Trauma occupational causes

Some ergonomically designed keyboards are available with a rest-time indicator, which encourages the user to take a break from the computer. Although laptop computers are portable and convenient, work-related musculoskeletal injuries can still occur if one does not observe proper ergonomic principles while using a laptop. Cumulative trauma disorders, caused by repetitive strain or motion injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders, are the largest cause of occupational disease in the United States. 

Osteoarthritis proves to be a more complex disease than autoimmune disease, with multiple variable manifestations like knee, hip, hand, DIP, elbow, shoulder, and spinal joints OA, which have different risk factors. The etiology of OA is multifactorial with inflammatory, metabolic and mechanical causes. A number of personal and environmental risk factors, such as obesity, occupation, and trauma, may initiate various pathological pathways. OA comprises degeneration of articular cartilage together with changes in subchondral bone of the joint margins and mild intraarticular inflammation. 

Of 1,720 persons with occupational bum injuries in the US State of North Carolina, the most common event was exposure to corrosive substances [18]. Of bum injury patients from all causes, 361 patients (69.6%) also had eye bums [18]. Ocular bums comprise about 7-18% of ocular trauma presenting to emergency departments in the USA and eye injuries account for about 3 % of total occupational injuries [6]. Most of these (approximately 84%) are chemical bums. About 15-20% of patients with facial bums also have ocular bums. The ratio of acid/alkali chemical ocular bums is 1 1-1 4 [6]. 

The OSHAct requirements specify that any illness or injury to an employee that causes time lost from the job, treatment beyond first aid, transfer to another job, loss of consciousness, or an occupational iUness must be recorded on a daily log of injuries and illnesses, the OSHA 300 form (previously the 200 form). This log identifies the injured person, the date and time of the injury, the department or plant location where the injury occurred, and a brief description of the occurrence of the injury, highlighting salient facts such as the chemical, physical agent, or machinery involved and the nature of the injury. An injury should be recorded on the day that it occurs, but this is not always possible with MSDs and other cumulative trauma injuries. The number of days that the person is absent from the job is also recorded upon the employee s return to work. In addition to the daily log, a more detailed form is filled out for each injury that occurs. This form provides a more detailed description of the nature of the injury, the extent of damage to the employee, the factors that could... 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), repetitive strain injuries are the most common and costly occupational health problem, affecting hundreds of thousands of American workers, and costing more than 20 billion a year in workers compensation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly two-thirds of aU occupational illnesses reported were caused by exposure to repeated trauma to workers upper body (the wrist, elbow, or shoulder). One common example of such an injury is carpal tunnel syndrome. Replacement Air... 

Occupational dermatologists usually recognise that ICD can be caused by low-grade, repeated frictional trauma. However, reports in the literature are sparse hence, the concept may not be widely understood by all dermatologists. If dermatitis can be shown to be due to frictional trauma in the workplace, a claim for workers compensation can be substantiated. The recognition of this entity, therefore, could have important medico-legal implications. ICD caused by repeated low-grade friction is a distinct entity. 

Mechanical insults to the skin can cause a wide variety of clinical manifestations. The clinical picture is then a summation of the various mechanical forces on the skin. Many traumas are common and accepted as natural occurrences by workers who do not often seek occupational compensation. During a 7-year period... 

The literature on the chronic effects of occupational mechanical trauma, including friction, is rather scanty (Susten 1985). Menne (1983) described a post-office worker with palmar dermatitis resulting from constant friction on the palm with a rough-surfaced tabletop. Menne and Hjorth (1985) reported cases of frictional dermatitis in workers handling large quantities of pressure-sensitive carbonless copy paper. Storrs (1994) observed a case of frictional dermatitis associated with paperwork, and we presented a case of hand dermatitis caused by telefax paper (Kanerva et al. 1992). Storrs (1994) believes that frictional dermatitis seen on the fingertips of secretaries is one variant of the entity of... 

In Occupational medicine. State of the Art Reviews 1 285-300 Joung RS, Bry K, Ratner H (1977) Selective phalangeal tuft fractures in a guitar player. Br J Radiol 50 147-148 Kanerva L (1990) Physical causes of occupational skin disease. Mechanical trauma. In Adams, RM (ed) Occupational skin disease, 2nd edn. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 41-65 Kanerva L (1996) Mechanical causes of occupational skin disease. In van der Valk P, Maibach HI (eds) The irritant contact dermatitis syndrome. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 195-204 Kanerva L (1999) Physical causes of occupational skin disease. In Adams RM (ed) Occupational skin disease, 3rd edn. Saunders, Philadelphia, 35-68... 

Table 8. Repeated microtrauma associated with onycholysis caused by foreign bodies. This may be associated with an acute trauma (metal) or repeated microtrauma (hairdressers, for example). Occupational onycholysis is most frequently due to chemical irritants or sensitizers. In addition, there are infective causes, which tend to be limited to medical personnel and occupations which entail prolonged soaking of the hands Candida and Pseudomonas)...

Metals might function as initiators of cancer trauma and continuous irritation are promoters. As chromium, nickel, and cadmium have caused occupational cancers of the respiratory system and the prostate, it is possible that occupational skin cancer from topical exposure to metal compounds might appear. 

As far as clinical findings are concerned, there is no characteristic aspect, localization or clinical course of occupational contact dermatitis in tanners (Foussereau et al. 1982). Adams (1990) mentioned callosities as occupational marks caused by mechanical trauma on the thumbs of leather buffers, on the right index fingers of cutters and on the knuckles of glazers. 

Although some steps were taking place in the United Kingdom to reduce accidents -for instance, the 1855 Factory Act provided for surgeons to investigate workplace accidents - the principal interest in the nineteerrth century was in occupational disease, perhaps because the inspection system was headed by doctors. A scientific approach to the causes of accidents, and the acute physical trauma some produced, really started in the USA. 

Acute trauma will usually have an easily obtained history from the patient. Occupation, a variety of sports, vehicular accidents, falls onto the arm, twisting of the arm, and blows to the upper extremity account for most of the causes of acute trauma. Observation is most helpful in identifying cases not reported by the patient bruises, abrasions, lacerations, and swelling are some of the items to be noted. 

Trauma is by definition an injury produced by a force (violence, thermal, chemical, or an extrinsic agent). Occupational trauma transpires from the contact with or the unplanned release of varied sources of energy intrinsic within the workplace. Most workplaces have a plethora of energy sources from potential (stored) energy to kinetic (energy in motion) energy sources. These sources may be stacked materials (potential) or a jackhammer (kinetic). The sources of energy are the primary causes of trauma deaths and injuries to workers. 

It is definitely a good business practice to target the prevention of occupational deaths if you know what events or exposures cause them. You can identify the potential if the event or exposure could exist or occur in your workplace. The types of incidents that caused the 5703 trauma deaths are presented in Table 9.2. 

---