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processing industry. The source of the contamination must be eliminated
or, when that is not possible, protective equipment must be worn.
Common physical hazards include ambient heat, burns, noise,
vibration, sudden pressure changes, radiation, and electric shock.

Industrial safety engineers attempt to eliminate hazards at their source or
to reduce their intensity. If this is impossible, workers are required to
wear protective equipment. Depending on the hazard, this equipment

may include safety glasses, earplugs or earmuffs face masks, heat or
radiation protection suits, boots, gloves, and helmets. To be effective,
however, the protective equipment must be appropriate, properly
maintained, and worn by the worker.

If the physical, psychological, or environmental demands on
workers exceed their capabilities, ergonomic hazards arise. This type of
hazard frequently occurs in the area of materials handling, where

workers must lift or carry heavy loads. Poor working posture or
improper design of the workplace often results in muscle strains, sprains,
fractures, bruises, and back pain. These injuries account for 25 percent

of all occupational injuries, and their control requires designing the job
so that workers can perform it without overexerting themselves.

6. LAW

Impact of the UN on International Law

The UN began its life with a membership of 50 nations. In the

1990s, because of the growth of newly independent nations, that number
had reached 180. The aims and purposes of the organization encompass

the maintenance of peace and security and the suppression of acts of
aggression. The Charter also expressly includes among its objectives the
maintenance of respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other
sources of international law. For that reason the Charter established the

International Court of Justice as one of the most important UN organs
and specifically charged the General Assembly with the progressive
development and codification of international law. To carry out this task,

the General Assembly has created two subsidiary organs: the
International Law Commission and the Commission on International
Trade Law.
The International Law Commission, on assignment by the General

Assembly, has prepared drafts of treaties codifying and modernizing a

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