Book Description

An Introduction to Environmental Epidemiology covers the basics of environmental exposure, health, and disease. Written to be easily accessible to readers with no formal training in epidemiology or statistics, this practical introduction is an ideal text/reference for students and professionals in nursing, medicine, industrial hygiene, occupational and environmental health, and general environmental science. It provides a target-organ oriented presentation of environmental hazards, with detailed discussions of selected exposures such as asbestos, lead, radon, and indoor and outdoor air pollutants. Major topics covered include: ... Read more

Book Description

Exposure to a wide variety of chemicals and drugs has become common in industrial, laboratory, and even household environments. Fortunately, global understanding and consequently global safety standards regarding the management of toxic and hazardous substances are fast approaching uniformity. The methods of handling, use, transportation, storage, and disposal in particular are moving toward standardization. As these protocols involving chemicals and drugs continue to cross international borders, students and professionals need a reliable resource to ensure they observe appropriate safety standards. The Industrial Guide to Chemical and Drug Safety covers not only current standards, but also a wealth of information on toxins to help regulatory bodies develop new protocols.

Written in an accessible narrative style, the Guide covers chemicals by key classes such as solvents, pesticides, and metals, and also by key industries such as drugs, food additives, plastics, cosmetics, detergents, and soaps. The book explains the beneficial and harmful aspects of a broad range of materials to which students, trainees, skilled workers, managers, and personnel associated with regulatory agencies are exposed, with the purpose of helping them avoid the illnesses associated with the misuse of chemicals and drugs. Chapters include:

-Heavy Metals
-Pesticides
-Industrial Solvents
-Industrial Gases and Fumes
-Drugs
-Target Organ Toxicity
-Disposal of Hazardous Chemicals
-Guidance to Students and Workers
-Good Laboratory Practice ... Read more

Book Description

This second edition has been fully updated with four new chapters and is aimed mainly at students of occupational health nursing, but will also be of interest to qualified occupational health nurses. There is an increasing interest in this particular specialty of community nursing which is expanding and developing with the encouragement and support of the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive. The book is a topical reader written entirely by nurses working in the field. It aims to be thought provoking, stimulating and topical.

It starts by setting occupational health nursing in the international context. Looking at European developments in particular and how these relate to developments in some other areas of the world, such as the Asia Pacific Region and United States, the book then goes on to look in detail at some of the core functions of occupational health nursing. Such essential aspects of effective occupational health services as writing and developing policies and procedures, setting standards and issues of quality and audit are discussed.

This is followed by an in-depth look at some practical applications of the specialty using case studies in the areas of health promotion, mental health, rehabilitation and health assessment. The focus throughout is on the use, wherever possible, of practical examples and experience from the practice of occupational health nursing. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviewing recent developments in the field of workplace health from a practical point of view, this book provides essential guidance in managing health at work, and gives specific examples of good practice. ... Read more

Book Description

Human Response to Vibration offers students, ergonomists and health professionals guidance on this subject in order to make practical improvements to the physical working environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Occupational Toxicology deals with chemicals in the workplace and introduces the reader to the basic aspects of the science of toxicology that underpin the application of toxicological information to the workplace. The book contains chapters on the most important workplace exposures such as metals, pesticides, solvents, plastics, gases, and particulate matter. Important fields interfacing with occupational toxicology - hygiene, epidemiology and occupational medicine - are covered to assist the reader in understanding the necessity of cross-discipline considerations in dealing with workplace exposures.The book informs the reader as to the types of toxicity seen in the workplace environment and the organs likely to be affected. The lung and the skin are given individual attention as these are important sites of injury/disease caused by exposure to chemicals. As the cancer-related effects of chemicals continue to be of concern, genotoxicity and cancer are also singled out for particular attention. The sometimes confused variety of tests for genotoxicity are comprehensively covered. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Magic Mineral to Killer Dust
Well written and researched. I found the book to be quick read and very informative. ... Read more

Book Description

After decades of research by the author and her colleagues into what women do in positions such as bank teller, secretary, waitress, nurse, factory worker, and poultry processor, Karen Messing is astonished to find that for many policymakers, researchers, and activists, the topic of women's occupational health doesn't exist.

