Differences between industrial hygiene and occupational health in China and the United States

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This post was last edited by yinkuilin6868 on 2016-2-23 at 16:09. Differences between industrial hygiene and occupational health in the United States! The United States was one of the first countries in the world to establish laws regarding occupational safety and health; the Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted in 1970. Since then, more than 70 countries and regions, including Japan and the United Kingdom, have also formulated their own regulations on occupational health. Industrial Hygiene is the field that studies the impact of working conditions on workers’ health; its purpose is to protect workers’ health and prevent them from being harmed by harmful factors during their occupational activities. In our efforts to improve working conditions, the primary task is to identify, assess, and control poor working conditions, and to protect workers’ health by taking measures in areas such as law, technology, equipment, organizational systems, and training. Simply put, Occupational Health requires a medical license; it involves diagnosing and treating occupational diseases, and it is aimed at individuals ； The research areas of industrial hygiene involve identification, evaluation, control, and prevention, targeting both individuals and the environment. How does the United States define industrial hygiene and environmental hygiene? Simply put, it’s just a matter of concentration and dosage. For example, in factories, due to the relatively enclosed environment there, the concentration of harmful substances is high; however, this concentration decreases as the harmful substances are released through chimneys and doors and windows. The workers in the factory are adults, and their working hours are only 8 to 12 hours. However, harmful substances are released into the surrounding environment, and it are infants and children who may be affected. They are exposed to low concentrations of these toxic substances 24 hours a day, and their tolerance is very low; they cannot withstand such high doses. This is the difference between industrial hygiene and environmental hygiene. Sometimes, very toxic substances do not cause harm when present in small amounts. For example, the water we drink on a regular basis contains carcinogenic compounds, but it’s not possible to drink several gallons of water every day; since the amount is small, it does no harm to health. Whether it is harmful depends on the amount consumed. If a person drinks one glass of whiskey per day for 20 years, itほとんど no harm to their health; but if they were to drink the same amount of alcohol over those 20 years in just 5 minutes, it could very well lead to death. It is a matter of dosage – it is the amount consumed that causes harm. Perhaps you will detect some odors, or you might see yellow smoke coming from chimneys; however, do not assume that this is toxic. This is unscientific – it is only by using industrial instruments to measure the concentration and determine how much of it is absorbed into the body that it is possible to assess its toxicity to humans. In short, it comes down to the issue of dosage standards. The impact of the development of industrial hygiene in the United States on China’s development. The advancement of industrial hygiene is a gradual and progressive process; the tragedies that have occurred in various countries and regions can serve as lessons for us, regardless of where they took place, so as to prevent similar incidents from happening among Chinese workers in the future. Industrial hygiene in the United States was initiated in the 1960s and 1970s ； Taiwan, China, began to implement (industrial hygiene systems) in the 1980s and 1990s to achieve industrial development. At that time, the Taiwan Labor Commission itself did not have much knowledge of industrial hygiene; however, they brought back workers who had worked in the United States, and at the same time went to American companies themselves to gain a thorough understanding of the situation there. Upon returning to Taiwan, he did not simply copy the regulations of the United States; instead, he combined the industrial hygiene systems of various countries such as the United States and Japan. By integrating these different systems, he developed an industrial hygiene system suitable for Taiwan, which was then enacted and put into practice there. Starting from the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, incidents related to the hazards of occupational diseases may have spread to Taiwan, China, during the 1980s and 1990s or** ； The same thing reached the Chinese mainland in the 1990s and at the beginning of the 21st century ； The next step is likely to bring the same thing to Vietnam. Many experiences are painful, yet they are also valuable. Without the painful lessons learned from industrial hygiene and occupational health in the United States, there would be no OSH Act without the concept of industrial hygiene and safety. We have come this far step by step; \"the lessons of the past serve as a guide for the future.\" We must carefully study and draw on the experience and lessons gained in the field of industrial hygiene in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, using their experiences to minimize potential accidents in the future and avoid repeating their mistakes in the development of industrial hygiene in China. How can the United States encourage more companies to implement industrial hygiene systems? Companies are best aware of the hazardous factors and occupational risks present in their own environments. Self-management by these companies can achieve higher standards than mandatory management; the difference between mandatory management and self-management lies in whether measures taken are short-term or long-term in nature. Many companies are forced to implement industrial hygiene systems; things would be different if there were a \"carrot\" offered to them in exchange. In Taiwan, labor insurance must be purchased by the employer; if a worker is injured, the Labor Insurance Bureau pays compensation to the worker. For the owner, it’s necessary to make the purchase anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. In case something goes wrong, there will be compensation provided; thus, there isn’t much loss or financial harm involved. Unless one commits a crime and is punished, they can stay out of it, and by staying out of it, they won’t take the initiative to do those things that need to be done. The United States enforces industrial