PHYSICAL HAZARDS Three basic types of radiation

- is a type of occupational hazard that - alpha

involves environmental hazards that can cause - beta
harm with or without contact. - gamma
- It is also defined as a factor within the environment *Each radiation source is unique in the type of
that can harm the body without necessarily radiation it emits, and its risk to humans.
touching it.
Impacts on Human Health
Physical hazards include the following:
Radiation
 Radiation Hazards
- is a mutagen
 Noise Hazards
- which eventually can lead to cancer
 Temperature Extremes - can either kill cells or damage the DNA within them
 UV light exposure - collide with atoms in your body and disrupt atomic
Radiation Hazards structure.
- DNA can be damaged.
Radiation - uncontrolled cell division occurs- which is the
- the transfer of energy through space away from a definition of cancer.
source. Unit “rem” (or sievert)
- Radiation may be classified into two: ionizing and
non-ionizing radiation. - to describe the amount of
- Ionizing radiation is dangerous to people radiation dose someone received.

Ionizing radiation 0-100 rem

- is generated through nuclear reactions - the effect is not observable,

- can be very harmful to human health.
- It can damage living tissues in the human body
- strips away electrons from atoms and breaks some
chemical bonds.
Nuclear reactions
- naturally occurring, or artificial.
- increases the chances of getting cancer.
100 rem and above
- nausea and fatigue.
- Vomiting, diarrhea
- loss of hair and appetite within a week
- And for worst case scenario, it can cause death.

For specific areas of the body

  40 rem or more locally to the eyes can cause
cataracts.
 100 rem - 500 rem or more can cause hair loss for a
section of the body that has hair.
 200 rem or more locally to the skin can cause skin
reddening (similar to a sunburn).
 1,000 rem or more can cause a breakdown of the
intestinal lining, leading to internal bleeding, which
can lead to illness and death when the dose is to the
abdomen.
 >1,500 rem or more locally to the skin can cause
skin reddening and blistering.
Basic Radiation Protection Principles
1. Assess Radiation Damage
If a worker requires them to be expose in radiation, the
damage that will be done to the worker must be assessed.
2. Justification
It means that the benefits of the use of ionising radiation
must be greater than the harm caused by it.
Radiation practice must by authorised by a competent
authority.
 The licensee should prove that the use of ionising
radiation has benefits that outcome the risk due to
exposure.
 In that process, all the aspects should be taken into
account
 The responsible party must reassess the
justification
3. Optimization
Optimisation means that doses of exposed workers must be
kept as low as reasonably achievable using all the measures
to control exposures, shielding, etc.
4. Protection and Shielding
Time: More time one is exposed, the larger the dose that
will be received and the more harmful the radiation will
be.
Distance: Minimize the dose by increasing distance. The
nature of ionising radiation is such that there is an inverse
square law relationship between dose and distance.
Shielding: we minimise the doses by using shielding and
protective clothing.
Personal Protection Equipment includes
 Lead aprons, gloves, spectacles
 latex gloves, coveralls, gas masks, shoes covers, etc.
 special overpressure suits.
* It is important to protect the general public also.
This is why the rooms where ionising radiation is used are
usually shielded by thick concrete walls and doors with
lead foil inside, have no windows and in some cases are
arranged as a labyrinth. Such shielding of rooms is called
structural shielding.
Noise Hazards
In addition to hearing damage, noise hazards can:
 Create physical and psychological stress
  Reduce productivity
 Interfere with communication and concentration
 Contribute to workplace accidents and injuries by
making it difficult to hear warning signals
What are the warning signs that your workplace has
noise hazards?
 You hear ringing or humming in your ears after
leaving work
 You have to shout to be heard by a coworker an
arm's length away
 You experience temporary hearing loss after leaving
your workplace
How loud must a noise be, to be a noise hazard?
Noise
- is measured by sound pressure levels called
decibels.
Decibels
- are measured on a logarithmic scale which means
that a small change in the number of decibels
results in a huge change in the amount of noise and
the potential damage to a person's hearing.
OSHA sets legal limits on noise exposure in the
workplace.
- whenever manufacturing employee noise exposures
equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average
sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A
scale (slow response).
What can be done to reduce noise hazards?
Engineering controls
- are design changes that reduce sound levels.
- They involve modifying or replacing equipment, or
making other physical changes at the noise source
or along the transmission path, to reduce the noise
level at the worker's ear.
1. Choose low-noise tools and machinery
2. Maintain and lubricate machinery and equipment
3. Place a barrier between the noise source and
employee (e.g., sound walls or curtains)
4. Enclose or isolate the noise source
Administrative controls
- are changes in the workplace that reduce or
eliminate worker exposure to noise hazards.
1. Operate noisy machines during shifts when fewer
people are exposed
2. Limit the amount of time a person spends near a
noise hazard
3. Provide quiet areas where workers can gain relief
from noise hazards
4. Restrict how close a worker can get to a noise
hazard
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- considered acceptable but less desirable option
for controlling exposure to noise hazards.
- They are generally used when a worker is
temporarily exposed to a noise hazard and during
 the time necessary to implement engineering or
administrative controls.
- They are also used when a worker already has
significant hearing damage.
Hearing conservation program
Whenever worker noise exposure is equal to or greater
than 85 dBA for an 8 hour time period, or in the
construction industry when exposure exceeds 90 dBA for
an 8 hour period, OSHA requires the employer to have a
hearing conservation program.
1. Conducting workplace noise sampling. This includes
using personal noise monitoring devices which
identify which employees are exposed to noise
hazards.
2. Inform workers about risks from noise hazards and
the results of their noise monitoring.
3. Ensure affected workers, or their authorized
representatives, have an opportunity to observe the
noise measurement process.
4. Maintaining a worker audiometric testing program
(hearing tests). These provide a professional
evaluation of the health effects of noise on individual
worker's hearing.
5. Implementing comprehensive hearing protection
procedures for workers who show a loss of hearing
after completing baseline and yearly audiometric
testing.
6. Ensuring proper selection of hearing protection PPE
based upon individual fit and the manufacturer's
testing.
7. Evaluating hearing protection attenuation of PPE
and the effectiveness for the specific workplace
noise.
8. Providing worker training that ensures workers are
aware of the effects of noise hazards and how to
properly use the protective equipment they have
been provided.
9. Providing data management and worker access to
records of noise monitoring and sampling.
Temperature Extremes
- Wery high or very low temperatures of the work
place.
- Excessive exposure to heat is referred to as heat
stress and excessive exposure to cold is referred to
as cold stress.
In a very hot environment, the most serious concern
is heat stroke.
At very cold temperatures, the most serious concern
is the risk of hypothermia or dangerous overcooling of the
body. Another serious effect of cold exposure is frostbite or
freezing of the exposed extremities such as fingers, toes,
nose and ear lobes.
It’s not just the air temperature that we deal with in
a workplace.
- a simple thermometer is not ideal in measuring the
temperature of the workplace.
There are a lot of factors to be considered and these are
the following:
 Humidity
  Air movement Working in Temperature Extremes
 Radiant heat sources
Hot Temperatures
 Level of clothing or protective equipment
 Physical exertion Methods of Control
 Personal factors (age, height, weight, health, Engineering controls
medications, etc.) Reduce body heat production
Stop exposure to radiated heat from hot
objects
Hot Temperatures Reduce convective heat gain
Increase sweat evaporation
Heat index
Administrative controls
- is a quantity expressing the discomfort felt as a Acclimatization
result of the combined effects of the temperature Duration of work
and humidity of the air. Rest area
- easy to measure, but there are no recognized work / Water
rest guidelines based on the Heat Index. Pace of Work
WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature) degrees Celsius (°C). First aid and medical care
PPE
- takes into account environmental factors

