Occupational Disease – Dire Straits 1982
Warning lights are flashing down at Quality Control
Someone threw a spanner, and they threw him in the hole
There’s rumors in the loading bay and anger in the town
Somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down
There’s a meeting in the boardroom, they’re trying to trace the smell.
There’s a leak in the washroom, there’s a sneak in personnel.
Somewhere in the corridors, someone was heard to sneeze
‘Goodness me, could this be Industrial Disease?’
Dire Straits might have been on to something, in Alberta – “Industrial Disease” is known as Occupational Disease and sadly, more workers die worldwide from occupational disease than occupational incidents.
You may recognize the names of the diseases:
- Asbestosis
- Some types of Asthma
- Campylobacter
- Noise Induced Hearing Loss
- Silicosis
- Contact Dermatitis
Avoiding Occupational Diseases – What you can do
- Find out the materials and Controlled Products being used at your workplace, read the SDS
- Know the proper PPE to be used for every situation and use it
- Make sure you are properly trained, if you are unsure about something ask your supervisor, safety person, safety rep or Joint Health and Safety committee
- Be alert to changes in your health
- Make sure your doctor knows what you do for a living and what you work around.
