OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

1
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

• Is your company immune?

2
The 3 Ws

• As a staffing company representative, you will
  need to know
• What are the most common work-related diseases?
• Which jobs have the highest risk?
• What are the job tasks or conditions that put the
  workers at risk?

3
Types Of Occupational Diseases

• Occupational Hearing Loss
• Skin Diseases
• Occupational Lung Diseases
• Occupational Blood Disorders and Diseases

4
Occupational Hearing Loss

• Definition
• Total or partial inability to hear sound in one
  or both ears as a result of ones occupation.

5
Who is at Risk?

• Construction
• 5000s codes
• Hazard
• Jackhammers
• Cranes
• Hand tools
• Generators

6
Occupational Hearing Loss

• Agribusiness
• 00s Codes
• Hazard
• Irrigation pumps
• Tractors
• Hay bailers
• Combines

• Food Services
• 2000-2688 Codes
• Hazard
• Machines used in the
• mass production of
• product

7
Occupational Hearing Loss

• Plastics 4000 - 4493 codes
• Hazards Machines
• Pharmaceuticals 4825 - 4829 codes
• Hazards Various machines
• Printing 4299 code
• Hazards Printing presses, copiers
• Food and Clothing Manufacturing 2000 - 2268
• Hazards Various machines

8
Permissible Noise Exposure

• Normal conversation in a quiet room has a noise
  level of approximately 70 dBA.
• OSHA mandates that a monitoring program must be
  in place if employees are exposed to sound levels
  that meet or exceed an eight hour time weighted
  average of 85 dBA.

9
Prevention

• Education of employees
• Assessment of noise exposure
• Engineering and administrative controls for
  noise exposures

10
Worksite Evaluation - Hearing Loss
11
Occupational Skin Disease

• Definition
• A skin disorder that arises out of contact with
  either an irritant or sensitizing agent
  encountered in the work environment.

12
Who is at Risk?

• Construction 5000s codes
• Hazard Epoxy, glue solvents, various other
  chemicals
• Healthcare 8800s code
• Hazard Gloves, soaps, communicable diseases,
  various other chemicals

13
Occupational Skin Diseases

• Agribusiness 00s codes
• Hazard Cutaneous anthrax, ringworm, herbicides,
  pesticides, infected animals
• Food Service 2000 - 2688 codes
• Hazard Extreme temperatures, various chemicals,
  wet shoes and socks, soaps
• Plastics 4000 - 4493 codes
• Hazard Various chemicals, glue solvents
• Pharmaceuticals 4825 - 4829 codes
• Hazard Various chemicals
• Printing 4299 code
• Hazard Various chemicals (chromium, epoxy
  resins), inks

14
Prevention

• Education
• Engineering controls
• Good housekeeping
• Proper equipment guards
• Proper use of PPE

15
Worksite Evaluation - Skin Disease
16
Occupational Lung Disease

• Definition
• Repeated exposure to airborne particles,
  chemicals, vapors, or gases that result in
  various diseases involving the lungs
• Examples
• Pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, silicosis

17
Who is at Risk?

• Construction 5000s codes
• Hazards Wood dust, metallic dust, asbestos, sand
  blasting, various gasses, fumes, and cutting oils

18
Who is at Risk?

• Healthcare 8800s codes
• Hazards Various chemicals and gases mainly
  utilized in laboratory work, drilling, and
  surgical procedures
• Agribusiness 00s codes
• Hazards Animal waste, plant fertilizer, moldy
  hay spores, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides

19
Who is at Risk?

• Plastics 4000 - 4493 codes
• Hazards Various chemicals and acids used in
  plastics manufacturing, vapors and dust produced
  when grinding
• Pharmaceuticals 4825 - 4829 codes
• Hazards Airborne dust, various chemicals, vapors
  from production processes
• Printing 4299 code
• Hazards Inhalation of vapors and dust from paper
  products

20
Evaluating a Facility

• Is there proper ventilation?
• Are respirators in use or other required PPE?
• Do the employees receive appropriate breaks to
  remove them from the environment?
• What is the age of the facility (asbestos)?

21
Prevention

• Proper respirator fit testing as well as
  respirator physical. A respirator physical can
  alert you to a possible pre-existing condition
  and determine fitness for duty.
• Employee must always wear proper PPE.
• Effective ventilation by dilution or local
  exhaust.
• Proper hand washing and personal hygiene.

22
Worksite Evaluation - Lung Disease
23
Occupational Blood Disorders and Disease

• Definition
• Repeated exposure to harmful chemicals or
  bloodborne diseases that result in a chronic
  blood disorder or disease
• Examples
• Hepatitis, HIV, heavy metal poisoning, aplastic
  anemia, lead poisoning, and mercury poisoning

24
Who is at Risk?

• Construction 5000s codes
• Hazards Copper (preservative treated wood)
  Chromium (painting, sandblasting, welding) Lead
  (painting, sandblasting, welding) Benzene
  (painting) Cadmium (painting, medal soldering,
  welding) Arsenic (preservative treated wood)

25
Who is at Risk?

• Healthcare 8800s code
• Hazard Mercury (dental fillings and
  thermometers)
• Agribusiness 00s codes
• Hazard Arsenic (pesticides)
• Food Service 2000 - 2688 codes
• Hazard Fish (mercury)

26
Who is at Risk?

• Plastics 4000 - 4493 codes
• Hazard Cadmium (pigments and plastic production)
• Pharmaceuticals 4825 - 4829 codes
• Hazard Contact with different metals when
  manufacturing drugs
• Printing 4299 code
• Hazard Cadmium (pigments)Lead (printing)

27
Prevention

• Proper respirator fit testing as well as
  respirator physical.
• Employee must always wear PPE.
• Effective safety program that monitors exposure
  levels and hazards.
• Effective ventilation.
• Proper hand washing as well as personal hygiene.

28
Work Site Evaluation - Healthcare
29
Things to Consider about OD Claims

• They are normally filed at the onset of
  symptoms.
• The employer of record at this time will almost
  always be charged with the claim.
• Many of these claims are chronic in nature and
  can result in significant disability awards.
• Not all jurisdictions apply second injury funds
  or similar tools to lessen the impact of these
  claims.

30
Exposures

• Hiring Considerations
• Experience of the applicant
• Work history
• Job type
• Job market
• Worksite Considerations
• Do you work in the exposures that we have
  discussed?
• Have you verified the recommended controls?

31
Boosting Your Immunity

• Train your hiring staff to closely review work
  history.
• Where did the applicant work?
• What did they do?
• For how long?
• Is the previous employer out of business?
• Did the applicant complete a post-offer medical
  questionnaire?

32
Pre-employment Physicals

• They may be beneficial, but there are some
  potential problems
• Cost
• EEOC issues
• Reliability

33
Are older workers a bad risk?

• Certainly not!
• Studies show that mature workers are more likely
  to be
• Dependable
• Receptive to rules
• Have fewer accidents
• It must be noted that injuries to older workers
  commonly result in longer recovery times and more
  days away from work.
• Its all about matching workers to assignments.

34
Summary

• Occupational diseases and disorders can be
  prevented with proper monitoring, proper PPE, and
  most of all a thorough safety orientation for
  your employees.
• An ounce of loss prevention may be worth a pound
  of claims management.
• Your immunity to occupational diseases depends on
  your level of control in the hiring process as
  well as at the work site.