Table 6
“Main hazards and other occupational health concerns” reported by university occupational health services in surveys in 2002, 2003, or 2004
| Topic | Reports | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Reports from 95 of 117 universities and constituent parts of federal universities. | ||
| Stress | 70 | Includes work overload, excess working hours, work/life balance, depression, and anxiety |
| Manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders | 52 | Includes caretakers and porters |
| Research animals, laboratory animal allergy, asthma, and allergies | 46 | Includes generic respiratory and skin sensitisation; use of chemicals and maintenance staff in animal houses; latex allergy in dentists |
| Chemicals and laboratory or workshop hazards | 41 | Includes unspecified health surveillance, sensitisation, toxicology and chemicals; chemicals used in arts subjects; a wide range of specific hazards, including solvents, acrylic resins, arsine, colophony, epoxy resins, glues and resins research, heavy metals, metal working fluids, mineral oils, vibration, cement research |
| Display screen equipment | 39 | Includes work related upper limb disorder and repetitive strain injury |
| Infection, pathogens | 29 | Includes genetically modified organisms, laboratory and unspecified bloodborne viruses, foreign travel, zoos, biological agents, microorganisms |
| Sickness absence | 16 | Includes lack of an absence policy and non-specific poor management of sickness absence |
| Radiation | 15 | |
| Poor management | 13 | Includes ignorant management, management apathy, poor management of health surveillance, lack of involvement of the OHS in decision making, poor organisation of occupational health and safety provision, lack of resource for the OHS, poor health promotion opportunities |
| Accidents | 10 | Includes machinery |
| Clinical workers | 9 | Includes nurses and optometrists |
| Noise | 8 | |
| Lasers | 6 | |
| Construction work | 5 | Includes buildings and estates workers, and hand-arm vibration syndrome in buildings and estates workers |
| Alcohol and drugs | 3 | |
| Other named hazards | 11 | Includes farming and agriculture, asbestos, marine biology, scientific diving, dust, detergents |
| Other named occupational health concerns | 16 | Student occupational health, management referrals, audiometry for music teachers, university drivers, night workers, lone workers, food handlers, cardiovascular disease, harassment and bullying, hoaxes and threats, road traffic through campus, smoking |
| Total | 389 | |
