Overview
Every employee has a legal right to expect an occupational health and safety work environment. Improvement in the quality of the workplace environment results in increased productivity, higher levels of health, comfort, safety and performance in the workforce, areas which can cause employee absenteeism. This also allows business owners for a reduction in compensation payouts as a result of accidents, amounts payable for non-complied legal obligations as well as a reduction in insurance payments regarding employees.
What is Occupational Health?
Occupational health and safety is a specialized branch of medicine that focuses on the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the workplace. And with government initiatives, health and safety changes, and ever-changing legislation the need for a broader scope of occupational health services is crucial.
The objectives of occupational health and safety are:
- Prevention of work-related ill health
- Advise on fitness for work, workplace, the prevention of occupational injuries and disease
- Recommend appropriate adjustments in the workplace to help people remain in work
- Improve the attendance and performance of the workforce
- Provide rehabilitation to help people return to work, and give advice on suitable alternative work for people with health problems
- Promote health in the workplace and healthy lifestyles
- Recommend and implement appropriate policies to maintain a safe and healthy workplace
- Conduct research into work-related health issues
- Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations
Components of Occupational Health and Safety
This component represents a framework for modelling an effective health and safety program or a basis for performing a gap analysis on the organization’s approach.
- Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Control
This aspect is essential to any health and safety program. Certainly, this involves proactive hazard recognition, the people actually doing the work, equipment/materials used in the work process, and processes/practices themselves. Once hazards have been identified and prioritized they must be controlled. - Workplace Design and Engineering
Thoughtful workplace design is a fundamental element for supporting employee performance. Some of this is already done by building code (e.g., electrical standards, fire suppression, and egress requirements) but other aspects must be consciously addressed such as ergonomics, ventilation, and noise requirements for the anticipated work at hand, equipment and machine safeguarding, materials handling and storage, use of automated processes, and added reserve capacity. - Workplace Design and Engineering
Thoughtful workplace design is a fundamental element for supporting employee performance. Some of this is already done by building code (e.g., electrical standards, fire suppression, and egress requirements) but other aspects must be consciously addressed such as ergonomics, ventilation, and noise requirements for the anticipated work at hand, equipment and machine safeguarding, materials handling and storage, use of automated processes, and added reserve capacity. - Safety Performance Management
The means to verify the safety performance of the organization and to validate the effectiveness of safety risk controls. This can be thought of as the measurable actions of employees in relation to safety in their work. Performance measurement should reflect how workers are actually doing compared to applicable regulatory requirements and identified corporate goals. - Information Collection
Information is the lifeblood for making the right decisions. Its later management is equally essential for the collection of data. Much of the safety and health information collected must be managed properly to maintain regulatory compliance. - Training and Orientation
No matter how small or large a company is, workers in all fields of industry face workplace dangers that can threaten their health and safety. That is why it is essential for companies to provide health and safety training for their workers and to update this knowledge on a regular basis.
Importance of Occupational Health & Safety
All industries do have safety risks but the management should devote their time to think and strategize the things that what safety precautions are required in their company to make sure that their workers are safe enough for all the time. As a result, this helps them in improving the productivity and quality of the products and a lot more.
- Well-maintained occupational safety saves money
An injured employee easily means countless lost man-hours and quickly adds up to not only billions but trillions of dollars in the company’s expenses. Another big loss to a company comes from decreased work morale and increased employee retention when occupational safety is not well-maintained. Occupational health clinics, however, are committed to getting an injured employee back to work as soon as possible by promptly delivering efficient and effective services to their patients. Minimizing the time out of work along with shorter treatment times mean reduced expenses for the employer. - Fewer injuries increase productivity workplace injuries and unsafe working environments are bad for employee morale. Moreover, an employee who is concerned about being hurt isn’t able to devote full attention to daily work tasks. Having a preventive program is essential to promote and maximize safety, health, productivity, and stronger relationship with employees.
- Increase Public PerceptionWe are also living in an era when anyone can update their social media profiles of bad management experiences or post a review of the company. Therefore, a company that operates in an unsafe manner can turn away customers. It might also lead to a situation where the HR department receives fewer applications from good candidates.
Business owners must understand that safety goes well beyond their employees. When thinking about productivity, positive team morale increases positive customer interactions, which leads to customer retention and loyalty.
Takeaway
Occupational medicine facilities are tailored to treat employees who have been injured on the job. When dealing with a work-related injury, it is best to go to an Occupational Medicine facility to get treated. After all, you wouldn’t visit a neurologist for a broken bone.
Gurmu Occmed Svs is an occupational medicine clinic in Hanford, California that specializes solely in Occupational Health. We have a wide breadth of experience in dealing with work-related injuries and helping employees get back on their feet in no time. Schedule a consultation with us today!
