Occupational Health and Safety

Judith Green-McKenzie & Edward Emmett

Occupational health and safety is the field pertaining to the health and safety of the workforce. This field has been of societal concern since ancient times. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus describes the treatment of injuries that were incurred by workers at the pyramid site in ancient Egypt (3000–2500 B.C.). Bernardino Ramazzini published the first Western textbook of occupational medicine in 1713. The pioneering work of Dr. Alice Hamilton in the 1920s served as a second of the initial steps toward the recognition of the field of Occupational Health and Safety in the United States. Approximately 6,500 fatalities and 3,200,000 nonfatal injuries occur in the United States each year as a result of occupational injuries. In addition, there are about 862,200 occupational-related illnesses and 60,300 fatalities from occupational-related illnesses annually. Acute trauma is the leading cause of death and disability at work. Between 1980 and 1995, there were 16 deaths ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.