Why occupational health

There are several types of hazards employees may be exposed to depending on their industry: Physical hazards are environmental factors that can lead to injuries.

These include exposed electrical wiring, falling objects, wet floors, and other conditions that can cause slips, falls, cuts, or other injuries. Biological hazards can lead to diseases, infections, and other serious health conditions.

Mold and fungi, blood and other bodily fluids, bacteria, viruses, sewage, and vermin are all examples of biological hazards. Using Personal Protective Equipment PPE is vital to preventing exposure to biological hazards and protecting your health. Chemical hazards can be inhaled as gases or vapors, or come in contact with skin as a liquid or solid.

They can cause skin irritation, burns, respiratory problems, blindness, or other serious health complications. Chemicals such as cleaning products, acids, pesticides, and petroleum products need to be handled responsibly with proper PPE to prevent exposure. Long-term illness or disability can contribute to performance issues, and can tend to attract scrutiny from occupational health physicians.

It is important for every doctor with a disability to have access to appropriate and timely occupational health advice and support, to prevent short-term sickness becoming long-term. This is also a public policy imperative, to reduce the risk of people falling out altogether of the employment market. Download document to continue reading. We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. Companies need to safeguard against potential risks, but there are several professions and industries that have higher-than-usual occupational health risks, including:.

For example, an employee might miss days of work due to repetitive motions in the job, resulting in the need for an operation to correct carpal tunnel syndrome. All jobs have health risks, and the key to managing those risks is understanding what they are and putting the right resources in place to reduce those risks — and then handling issues more effectively and efficiently when they occur.

Occupational health is designed to prevent health-related challenges in the workplace and also help employees treat any existing health issues. This area of health provides a proactive preventive approach to managing workplace-related issues and may provide a variety of services, including the following:.

Providing these types of services has many benefits for employees and their employers. Missing days of work can cause hardship for employees and employers. Understanding the benefits of occupational health can help companies communicate the value to employees and create a relationship that is healthy and collaborative. One of the major benefits of implementing a strong occupational health program is helping reduce workplace injuries and mitigate the risk.

Other benefits include the following. Reduced expenses. Occupational health specializes in understanding the types of injuries that employees face and focuses on helping employees get better and back to work.

This helps companies reduce overall expenses and assists employees with getting the exact care they need to treat the injury. This type of program can aid in creating preventative measures to ensure that the workplace is safer. For example, employers might require pre-employment drug screening to make sure that employees operating heavy equipment or driving vehicles are doing so safely. An employer might also require physicals and other medical checkups.

One of the primary goals of occupational medicine is prevention. Prevention programs are designed to help minimize the risk of occupational health issues and prevent employees from becoming sick or injured on the job. They may include health assessment and other wellness programs to assist employees in specific circumstances with remaining healthy. Working with an occupational health provider that has a wide variety of experiences to help employees get back on their feet more quickly is useful in keeping employees safe and secure on the job.

For example, pre-placement physical exams and pre-employment drug screenings can make sure that new hires are the right fit to safely perform their job tasks.

Ensuring that an employee is up to the physical demands of a job is critical to preventing potential injuries. This empowers companies to hire the right person for the right job. Setting up employees for success also includes preventative measures, including things such as the following:.

These processes can help employees avoid work hazards and minimize the risk of injury. Regular health screenings, also known as preventative exams, can also help employees identify potential issues sooner and proactively get treatment.

Employees working with hazardous materials may also benefit from medical surveillance experts, who can help companies reduce worker exposure to occupational hazards and lower the risk of health issues. For example, workers may be exposed to hazards such as toxic chemicals or extreme noise.

These medical surveillance exams will help safeguard workers by implementing consistent safeguards to ensure that employees are operating with their maximum health in mind.

Companies are dedicated to helping make the work environment as safe as possible for employees. Employers want to ensure there are minimal potential hazards and that employees maximize their health.

Accomplishing this requires the careful consideration of an occupational safety program. Which program is best for your employees, and what can it do to help reduce risk? With the right program in place, employees will feel safer and more cared for by their employer. They will know that their employer cares about keeping them healthy in the workplace and is dedicated to their well-being and safety on the job.