Occupational Diseases

There is no internationally accepted definition for the term “occupational disease”. However, occupational diseases are usually defined as diseases arising out of or in the course of employment. For convenience, they may be grouped as under:

I. Diseases due to physical agents:

1. Heat                                      Heat hyperpyrexia, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, heat 
 cramps, burns and local effects   such as prickly heat.

2. Cold                                      Trench foot, frost bite, chilblains

3. Light                                     Occupational cataract, miner’s nystagmus

4. Pressure                               Caisson disease, air embolism, blast (explosion)

5. Noise                                     Occupational deafness

6. Radiation                               Cancer, leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, pancytopenia

7. Mechanical factors                 Injuries, accidents

8. Electricity                               Burns

II. Diseases due to chemical agents:

1.      Gases: CO₂, CO, HCN, CS₂, NH₃, N₂, H₂S, HCl, SO₂ – these cause gas poisoning

2.      Dusts (Pneumoconiosis):

 Inorganic dusts:

      - Coal dust           Anthracosis

      - Silica                 Silicosis

      - Asbestos           Asbestosis, cancer lung

      - Iron                   Siderosis

Organic (vegetable) dusts:

      - Cane fibre              Bagassosis

      - Cotton dust           Byssinosis

      - Tobacco               Tobacossis

- Hay or grain dust Farmer’s Lung

 3.      Metals and their compounds:

Toxic hazards from lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, beryllium, arsenic, chromium, etc.

4.      Chemicals: Acids, alkalies, pesticides

5.      Solvents: Carbon bisulphide, benzene, trichloroethylene, chloroform, etc.

III. Diseases due to biological agents:

Brucellosis, leptospirosis, anthrax, actinomycosis, hydatidosis, psittacosis, tetanus, encephalitis, fungal infections, etc.

IV. Occupational cancer:

Cancer of skin, lungs, bladder

V. Occupational dermatosis:

Dermatitis, eczema

VI. Diseases of psychological origin:

Industrial neurosis, hypertension, peptic ulcer, etc.