKPLACE
o First design decision is to allocate load handling tasks to either machines or
humans.
o People must handle material, then the specific job requirements must be analyzed.
o HUMAN VS MACHINE LOAD HANDLING
 For INITIAL DESIGN DECISION, the UNIT SIZE PARTICLE is of
interest.
 One can either increase the size and weight of the unit load so that the
equipment use becomes feasible and appropriate for the movement of
material.
 A BIG UNIT OUTCOME.
 One may reduce the size and weight of the load so that one operator can
safely handle the material.
 A SMALL UNIT OUTCOME.
 HAND TOOLS
o Extensions of the hand.
 o Too often design efforts have been focused on the working end of the tool rather
than how it interfaces with the hand.
o Other tools are used to perform tasks that the hand cannot do, but they are held
and directed by the hand.
o Some are difficult to use because of inappropriate design.
o Many are acceptable if we use them only occasionally but must be redesigned for
frequent handling over long periods of time.
o

 WORKSTATION DESIGN
o PROMOTE EASE AND EFFICIENCY FOR THE WORKING PERSON
 Productivity will suffer in quantity and quality if the operator is
uncomfortable if the layout of the workstation or the job procedures are
awkward.
 Productivity will be enhanced if the operator is comfortable
physiologically and psychologically if the layout of the workstation is
conducive to performing the task well.
o GENERAL PRINCIPLES
 Plan the Ideal, then Practical.
 Plan the Whole, then the Detail.
 Plan the Work Process and the Equipment to Fit the Human.
 Plan the Workplace Layout around the Process and the Equipment.
 Use Mockups to Evaluate Alternative Solutions and to Check the Final
Design.
 SPACE
o Clearance for the operator’s body entrance and egress.
o Suitable body movements and postures at work.
o Operation of controls and equipment.
 
MANIPULATION
o Operation of tools, controls, and work pieces by hand.
o Avoidance of excessive forces or inadvertent operation of
controls.
o Use of emergency items.
 SEEING
o Visual field and information both inside and outside.
o Visual contact with co-workers.
o Lighting.
 HEARING
o Auditory information and sounds from equipment.
 STANDING OR SITTING
o Depends on several FACTORS:
 Mobility Required
 Forces Needed
 Size of the Work Piece
 Required Precision
o ADVANTAGES OF STANDING
 More body strength available.
 More mobility.
 Less front-to-rear room required.
 No seat needed.
 Greater latitude in workstation design.
o ADVANTAGE OF SITTING
 Pedals can be operated with the foot more
effectively.
 Less fatiguing to maintain the sitting posture.
 Manipulation and vision may be more precise.
 IDEAL ERGONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
 o

TAKE NOTE:
 TASKS of workers should be aligned to its JOB TITLE.
 EMPLOYERS should give the workers a job that is suitable to his WORKING
CAPACITY.
 COMMUNICATION is important in the workplace for exchange of information, and
other things.
 ACCEPTANCE of the resultant system design is important for the improvement of
ergonomics in workplace.
 The aim of ergonomics or human engineering is to ACHIEVE EASE and
EFFICIENCY at work.
 There are some instances that the improper way of doing something results to severe
ergonomic hazards.
 ERGONOMICS or HUMAN ENGINEERING provides affordances.
 WORKLOADS are different depending on the capabilities of the individuals.
 If you love your work, you will not be able to feel any stress.
 Using TOO LITTLE of a person’s capacity creates an UNDERLOAD with negative
effects of its own.
 /\ WORKLOAD = PERFORMANCE CHANGES MEASURABLY.
 Do not accept HEAVY WORKS if you are not trained for it.
 SOME GUIDELINES:
 o Avoid severe bending of the body.
o KNUCKLE HEIGHT and SHOULDER HEIGHT of lifting or lowering
materials.
 Too often design efforts have been focused on the working end of the tool rather than
how it interfaces with the hand.
 HAND TOOLS MUST BE ERGONOMICS.
 Establish IDEAL WORKSTATION, TASKS, and WORK ENVIRONMENT first and
make concessions to practical limitations only if necessary.
 Avoid CARPAL TUNNEL by doing the right ERGONOMIC.

