OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Handling of Occupational Health and Safety Issues

Introduction

A safe work environment is one which is free from injuries and ill health, has high-performance standards and prevents damage to property, and avoids incidents such as loss events. The health and safety of workers in the United States of America is enforced and administered by Department of Labor (DOL). According to United States Department of Labor (2010), The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act renders all employers under it to comply by providing its employees a workplace that is free from serious hazards. There are sections that provide standards to be followed in different health and safety standards. High level of management commitment, inspection programs and hazard control program are a pre-requisite of effective workplace safety. Occupational health and safety professionals in a Home Service Organization such as Hospital included but not limited to:

Occupational and environmental health nurses

This area of expertise provides programs to workers and community groups, related to health and safety. OHNs focus on developing such programs and their promotion for workers and educate them the aptitude required to be responsible for their well being. Health programs such as smoking-cessation, physical fitness, healthy diet, and weight-control are offered.

Occupational medicine physicians

Work related injuries are dealt with by an occupational medicine physician. Such injuries may include lung disease, breathing problem, allergies and burns related to chemicals etc. They also work with employers to prevent injuries related to workplace, accidents and sickness.

Industrial hygienists

Industrial Hygienists make use of scientific methods and mostly require past professional experience to predict and prevent potential hazards, risk and threats related to workplace and other environmental studies (Mcgraham, 2002).

Literature Review

The need for occupational safety and health

The health and safety of the workers is the responsibility of the employer. This is one of his prime responsibilities and basic rights of the workers. In order to ensure that the environment provided for the workers and employees are free from risks and hazards, the employer should not only make specific safety measures and guidelines but also monitor and maintain health and safety on a continual basis. In other words, there is a need to remain focuses on achieving workplace safety excellence (York, 2010). Workplace safety excellence is a rather novel concept and involves ensuring a secure environment for the employees of the organization. In this context, it is imperative to lay down the constituent characteristics of a safe environment. A work environment that is free from injuries and ill health, avoids incidents such as loss events, has high-performance standards and prevents damage to property may be considered as a safe workplace (United States Department of Labor, 2010).

Due to scores of different working conditions, Human Service Organizations such as Hospitals have to work in the presence of many forms of occupational health and safety issues and have to effectively handle them in order to avoid any possible danger that could arise out of these issues and hurt patient, staff or doctors etc. Hospital personnel during the provision of healthcare ...