WORK PLACE HAZARD.

Running head: WORK PLACE HAZARD
WORK PLACE HAZARD
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1WORK PLACE HAZARD
Any working environment that possess threat to the body or the environment is
known as Work Place Hazard. Work Place Hazard is also known as Occupational Hazard,
and they can lead to either long term effect or consequences or the short time effect or
consequences. Work Place hazard in any employment may cause any contraction of disease
or loss of functionality and effect the mental health of the workers and employees. Accidents
or fatality can lead to loss of livelihood and can affect the society in numerous ways. That
effect the sustainable socio-economic growth of the country. Health professionals are
exposed to many types of work place hazards and therefore, in the demanding age of health
professionals there should be evident risk management and Occupational health Safety in an
organisation as well as in the society (Bahn 2013). Since, there is an advancing technology,
there has been new an introduction of new hazards in a working environment. In worldwide,
the health professionals account for 12% of the working population. And healthcare workers
and professionals are considered to be working in the most hazardous occupational settings
(Ndejjo et al. 2015). It should be also noted that there are diverse and varied types of health
hazard are associated when it comes to the nursing profession. It is also reported to have
higher prevalence of lower back pain in this type of profession. And ergonomic hazard
possess a potential risk to the overall productivity and employment. These type of work place
hazard can lead to lethal consequences and therefore, it should be neglected at any cost.
Hence, there should be occupational safety and health regulation and support in a working
environment. In the following paragraphs different types of hazard has been discussed in
detail and the impact of these are also described.
Global occupational health issues are increasing day by day as the economy of the
world is rising day by day. The global market is leading to the escalating effect on the vast
numbers of workers worldwide in the form of occupational disease, injuries and deaths.
Therefore, essential regulation of the occupational settlement and administration is required,

2WORK PLACE HAZARD
among workers especially among health professionals (Lucchini 2014). For example, any
disease could amplify to a greater extent if there is no proper establishment to curb these
problems. Out of all the professions nursing can be termed as uniquely hazardous
occupation. These could be due to the illnesses and injuries associated with nursing
profession which can be due to work place environment. Nurses and midwives account for
50% of the global health work force. There is a growing demand of this profession world
wide. According to the World health Organisation there is an indication of global nurse
shortage. And there are mainly shortages of Nurses and midwives in Africa and South East
Asia (World Health Organization, 2019). Nurses are not only employed in the nursing homes
and hospitals, they are also engaged as community health workers, in clinics, schools as well
as their participation in the health maintenance and corporations. While performing their
routine duties the registered nurses or the RNs are often faced with high risk pathogens and
other hazardous components. The nurses are primarily involved in providing care and their
clinical services to the patients. They are a crucial element when it comes to the matter of
disease prevention, delivering primary health care and also in health promotion (Dressner and
Krissinger 2018). In the current working conditions the nurses are exposed to various types
of work place hazards, these type of workplace hazards can lead to short term as well as long
term effects on the nurses. There are situations when nurses have to be bending, standing
stretching and running that could lead the nurse to a potential risk of fatigue, fall, slipping and
tripping. These type of hazards are related with the short term risks of hazards. The nurses
have to sometimes even lift patients move heavy equipment’s that could elevate risks to
lower back injuries. Hence, it can be understood that the working environments and the
duties of nurses put them in to the front line of probable occupational risks and hazards
(Alavi 2014). There are number work place hazards which are inclined especially towards
nursing and work place hazards which include; Latex allergy, for example the use of vinyl

3WORK PLACE HAZARD
gloves can induce mild allergic sensitivities which may cause dermatitis and anaphylaxis;
chemical exposure to different drugs and hazardous chemicals which are used for sterilizing.
The exposure to certain radiations, these especially are related to the nurses working in the
radiology department or the nurses working in the emergency rooms. They are at a high risk
of exposure to these kind of radiations. Exposure to radiations can lead to various kinds of
diseases and are exposed at a risk of DNA damage. Infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis B
are the diseases nurses are frequently exposed to. It is important to acknowledge that the
nurses are also exposed to several threats and assaults which are evidently present in the
mental facilities like rehabs and in the emergency rooms. In the following paragraphs there is
a detailed classification and description about the types of the hazards at workplace. There
are many types of the work place hazards that are exposed in a regular working environment
few of them are discussed below:
Biological Hazards: Biological Hazards are commonly known as the biohazards are the
biological organisms or entities that pose threat to the other organisms (can be particularly to
the humans) and environment. There can be the biological that can lead to potential threats
like infections, diseases and can be also be a potential source of bio weapon and mass
destruction. There are different categories and levels of Biohazards which can cause hazards.
Bio hazards include biological vectors and transmitters (micro-organisms) like fungi, virus as
well bioactive substances. Exposure to these can have potential risk to the people involved in
healthcare as well bio chemical industries. The probable agents that could cause the
communicable diseases are like: blood, faeces, mucous and tissues that could cause potential
communicable disease. In a report the health. There are certain low frequency
electromagnetic fields act by VGCCs or voltage gated calcium channels which can in return
elevate the NO signalling, therefore, exposure to such electromagnetic fields can affect the
physiological processes (Pall 2014). Strict precautions should be taken care of when handling