RISK: ASSESSMENT, CHARACTERIXATION, ESTIMATION, MANAGEMENT

 RISK ASSESSMENT
o Formalized process of identifying hazards, evaluating risk, and eliminating or
controlling that risk to an acceptable level.
o MAIN OBJECTIVE is the PREVENTION of accidents and ill health.
o Can be defined quantitatively using hard data, which is far more rigorous than
QUALITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT.
o Tool for identifying all the significant hazards that exist in a workplace.
o It is not a tool for only identifying those hazards that are poorly controlled.
o STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT
 IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS
 First step in the RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
 Identify all the significant hazards associated with the work.
 It is important to identify both the SAFETY HAZARDS that
might give rise to immediate physical injury and the HEALTH
HAZARDS that might cause disease or ill health.
 MIGHT BE DONE BY:
o Task Analysis.
o Reference to Guidance or Manufacturer’s Information.
o Inspection of the Workplace.
 METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION
o INSPECTION
 Formal inspection can reveal the various hazards
that are present and need to be considered in the risk
assessment.
 One PROBLEM is that it is being CARRIED
OUT in an EXISTING WORPLACE, so any
identified hazards already exist.
 Contrary to the general principle of safety
management, which is that the hazard should NOT
 be INTRODUCED until after the risk assessment
has been carried out and the controls put in place.
o TASK ANALYSIS
 Useful method for identifying hazards.
 It allows hazards to be spotted before work starts,
rather than after the work has started.
 Involves BREAKING a job down into component
steps and IDENTIFYING the hazards associated
with each step, so that the safe working method can
then be established to deal with each hazard.
 Can be done BEFORE WORK STARTS as part of
the planning process and is how SAFE SYSTEM
WORK (SSW) are developed.
 Useful acronym for task analysis is SREDIM
 S – Select the Task.
 R – Record the steps or stages of the task.
 E – Evaluate the Risks Associated with each
step.
 D Develop the safe working method.
 I – Implement the safe working method.
 M – Monitor to ensure it is effective.
 Assessment of workload.
o LEGISLATION
 Knowledge of the legal standards that apply to a
workplace will help enormously in identifying
significant hazards.
 Often accompanied by GUIDANCE
DOCUMENTS, which can be very useful in the
identification of hazards.
o MANUFACTURER’S INFORMATION
 When a new item of point, machinery, or equipment
is purchased it usually comes with an instruction
book, which contains information about all the
related hazards and instruction for safe use,
cleaning, and maintenance.
 When a new substance is purchased it comes with
labels and a MATERIAL SAFETY DATA
SHEET (MSDS), which clearly identifies the
hazards of the substance.
o INCIDENT DATA
 INTERNAL ACCIDENT and NEAR MISS
DATA can be useful in identifying hazards.
  Main limitation here is that a hazard may be very
organization and may therefore go unnoticed.



 IDENTIFYING POPULATION AT RISK
 When identifying people at risk, think not only of those carrying
out activities, but also of those who may be affected by those
activities.
 Individuals do not need to be NAMED; rather general groups or
populations identified.
 In certain instances, identifying general groups of people who
might be harmed by hazards is inadequate and a more specific
focus must be applied to a particular person, or type of person, who
is MORE VULNERABLE, for one reason or another.
 Young people, new and expectant mothers, disabled workers, and
lone workers are all SPECIAL CASES.
 WORKERS / OPERATORS
o May be DIRECTLY involved with the activity, working
nearby, or passing by.
o Some hazards CREATE RISK only for the employee
carrying out the work, while others CREAT GENERAL
RISK for all employees.
 MAINTENANCE STAFF
o Often involved in the removal of the usual safeguards
present in the workplace because of the nature of
maintenance work.
o If the normal safeguards are being removed or by passed,
then risk to these workers increases and other methods
must be found to control this risk.
 CLEANERS
o May be exposed to GREATER RISK because cleaning
work may involve the removal of safeguards or additional
activities that create additional risk.
o Many works alone, outside normal working hours, and
therefore lone working becomes an issue.
 CONTRACTORS
o May be carrying out work independent of the work being
carried out by employees or may be working alongside
employees.
o WORKPLACE creates risks for these contractors and the
CONTRACTORS create risks for the workplace.
o All these risks must be considered through the RISK
ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
 VISITORS
o To the workplace may not be working but are still exposed
to certain types of risks.
 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
o May simply be in the vicinity of the workplace, yet still
affected by certain types of hazards.
 EVALUATING THE RISK AND ADEQUACY OF CURRENT
CONTROLS
 Having identified a hazard and the people who might be harmed by
it the next step in the risk assessment process is to answer a simple
question:
o IS THE LEVEL OF RISK GENERATED BY THE
HAZARD ACCEPTABLE OR DOES IT NEED TO BE
REDUCED?
 Question may be simple, but the ANSWER can at
time be COKMPLEX.
 An alternative approach that is commonly adopted is to BREAK
RISK DOWN into its 2 COMPONENT PARTS.
 By simply assigning a score to each word it is possible to calculate
a risk rating for a hazard.
o

