OPAM Workshop: Basic Course in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Part II-245387

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Heather Williamson, a graduate of KCOM, specializes in family and disaster medicine and practices at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. In a presentation on plastics, she highlights the primary exposure routes: inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion. The plastics industry involves significant worker exposure risks, noting 59 work-related fatalities from 2013 to 2016. Dr. Williamson discusses various plastics, such as thermoplastics (acrylics, nylon, and Teflon) and thermosets (amino resins and urethane). Each has distinct toxicity risks, including respiratory issues, carcinogenic effects, and dermatitis. Additionally, she underscores the impact of additives in plastics and the necessity for safety precautions, such as using personal protective equipment (PPE). She also differentiates between safely using plastics and hazardous exposure, especially during manufacturing or combustion. Highlighting the disastrous Bhopal incident from isocyanate exposure, she emphasizes strict safety regulations in the production and handling of plastics.

Keywords

family and disaster medicine

plastics exposure

thermoplastics and thermosets

toxicity risks

personal protective equipment

Bhopal incident