Common effects of working at hot temperatures are:

UV Light Exposure Hazards
 Heat rash
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
 Heat cramps
 Heat stroke - is electromagnetic energy with a wavelength just
 Heat exhaustion shorter than that of visible light.
 Dehydration
- stimulates vitamin D production in our bodies
Cold Temperatures
- is a treatment for psoriasis,
- Wind chill calculations is pretty easy to use.
- but can also cause skin cancer, sunburns and
However, it doesn’t help that much in calculations
cataracts.
for wind chill factor especially indoors.
- So the wind chill table is only for outdoor - It is sometimes referred to as “germicidal light.”
conditions.
What hazards are associated with UV light?  Personal Protection
i. Limit time and distance when working with
 UV exposure is not immediately felt; the user may
UV-producing equipment.
not realize the danger until after the damage is
ii. Wear lab coat and long pants.
done. Symptoms can occur 4-24 hours after
iii. Gloves – Nitrile gloves are recommended,
exposure.
iv. Glasses
 Risks to eyes - UV light can enter from all angles.
v. Face Shield – is preferred as it protects more
Burns to the eyes are usually more painful and
skin area.
serious than skin burns. UV exposure can cause a
variety of ocular disorders:
i. Photokeratitis (“welder’s flash”) WHAT IS CHEMICAL HAZARD?
ii. Cataracts
- is a type of occupational hazard caused by exposure
iii. Pterygium
to chemicals in the workplace. All chemicals exist in
iv. Cancer – of the skin around the eye.
one of these three states: solid liquid gas
v. Age-related macular degeneration
 Risks to skin:
*The physical state of a chemical determines which route
i. Erythema (sunburn)
it may use to enter the body.
ii. Premature skin ageing and wrinkles (chronic
exposure). Types of Chemical Hazards
iii. Skin cancer (chronic exposure)
Hazard Type Definition
Safety Precautions to be taken when using UV light Material that will burn or ignite, causing
 Engineering Controls fire or combustion. An ignitable
i. Containment/Location chemical has a flashpoint less than 100°
ii. Interlocks – F. A combustible material will burn, but
iii. Eliminate Reflection require a flame or elevated temperature
iv. Check safety equipment to ensure that it is plus a spark to start them; and has a
rated for the wavelength in use. Flammable flashpoint greater than 100° F but less
v. Close the sash hood completely if using UV than 200° F.
lights in a BSC.
 Administrative Controls
i. Training
ii. Warning Signs
 Chemical that causes visible destruction Other Symbols:
of, or irreversible alterations in, living
tissue by chemical action at the site of
contact.
pH < 2 and pH > 12.5
Corrosive Harmful/Irritant Serious Hazardous to
Health Environment
Explosive: designed to explode violently
Hazard
A chemical explosive is a compound or
mixture which, upon the application of
Route of Entry
heat or shock, decomposes or
rearranges with extreme rapidity, - describes the way in which a hazardous material
Explosive yielding much gas and heat. enter the body.
Oxidizers: materials that react strongly
1. Inhalation
with organic materials, sometimes
strongly enough to start fires - The most common way workplace chemicals enter
Oxidising
the body is by breathing.

