This document outlines three approaches to preventing occupational diseases: medical measures, engineering controls, and legislation. Medical measures include pre-placement exams, periodic exams, health services, notifications, supervision of work environments, record keeping, and health education. Engineering controls involve building design, housekeeping, ventilation, mechanization, substitution of harmful materials, controlling dust, enclosure, isolation, and use of protective devices. Legislation measures provide legal protections and benefits to workers through various Indian labor laws governing factors like work hours, wages, leave, and medical/disability benefits.

1. PREVENTION OF
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES

2. 1. MEDICAL MEASURES
2. ENGINEERING MEASURES
3. LEGISLATION MEASURES

3. 1. MEDICAL MEASURES
(a) Pre-placement examination – It is the
foundation of efficient occupational health services.
Worker’s medical, family, occupational, social history
is taken. Thorough physical examination, x- ray,
ECG, vision testing, urine and blood examination. In
this way a right person is employed for right job
(ergonomics). Pre-placement examination is also
necessary for future comparison. Some industries
do not do this job like small scale industries, mines,
etc. Examination should be frequent. Care to be
taken of the employees returning from sickness.

4. (b) Periodical Examination – it is
necessary because sometimes disease
develops during working hours after days or
weeks. So recognition of disease in time is
necessary to cure. This frequency may be
once a year or once a month or once a
week depending on type of the industry,
particularly the workers returning from
sickness.

5. (c) Medical and Health Care Services – It is
basic health care service. ESIS provides
medical care to worker and his family. First
aid services be provided whenever
necessary which can reduce suffering and
disability. Timely immunization be given
whenever necessary.

6. (d) Notification – Some diseases require
notification to higher authorities under the
Factories Act for taking necessary steps for
control, investigate the circumstances and
situation.
(e) Supervision of working environment
– Frequent visits by the physician to be
given to the working place to know about
environment like temperature, lighting,
ventilation, humidity, noise, space per
worker, air pollution and sanitations which
may exert ill effect on the health of worker.
Night work, shift work, weight lifting should
also be observed.

7. (f) Maintenance of records – Proper
records be maintained for planning,
development and efficient operation of
service.
(g) Health education and counseling –
Workers be educated for correct use of
protective devices like mask, gloves, apron,
boots. Hand washing, pairing the nails,
bodily cleanliness be explained. Education
can be given by charts, posters, hand bills.

8. 2. ENGINEERING MEASURES
(a) Design of building – Type of floor, walls, height,
ceiling, roof, doors and windows should be properly
constructed before the start of occupation, because
change can not be done afterwards.
(b) Good house keeping –Attention be given to
general cleanliness, ventilation, lighting, washing, food
arrangements. Dusts should be cleaned by vacuum or
by weight agents. Devices, equipments be kept clean.
The right thing should be in the right place.

9. (c) General ventilation – Provision of fresh air
incoming and bed air out going should be available.
Sufficient space be provided to each worker for
comfortable working. Good ventilation decreases
airborne hazards specially dust and gases.
(d) Mechanization – The plant be mechanized to the
fullest extent to reduce direct contact with harmful
substances. In this way diseases like dermatitis may be
prevented.
(e) Substitution – Replacement of a harmful material by
a harmless one. For example white phosphorus can be
replaced by phosphorus sesquisulphide in match
industry. Zink and iron paints may be used in place of
lead paints

10. (f) Dusts – They can be removed by wet
cleaning, exhaust fans.
(g) Enclosure – Some machine like grinding
machinery should be enclosed to stop pollution
of the air.
(h) Isolation – The places, where offensive
process is occurring should be isolated to save
the other workers exposure. Certain operation
may be done at night shift.

11. (i) Protective devices – Devices like
respirators, ear plugs, ear muffs, helmets,
safety shoes, aprons, gloves, gum boots,
screens, goggles should be used by the
workers for their safety.
(J) Monitoring Environment – Permissible
limits for dust and gases in the air should be
monitored periodically. Other factors like heat,
ventilation, lighting should be monitored by
the doctors and engineers jointly.

12. 3. LEGISLATION MEASURES
For the protection of the workers engaged
in different occupations, Government has
employed certain laws:-
1. Factories Act, 1948
2. Employees State Insurance Act, 1948
3. Mines Act
4. Minimum Wages Act
5. Maternity Benefit Act etc.

13. These rules and laws are providing legal
safety and aid to the worker and the family in
form of leaves with wages, financial aid,
definite hours of work, ergonomics, ban on
child labour, medical benefit, sickness
benefit, maternity benefit, disablement
benefit, dependant’s benefit, funeral
expenses and rehabilitation facilities.

14. Thanks