What Is an Occupational Health Service?

 

An occupational health service is a comprehensive program of preventive and curative activities to improve the working environment and to protect workers. This type of service offers health and safety education, rehabilitative services and pre-placement testing. Occupational health services are designed to promote the highest possible standards of health and safety in the workplace.

 

These services may include occupational medicine, ergonomics, behavioral health and more. They may also be offered at facilities nearby the workplace. Some of the benefits of these services include employee wellness programs, telemedicine, immunizations and more. Many businesses have benefited greatly from these services, and these benefits are not a one-time investment. Investing in occupational health gives employees reassurance that they will be safe at work, which helps to maintain high morale. High morale leads to productivity, retention and a positive workplace. In addition to these benefits, investing in occupational health can save money.

 

The scope of occupational health services has expanded to include psychological and social aspects. The World Health Organization has argued for the need to integrate occupational health into broader public health services. It has also been asked to provide guidance on good practices and basic packages for occupational health services. However, most of these services are still offered in an informal setting, which means that they are not as uniform as they might be. Fortunately, intervention programs have been developed that have shown great potential for improving the availability of these services.

 

In addition, some companies have developed specialized on-site clinics that offer a wide variety of occupational health and wellness services. Besides providing health education and counseling, these on-site clinics also allow employers to save time and money.

 

Workplace wellness program service functions should be tailored to the needs of the enterprise and its workforce. An initial orientation of the enterprise and its production system will help to identify hazards and special needs that must be addressed. When it is necessary, a walk-through survey should be conducted by a multidisciplinary occupational health team. Interviews should be conducted with managers, foremen and workers to determine their needs. Special hygiene checks can be performed when necessary.

 

Most occupational health instruments emphasize the need for workplace surveillance. This surveillance involves monitoring hazardous exposures and monitoring and reporting on the outcomes of occupational health and safety activities. Workplace surveillance also helps to identify the priorities for control actions. Other interventions are aimed at preventing illness or injury before it starts. Depending on the nature of the hazard and the level of risk, the interventions can be either primary or secondary. Primary interventions focus on preventing disease before it begins, while secondary prevention is aimed at preventing injury after it occurs.

 

Occupational health has been recognized by the World Health Organization as a vital part of the global plan of action on workers' health. WHO has asked its member states to encourage the development of capacity in their countries and to stimulate international efforts. For example, the 60th World Health Assembly of the WHO urged 193 countries to improve the coverage of occupational health. Check out this blog to get enlightened on this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_counseling.