HAZARDS TO WORKERS

Hazards to Workers

Executive Summary

In this paper, there has been analyzed the importance of evaluation of hazardous chemical, biological and physical agents that affects the employees severely at their workplace. The paper discusses the effects of chemical, biological and physical agents on the human health and proposes different method that should be implemented by the control authorities and employers. The paper also discusses the laws and regulations that have been implemented by the employers in their current policies (Bouder, 2007).

The chemical hazards cause great danger to the human health in terms of causing different ailments. Working with certain chemicals can cause workers to experience abnormalities in their sexual health or reproduction. Many workers may not know that these problems may be related to chemical exposures in the workplace. Dangerous chemicals cause cancer and other incurable diseases as well. Some mutagenic substances are also known to cause cancer in humans. The cancer-causing substances called carcinogens are greatly present in the industries. The reproductive organs like ovaries, breasts, vagina and uterus of women, and penis and testicles in men, can become diseased or function abnormally as a result of exposure to hazardous chemical substances.

Physical agents that include poor lighting can lead to eyestrain and stress on nervous system, altering the quality of work. The thermal environment, a permanent feature of working conditions is at least a factor of physiological comfort and safety. Indeed, poor thermal conditions in workplaces can cause headaches, difficulty in breathing, colds, and aches. The air must be renewed in order to maintain a state of purity of the atmosphere, which safeguards the health of employees, avoid excessive rises in temperature, odors and condensation. Workers are also affected by the electromagnetic fields working with welding equipment and induction heating and dielectric effect, viewing screens, telecommunications and radar (Greenberg, 2008).

The term "biological agent" includes all microorganisms, including recombinant organisms, parasites and cell cultures that can cause infection, allergy or poisoning. These biological agents used in workplaces, expose the employees to hazards of reproduction. Biological agents are present everywhere, in living beings, the environment and in workplaces. Most of them are harmful to humans but some are essential to life. However, some biological agents can cause illnesses of varying severity in humans (Greenberg, 2008).

At the end of the paper, the conclusion is given that interprets the results and emphasize the need for making the laws and regulations regarding the safety of the workers. It is crucial for the health of the workers that they protect themselves from the hazards of chemical, biological and physical agents so that they can remain healthy. They should draw the attention of the employers and control authorities to abide by the safety rules. The workplace should be made safe of the hazardous materials so that productivity of employees can maintain. The employers should also provide health facility to the employees so that they can take monthly health checkup and would be able to identify any ailment that has been caused ...