May 22 2018 Occupational Health

Lesson 6 


In this lesson, you will work in groups to analyse potential occupational health risks associated with a particular career sector. 

Specifically, the types of workplace health risks that are most relevant for young workers.

• Musculoskeletal injuries (e.g., back injuries, repetitive strain injuries) Heat stress
• Sun exposure
• Noise exposure
• Mineral and chemical hazards (e.g., lead, asbestos, cleaning agents, pesticides)
• Exposure to biological hazards (e.g., HIV, hepatitis, hantavirus, West Nile virus)  

Brainstorm: What jobs do you now have? What type of jobs might you have in the future?

Activity: 

6 Groups

1 copy of each of the six student handouts re: specific types of injuries/health risks.

The task for each group: to review the material they have been given and prepare summarized responses (in point form) to the following two questions: 

• What kinds of jobs can result in obtaining the health risk/injury that your group was assigned? (list a min of 5 types of jobs)
• What can you do to protect yourself from the harm associated with your assigned cause? 

Groups Present: 5min each

Conclusion:

Although it is your employer’s responsibility to offer you protection from health hazards and ensure you have adequate training in health procedures, it is as important that you recognize these occupational health hazards so that you can take steps to protect yourself. 

That way, should you be exposed to a health hazard at work and become ill, you will know what to do to prevent it from happening again.

The effects of exposure to hazardous substances or conditions will not always result in you developing an occupational disease immediately. So, what you do at work today may affect your health much later in life. Some illnesses (such as certain forms of cancer or respiratory disease) may take years to become apparent.