Occupational safety and health (OSH) is broadly charged with the protection of the safety and health of people engaged in work while they are in the work environment. This may also include individuals associated with the workers {e.g., family), the profession (e.g., co-workers, employers) and the community (e.g., customers, providers) who may be affected by the safety and health characteristics of the work environment. The importance of occupational safety and health has been recognized as early as the 19th century and has been the subject of many labor movements, rules and laws across the world. Because occupational safety and health is directly associated with the well-being and quality of life of workers, there are moral, financial and legal rights, responsibilities and implications.A\The occupational safety and health involves the integration of many disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, medicine, ergonomics, hygiene, psychology, economics and law. Such as, occupational safety and health plans typically rely on a structured multi-level approach in which components of each individual discipline are merged in a dynamic model. The ability of the occupational safety and health plans to evolve is an essential component due to ever-lasting changes in community, social, financial, technological, health and political determinants on a local and an international scale. These changes also have a two-way effect. For example, many well-studied occupational chemical hazards are eliminated due to changes in manufacturing/processing activities, while other chemical compounds, for which the potential safety and health impacts are poorly characterized, are introduced.A\The globalization of world economy, rapid technological advancements, new organizational and financial models and the rapid industrialization of developing and low-income countries with poor, if any, occupational safety and health laws and plans present major challenges to occupational safety and health as new hazards and risks are generated faster than the ability of existing occupational legislation and infrastructure to identify, prevent, control and/or mitigate them.A\Given the vast range of disciplines in occupational safety and health matters, a single book cannot capture and describe all the different aspects as they evolve over time and around the world. In this book, we concentrated on specialized topics covering three domains: (i) chemical hazards; (ii) workload management and (iii) occupational education. We also provide insights in occupational safety and health aspects in different intellectual and cultural environments, highlighting the coupling between occupational safety, health and the community at-large.

Preface vii

Chapter 1 Nanotechnology in Occupational Safety and Health 1

Chapter 2 Assessment of Tunnel NO2 and O3 Concentrations Using Passive Samplers: Applicability for Occupational Exposures 29

Chapter 3 Evaluation of a Safe Patient Handling Program among Health Care Workers 43

Chapter 4 Educating in Occupational Safety and Health: Schools As Change Agents 65

Chapter 5 Occupational Safety in Finland and South Korea 87

Chapter 6 Developments Regarding the Integration of the Occupational Safety and Health with Quality and Environment Management Systems 113

Index 147

中国医科院医学信息研究所