Toxicological Contaminants in the Workplace Environment - Assignment Example

Managerial Epidemiology Task Managerial Epidemiology From this, week readings recommend at least five (5) steps to address toxicological contaminants in the workplace environment. Toxicological contaminants at a workplace environment pose a great threat to the health of the workers serving at the organization. It is therefore imperative for the organization, as well as the workers involved to come up with necessary steps to address these contaminants, and as such, reduce their negative effect on the environment. The strategy of elimination or substitution works best as it outlines that it is necessary to eliminate every toxic substance generated or used. However, in instances where elimination is somewhat impossible, it is then advisable for the organization to substitute the toxic product with a less hazardous substance. Engineering controls also address toxicological contaminants at the workplace environment through measures such as isolation, design or change processes, local suppression, and ventilation. Isolation advocates for the segregation of hazardous processes and equipment into separate rooms or areas to reduce contamination of the entire workplace. Design or change of processes requires simple considerations or modifications that can significantly improve the conditions of the product, such as packaging or grouping. Local suppression include strategies such as wetting or palletizing of dusty materials, as well as blanketing of toxic liquids, such as using damp mopping in contaminated or dusty areas. Ventilation is very instrumental in controlling airborne hazards, which occur in the form of vapours, fumes, gases, mists, dusts, and fibres (Dever, 2006). Work practices and hygiene practices work as supplementary strategies to engineering controls. As such, they represent on job activities geared at reducing the potential exposure to the toxic substances, such as preventive maintenance of equipment, posting warning signs, as well as labeling hazardous materials. Personal protective devices includes strategies such as wearing protective glasses or goggles, face shields, skin creams, protective clothing such as laboratory coats and gloves, and respirators. This strategy works best on condition that the choice made is the proper type, and there being the provision of an adequate maintenance program for the equipment. A fifth strategy entails undertaking safe practices and emergency provisions. According to Fine & Fos (2012), this includes steps such as leak and chemical spill procedures, which require sweeping solid contaminants into a container, or neutralizing contaminant liquids. It also provides the necessary steps to undertake in waste disposals, as well as the requirements on storage, especially of hazardous products. Analyze the influence of social forces in contributing toward environmental hazards. Suggest a least two (2) ways to limit this influence. A social force refers to any effective urge or impulse that leads to a social action, specifically referring to a consensus from a significant part of the members of the society to bring about some form of social action or social change. As such, social forces are the basic motives and drives that lead to a fundamental type of group relationship or association. In the case if environmental hazards, social forces come in numerous forms and may lead to massive environmental degradation, especially if undertaken by the entire social divide within the community. A common social force leading to environmental degradation is the usage of plastic bags in the packaging of materials, products and shopping. These plastic bags pollute the environment because they cannot decompose, and when burnt, they produce even worse toxic carbon gases that pollute the air and lead to global warming (Healey & Lesneski, 2011). Limiting a social force is very difficult especially considering it has massive support and following from a large portion of the population. As such, in order to bring about such a change, it is imperative to institute the change within all the concerned stakeholders, from the producers to the consumers of the product. For instance, in the case of plastic bags, the concerned stakeholders are the manufacturers of the bags, the stores and stalls that use these products for packaging, and the consumers that purchase products packaged in these plastic bags. Oleske (2009) argues that the social change should come from all the three stakeholders’ failure to which they will not achieve their goal. Consequently, the first positive step to curtail this social force is educating the population on the hazardous effects of plastic bags on the environment. The second step is coming up with the right strategies to contain and control the production, usage and disposal of the plastic bags already in circulation within the market using measures such as recycling and reusing. Evaluate the effectiveness of your states (North Carolina) plan on addressing TZD. Suggest at least two (2) recommendations to improve your states current plan. Provide a rationale for your recommendations. The state of North Carolina is coming up with strategic steps in addressing the TZDs by the use of a strict managerial epidemiology structure. This refers to the usage of epidemiological tools within the health care provision system. As such, it is the effective management of resources in order to maintain, as well as promote the health of populations. North Carolina has specific steps that address TZDs, especially those arising from toxicological contaminants. These include rescue and fast aid response in the event of a chemical spillage that is hazardous to both the environment and human beings, and rehabilitation measures taken to reclaim already polluted grounds from such contaminants. The state can improve these plans by involving the public in the environmental protection strategies, such as peer education through schools and public facilities. On the other hand, the state can also set up certain regulatory measures and rules that prohibit or guide the usage of certain hazardous contaminants within the state. This will introduce efficiency and instill safety amongst all members of the community to ensure and maintain TZDs (Dever, 2006). Analyze and evaluate the cost effectiveness of treating TZD in your state (North Carolina). Prepare a five (5)-step plan to address the treatment of TZD in your community. Be specific in your outline. According to Fine & Fos (2012), in order to treat TZDs, the state has to be very particular about the specific measures it takes while undertaking every activity related to any hazardous component. As such, the strategy taken is only successful when all the involved stakeholders know and play their part effectively. A five-step plan to treat TZDs within the community would incorporate Elimination or substitution of contaminants that are hazardous in nature. Application of engineering controls systems to reduce effect of contamination Maintaining proper work practices and hygiene practices as a supplementary to engineering controls Using protective devices and clothing to reduce or prevent contamination maintenance of safe practices and emergency provisions References Dever, A. (2006). Managerial Epidemiology: Practice, Methods, and Concepts. Boston: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Fine, D. & Fos, D. (2012). Managerial Epidemiology for Health Care Organizations. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Healey, B. & Lesneski, C. (2011). Transforming Public Health Practice: Leadership and Management Essentials. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Oleske, D. (2009). Epidemiology and the Delivery of Health Care Services: Methods and Applications. New York: Springer. Read More