Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury

Contents......Page 12
Contributors......Page 18
Frequently Used Abbreviations......Page 28
I. WORK, ENVIRONMENT, AND HEALTH......Page 30
1. Occupational and Environmental Health: Twenty-First Century Challenges and Opportunities......Page 32
2. Recognizing and Preventing Occupational and Environmental Disease and Injury......Page 52
Box 2-1: Avoiding the Transfer of Risk: Cleaner Production and Pollution Prevention......Page 62
Box 2-2: Effectively Educating Workers and Communities......Page 68
Box 2-3: Labor-Management Safety Committees......Page 72
Box 2-4: How to Use the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)......Page 76
Box 2-5: The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA): Intensive Intervention in a Dangerous Industry......Page 77
Box 2-6: How to Request Assistance from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)......Page 81
3. Occupational and Environmental Health Surveillance......Page 84
Box 3-1: Asthma Surveillance in California: Combining Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance......Page 86
Box 3-2: Occupational Health Reporting Requirements in New Jersey......Page 89
Box 3-3: Tracking Lead Exposure to Workers: The Massachusetts Blood Lead Registry......Page 90
Box 3-4: National Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance......Page 92
Box 3-5: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Surveillance......Page 94
Box 3-7: Surveillance for Childhood Lead Poisoning Reveals Workplace Lead Problem......Page 95
Box 3-8: Infectious Disease Surveillance and Occupation......Page 96
4. Occupational and Environmental Health Equity and Social Justice......Page 98
Box 4-1: Child Labor......Page 103
Box 4-2: Children as a Special Population at Risk for Environmental Hazards......Page 104
Box 4-3: Women Construction Workers: An Example of Sexual Harassment......Page 108
Box 4-4: The Export of Hazard......Page 109
5. Global Environmental Hazards......Page 127
Box 5-1: Climate Change, Workplace Heat, and Health......Page 132
Box 5-2: Chemical Reactions in the Destruction of Ozone......Page 134
Box 5-3: Interactions between Climate Change and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion......Page 135
Box 5-4: Examples of Health Risks Arising from Global Trade Processes......Page 141
II. HAZARDOUS EXPOSURES......Page 148
6. Outdoor Air Pollution......Page 150
7. Indoor Air Quality......Page 170
Box 7-1: Environmental Tobacco Smoke......Page 177
Box 7-2: Exposure to Biomass Fuel Fumes......Page 179
8. Water Contamination and Wastewater Treatment......Page 183
Box 8-2: General Steps Used in the Treatment of Drinking Water......Page 185
Box 8-3: The Debate over Regulation of Atrazine......Page 191
Box 8-4: Coal Waste and Water Quality......Page 192
9. Food Safety......Page 199
10. Hazardous Waste......Page 210
Box 10-1: Asbestos in Libby, Montana......Page 215
11. Chemical Hazards......Page 221
Box 11-1: An Ecohealth Approach to Mercury Contamination......Page 238
12. Physical Hazards......Page 256
12A. Vibration......Page 257
Box 12A-1: Definitions......Page 258
Box 12A-2: Standard Elements in Diagnosing Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome......Page 264
12B. Extremes of Temperature......Page 269
Box 12B-1: Physical Hazards Related to Hyperbaric and Hypobaric Environments and Their Adverse Health Effects......Page 270
12C. Ionizing and Nonionizing Radiation......Page 287
13. Biological Hazards......Page 310
14. Occupational Stress......Page 325
Box 14-1: Time, Work, Stress, and Well-Being in Society......Page 330
Box 14-2: Shift Work......Page 331
III. ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS......Page 342
15. Injuries and Occupational Safety......Page 344
Box 15-1: Injuries are a Major Public Health Problem......Page 345
Box 15-2: Hispanics Are a Priority Population for Occupational......Page 347
Box 15-3: The Youngest and Oldest Workers Present Challenges and Opportunities for Prevention......Page 348