 Note that in both instances the severity of injury is the same.

 There is no RIGHT or WRONG WAY to apply this SEMI-
QUANTITATIVE risk evaluation system.
 Different organizations use different numbers and descriptions of
likelihood and severity.
 It is the GENERAL PRINCIPLE that is important here, not the
exact words and meanings.
 Using a SEMI-QUANTITATIVE RISK RATING SYSTEM can
be useful for SEVERAL REASONS:
o CLARITY OF THINKING
 People tend to think to more carefully about
likelihood and severity of foreseeable injury when
they are asked to use this type of scoring systems,
and so give a more accurate result.
 o CONSISTENCY OF APPROACH
 Different people can use this system and will het
similar results.
o PRIORITIZATION
 Since risk is now represented by number, and the
HIGHER the NUMBER, the GREATER the
RISK, is possible to easily separate out the various
risks presented by several hazards and rank them in
order.
o TIMESCALE
 It is even possible to allocate timescales to the risk
rating that are calculated using this type of system.
 Not universal but is used by some organizations.


 RESIDUAL, ACCEPTABLE, AND TOLERABLE RISK

 When carrying out a risk assessment, the actual / situation that
really exists within the workplace must assessed not the general
hazards that would normally apply to the type of work typically,
and not the way that the company policy document says the work
should be carried out.
 Assessment can also consider all the current controls and
precautions that exist.
 What is being assessed is the REAL SITUATION with all the
current controls in place.
 The RISK that REMAINS once these existing controls have been
considered can be referred to as the RESIDUAL RISK.
 \/ RESIDUAL RISK = ACCEPTABLE
o Existing controls are ADEQUATE.
o Risk assessment has confirmed that the current situation is
acceptable.
 RECORDING SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS
  Significant findings must be recorded to provide statement of the
hazards in the workplace, extent of the risk that they present, and
action taken to control those risks.0
 TYPICAL CONTENT
o Identification of the activity / area assessed and of the
significant hazards.
o Identification of groups at risks and those especially at risk.
o Evaluation of the risk and the adequacy of existing control
measures.
o Action plans for implementing further precautions needed.
o Date of assessment and name of the competent person
carrying out the assessment.
o Review date.
 SIGNIFICANT CHANGE
o Process.
o Substances.
o Workplace Environment.
o Personnel.
o Legal Standards.
 REVIEW AND UPDATE, AS NECESSARY
 It is also a good practice to review risk assessments on a regular
basis.
 Often done by determining a frequency of review based on the
level of risk associated with the activity in question.
 ANNUAL REVIEW is common practice in any workplaces.
o LEGAL STANDARDS can often be used to indicate what level of risk is
acceptable.
o ASSESSMENTS must be reviewed on significant change after an incident and
perhaps periodically.
o Sometimes, it is necessary to focus risk assessment on a vulnerable person or
group of workers.
o Process that people do AUTOMATICALLY all the time.
o There are occasions in normal life, however, when you might become more aware
that you are assessing risks.
o Should be SUITABLE and SUFFICIENT.
o WORKPLACE RISK ASSESSMENT
 Simply an extension of this automatic self-preservation mechanism.
o OBJECTIVE OF RISK ASSESSMENT
 TO ENSURE:
 Hazards are eliminated.
 Risks minimized by the correct application of relevant standards.
  TO PREVENT:
 Death and personal injury.
 Other types of loss incident.
 Breaches of statute law, which might lead to enforcement action
and / or prosecution.
 Direct and indirect costs that follow on from accidents.
 It relates DIRECTLY to MORAL, LEGAL, and ECONOMIC
ARGUMENTS.
 HAZARD
o Something with the potential to cause harm.
o Can be identified using VARIOUS METHODS:
 Task Analysis
 Legislation
 Manufacturers’ Information
 Incident Data
 RISK
o Likelihood that a hazard will cause harm in combination with the severity of
injury, damage, or loss that might foreseeably occur.
o Can be SCORED or RATED.
 RISK = LIKELIHOOD * SEVERITY
 LIKELIHPPD and SEVERITY are allocated numbers on a scale.
o If UNACCEPTABLE, controls must be introduced to either eliminate hazards or
create a safe place, or safe person.
o RESIDUAL RISKS must be acceptable.
o Can be described QUALITATIVELY using words:
 HIGH
 MEDIUM
 LOW
 These qualitative descriptions may mean different to different people, so
