Government strategies and recommendations, the European Union legislation in health and safety at work, and the European Commission program in public health have driven the rapid development of workplace health protective and preventive services. This was also largely due to the new demands and expectations from employers, employees, and their representative bodies as they recognize the economic, social, and health benefits achieved by providing these services at the workplace, thus providing the available knowledge and evidence necessary for the continuous improvement of workplace health management.
Comprehensive workplace health management involves all stakeholders inside and outside any business. It aims to empower them to control their health and their family’s health, considering environmental, lifestyle, occupational, and social health determinants and quality of health care. It is based on health promotion principles and creates a great challenge to health, environmental, and safety professionals providing services, advice, information, and education to social partners at work. It also involves taking care of the considerable socioeconomic interest of all stakeholders. It has been shown in several instances that the business utilizing a well-managed research-based occupational health service can gain a competitive advantage by:
Protecting human health against health and safety hazards occurring in the work environment. Promoting human health workplaces for all ages and healthy aging by appropriate OH work culture, work organization, and support to social cohesion. Promoting mental health, healthy lifestyle, and preventing major non-communicable diseases using specific workplace health policies and management tools. Maintaining workability, thus also employability throughout working life. Reducing health care costs caused by employees’ and employers’ injuries, diseases, illnesses, and premature retirement resulting from or influenced by occupational, environmental, lifestyle, and social health determinants.
Using resources effectively protects the natural environment and creates a healthy, supportive environment.
Improving social communication and literacy on health, environment, and ethics. This article series describes the author’s observations of various roles undertaken by the occupational health nurse. While recognizing the wide variation in occupational health nursing practice between industrial and blue-collar environments, this series reflects the standards that have already been achieved where occupational health nursing is at its most advanced.
However, it has to be recognized that the level of education, professional skills, and the existing national legislation determines what role can be undertaken by occupational health nurses. Even more important is to remember that no one professional out of the current workplace health professions can meet all the working population’s health needs. A multi-disciplinary approach is needed to effectively manage the growing workplace health and safety demands in business today. Workplace health services use the skills of many professionals, such as specialist occupational physicians, safety engineers, occupational hygienists, occupational health nurses, ergonomists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, laboratory technicians, psychologists, and other specialists.
The role and tasks performed for the companies by representatives of different health and safety professions vary greatly depending upon legislative needs, the scope of the workplace health concept perceived by directors, enforcement practice, the level of their education, position in the occupational health infrastructure, actions undertaken by insurance institutions and many other factors. Occupational health nurses are the largest single group of health professionals involved in delivering health services at the workplace and have the most important role in workplace health management. They are at the frontline in helping protect and promote the health of the nation’s working population.
READ MORE :
- How Britain funds the ‘propaganda war’ against Isis in Syria
- Gears of War: When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves
- Top tips: Making connections – gaining value from the Internet of Things
- Five Candidates for Baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2016
- How to become a software developer without a degree
The role of the occupational health nurse in workplace health management is a new and exciting concept designed to improve the management of health and health-related problems in the workplace. Specialist occupational health nurses can play a major role in protecting and enhancing the health of the working population as part of this strategy. Occupational health nurses can also contribute to sustainable development, improved competitiveness, job security, and increased profitability of businesses and communities by addressing those factors related to the health of the working population.
By helping to reduce ill health, occupational health nurses can contribute to organizations’ increased profitability and performance and reduce healthcare costs. Occupational health nurses can also help reduce the externalization of costs onto the taxpayer by preventing disability and social exclusion and improving rehabilitation services at work. By protecting and promoting the working population’s health and social inclusion, occupational health nurses can also contribute to building a caring social ethos within the UK. This article guides employers and employees on establishing workplace health management systems within their organizations. How to determine and develop the role and functions of the occupational health nursing specialist within each enterprise and where to go for additional help and advice about occupational health nursing.