Box 15-4: Unique Challenges for Prevention of Roadway Occupational......Page 350
Box 15-5: Workplace Violence: A Complex Workplace Injury Phenomenon......Page 351
Box 15-6: Unique Role for Public Health Agencies in Occupational Safety......Page 360
16. Musculoskeletal Disorders......Page 364
Box 16-1: Plumber\'s Knee......Page 365
Box 16-2: The Choice of a Health Care Provider for Injured Workers Is Important......Page 367
Box 16-3: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Case......Page 379
17. Cancer......Page 395
18. Respiratory Disorders......Page 427
Box 18-1: Childhood Asthma......Page 429
19. Neurologic and Psychiatric Disorders......Page 457
20. Reproductive and Developmental Disorders......Page 475
Box 20-1: DBCP: A Potent Male Reproductive Toxicant......Page 476
21. Noise Exposure and Hearing Disorders......Page 490
Box 21-1: Case of Hearing Loss Following Noise and Chemical Exposures......Page 496
Box 21-2: Case of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus......Page 497
22. Skin Disorders......Page 505
23. Cardiovascular Disorders......Page 521
IV. RECOGNITION, ASSESSMENT, AND PREVENTION......Page 534
24. Epidemiology......Page 536
Box 24-1. Guide for Evaluating Epidemiologic Studies......Page 552
25. Toxicology......Page 556
Box 25-1: Definitions......Page 557
26. Occupational and Environmental Hygiene......Page 588
Box 26-1: Assessing Indoor Air Pollution......Page 611
Box 26-2: Nanomaterials: Occupational and Environmental Exposures, Health Effects, and Control Measures......Page 612
27. Occupational Ergonomics: Promoting Safety and Health through Work Design......Page 620
Box 27-1: Ergonomic Approaches to Prevention......Page 621
28. Clinical Occupational and Environmental Health Practice......Page 635
Box 28-1: The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics Patient Bill of Rights......Page 648
29. Risk Communication and Information Dissemination......Page 650
Box 29-1: Environmental Risk Communication......Page 651
30. Government Regulation of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety in the United States and the European Union......Page 669
31. Legal Remedies......Page 693
Box 31-1. When Employers Are Subject to Lawsuits for Workplace Injuries and Illnesses......Page 697
Box 31-2: Permanent Disability Bene. ts in the People\'s Republic of China......Page 709
V. AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PREVENTION......Page 726
32. The Roles of Labor Unions......Page 728
Box 32-1: Glossary of Key Labor Terms......Page 731
Box 32-2: Names of Major Unions......Page 732
Box 32-3: Sample Health and Safety Contract Language......Page 734
Box 32-4: Advocating for Healthy Jobs......Page 736
33. The Roles of Environmental Non-governmental Organizations......Page 743
Box 33-1: Principles of Environmental Justice......Page 748
Box 33-2: CERES Principles: A 10-Point Code for Corporate Environmental Conduct......Page 751
34. Conducting Worksite Investigations......Page 755
Box 34-1: Silica Exposure among Roofing-Tile Workers......Page 756
Box 34-2: Chlorine Exposure among Lifeguards at an Indoor Swimming Resort......Page 757
Box 34-4: Indoor Air Quality and Cancer......Page 758
35. Responding to Community Environmental Health Concerns......Page 767
36. Addressing Health and Safety Hazards in Specific Industries: Agriculture, Construction, and Health Care......Page 782
Box 36-1: Livestock Workers......Page 787
37. Protecting Disaster Rescue and Recovery Workers......Page 808
Box 37-1: Public and Environmental Health Issues in Disasters......Page 813
38. Implementing Programs and Policies for a Healthy Workforce......Page 827
39. Addressing the Built Environment and Health......Page 842
Appendix: Selected Non-governmental Organizations......Page 858
A......Page 862
B......Page 863
C......Page 864
D......Page 866
E......Page 867
F......Page 869
H......Page 870
I......Page 871
L......Page 872
N......Page 873
O......Page 875
P......Page 876
R......Page 878
S......Page 879
U......Page 881
W......Page 882
Z......Page 883