they are not used consistently.
o There will always be some subjectivity involved since the words represent one
person’s opinion of the risk level.
o Different individuals have very different personality characteristics, so two people
may disagree on the level of risk inherent in a hazard.
 TYPES OF INCIDENT
o Failure to adequately assess risk in the workplace will lead to incidents, which can
be CATEGORIZED into various types depending on the outcome:
 ACCIDENT
 Unplanned, unwanted event that leads to injury, damage, or loss.
 Any deliberate attempt to cause injury or loss is therefore not an
accident.
 INJURY ACCIDENT
  Unplanned, unwanted event that leads to PERSONAL INJURY
of some sort.
 DAMAGE-ONLY ACCIDENT
 Unplanned, unwanted event that leads to DAMAGE TO
EQUIPMENT or PROPERTY.
 NEAR MISS
 Unplanned, unwanted event that had the potential to lead to injury,
damage, or loss, but DID NOT TO DO SO.
 DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE
 Specified event that as to be reported to the relevant authority by
statute law.
 ILL HEALTH INCIDENT
 Unplanned, unwanted event that leads to ill health of some sort.
 ACCIDENT RATIOS
o Often referred to as accident the relationship between numbers of triangles
display accidents with different outcomes.
o Research shows that this relationship forms a triangle, with the most serious
outcomes being the least numerous (AT THE TOP) and those with
proportionally higher numbers but less serious results forming the base.
o Number of different triangles is used to display these relationships.
o IMPORTANT MESSAGE of the accident triangle is that SERIOUS
OUTCOME ACCIDENTS tends to HAPPEN RARELY and RANDOMLY.
o They are notoriously difficult to predict.
o Studies that are based on STATISTICAL RATIOS.
o Cannot be used to PREDICT exactly when a certain type of event might occur.
o NEAR MISSES / INCIDENTS
 Far more frequently.
 600 TIMES more frequently, according to BIRD.
 Many will be minor events of little or no consequence, if it happens again
there would be no serious outcome.
 Some will have the potential for every serious injury.
 Should be thoroughly investigated and preventive measures put in place to
prevent serious outcome incident.
 Form the bottom of the triangle.
 Form the greatest proportion of incidents.
 Deficiencies in the safety management system can be identified and more
serious outcomes prevented by taking action to understand this large body
of data.
 RISK ASSESSORS
o RISK ASSESSMENT should be carried out by competent people and can be
carried out by one person.
 COMPETENT
  In this context, it means people who have sufficient TRAINING,
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, and other abilities.
o EXACT TRAINING, KNOWLEDGE, and EXPERIENCE required will vary
depending on the circumstances.
o In some instances, simply an ability to identify, read, ad correctly interpret
guidance on a topic is sufficient.
o Detailed understanding of background knowledge is essential to be able to
correctly evaluate risk.
 Not ideal in many instances since it relies on one person’s OPINION and
JUDGMENT.
o Can be carried out by TEAM.
 This allows for various views and opinions to be taken account and so
may result in a more successful assessment.
 INCLUDES
 Workers familiar with the tasks and areas to be assessed.
 Health and Safety Specialists.
 Technical Specialists.
 Line Managers responsible for the tasks or areas being assessed.
 Worker Safety Representatives.
o Size and composition of the team will vary depending on the NATURE OF THE
WORKPLACE and COMPLEXITY of the RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS
being used.
o It is not necessary for all the members of the team to be competent in the risk
assessment process, simply for some or one of the members to be a competent
person.
o NON-COMPETENT PERSONS ARE USEFUL
 Team members may identify hazards and risks that might otherwise be
missed.
 They may ask questions and propose solutions that might not be
considered otherwise.
 Allows experience to be safely gained in the practice of risk assessment.
 Facilities employee awareness, involvement, and consultation and so
enhances the safety culture.
 CRITERIA FOR SUITABLE AND SUFFICIENT ASSESSMENT
o RISK ASSESSMENT should be SUITABLE and SUFFICIENT.
o It should be good enough to fulfill legal requirements and prevent foreseeable
injuries and ill health from happening.
o IN PARTICULAR, IT SHOULD:
 State the name and competence of the assessor.
 And any additional specialist help obtained in carrying out the
assessment.
 
