It includes role of occupational health

Running head: HEALTHCARE
Healthcare
Report
Student Name

HEALTHCARE 1
Introduction
Occupational health and safety is considered an approach which offers protection to health care
professional from injury as well as diseases. Health care professionals always work under risk
environment and this occupational health and safety act as a shield for their health (Robson et al.,
2012). This report is mainly focused on historical developments related to profession of
occupational health and safety. In addition, this report also includes modern era of Occupational
health and safety and related factors. It also includes a key element which is used to reduce risk
in health care service by professionals. It includes role of occupational health and safety in health
improvement of the society.
Historical development of OHS professional
Occupational health has its presence from industrial time and has become apparent when health
of people working in factories had been compromised. At present, health care profession is
experiencing changes from focused occupational illness to new challenges associated related to
service economy like musculoskeletal disorder, stress, anxiety, physical health and so on. Earlier
occupational health was limited to illness faced by workers in an industrial setting (Teusner,
2016). After industrial revolution, size of industry started changing from small to large which
was one of major shift occurred during British economy. But at the same time, this change also
bought many unique sets of issues which were potentially dangerous for working people. It also
includes extended working hours, risk related to chemicals and other related health issues. But
still, these types of facilities are limited when things are related to health care occupations. Due
to industrial revolution, many European countries had moved from manual to service-based
mechanisms in health care sectors especially hospitals and clinics (Pryor, 2019). Therefore, it has
become important to ramify health occupational in this situation. Various countries have adopted
technical advancement by introducing their new machinery and equipment in healthcare sectors
along with opening of service and commerce sectors. This has brought rapid change in structure
of occupational healthcare which has also included health safety of women in the workplace.
This rapid change in work structure has evolved complex health problems which have a direct
impact on the mental and physical health of an individual which were forced to work for long
hour’s especially in developing countries such as Africa. This has spread rapid flow of disease all
over the world because health facilities in developing countries were not advanced as compared
to developed countries (Cresswell and Sheikh, 2013). Both ergonomic, as well as psychosocial
factors have been transformed into new structures when compared to health situations before
industrial revolution. In this situation, health occupations were completely in need of new
structures in order to handle new challenges in health service in both developed as well as
developing countries. It has been explored that benefits related to health service occupation in
developing countries in both platforms locally as well as national level (Myers, 2019). The focus
of health service occupation was mainly focused on injuries and risky related to work-related
facts. Due to these issues organizations are facing problems in terms of high absenteeism which
has a direct impact on the overall production of the organization. This issue becomes more

HEALTHCARE 2
important when things are associated with those countries where skilled labours are already
limited.
Occupational health care is also facing issues related to work overload along with psychological
stress. But at the same time, occupational health service has adopted new approaches that
improve situations related to health and risky issues for workers (Paul and Pearse, 2016). They
have adopted legal framework in order to focus on those activities which may lead to
occupational injury along with impact of work environment on the health of an individual. A
clear set up of principles has been discovered in occupational health service in order to ensure
quality and business excellence. These guidelines are developed for specific to introduce
effective management in occupational health service. Various organizations have adopted
policies and procedures that maintain records related to activities that are linked with work
environment and work safety set up.
Elements to reduce injury and disease
At present organizations are very concerns towards safety of their employees because they are
aware that employees are the most important asset for their organization. Management believes
that technology can be copied, strategy can be copied by experience and skill of employees
cannot be copied and therefore they form unique benefits for the success of every organization.
One of the key elements used by organization offers safe environment to their employees
(Dixon-Woods et al., 2014). Safety culture consists of important components such as
psychological, behavioral and situational. A psychological component includes value,
perceptions and believes which helps in taking an effective decision in terms of safety.
Behavioural component is linked with approaches that can offer safety at the workplace.
Situational component take care of elements such as policies, regulations, and structure in order
to provide a safe work environment. It has been found that offering only better equipment and
instruments is not enough to offer safe environment and therefore commitment plays a very
important role in offering safety (Braithwaite et al., 2010). At present, it has become
responsibility of leaders to introduce vital character which can offer positive culture to
employees. In addition, leader must be accountable for effectively communicating values and
priority related to health safety. Workers must be involved in decision making because they are
the people who have hand-on experience and are better aware related to safety issues while
working in the organization.
Another element used in occupational health service is training program. In this training
program, every individual offers health safety training in terms of theoretical as well as practical
experience. Theoretical experience increase employees' knowledge related to health and safety
while working. Practical experience helps them to understand circumstances better and how to
handle uncertain situations (O'Connor, Flynn, Weinstock and Zanoni, 2014). Training program
provides insights rather than incidents and helps employees to change their thinking patterns in
sharing their experience while addressing issue. It creates a kind of habitual pattern which helps