Isu 1/2011 - alumni.um.edu.my - Universiti Malaya

Occupational Diseases- Promoting Health at the WorkplaceBy Retneswari, M., & Darus, A.Faculty of Medicine, University of MalayaOn the 24th of September 2010 Associate ProfessorDr.Retneswari Masilamani, the head of department of social andpreventive medicine and Dr. Azlan Darus, both occupationalphysicians, were invited to Hello Malaysia, Bernama televisionstation for a live telecast on the topic of “Promoting Health at theWorkplace-Occupational disease”. The telecast commenced byhighlighting occupational diseases that arise as a result ofexposure to hazards at the workplace. Such diseases mayappear similar to the general diseases seen, however they differin that the causative agents for occupational diseases are foundat the workplace. Examples of occupational diseases areoccupational asthma that arises due to exposure to chemicals ordust at the workplace. Other examples are noise inducedhearing loss, occupational skin diseases, allergies, neurologicaldiseases and many others.A distinction between work-related diseases (WRD) andoccupational diseases was explained where the former arisesfrom a worsening of an existing disease at the workplace whileoccupational diseases have a definite cause at the workplace.An example of WRD is a known bronchial asthmatic patientʼscondition worsening on exposure to allergens at the workplace.It was highlighted that the responsibility of preventing hazards atthe workplace lies with the employer and the worker. Workersmust know the type of hazards that exist at their respectiveworkplaces and measures to prevent and control them. The timehas come for workers to be empowered to ensure safety andhealth at their workplace.We emphasized the two acts that govern occupational safetyand health in Malaysia, namely: The Factories and MachineriesAct 1967 followed by the Occupational Safety and Health Act1994. These Acts require that employers must ensure sufficientmeasures are in place not only for the safety and health of theirworkers but call for the cooperation of employers in adhering tomandate safety measures.We also discussed the compulsory control measures to beinstituted by the employer that encompass the occupationalsafety and health policy, establishment of occupational safetyand health committee training to workers, provision of a safework environment and personal protective equipment forworkers when needed. Workers are required to cooperate andpractice the safety measures instituted by the employer.10 TITIAN alumniAll occupational diseases suspected to be caused by exposuresat the workplace need prior confirmation of such exposuresexisting. This is easier in the case of workplace accidents unlikeoccupational diseases which occur as a result of exposures dueto chemicals, ergonomics or biological hazards. It is important toconfirm the source of the disease as for every case/patientidentified, there is a high possibility of many other workerssuffering from a similar exposure. Treatment for occupationaldiseases covers medical treatment and workplace improvementto prevent similar occurrences. Other management strategieswould include improving the work station, protecting theworkplace and even change of occupation if needed.In Malaysia, there are medical practitioners trained asoccupational health doctors, who are panel doctors to industries,involved in treating their workers and advocating preventivemeasures at the workplace. These doctors may refer cases forexpert opinion to occupational physicians at designatedhospitals and clinic. Nurses trained in occupational health arealso attached to industries providing occupational healthservices. In the field of occupational medicine, the scope ofmanagement begins in prevention. Thus, medical practitionersspecialized in these fields also provide consultancy onpreventive measures or occupational diseases, periodicexaminations and monitor the exposure risks at workplaces.Such specialists also provide clinical services, rehabilitation andconduct disability assessment ad hoc for compensationpurposes.Occupational health doctors and specialists being trained in thisfield have an advantage over general practitioners in beingfamiliar with hazards at the workplace. These specialists areemployed full time or part time in such workplaces andindustries. This gives them an edge in recognizing workplacehazards through the walkthrough surveys made, thus enablingthem to link the relationship between the occupation and risksfaced by the worker. This leads to early treatment, monitoringand prevention of occupational diseases.Several relevant questions were posed by the public during thetelecast basically enquiring on the agencies and stakeholdersresponsible for safety and health in this country. All questionswere addressed well to the satisfaction of the television viewers.Points were highlighted to stress the importance of workersknowing their workplace environment and hazards that maypose a health problem.