occupational health and safety as a global public health concern and the situation in guyana
abstract
i now wish to turn to ... workers in whom certain morbid
affections gradually arise from ... some particular posture of the
limbs or unnatural movements of the body called for while they
work. [regarding] maladies that afflict the clerk [:] incessant
driving of the pen over paper causes intense fatigue of the hand
and the whole arm ... those who sit at their work ... become bent,
humpbacked, and hold their heads down like people looking for
something on the ground; this is the effect of their sedentary life
and the bent posture of the body as they sit and apply themselves
all day to their tasks. (ramazzini, 1713/2001, p. 1380)
two thirds of the world's population is involved in paid work. more often
than not, this involvement is a necessity and the means through which workers, as well
as economies seek to gain and maintain economic progress and by extension provide
access to or provision of services such as education and health. an occupation on the
one hand can provide satisfaction, elevate one's self esteem, and give a sense of order
and identity (stone, 2003). on the other hand, workers may be exposed to hazards that
can adversely affect their health.
work related injuries are not a new phenomenon; they were well described over
400 years ago by ramazzini, who, because of his contribution to the recognition of the