Identify the significant hazards and risks arising out of or connected with
the work.
 Identify all persons who could be at risk.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of current controls.
 Identify other protective measures that are required to control the risk to
an acceptable level.
 Enable the employer to identify and prioritize the measures that must be
taken to protect people from harm.
 Record the significant findings of the risk assessment.
 Be appropriate to the nature of the work and remain proportionate to the
risks.
 State the period for which it is likely to remain valid.
 VALIDITY should be 1 YEAR or LESS.
o ASSESSMENT should be proportionate to the risks in the workplace.
 IN OTHER WORDS:
 LOW-RISK WORKPLACE
o With a few straightforward, often predictable hazards
should have a relatively SIMPLE RISK ASSESSMENT
carried out by a competent person by reference to some
basic guidance documents.
 HIGH-RISK WORKPLACE
o FAR MORE COMPLEX RISK ASSESSMENT carried
out by competent persons using detailed, complex,
reference material.
TAKE NOTE:
 WORKERS are the ones in charge of knowing the risk because they are exposed to the
hazards.
 WORKERS, CONTRACTORS, VISITORS, and MEMBERS of the PUBLIC or
COMMUNITY must all be considered in the Risk Assessment Process.
 RESIDUAL RISKS must be acceptable.
 Different individuals have very different personality characteristics, so two people may
disagree on the level of risk inherent in a hazard.
 If you are not good at risk assessment process, then you will not live long.
 ACCIDENTS cannot be predicted exactly.
 RISK ASSESSMENT can also be carried out by group of individuals to further analyze
the hazards and risks.
 It is not necessary for all the members of the team to be competent in the risk assessment
process, simply for some or one of the members to be a competent person.
 In doing RISK ASSESSMENT, two pairs of eyes are better than one.
 RISK ASSESSMENT should be SUITBALE and SUFFICIENT.
  FIRST ASSESSMENT might take a FEW HOURS to complete, the SECOND might
take WEEKS.
 IDENTIFY both the SAFETY HAZARDS and HEALTH HAZARDS.
 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION should be done before ESTABLISHING a workplace
so that you can control the future hazards.
 Some hazards CREATE RISK only for the employee carrying out the work, while
others CREATE GENERAL RISK for all employees.
 It is better to use QUANTITAIVE APPROACH in evaluate a risk.
 LIKELIHOOD of the hazard to occur can be reduced depending on the situation, but
mostly the SEVERITY cannot be.
 RISK ASSESSMENT must be based on the EXISTING WORKPLACE.
 Doing RISK ASSESSMENT is not for the sake of record, but it is for the sake of
preventing the hazard to occur.
 /\ RISK LEVEL = /\ PRIORITY.
 \/ RISK LEVEL = \/ PRIORITY.

METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF WORKPLACE

HAZARDS
 HAZARD
o Anything that produces adverse effects on anyone.
o Some hazards are INTRINSIC in nature or FOCE MAJEURE, a human hand is
still behind most of the hazards we encounter.
o Condition or changing set of circumstances that presents a potential for injury,
illness, or property damage.
o Potential or inherent characteristics of an activity, condition, or circumstance
which can produce adverse or harmful consequences.
o SOURCE or situation with a potential to cause injury and ill health.
o Potential source of HARM to a worker.
o Anything that has the potential to cause harm.
o Can be a THING or a SITUATION.
o Any source of potential damage, harm, or adverse health effects on something or
someone.
o HARM
 Physical injury or damage to health.
 WORKPLACE HAZARDS
o Can come from a wide range of sources.
o Can be a substance, material, process, practice, etc. that can cause harm or
adverse health effect to a person or property.
o CATEGORIES OF WORKPLACE HAZARDS
 HEALTH HAZARD
  Occupation illnesses.
 It can cause physical harm and injuries.
 TYPES:
o Physical
o Chemical
o Psychological
o Ergonomic
o Psychosocial
o Biological
 SAFETY HAZARD
 Physical harm and injuries.
 Includes practices or conditions that release uncontrolled energy.
 An object that could fall from a height (POTENTIAL or
GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY).
 Run-away chemical reaction (CHEMICAL ENERGY).
 Release of compressed gas or steam (PRESSURE; HIGH
TEMPERATURE).
 Entanglement of hair or clothing in rotating equipment (KINETIC
ENERGY).
 Contact with electrodes of a battery or capacitor (ELECTRICAL
ENERGY).
o 1984 BHOPAL DISASTER in INDIA.
 This tragedy is still a threat, up to now, in India
o AIR TOXICS
 Pollutants or specific substances that are considered
hazardous when present in trace amounts in the air.
 Can cause genetic mutations or cancer, and other
types of health problems.
 Although the TOTAL EMISSIONS and the
NUMBER OF SOURCES of AIR TOXICS are
SMALL compared with those for criteria
pollutants, these pollutants can pose an
IMMEDIATE HEALTH RISK to exposed
individuals and can cause other environmental
problems.
 May be released in sudden and catastrophic
accidents rather than steadily and gradually from
many sources.
 Risk of accidental release of very hazardous
substances into the air is generally higher for people
living in industrialized urban areas.
  Other than in cases of occupational exposure or
accidental release, HEALTH THREATS form air
toxics are GREATEST for people who live near
large industrial facilities or in congested and
polluted urban areas.
o WORKPLACE HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
 Process of examining each WORK AREA and WORK TASK for the
purpose of identifying all the hazards which are “INHERENT IN THE
JOB”.
 This process is about finding what could cause harm in work task or area.
 In general, hazards are likely to be found in the following:
 Physical Work Environment
 Equipment, Materials, or Substances Used
 Work Tasks and How They are Performed
 Work Design and Management
 TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS:
 COLLECT AND REVIEW EXISTING INFORMATION
ABOUT WORKPLACE HAZARDS
o Information on workplace hazards may already be available
to employers and workers from both internal and external
sources.
o Look for trends as they may show that certain tasks have
more characteristics that make them hazardous or that some
characteristics are more common tasks.
o TRENDS help to prioritize which manual tasks should be
addressed first.
o Information on workplace hazards may already be available
to employers and workers from both internal and external
sources such as:
 Records of workplace injuries and incidents.
 Inspection reports.
 Workers compensation claims.
o To help identify which manual tasks may cause harm.
o PAST INCIDENTS / ACCIDENTS are examined to see
what happened and whether the incident / accident could
occur again.
 o


INSPECT THE WORKPLACE
o Regularly walk around and look at how people work, how
plant and equipment are used, what safe or Insafe work
practices exists the general state of housekeeping as well.
o Identified hazards should be documented to allow further
action.
o The work environment, tool, and equipment, as well as
tasks and procedures should be examined for risks to
WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY.
 IDENTIFY AND PREPARE A LIST OF ALL THE
HAZARDS FOUND
o List down the hazards found including the ones that are
already being dealt with, to ensure that nothing is missed.
 CONDUCT INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS
o Ask the workers about discomfort.
o Ask the workers about what they consider are safety issues.
o Sometimes SURVEY or QUESTIONNAIRES can assist
workers to provide information about workplace hazards.
 IDENTIFY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH EMERGENCY
AND NONROUTINE SITUATIONS
 CHARACTERIZE THE NATURE OF IDENTIFIED
HAZARDS, IDENTIFY INTERIM CONTROL MEASURES,
AND PRIORITIZE THE HAZARDS FOR CONTROL.
o WORKPLACE IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT
 
