Chapter 18

Abstract:

Chapter 18 focused on Safety and Health in the workplace. The chapter begins with statistics relating to occupational injuries. An estimated 2.2 million people die yearly from occupational injuries. Also an estimated 160 million work-related disease occurs worldwide. Other than the time spent at home, the second largest portion of Americas people spend their time at work. Therefore a safe and healthy workplace is essential to helping America reach their fully health potential. The book then goes into the history of occupational safety and health problems. Before the 1970's there were very few work places that offered little to no protection against injuries. It wasn't uncommon to find unhealthy work places. Mining was the number one in most dangerous work places but cotton mills and textile factories came in second. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was set forth to raise consciousness of both management and labor to the problems of health and safety in the workplace. Going back further, before child labor laws were passes, it was not uncommon to see children work long hours at dangerous workplaces such as mining. A huge pioneer mentioned was Alica Hamilton who helped spike awareness to these issues. The chapter then went into discussion about the different types of injuries and types of work. The book showed several graphs that compared the different types of jobs versus the injuries that happened. It went through the difference between ages and what type of injury one might have suffered. The book then went into a discussion about workplace violence, or intentional injury. Researchers have divided workplace violence into four categories. 1. Criminal Intent (Type I) 2. Customer/Client (Type II) 3. Worker-on-worker (Type III) 4. Personal Relationships (Type IV). The chapter end with explaining the different types of occupational injuries and prevention strategies. One type of prevention is the use of occupational doctors and nurses. Another type mentioned in the chapter was occupational safety and health programs. This topic has subdivisions including preplacement examinations, occupational disease prevention programs and safety programs, work site health promotion programs and employee assistance programs.

Reflection:

Our group really focused more on the statistics the book showed. It startled us to realize how many unintentional injuries occurred and how much of them could be prevented. Our group was completely unaware of how many injuries, cases of disease and deaths people actually suffered from in their work place. A lot of the statistics the book showed us were not at all familiar. It is a given that most of the fatalities would come from a construction or some kind of maintenance job but that some of the jobs that ranked in near the top were jobs dealing with retail trade, and government. This chapter was a very resourceful chapter because it dealt with a lot of concepts we could relate to. Since we are in college and are looking for permanent workplaces once we graduate, it is crucial we take all of the factors discussed in this chapter into consideration.

Chapter Seven: Abstract & Reflection

Abstract:
Chapter 7 discusses the important issue of the health of the mother, infant, and child. Abortion is discussed, and arguments from each side are presented. Pro- life groups argue that performing abortion is an act of murder because they generally believe that life begins at conception and an embryo is a person. They offer adoption as an alternative to abortion. Pro-choice groups say that women should have the right to reproductive freedom and that a woman should not have to carry an unwanted child to term. They support this by raising issues of child abuse and neglect against unwanted children. Maternal health is detailed greatly. Maternal health encompasses the health of women in the childbearing years, including those in the pre-pregnancy period, those who are pregnant, and those who are caring for young children. Two to three maternal deaths occur in the U.S. each day, which are defined as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.” The five leading causes of maternal deaths are hemorrhage, embolism, pregnancy-induced hypertension, sepsis/infection, and anesthesia-related complications. Prenatal care is essential for all mothers. It should begin before pregnancy when a couple is planning to have a child. The goal of prenatal care is to provide the best care for the pregnant woman and the unborn child, as well as preparing the mother-to-be for the delivery of a healthy baby. Women who receive proper prenatal care have better pregnancy outcomes than women who do not. A large aspect of infant health depends on the mother’s health and her health behavior prior to and during pregnancy, her level of prenatal care, the quality of her delivery, and the infant’s environment after birth. There has been a gradual decrease in infant mortality from 1980 to 2000 based largely on improvement in medical care practices, better nutrition, and the recommendation that infants be placed on their backs when sleeping, and increased educational levels. The leading causes of infant death include congenital abnormalities, preterm/low birth weight, SIDS, problems related to complications of pregnancy, and respiratory distress syndrome. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breast-fed for their first year of life. Breast milk is the ideal food for babies, and in addition, breastfeeding has been shown to “improve maternal health by reducing postpartum bleeding, allowing for an earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.” Child health covers children ages 1 to 14 years. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of childhood mortality; in fact, unintentional injuries kill more children than all disease combined. They’re mainly caused by motor vehicle crashes. Three huge factors in the health of children are unintentional injuries, child maltreatment, and infectious diseases. There is a program called the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program which is a special supplemental food program for woman, infants, and children, sponsored by the USDA. There are associations for children which advocate child health and welfare including the Children’s Defense Fund, UNICEF, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Reflection:
The group was astounded to discover that unintentional injuries caused more childhood deaths than all disease combined. Injury-related morbidity is much more prevalent among children. The issue of prenatal care is so important, yet many women are oblivious to this. Many women are still drinking throughout their pregnancies which puts that unborn child, who is absolutely defenseless and innocent, at a risk of having a life afflicted with FAS. FAS children are underdeveloped and many cannot function as individuals in society. It is sad that these mothers could put their child through that. Drinking during pregnancy is such a preventable problem that it really makes you wonder why it is still going on today.