- What is occupational health?
- Objectives of occupational health
- Occupational health functions
- Causes of occupational health
We explain what occupational health is and what its objectives are. What specific functions it has and what are its causes.
The S.O. generates and promotes that work is healthy and safe.What is occupational health?
Occupational health, according to the World Health Organization (who), is defined as a multidisciplinary activity that controls and performs measures of prevention to take care of the health of all workers. This includes illnesses, any type of accident and all the factors that could endanger the life, the Health wave security of people in their respective jobs.
Decades ago, discussions began on the importance of the health of workers who expose their bodies in a risky way when doing their jobs. It is for this reason that occupational health was created in order to promote and maintain as much as possible the physical and mental well-being of women. persons who own a job.
Occupational health, in its origins, was invented in order to help and protect those who had more risks physical when they worked, but nowadays, it includes workers of any profession or trade so that the work adapts to the man, and the man to the work.
Objectives of occupational health
As main objective, occupational health generates and promotes that work is healthy and safe. For this, it protects workers from the possibility that there is a risk in the work environment for their health or well-being.
In turn, it is related to analyze the environment and adapt it to both the physical and mental conditions of the workers. It is for this reason that three main occupational health goals were established.
In the first place, the health of the employees must be maintained and promoted, as well as the capacity that each one possesses. Working conditions must be optimal enough to promote their health and well-being.
Finally, emphasis will be placed on creating organizational systems to promote health and safety in the workplace. A positive climate should be promoted in organization, it will seek to achieve a greater efficiency and thus be able to optimize the productivity of each company.
Occupational health functions
Although each country will have its own regulations regarding occupational health, there are certain functions that are general and fundamental.
- You must identify and evaluate any type of risk that could affect the workplace.
- You must analyze the factors that concern the work environment and analyze whether any practice carried out there may harm the health or well-being of the workers. workers.
- Provide advice regarding health, safety and hygiene, and ergonomics.
- It will be in charge of spreading the information necessary and educate workers regarding health and hygiene.
- It will control that the regulations related to quality and hygiene of the place.
Causes of occupational health
The worker must use the appropriate clothing and equipment.
The problems with which it deals with occupational health are linked to everything that happens in the workplace or as a consequence of the work they do.
Some examples of these accidents can be: fractures, cuts, amputations, any type of disorders caused by a movement repetitive, problems that may arise in the ears due to a particular noise that exists in the workplace, vision problems -even blindness-, any disease caused by difficulty with breathe, caused by exposure to radiation or exposure to germs found in places where health care should be available.
It is essential that a workplace can be provided with the necessary conditions to provide health and safety to all workers. The prevention of future illnesses or accidents must be carried out in order to reduce the risks of these problems occurring.
In turn, all workers must take care of their own health and well-being on their own; In other words, if their work requires using the body in a risky way, they must keep themselves in good physical condition and healthy. It is always advised to do everything you can to reduce the level of stress that job obligations can cause.
Finally, each person must verify that their work area maintains adequate working conditions and must always use the appropriate clothing and equipment.