Definition of safety and industrial hygiene
Safety at work
Safety at work
According to Bestratén (1999), safety at work is
"the set of techniques and procedures that are designed to
eliminate or reduce the risk of accidents."
Therefore, safety at work is concerned with addressing a number of hazards that affect industrial accidents, such as:
Therefore, safety at work is concerned with addressing a number of hazards that affect industrial accidents, such as:
- Electrical hazards;
- Lack of mechanisms of protection against moving parts of machinery, equipment and tools;
- Falls of heavy objects;
- Poor conditions of order and cleanliness in the workplace;
- Fire Hazards
To achieve safety at work, we should develop preventive
actions that fall within both general and specific rules, such as:
- The mission and vision of the company;
- The safety policies;
- Procedures at work;
- Staff training;
- Incorporation of safety devices on machines, equipment and facilities.
Industrial
hygiene
According to Hernandez and Marti (1989), industrial
hygiene is the discipline that aims the prevention of occupational
diseases by controlling chemical, physical or biological agents in
the working environment.
The (chemical, physical or biological) agents
mentioned have effect in the workplace; not only directly for workers
who perform a particular task, but also for people from other areas
that are part of that environment. Moreover, the presence of these
agents also affects the external environment of the company like
nearby businesses, nearby communities and in general the soil, air
and water.
In order to reduce occupational risks of emerging
pollutants, three objectives are established:
- Controls on the origin and source of danger;
- Controls on the path between the hazard and the worker;
- Controls on the subject exposed to danger.