2. Absorption
Materials causing immediate and
serious toxic effects - Another common route of entry for chemicals is
Acute through absorption which is skin contact.
Toxicity
3. Ingestion
Compressed gas is a material that is a
gas at normal room temperature and - The gastrointestinal tract is another possible route
pressure. The gas is placed under of entry for hazardous materials.
pressure or chilled to contain it, usually
Gas under
in a cylinder. 4. Injection
Pressure
- Injection effectively bypasses the protection provided
by intact skin and provides direct access to the
bloodstream, and thus, to internal organ systems.
Toxic Effects of Chemical Exposure - results from a single, short exposure and the effects
usually appear quickly and are often reversible.
The effects of exposure to a chemical is dependent on
many factors. Those factors include: Chronic toxicity
- results from repeated exposure over a long period of
 The dose is the amount of a chemical that actually
time. Effects are usually delayed and gradual, and
enters the body.
may be irreversible.
 Route of exposure. How the hazardous chemical
enters the body determines how the material may travel
through the body and effect organs or systems. Susceptibility of Individuals
 Physical properties of the chemical
 The susceptibility of the individual receiving the dose. Factors that influence the susceptibility of an individual to
No two people are alike, therefore each person’s body the effects of toxic substances include:
will react differently upon exposure. Exposure to a
- nutritional habits
hazardous material may affect one person more than
- Physical condition
others.
- obesity
- medical conditions
Toxic effects of hazardous materials
- drinking and smoking
- pregnancy
Local injuries
- involve the area of the body in contact with the
hazardous material and are typically caused by
Method of Controls
reactive or corrosive chemicals, such as strong
acids, alkalis, or oxidizing agents.
Type of Control Examples
 Substitute with safer
Systemic injuries Elimination/Substitution alternatives
- involve tissues or organs unrelated to or removed
from the contact site when toxins have been
 Change process to
transported through the bloodstream. Certain
minimize contact with
hazardous materials may affect a target organ.
Engineering Controls hazardous chemicals
 Isolate or enclose
Acute toxicity
process
  Use of wet methods to
reduce generation of
dusts or other particles
 General dilution
ventilation
 Use fume hoods
 Rotate job assignments
 Adjust work schedules
so that workers are not
overexposed to a
hazardous chemical
Administrative Controls
 Shower after shift
 No food or smoke in
work areas
 Change clothes
 Use chemical protective
clothing
 Wear respiratory
Personal Protective
protection
Equipment
 Wear gloves
 Wear eye protection
WHAT IS ERGONOMIC HAZARD?
- is a physical factor within the environment that
harms the musculoskeletal system. Ergonomic
- repetitive movement, manual handling,
workplace/job/task design, uncomfortable
workstation height and poor body positioning.
Ergonomics
- is the study of how a workplace, the equipment used
there and the work environment itself can best be
designed for comfort, efficiency, safety and
productivity.
Ergonomic hazards
- occur when the type of work, body positions and
working conditions put strain on your body.
- They are the hardest to spot since you don’t always
immediately notice the strain on your body or the
harm that these hazards pose.
Ergonomic Hazards include:
 Improperly adjusted workstations and chairs
 Frequent lifting
 Poor posture
 Awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive
 Repeating the same movements over and over
 Having to use too much force, especially if you have
to do it frequently
 Vibration
Type of Control Workplace Examples

Engineering  Use a device to lift and

Controls (implement reposition heavy objects
physical change to the to limit force exertion
workplace, which  Reduce the weight of a
eliminates/reduces the load to limit force exertion
hazard on the job/task)  Reposition a work table to
eliminate a long/excessive
reach and enable working
in neutral postures
 Use diverging conveyors
off a main line so that
tasks are less repetitive
 Install diverters on
conveyors to direct
materials toward the
worker to eliminate
excessive leaning or
reaching
 Redesign tools to enable
neutral postures