Occupational health

Week 4, Friday

Psychology 360
Outline_
I. Changing nature of occupational health
II. Workplace diseases of the 90s
III. The mysterious case of CTDs
IV. Exam and paper update
A picture of occupational health
Changes over the 20th Century
unions worked to produce safe working conditions
protective legislation (e.g., creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration - OSHA)
dramatic decline in injury and death rates
increase in claims for disease categories
Workplace diseases of the ‘90s
What’s similar about these diseases?
diagnostically confusing
widely publicized
controversial
incidence is increasing rapidly
The mysterious case of CTDs
What it is:
CTD = Cumulative Trauma Disorder
affects soft tissue and nerves
aggravated by repetitive use of same muscle group
Specific diseases and syndromes:
carpal tunnel syndrome
tenosynovitis or “tennis elbow”
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
median and ulnar nerves connect fingers to the brain
compression of these nerves by the transverse carpal ligament causes CTS
result is numbness, burning, and tingling
Some CTD Facts
Incidence:
18% of all occupational disease reports in 1981
66%  in 1993 (302,400 cases)
predicted damage claims over $10 billion
Who gets it:
meat cutters (1993: 36,500)
grocery clerks (1993: 5,800)
auto workers (1993: 42,600 cases)
What’s mysterious about CTDs?
during 80s -- epidemic among Australian computer users, rare in U.S.
conflicting evidence from NIOSH studies
same work, different incidence rates
CTD Solutions
industrial engineers -- design ergonomically appropriate tools
unions -- change work rules
physical therapists -- conduct job training
doctors -- screen for people at risk
government -- develop standards
psychologists -- search for psychosocial causes
Windshield installation: Before ergonomic intervention
Windshield installation: After ergonomic intervention
Exam and paper update
Exam:
one hour, in class on Monday, October 23
6 to 8 questions, you write 4 or 5
you may bring one 3" x 5" index card, filled on both sides with notes
Paper:
due in lecture, Friday, October 30 (24 days)
read guidelines carefully
come to office hours if you have questions!
Copyright © 1996, The Regents of the University of Michigan, All rights reserved.
Revised - November 4, 1996