Occupational diseases and types

Occupational diseases, what are they and what types exist, according to the WHO?

Occupational diseases are alterations in the health of workers that occur as a result of exposure to different risk factors existing in work environments; that evolves acutely or chronically.

Likewise, they are those health problems that represent a danger to health in the workplace. That is, they are diseases that can be acquired in the workplace or due to working conditions.

In the same way, the World Health Organization defines Occupational Health as a multidisciplinary activity aimed at promoting and protecting the health of workers through the prevention and control of diseases and accidents and the elimination of factors and conditions that endanger health.

The main objective of occupational health is to prevent work-related illnesses and injuries through various actions, such as: promoting safety in the workplace through safer work practices.

The difference between occupational health and safety and health at work, we have that there are no differences per se between occupational health and SG-SST, since the latter is the adaptation of the former so that OSH can be optimized in work sites and there is greater control and rigor regarding its implementation.

The most common occupational diseases are: carpal tunnel, epicondylitis, mental disorders (anxiety and depression) and herniated disc.

The causes of occupational health are:

Eye sight problems. Illness caused by breathing, touching or ingesting dangerous substances. Disease caused by exposure to radiation. Exposure to germs in effective health centers. These interventions include, for example, isolation of pollution sources, ventilation, noise control, replacement of hazardous chemicals, improvement of furniture and work organization.

Occupational diseases are distinguished into the following groups:

Group 1: Occupational diseases caused by chemical agents.
Group 2: Occupational diseases caused by physical agents.
Group 3: Occupational diseases caused by biological agents.
Group 4: Psychosocial factors: Diseases such as stress, violence and harassment.

The main elements that occupational health contains are:

Occupational health policy.
Risk factor’s.
Working conditions.
Work accidents.
Professional illness.
Absenteeism.
Epidemiological surveillance systems.

Types of occupational risks:

Mechanical risks.
Biological risks.
Physical risks.
Ergonomic risks.
Chemical hazards.
Psychosocial risks.
Environmental risks.

Finally, we can say that occupational diseases can have a significant impact on both workers and companies.

That is why it is very important to motivate and maintain a level of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in every aspect of their work activity.