Occupational Health
Occupational health should aim at: “the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabilities; and, to summarize, the adaptation of work to man and of each man to his job." (World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation 1950)
Why does your Company need Occupational Health?
It aims to help your Company comply with Health and Safety Law. The Company has to identify and control significant and substantial risks that can contribute to ill health at work.
The company also has to advise employees on health issues and work with them to ensure high standards of health and safety, including environmental health.
Apart from legal factors; ensuring individuals are fit for proposed roles within your company, and ensuring that they remain fit can be beneficial. In addition if people become sick it is important to help to get them back to work as soon as possible, this can be mutually beneficial for employer and the employee.
Generally this all helps to maintain profitability of the company and general employee morale.
How Can Occupational Health help you and your Company?
- Helping to ensure your company's compliance with health, safety and disability discrimination legislation.
- Producing and or advising on the formulation of your company's health and safety policies, practices and procedures.
- Assisting management in controlling sickness absence and its costs.
- Advising the company in respect of individuals fitness for the job/role at pre employment and continuing through employment
- Reviewing the fitness of your employees following illness and overseeing rehabilitation to enable them to contribute to the business even if not fully fit.
- Assessing risks relating to the health of individuals and groups engaged in particular tasks, such as people working with chemicals, noise, biological agents, work equipment etc.
- Monitoring employees' health on an on-going basis.
- Organizing health promotion activities to help keep your workforce fit.
- Helping with policies and procedures for the management and alleviation of stress.
- Providing immunizations, and prophylaxis, travel packs and advice to employees who travel abroad on company business.
The Benefits!
Companies repeatedly say that people are their most precious resource. To protect this asset an occupational health practitioner working with your business can yield important benefits:
- Leaner company profiles mean that there are now fewer employees in companies – which make it crucial that employees are not incapacitated or lost through preventable ill health.
- Taking positive steps to improve employees' health will help recruit and retain staff, reduce staff turnover, enhance employee morale and enhance your company image.
- Pertinent, timely advice on compliance with legislation reduces the risk of costly prosecution and further loss of image.