QUESTION 1

Psychosocial Hazards at Work

Read the following and then answer the questions below: Psychosocial hazards (or issues) lead to health related problems for the worker and lower productivity for enterprises. Taken together they represent a major cause of accidents, fatal injuries and disease in both industrialised and developing countries. It has been cited that 25% of all occupational fatalities can be linked to psychosocial issues. The combined effects of these psychosocial issues have negative ramifications for workers, employers, the worker's family and society. These problems affect all countries, all sectors and all categories of workers. Any of the above mentioned psychosocial problems may be a causal factor for the other, may be an end result or find its roots among them. The traditional response normally ignores this "cause and effect type" of interrelationship and the response is often of an occasional and palliative nature, is rarely properly coordinated and is quite costly. In view of the above, the ILO has developed the SOLVE programme, which is designed to allow organisations to integrate psychosocial issues into corporate health and safety policy and establish a framework for preventative action

Questions

(a) Name the five psychosocial issues of the ILO SOLVE programme

(b) SOLVE is an acronym and each letter of the word stands for a specific psychosocial issue. What do the two letters S and E stand for?

(c) Describe the interrelationships between the five psychosocial issues

(d) Name any two factors which can influence psychosocial issues

(e) State five negative effects of psychosocial hazards on the worker

(f) State five negative effects of psychosocial hazards on the organization

(g) Describe a model you studied to explain the psychosocial issue which is represented by the letter S in the word SOLVE

(h) Describe a working model on the psychosocial issue which is represented by the letter E in the word SOLVE

(i) What does ILO propose to tackle the problems caused by the psychosocial hazards?

(j) State five types of intervention on the worker to help alleviate the effects of the psychosocial hazard S

QUESTION 2

Exposure of workers to radiation

(a) What are the physical differences between ionising and non-ionising radiations?

(b) (i) Name five medical or non-medical uses of ionising radiation

(ii) Prevention of the health effects of ionising radiation

(c) Name five sources of occupational exposure to-

(i) Ultraviolet radiation

(ii) (ii) Infrared radiation

(d) State in brief the health effects of: (i) Ultraviolet radiation

(iii) Infrared radiation

QUESTION 3

Biological Hazard: HIV/AIDS

(a) Explain the difference between the two terms "HIV" and "AIDS"

(b) Modes of transmission of HIV

(c) Mention three ways in which HIV is not transmitted

(d) Why has HIV/AIDS become a workplace issue?

(e) Legal and technical measures of prevention of workers against HIV

QUESTION 4

Occupational exposure to lead

(a) Physical properties of lead metal

(b) Name five occupational exposures to lead

(c) What are the bodily routes of entry of lead?

(d) Modes of toxicity of lead in the body of workers

(e) State any two health effects of exposure to lead

(f) How can we protect the health of exposed workers?