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