Messing investigates different types of occupational health issues for women, notably the controversial topics of male/female differences in jobs, health, and basic biology. The pain and suffering of women workers is illustrated in vivid case studies of research into health risks for women in the workplace, including musculoskeletal disease, the hazards of office work, emotional stress, and reproductive hazards.

No longer can employers, administrators, and health professionals ignore the very real problems women encounter in their jobs. Throughout the book, Messing captures the everyday reality of workplace tasks and stresses-from lifting boxes to juggling mental tasks under pressure to the emotional labor of caring for upset or abusive people- by combining on-site observing with listening to the workers' descriptions of their work lives.

Responding to the tough question, why are scientists so unresponsive to the needs of women workers, Messing describes long-standing difficulties in gaining attention for the occupational health of women, ranging from the structure of the grant process and the conferences crucial to the professional life of researchers to the basic assumptions of scientific practice. Messing laments the separation of even most feminist health researchers from workplace concerns and asserts that it is time to develop a science that can prevent women workers' pain and suffering. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Two eyes to see both sides of the question".
Karen Messing's book advocates setting up of a fruitful dialogue between those interested in women's health and those interested in occupational health. The author decided to study the interactions of biological and social factors. "Environment", according to Messing, "channels the performance and well-being of biologically divergent populations".

Messing states that the work environment ignores women's needs because tools, workspaces and load factors are geared for men and not women as well. She suggests that rather than finding a worker to fit the job, the job should be made accessible to the workers. She also decries the fact that science treats women's biology in ways that reinforce their subordination in society. Scientific studies about the workplace also tend to forget about the additional work load that women have at home, or to treat it as a reason against women holding certain jobs or not deserving insurance compensation.

This glaring discrimination is obvious in the scientific treatment given to work-related injuries. When men get injured, they get compensation more often than women, because cause and effect can easily be established between, say heavy lifting and a back injury, whereas the repetitive strains that women are subjected to in their jobs are less visible and more cumulative in nature. Moreover, men tend to be promoted out of repetitive types of jobs and have greater control over their work environment and methodology.

Karen Messing believes employers, scientists and insurance companies should be accountable for this state of affairs. She recognises that labour unions work very hard to protect their members, but they do not always have the support of highly paid scientific experts or lawyers to protect the rights of women. She also deplores the fact that an agent, or condition must be proved dangerous before being removed from the workplace or the environment, hence she pushes for a preventive approach. Many scientists opt for scientific certainty thereby relying on evident illness rather than symptoms to determine whether job hazards are to be validated by them. Messing diagnoses a male-gender bias in the scientific community at large.

Karen Messing's "Occupational Health..." contains useful information for researchers who wish to ensure that their methodology is not gendered. However, this jumble of facts and findings can be a bit confusing for other readers such as policymakers, labour union representatives, feminist groups and just plain workers who wish to gain an insight into this most important subject. Hopefully readers, especially scientists, will not be put off by this minor drawback in their quest for a science that has two eyes to see both sides of the question.

Women's occupational health issues omitted from policy.
The implications of Messing's arguments regarding the disparate orientation of policies and practices, research and research funding, and record keeping regarding workers, is a call to awareness about how bias toward men workers has resulted in omission of women's occupational health issues from research and policy. The thoroughness of her review, the integration of hundreds of studies and the multitude of concrete examples clearly demonstrate the breadth and depth of the problems for parity in occupational health research and remedies. ... Read more

Book Description

Professionals and students in the field of industrial hygiene need a concise guide that thoroughly covers the practical methods of evaluating health threats in the workplace.Bisesi and Kohn's Industrial Hygiene Evaluation Methods, Second Edition introduces basic methods for evaluating work and some non-work environments in order to detect and measure physical, chemical and biological agents, as well as hazardous ergonomic factors. The book is divided into relatively short units that provide concise overviews and descriptions of basic concepts. Each unit is followed by practical technical exercises. These exercises foster the understanding of basic industrial hygiene principles and practices for collection, detection, identification, calculation, and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data. Exercises can be conducted in a setting in which agents and other factors are detectable and measurable. Alternatively, the simulated evaluation exercises that are included can be conducted in a classroom or laboratory.This book is an introductory reference for environmental and occupational health and safety students and practitioners. It is an indispensable tool that illustrates methods fundamental to industrial hygiene practice, and is just as valuable in the professional's office as it is in the classroom. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This is a wonderful book
This book has been very informative. It has an abundance of information. As a new grad I refer to this book often and I have found it very helpful.

