Keyword risk factors

All articles (11)

Work environment
Carcinogens and mutagens
05.02.2025
- carcinogen,
- mutagen,
- risk factors
- Carcinogens are substances, compounds and mixtures that can cause malignant tumours or increase their prevalence.
- Mutagens are substances and preparations that may induce genetic alterations or increase their prevalence.
- Exposure to carcinogens and mutagens is always dangerous, meaning that there is a possibility of developing cancer or a genetic defect.
Work environment
Radon
03.01.2024
- risk factors
- Radon is a colourless and odourless gas that is heavier than air and highly radioactive.
- In the klint zone of Northern Estonia, the radon concentration in the soil air (at a depth of 1m) exceeds the recommended limit value by up to 8 times
- Radon is a risk factor in all buildings, new and old, with and without a basement
Work environment
Occupational diseases and illnesses caused by work
04.05.2023
- Occupational diseases are diseases caused by a working environment risk factor or the nature of the work included in the list of occupational diseases
- The occupational health doctor shall notify the Labour Inspectorate of the diagnosis of an illness caused by work.
- An employee is entitled to compensation for damage to health caused by work.
Work environment
Risk factors in the working environment
30.09.2021
- risk factors
- Risk factors in the working environment are divided into five groups – physical, physiological, biological, chemical and psychosocial.
- Working environment hazards can cause physical harm, including injuries and illness.
- There may be different risk factors, but there is certainly a physical, psychosocial and physiological risk factor in any work.
Groups and causes of the most common occupational diseases
09.09.2021
- occupational disease,
- risk factors
- Physical overload, for example, is caused by hard physical work.
- Chemicals can cause damage to the skin, nails and upper and lower respiratory tract.
- Lung diseases can be caused, for example, by mineral dust.
Work environment
Asbestos
02.09.2021
- Asbestos includes minerals belonging to the class of fibrous silicates, such as actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, chrysotile, tremolite
- Asbestos fibres are hazardous to health when inhaled as dust, contributing to the development of lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.
- Asbestos work must be carried out in such a way that the worker's exposure to asbestos dust is kept to a minimum and remains below the limit value.
Work environment
Nanoparticles
01.09.2021
- Nanoparticles are particles with at least one dimension in the range of 1–100 nanometres (nm).
- The greatest health risk of nanoparticles to humans is through inhaling them.
- Due to limited information on the effects of nanomaterials, the same personal protective equipment is currently recommended as for gases and aerosols.
Work environment
Slipping and tripping
01.09.2021
- slipping,
- falling,
- risk factors,
- safety instructions
- Indoors, slipping is often caused by wet floors and outdoors, the cause is slipperiness.
- The risk of slipping can be reduced by wearing proper footwear.
- If a floor is slippery after washing it, it is recommended to display a warning sign to those walking there until the floor dries.
Work environment
Handling of loads
01.09.2021
- risk factors,
- physical hazards
- Manual handling of loads can result in physical harm and serious injuries.
- If handling of loads constitutes a major part of the employee's working time, the employee may be employed in that work from the age of 18.
- The employer must take organisational and technical measures to prevent or reduce the health risk arising from work involving handling of loads.
Work environment
Working at heights
01.09.2021
- When standing on a ladder, do not work for more than 30 minutes at a time or more than a third of the working day.
- When choosing measures to prevent falls from a height, guards and safety nets must be preferred to personal protective equipment.
- Before using the lifting device and at the beginning of each work shift, make sure that the controls and safety devices are working.