OSH History and Introduction

OSH History and Introduction
Occupation Health and Safety

Occupational health and safety is a discipline with
a broad scope involving many specialised fields. It
encompasses the social, mental and physical well-
being of workers that is the “whole person”.
Occupational health and safety (OHS) relates to
health, safety, and welfare issues in the workplace.
OHS includes the laws, standards, and programs
that are aimed at making the workplace better for
workers, along with co-workers, family members,
customers, and other stakeholders
As per the definition adopted by the Joint
ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health
(1950), occupational health is the adaptation of
work to man and of each man to his job. It has the
following components.
 Promotion and maintenance of the highest
degree of physical, mental and social well being
of workers in all occupations;
 Prevention among workers of departures from
health caused by their working conditions;
 Protection of workers in their employment from
risks resulting from factors adverse to health; and
 Placing and maintenance of a worker in an
occupational environment adapted to his
physiological and psychological equipment.
Why OHS
To reduce industrial accidents.

To prevent occupational hazards/diseases.
To achieve maximum human efficiency and
machine efficiency.
To reduce sick absenteeism.
Purpose of OHS
To maintain and promote the physical, mental and

social well being of the workers.
To prevent occupational diseases and injuries.
To adapt the work place and work environment to
the needs of the workers i.e application of
ergonomics principle.
It should be preventive rather than curative.
Accident
Undesired circumstances which give rise to ill-

health or injury, damage to property, plant,
products or the environment; production losses or
increased liabilities
Incident
Undesired circumstances and ‘near misses’ which

could cause accidents.
Health
Acute and chronic ill health caused by physical,

chemical or biological agents as well as adverse
effects on mental health.
Hazard
The potential to cause harm. Harm including ill

health and injury, damage to property, plant,
products or the environment, production losses or
increased liabilities.
Risk
Means the likelihood that a specified undesired

event will occur due to the realisation of a hazard
by, or during work activities or by the products and
services created by work activities.
Safety
The ‘control of accidental loss’.

freedom from harm or danger
the state of being safe
the state of not being dangerous or harmful
a place that is free from harm or danger
a safe place.
Why is it a must to prevent Accidents?
There are three main reasons for preventing

accidents and ill-health.
Moral / Humane - No-one comes to work to be
injured or killed
Cost - Accidents cost organizations money.
Legislation - Organizations have a legal obligation.
Ex. Piper Alpha – 167 people killed – estimated to
have cost over £2 billion including £746 million in
direct insurance payouts.
OHS History
Paracelsus (1493-1541)
Paracelsus is best known today as the “Father of
Toxicology” because of his observations of dose
and response:
“All substances are poisons; there is none which is
not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison
and a remedy.”
OHS History
Agricoloa (1494-1555)
He noted the need to provide ventilation for miners
“Some mines are so dry that they are entirely devoid of water
and this dryness causes the workmen even greater harm, for
the dust, which is stirred and beaten up by digging, penetrates
into the windpipe and lungs, and produces difficulty in
breathing and the disease the Greeks call asthma. If the dust
has corrosive qualities, it eats away the lungs and implants
consumption in the body. In the Carpathian mountains women
are found who have married seven husbands, all of whom this
terrible consumption has carried off to a premature death.”
OHS History
Bernardino Ramazzini (1633-1714)

Italian physician, known as the “patron saint of
industrial medicine”.
His book, The Diseases of Workmen, described the
symptoms of mercury and lead poisoning and issues
with silica.
Advised physicians to learn about occupational
diseases by studying the work environment, and
exhorted them to always ask their patients “Of what
trade are you?”
OHS History
Sir George Baker (1722-1809)

Discovered that “Devonshire colic” was caused by lead
contamination in cider.
Percival Pott (1714-1788)
A London physician, he was the first to link occupational
exposure to cancer.
o Scrotal cancer among chimney sweeps, caused by soot
Sir Humphry Davy (1788-1829)
Investigated problems of mine explosions and developed
the first miner’s safety lamp.
OHS History
Dr. Alice Hamilton (1869-1970)

