Selected occupational risk factors

Many of the 2.9 billion workers across the globe are exposed to hazardous risks at their workplaces. This chapter examines the disease and injury burden produced by selected occupational risk factors: occupational carcinogens, airborne particulates, noise, ergonomic stressors and risk factors for injuries. Owing primarily to lack of data in developing countries, we were unable to include important occupational risks for some cancers, reproductive disorders, dermatitis, infectious diseases, ischaemic heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities, and other conditions such as workplace stress. Mesothelioma and asbestosis due to asbestos exposure, silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis are almost exclusively due to workplace exposure, but limitations in global data precluded a full analysis of these outcomes. The economically active population (EAP) aged ≥15 years, which includes people in paid employment, the self-employed, and those who work to produce goods and services for their own household consumption, were considered the group at risk of exposure to occupational hazards. Both formal and informal sectors of employment are included in the EAP, but child labour was excluded. Exposure was quantified based on the economic sector (where people do the work) and on occupation (what people do). Our sources of data to delineate categories of exposed workers included economic databases and publications of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank and the published scientific literature. For most risk factors the workers were grouped into highand low-exposure categories, and the exposed population was distributed by age, sex and subregion. Risk estimates for the occupational hazards were obtained from the published epidemiological literature, particularly from studies of large populations, reviews and meta-analyses when available. The occupational risk factors in our study accounted for an estimated 37% of back pain, 16% of hearing loss, 13% of chronic obstructive Chapter 21