hygiene systems on businesses through an insurance system. Every state in the United States has workers’ compensation programs, and the premium amount is equal to the sum of three factors – the average losses over 3 years (including medical costs, lost earnings, and other related losses) – multiplied by a coefficient of 3 to 3.5; this figure represents the premium that must be paid to the insurance company in the following year. What is retained loss? For example, if a worker’s head hits an iron pipe and hospital examinations show that there is no serious injury, with medical costs of 50 yuan, the insurance company still demands a deduction of 10,000 yuan as a precaution against potential complications such as concussions in the future; this is what is known as reserved loss. Based on these calculations, the company will have to pay millions of dollars in premiums in the following year, and these premiums must be deducted from the company’s profits (this is what is referred to as the \"carrot\"). In other words, if the goal of protecting workers is not achieved, a large portion of the money the company earns has to be paid to insurance companies. This insurance system forces American companies to ensure good industrial hygiene, and they must do so. Thinking backwards, what would be the outcome if China adopted a similar system? No matter how many administrators mainland China has, it is extremely difficult to conduct an audit of every single company. In the United States, insurance companies can assist businesses in establishing industrial safety and health systems, and they can help companies carry out necessary tasks such as sampling and testing of hazardous substances at low costs. Such a system forces American companies to pay attention to industrial hygiene. If a company wants to establish an industrial hygiene system, should it be long-term or short-term? The answer is clear: a long-term system needs to be established. Many employees in companies believe that industrial safety and health have little to do with them; it’s the management’s responsibility, something the leaders worry about to avoid fines, and it has nothing to do with them. In this way, if things can be done carelessly, they are; when pressure is applied from above, a little work is done, and when there’s no pressure, no work is done at all. This results in fluctuations in the safety incident rate. Such a top-down management style tends to provoke resistance among employees. Over the past decade, the United States has adopted a new approach: owners authorize workers to conduct their own thorough inspections and report any necessary issues. If such reports are approved, it motivates workers and boosts their enthusiasm, leading to the identification of more factors that pose risks to health, thereby gradually reducing accident rates. Workers need to be educated about what is harmful and what can be avoided, and managers also need to be informed that their interests are aligned with those of the workers. If workers can consciously and voluntarily ensure industrial safety, the results will be much better than those achieved through top-down management by managers. This method has worked well in the United States, and it could be tried in China as well. What factors should be considered in industrial hygiene assessments and control methods? The main one is the sampling method; modern methods allow for direct readings via instruments ； Traditional methods involve analysis through activated carbon sampling ； Passive sampling methods are very commonly used in the United States. Modern methods can directly and conveniently yield answers, but they are greatly influenced by many factors, which may lead to inaccurate results. Whether the results obtained using passive sampling methods can be accepted can be determined by comparing them with those from traditional methods; if there is a 15% to 25% match between the two, then passive sampling could be considered as a substitute for the traditional method. Furthermore, depending on the purpose of sampling and the objects to be monitored, as well as whether to assess individual exposure or environmental exposure, it is crucial to choose the right and appropriate sampling method. The control methods for industrial hygiene must take into account technical and economic factors. For example, if a company is to implement noise reduction measures, the manager’s primary concern is how much money it will cost There are many ways to reduce noise, and the most economical and simple methods are the best choice. What experiences from the United States in preventing occupational diseases can China draw on? Training is very important, including training for employers and workers. In the United States, workers must undergo training before entering a factory; they spend the first week in an industrial safety department learning about industrial safety for that week. In addition, workers need to be aware of their rights – they have the right to be informed. In 2003, there were 74 cases of diseases caused by dust exposure; in Taiwan, China, that number was 978, in the United States it was 2639, and on the Chinese mainland it was 12,343. Dust can be prevented; by wearing disposable gas masks, at least half of the cases can be avoided. So why isn’t this being done? This is due to the lack of training; training is very important. There is a phenomenon: in the United States, from 1980 to 2000, the number of deaths caused by coal mine dust decreased year by year, but the incidence of diseases related to asbestos fibers increased by 3 times. Asbestos is colorless and odorless, and it is very light, capable of drifting for 20 miles. If a person inhales an asbestos fiber into their lungs, they may develop lung cancer 20 years later; therefore, the United States imposes very strict controls on the production of asbestos fibers. However, some asbestos manufacturers in mainland China operate in a semi-open manner, and the hazard remains very serious. Furthermore, industrial hygiene has a significant impact on the community. Industrial hygiene in China is still in its infancy, and there is a need for professionals in safety, environmental protection, and public health. The future market is vast; in the short term, it is necessary to minimize coal mine accident rates as well as occupational hazards related to dust ； Long-term training is very important for establishing employees’ understanding of toxins ； Children are our future, and ensuring the safety of children and communities is also the direction of our efforts in the future, aiming to eliminate health-threatening factors at their source.