Disease surveillance offers many challenges, particularly when evaluating exposu

Question

Disease surveillance offers many challenges, particularly when evaluating exposure to environmental hazards and measuring any subsequent, adverse human health effects. A lack of surveillance programs, poor data quality, limited data access and use, as well as the management of surveillance systems can test epidemiologists (Thacker, 2012).

Select a familiar environmental or occupational hazard. Identify and describe methods for monitoring this hazard that helps assess the association between the hazard and any harmful health effects. Does hazard surveillance offer certain challenges?

You must make your initial posts no later than Thursday by 11:55 p.m. EST. You must respond to the posts of at least two classmates no later than 11:55 p.m. EST on Saturday. Responses of “Nice job,” or “I agree,” followed by a regurgitation of the original post are not acceptable, and will not count towards the minimum two responses.

Reference

Thacker, S. B., Qualters, J. R., & Lee, L. M.. (2012). Public health surveillance in the United States: Evolution and challenges. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 61(3), 3-9.

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Explanation / Answer

The hazards to which we are exposed at the workplace are known as occupational hazards. These can be of several types such as biological, chemical, physical etc. The chemical hazards is something where individuals are exposed to different chemicals for small or large amount of time. This can cause various effects from the short term to long term diseases. The exposure to certain chemicals can cause cancer. So it is very important to keep the chemical hazards under control. It can be done using various ways. The chemical hazards are most at the chemical plants. For cleaning and operations of chemical plant the operators and employees have to come in contact with different chemicals. For monitoring the chemical hazards, PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) is something which is used at all the chemical industries. The PPE includes the eye goggles, face mask and the suit which can withstand the exposure to the specific chemical. Using the PPE reduces the chemical hazards on great level. The use of PPE is must at many chemical plant.

Though PPE is useful for monitoring the chemical hazards it is not something which can completely eliminate the hazard. The selection of PPE is also important. Sometimes the unexpected exposure can cause harm and will not provide sufficient time to wear PPE.

So the use of PPE can reduce the risk, it is not always helpful and completely safe in all the working conditions.

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