A "must" for OT students!
As a current OT student, this book is wonderful! The pictures and the understandable language is great!! This book helps with the understanding of the OT profession. I only hope that you get out of it what I have!!

The ultimate handbook for occupatonal therapists!
As an OT you are often in doubt of what to do for your cliet. This book helps you to gather your knowledge and focus it on the actual problem. Almost everything is there. A great book to get ideeas! But don't take it for a bible. Remember - You have to add yor own exprinces and, perhaps,a'lot of other sources to solve the problem. Never forget you and your knowledge is the most valuable resource for your client. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

How writing to much statisics can hurt.
Hazards of the Job traces the development of the field of occupational health from a "highly diverse, localized, and contradictory" body of knowledge to a more modern science based on quantitative, experimental techniques. In late-19th-century America, occupational diseases such as lead poisoning and silicosis were on the rise but went unrecognized. Physicians were stymied by nonspecific clinical presentations, the lack of scientific data, an orientation toward individual patients rather than groups, and their own loyalties to factory owners. Workers tended to ignore symptoms, avoid doctors, and resist attributing their illnesses to their occupations, which could lead to job loss. Legal traditions favored employers and usually precluded linking workplace exposures to illnesses. ... Read more

Book Description

This landmark book challenges occupational therapists to examine the generally accepted assumptions and key concepts of their profession by looking at the social and political mechanisms that influence people's access to useful and meaningful occupations. It also explores the new idea of occupational apartheid — the separation between those who have meaningful, useful occupations and those who are deprived of, isolated from, or otherwise constrained in their daily life. * Includes contributions from worldwide leaders in occupational therapy research and practice * Describes concrete initiatives with under-served and neglected populations * Links philosophy with practical examples of engaging people who have transformed their lives rather than remain dependent and marginalized * Allows the voices of survivors from around the world to be heard — giving the reader a global OT perspective * Questions generally accepted assumptions and key concepts of the profession * Looks at social and political mechanisms that influence people's access to useful and meaningful occupations. ... Read more

Book Description

Problem Based Learning: A Self-Directed Journey is an interesting and unique new book written with the occupational therapist in mind. Following the PBL process, the scenario for exploration is established by using "problem-based learning".Developed from the perspective of a learner resource, over 30 years of experience within a problem-based learning environment is brought to the pages of this comprehensive resource from the author. While it is necessary to understand the process of problem-based learning, "doing" is the main focus of teaching in this book.Inside the different steps taken in the PBL process are covered, such as articulating the problem, deciding what is already known, brainstorming ideas, defining a learning plan, researching, synthesizing the knowledge learned, and re-defining further learning needs. ... Read more

Book Description

This title is part of the UniversityOfHealthCare/ UniversityOfBusiness Interactive Training Library, which offers authoritative, clearly written material in an interactive form for better comprehension and documentation of completion. The manual accompanying the CD provides a summary of the major points of the CD in a handy format. OSHA Medical Recordkeeping teaches the manager who has to adhere to OSHA rules how to keep medical records and fill out the necessary forms. The course covers terminology, logs, medical and training files, posting rules, and forms 300 and 301.Estimated time: 2 hours. 74 pages on the CD. 9 pages in the manual. You must have Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher running on your computer. Supported operating systems are Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, or XP. You will need Internet access to e-mail us your unique key and receive a password key. License is for one user on one computer. An additional computer owned by the same user will generally be approved at the discretion of the publisher. ... Read more

Book Description

This title is part of the UniversityOfHealthCare/ UniversityOfBusiness Interactive Training Library, which offers authoritative, clearly written material in an interactive form for better comprehension and documentation of completion. The manual accompanying the CD provides a summary of the major points of the CD in a handy format. OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy teaches how to comply with the OSHA requirements for hazardous energy. This course covers compliance methods, isolation verification methods, lock out and tag out, the control of hazardous energy, including electrical, and more. Estimated time: 1-3 hours. 66 pages on the CD. 12 pages in the manual. You must have Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher running on your computer. Supported operating systems are Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, or XP. You will need Internet access to e-mail us your unique key and receive a password key. License is for one user on one computer. An additional computer owned by the same user will generally be approved at the discretion of the publisher. ... Read more