One of the ROOT CAUSES of workplace injuries, illnesses, and
incidents is the FAILURE to IDENTIFY, or that could have been
anticipated.
 Critical element of any effective safety and health program is a proactive,
ongoing process to identify and assess such hazards.
 WORKPLACE HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL
 To EFFECTIVELY CONTROL and prevent hazards,
EMPLOYERS SHOULD:
o Involve WORKERS, who often have the best
understanding of the conditions that create hazards and
insights into how they can be controlled.
o Identify and evaluate options for controlling hazards, using
a HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS.
o Use a hazard control plan to guide the selection and
implementation of controls and implement controls
according to the plan.
o Develop plans with measures to protect workers during
emergencies and non-routine activities.
o Evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls to determine
whether they continue to provide protection, or whether
different controls may be more effective.
o Review new technologies for their potential to be more
protective, more reliable, or less costly.
o WORKPLACE HAZARDS WHICH EVEN NON-WORKERS CAN EB
EXPOSED:
 SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS ON THE SAME LEVEL
 TYPICAL SLIP HAZARDS:
o Smooth floor surfaces that are INHERENTLY
SLIPPERY or WET because of spills or cleaning
operations.
o Contamination of a floor with a slippery contaminant.
o Frost and ice.
 TYPICAL TRIP HAZARDS:
o Uneven or loose floor surfaces.
o Trailing cables.
o Objects on the floor.
 When people slip or trip, they OFTEN (although not always) fall
to the floor.
 FALLS on the SAME LEVEL do not usually always lead to
serious injury, but they may lead to broken bones.
  STEPS and STAIRS are places of concern because they are
locations where slip, trip, and fall can occur more frequently, and
the consequences of such accidents can be MORE SERIOUS.
 FALLS FROM HEIGHT
 TYPICAL HAZARDS:
o Working next to an unprotected edge.
o Working on a fragile material above a drop.
o Using access equipment.
o Using ladders.
o Standing on objects to reach high levels.
 COLLISIONS WITH MOVING VEHICLES
 TYPICAL HAZARDS:
o Pedestrian walkways that require pedestrians to walk in
vehicle traffic routes.
o Pedestrian crossing points.
o Exits that open onto-vehicle traffic routes.
o Areas where people must work adjacent to moving
vehicles.
 STRIKING BY MOVING, FLYING, OR FALLING OBJECTS
 TYPICAL MOVING OBJECT HAZARDS:
o Automated machinery.
o Unsecured objects.
 TYPICAL FLYING OBJECT HAZARDS:
o Ejected parts.
o Thrown objects.
 TYPICAL FALLING OBJECT HAZARDS:
o Loads falling from height during lifting and handling
operations.
o Objects being dislodged during work at height.
o Objects falling from height because of adverse weather
conditions, or wear and tear.
o Toppling of unstable objects.
 STRIKING AGAINST FIXED DOR STATIONARY OBJECTS
 TYPICAL HAZARDS:
o Objects that project into a pedestrian area or route.
o Narrow doorways in a pedestrian route.
o Low overheads.
 MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
 All incidents can occur while a person is involved in maintenance
activities, because maintenance engineers often work in locations
and situations because of a fault or a problem.
 o
 WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS
o WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT should be designed and regulated as far as it
is possible to ensure safety and freedom from health risk.
o Often not possible for OUTDOOR WORKPLACES, or at least only possible to
a limited extent.
o For INDOOR WORKPLACES, some BASIC ENVIRONMENT
STANDARDS:
 SPACE
 Provision of adequate space to allow workers to perform the task
safely.
 SEATING
 Provision of appropriate seating where work tasks allow.
 Should be stable, with a backrest and footrest, where appropriate.
 VENTILATION
 Provision of a sufficient supply of fresh or purified air.
 

