Occupational health
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Transcript of Occupational health
Introduction to Occupational Health
Dr Faisal Al Hadad
Consultant of Family Medicine & Occupational Health
PSMMC
What is occupational health?
Multifaceted and multidisciplinary activity concerned with the prevention of ill health in employed populations (Harrington et al, 2007)
The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers in all occupations (ILO/WHO, 1950)
Why OH is important?
Work ↔ Health
Costs on workers Direct costs on employers Indirect costs on employers
Costs of occupational injury or illness on workers
The pain and suffering of the injury or illness
The loss of income
The possible loss of a job
Health-care costs
Direct costs of occupational injury or illness on employers
Payment for work not performed
Medical and compensation payments
Reduction or a temporary halt in production
Possible reduction in the quality of work
Indirect costs of occupational injury or illness on employers
The injured/ill worker has to be replaced
A new worker has to be trained and given time to adjust
It takes time before the new worker is producing at the rate of the original worker
Time must be devoted to obligatory investigations, to the writing of reports and filling out of forms
Accidents often arouse the concern of fellow workers Poor health and safety conditions in the workplace can result in
poor public relations
Who is involved in OH ?
OH Physician OH Nurse Occupational hygienist Health and Safety adviser Counsellor/Psychologist Ergonomist Manual Handling Adviser
Occupational Health Physician
OH services provided by OH physician:
Sickness absence assessments
Health surveillance Advice on adjustments and rehabilitation for ill, injured or disabled
workers
Advice on risk management
Meetings with managers
Setting policies and procedures
Occupational Health Nurse
OH services provided by OH nurse:
- immunizations
- pre-employment screening
- workplace monitoring
- health promotion
- counseling
- first aid training
- sickness absence assessments
- advice on risk management
- health surveillance
Occupational hygienist
Occupational hygienist is a specialist in assessing and monitoring
workplace exposures
OH services provided by OH Occupational hygienist : Hazard identification Exposure evaluation Management/control of hazards
Other OH professionals
Ergonomist: specializes in fitting the task to the human
Manual Handling Adviser: manual handling comprises any non-mechanized (or incompletely mechanized) manipulation of a load including lifting, pushing, pulling, sliding or carrying
Roles of the OH professional
Helping with company compliance with the law
Advising on health and safety policy
Assisting in the control of sickness absence
Reviewing the fitness of employees' post-sickness absence
Managing rehabilitation
Advising on fitness to work
Roles of the OH professional
Managing access to first aid services
Organizing health promotion initiatives
Designing and managing substance abuse programmes at work
Advising on the management and alleviation of stress
Advising employees about overseas travel on company business
Assessing employees' eligibility for long-term disability benefits or retirement on health grounds