First woman faculty member at Harvard University (1919).
A social activist who worked to improve occupational health
and safety.
Her autobiography “Exploring the Dangerous Trades” details
her experiences in the mines and mills across America (for
example, she writes of deplorable conditions in Salt Lake City
area mines).
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hamilton/hamhist.htmlA London
physician, he was the first to link occupational exposure to
cancer.
Objectives of Occupational Health and
Safety
 The prime objective of OHS at a global level is to ensure that
health and safety is accessible to every worker employed in
any sector across the economy.
 The World Health Organisation (WHO) since its inception has
included elements of occupational health in its policy. The
need to protect the worker from occupational health hazards
and promote safety of all at the workplace has been
emphasised in key documents of WHO - the Constitution of the
WHO, Declarations of Alma Ata Declaration, Global Strategy
on Occupational Health for All, WHO General Programmes of
Work and several resolutions of the World Health Assembly.
Objectives of Occupational Health and
Safety
 According to the document, Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All, the ten
high priority objectives proposed for a new Global Strategy in Occupational Health
are as follows:
 Strengthening of international and national policies for health at work and developing the necessary
policy tools
 Development of healthy work environment
 Development of healthy work practices and promotion of health at work
 Strengthening of OHS
 Establishing of support services for occupational health
 Development of occupational health standards based on scientific risk assessment
 Development of human resources for occupational health
 Establishment of registration and data systems, development of information services for experts, effective
transmission of data and raising of public awareness through public information
 Strengthening of research
 Development of collaboration in occupational health and with other activities and services.
Principles of Occupational Health and Safety
 Occupational health and safety is a multi-disciplinary field, covering issues related to

law, medicine, technology, economics and industry specific concerns. The core
occupational health and safety principles put forth by the ILO are as follows:
 All workers have rights. Workers, as well as employees and government, must ensure that
these rights are protected and foster decent conditions of labour. As the International
Labour Conference stated in 1984:
o Work should take place in a safe healthy environment;
o Conditions of work should be consistent with workers‟ well-being and human dignity;
o Work should offer real possibilities for personal achievement, self-fulfilment and service society1.
 Occupational health and safety policies must be established. Such policies must be
implemented at both the governmental and enterprise levels. They must be effectively
communicated to all parties concerned.
 There is a need for consultation with the social partners (that is, employers and workers)
and other stakeholders. This should be done during the formulation, implementation and
review of such policies.
 Prevention and protection must be the aim of occupational health and safety programmes
and policies. Efforts must be focused on primary prevention at the workplace level.
Workplaces and working environment should be planned and designed to be safe and
healthy.
 Information is vital for the development and implementation of effective programmes and
policies. The collection and dissemination of accurate information on hazards and
hazardous materials, surveillance of workplaces, monitoring of compliance with policies
and good practices, and other related activities are central to the establishment and the
enforcement of effective policies.
 Health promotion is a central element of occupational health practice. Efforts must be
made to enhance workers‟ physical, mental and social well- being.
 Occupational health services covering all workers should be established. Ideally all workers
in all categories of economic activity should have access to such services, which aim to
protect and promote workers‟ health and improve working conditions.
 Compensation, rehabilitation and curative services must be made available to workers
who suffer occupational injuries, accidents and work related diseases. Action must be
taken to minimise the consequences of occupational hazards.
 Education and training are vital components of safe, healthy working environments.
Workers and employers must be made aware of the importance and the means of
establishing safe working procedures. Trainers must be trained in areas of special relevance
to different industries, which have specific OHS concerns.
 Workers, employers and competent authorities have certain responsibilities, duties and
obligations. For example, workers must follow established safety procedures; employers
must provide safe workplaces and ensure access to first aid; and the competent authorities
must devise, communicate and periodically review and update occupational health and
safety policies.
 Policies must be enforced. A system of inspection must be in place to secure compliance
with occupational health and safety and other labour legislation.
OSH Tragedies and Effects
1860 Pemberton Mills - Lawrence MA.

Mill Collapses 145 Deaths 166 Injured
1878 Washburn Mill - Minneapolis MM
18 Killed Flour Dust Explosion
Leveled 7.5 story building
1900 – Pleasant Valley Coal Mine
200 Workers killed (Black Powder Explosion)
1902 Fraterville Coal Mine - Coal Creek TN
194 Men and boys - Methane Explosion
Case Study Assignment
Research one Tragedy in Philippine History that is

considered as an Occupational Health and Safety
accident.
a. Explain why you viewed it as an OHS event.
b. Identify the hazards, risks , and the cause/s why
the accident happened.
c. What are the impacts and effects of the accident
in the workers, society, the company and other
stakeholder.

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OSH History and Introduction

Occupation Health and Safety

To reduce industrial accidents.

To maintain and promote the physical, mental and

Undesired circumstances which give rise to ill-

Undesired circumstances and ‘near misses’ which

Acute and chronic ill health caused by physical,

The potential to cause harm. Harm including ill

Means the likelihood that a specified undesired

The ‘control of accidental loss’.

There are three main reasons for preventing

Bernardino Ramazzini (1633-1714)

Sir George Baker (1722-1809)

Dr. Alice Hamilton (1869-1970)

 Occupational health and safety is a multi-disciplinary field, covering issues related to

1860 Pemberton Mills - Lawrence MA.

Research one Tragedy in Philippine History that is

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