 HEATING
 Maintenance of a reasonable temperature in the workplace.
 LIGHTING
 Provision of adequate lighting.
 Dependent on the nature of work.
 NOISE
 Provision of control to reduce excessive noise, if necessary.
 HOW TO ACCOMPLISH HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT?
o Track progress and verify implementation by asking the following questions:
 Have all control measures been implemented according to the hazard
control plan?
 Have engineering controls been properly installed and tested?
 Have workers been appropriately trained so that they understand the
controls, including how to operate engineering controls, safe work
practices, and PPE use requirements?
 Are controls being used correctly and consistently?
o Conduct regular inspection to confirm that engineering controls are operating as
designed.
o Evaluate control measures to determine if they are effective or need to be
modified.
o Involve workers in the evaluation of the controls.
o If controls are not effective, identify, select, and implement further control
measures that will provide adequate protection.
TAKE NOTE:
 Some hazards are INTRINSIC in nature or FOCE MAJEURE, a human hand is still
behind most of the hazards we encounter.
 Other than in cases of occupational exposure or accidental release, HEALTH
THREATS form AIR TOXICS are GREATEST for people who live near large
industrial facilities or in congested and polluted urban areas.
 LEAKAGE of RADIATION goes on for years and it can be around the air.
  People frequently TRIP over their OWN FEET.
 FALLS from HEIGHT (or even a LOW HEIGHT) often cause very serious injury and
are common cause of fatal injury.
 Though people are not injured by falling objects as often as they are by vehicles and falls
from height, the INJURIES RECEIVED may well be SERIOUS or FATAL.
 INTERACTIONS among WORKSTATION DESIGN, WORK POSTURES, and
WORK ACTIVITIES and their effect on the computer operator’s well-being and
performance.
o

 AIR CHANGE is important for a room.

 WORKERS carrying out HARD MANUAL WORK will prefer a COOLER
WORKPLACE than those doing SEDENTARY WORK.
 IDEALLY, HAZARD IDENTIFICATION is done before building the establishment
so that you can address the hazards ahead, but it can also be done DURING the
OPERATION to know the needs of the workers.
 Any hazard which is identifies by the processes should be recorded on the RISK
ASSESSMENT ND CONTROL SHEET and further action taken to assess and then
control the risks from this hazard.
 Using a COMBINATION OF CONTROLS OPTIONS when no single method fully
protects the workers is also RECOMMENDED.
 EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE HAZARDS IS A MUST!
 MATERIALS SAFETY DATA SHEET should also be updated.

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT, EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES, AND

DOSE-HEALTH OUTCOME EVALUATION
 EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
o RECEPTORS
 Individuals or populations subject to the exposure to the contaminant.
o BIOMAGNIFICATION
 Also known as BIO-AMPLIFICATION.
 Increased concentration of toxic chemicals in tissues of organisms that are
at higher levels in food webs.
 Increasing concentration of a substance in the tissues of organisms at
successively HIGHER LEVEL in a food chain can occur because of:
 PERSISTENCE
o Where the substance cannot be broken down by
environmental processes.
 FOOD CHAIN ENERGETICS
o Where the substance’s concentration INCERASES
progressively as it moves up a food chain.
 LOW OR NON-EXISTENT RATE OF INTERNAL
DEGRADATION OR EXCRETION OF THE SUBSTANCE
o Often due to WATER INSOLUBILITY.
 /\ FOOD WEB LEVEL = /\ TOXICITY


o EXPOSURE
 Contact of humans with the contaminants.
o EXPOSURE ROUTES
 4 MAJOR ROUTES
 Inhalation
 Absorption
 Ingestion
 Injection
  EXPOSURE ROUTES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTAMINANTS
 Avenues through which the contaminants move from
environmental media to food into the body of an exposed human.
 INHALATION of contaminated air.
 INGESTION of contaminated water, food, or soil.
 DERMAL CONTACT with a contaminated medium such as
water or soil.


 In the special case of RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS, exposure
is also possible without direct contact with the contaminant because
radiological contaminants emit RADIATION that can expose persons
located some distance away.
 One example is the CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT in 1986.
o Causes the LARGEST UNCONTROLLED
RADIOACTIVE RELEASE into the environment ever
recorded for any civilian operation, and large quantities of
radioactive substances were released into the air for about
10 DAYS.
TAKE NOTE:
 DICHLORODIPHYNYLTRICHLOROETHAN (DDT)
o Synthetic pesticide that was once widely used to combat insect until it was found
in the 1970s to be harmful to fish and water supplies.
 Every individual has different toxicity susceptibility.
 PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POP) came from the single-use plastics
that are thrown on the bodies of water, which affect the ecosystem, as well as the
consumption.
 HUMANS are the ULTIMATE RECEPTORS of the contaminants.
 OPERATORS of CHEMICAL POWERPLANTS should be well trained and
knowledgeable, and the environment should be safe for the establishment.
 SAFE CULTURE must be applied to every person even though it is hard because
individuals have different personality and culture.
 OPERATOR or WORKERS should always be in good condition before working to
avoid any hazards and risks in the workplace.