Occupational Injury and Illness: A Critical Health and Safety Report

This report critically analyzes occupational health and safety issues, focusing on workplace injury and illness. It examines the impact of legislation, training programs, and stakeholder participation on mitigating risks. The report discusses various approaches, including new training initiatives, medical care plans, and the use of technology to enhance safety. It highlights the importance of stakeholder involvement, the role of trade unions, and hazard recognition programs. The analysis draws on multiple research papers and studies to provide a comprehensive overview of the current trends and best practices in occupational health and safety. The report also emphasizes the need for continuous improvement and the integration of safety measures into organizational strategies to ensure a healthy and safe working environment. The conclusion summarizes key findings and emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses.

Critical Analysis of a Public Health Issue

Table of Contents
Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................1
Discussion ...................................................................................................................................1
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Abstract
The following essay is based on the literature review which is related to occupational
injury and illness since 2015. The main aim of this essay is to provide recommendation on
occupational health and safety at work place. The basic idea of this essay is to suggest some
ways through which occupational injury and illness within the workplace is managed or
minimised.
Introduction
Occupational injury and illness is caused due to many reasons one of them is hazardous
working environment. The risk which a person is associated with within workplace varies based
upon the industry. The increasing diversity in the workplace is changing the employment
sceneries within the organisation thus posing threat to occupational safety. In order to assure
good and healthy workplace it is required that new procedures should be implemented, as the
training method which was used earlier is not effective to provide safety to workers.
Occupational health and safety policies is mandatory in an organisation the main purpose behind
this is to mitigate the risk in the workplace.
Discussion
Legislation related to occupational health and safety
In year 2011, WHS law was prepared in Australia which is known as model law. The
main idea behind this is to minimise risk and provide safety to employees at workplace. This law
also provide a framework for making continuous improvement in work environment.
Andersen JH & et.al., (2018), conducted the study. The aim of the study is to assess
evidence regarding does the occupational safety and health policy by legislative and regulatory
bodies helps in improving workplace or not with respect to musculoskeletal disorders, sick leave,
adverse occupational exposures, industrial injuries etc. In order to conduct the study author has
use systematic literature review from year 1966 to 2017 on occupational health and safety related
intervention. The synthesis of evidence is based on meta analysis and GRADE (grading of
recommendations, assessment, development and evaluation). As a result the author found that
legislative and regulatory policies may help in reducing fatalities and injuries at workplace and
can also help in improving compliance related to occupational health and safety in workplace.
As per the view of Amponsah-Tawiah & Mensah, (2016), many countries make changes
in their laws in order to increase penalties for the cases in which breaches of occupational disease
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law takes place. Occupational disease prevention is a legal procedure which every organisation
needs to follow. The organisation should ensure supply chain management schemes in order to
implement and identify prevention measures.
It is necessary for an organisation to make use of policies which helps in mitigating
occupational illness as well many laws have been made related to use of hazardeous and toxic
elements organisation should ensure to make its working policies as per the legislations.
Approaches to be used in workplace for occupational health and safety
As per the view of Aluko & et.al., (2016), new training initiatives should be made
by the organisation in order to prevent people in organisation from any type of occupational
injury. The organisation should collaborate with disease control and prevention centre in order to
training the people or employees of an organisation.
Baidwan & et.al.,(2016), holds the view that workplaces should ensure to contain medical
care plan in its working procedure which means that an organisation should prepare a well
communicated protocol in order to handle injuries occurring at the workplace. The company
should ensure that there procedure is as per occupational safety and health administration
standards.
Contradictly Maceachen & et.al., (2016), says that all employees in workplace should be
provided with necessary tools which help them to stay safe and healthy. This method is one of
the useful method for manufacturing and energy industries. Also corporate offices can also
provide tools to their employees. For example they can ensure that employees desk and computer
equipments are comfortable.
While the study which was conducted by Tom o Connor (2015), based on analysis of
essential elements of occupational safety and health education training programmed. The main
aim of author behind this article is to provide employers as well as researchers a key factors
which needed to be considered while implementing training programme within the organisation
Author holds the view that training is one of the most important tool which can help in reducing
occupation injuries in workplace. It is essential to provide proper training to the workers so that
they can make correct use of their equipments. The author has also suggested various approaches
which can be used by practitioners. Such as practitioners should first decide the primary purpose
of training programme which should be based on knowledge and skills, social action and
attitudinal change (Occupational injury prevention, 2019). The approaches are organising public
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health campaign or social marketing campaign, Train the trainer programme in which trusted
individual of community or workplace is trained, lay health advisor programme in for
construction work, immigrant day laboreres, poultry processing workers and farmworkers. The
all the suggested programme are of OSH programme.
According to Friend & Kohn, (2018), organisation should recruit high competent workers
within the workplace which means that additional employees should be recruited in workplace.
The basic idea behind hiring of additional worker is to ensure workplace safety as more
competent worker will help organisation to result in fewer job injuries.
As per Darabont, Antonov & Bejinariu, (2017), views top management of an organisation
should be given proper training as they are the one who design policies and procedures for the
company. According to author a high quality product cannot be assured until the quality of
workforce is high. The best practice which can be used is self improvement as with the help of
proper training programme which is inculcated in companies culture. It should be the part of
organisation strategy in order to mitigate negative workplace environment.
According to Sámano-Ríos & et.al., (2019), organisations should maintain their records
regarding the first aid treatments, training activities and investigations. It will help the company
to identify current trends in the working environment along with unhealthy conditions pertaining
in an industry. The employers of an organisation should ensure to avoid use of irritant in
workplace.
It can be seen that training of employees should not only be held responsible for training
employees and enhancing their knowledge regarding workplace safety but it is also required by
the employees themselves to ensure their safety in workplace (Chan & et.al., 2017).
Training to improve knowledge regarding workplace safety
Role of stakeholders
Friend & Kohn, (2018), has conduct the study as they hold the view that increasing
number of occupational injuries, disease and accidents has now become a global trend. And
implementation of programme related to occupational health and safety is quite weak. Therefore
as per author views in order to strengthen the policies related to occupational health and safety
stakeholder and its constituents should actively participate in the process of policy making or
policy formulation. The study determines the gap of OHS stakeholders in Philippines. In order to
conduct the research author has reviewed a various documents. As a result it was found that there
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is lack of participation by the national agencies which will see the OHS initiatives in different
countries and sectors, also it has been found that some agencies have inadequate awareness
regarding OHS mandate, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in organisation is not clear,
coordination of organisation with government agencies is poor, enforcement of OHS legislation
is weak.However as per authors view this gaps needed to be fulfilled in order to ensure healthy
workplace.
As per the study which was conducted by Alsamawi & et.sal., (2017), on Bangladesh
trade union can play an important role in order to improve working condition of an organisation.
They can be a effective communicator or mediator between workers and their owners. One of the
trade union which has participated has shared their views that trade union leaders contain no
practical experience in respect to their trade union movement. They are just working for their
personal motives. They should work in order to protect the rights of workers but it is not
happened in Bangladesh instead in Bangladesh the rights are influenced by political powers. The
various recommendations looking at this aspect was given by the author, firstly trade union
should ensure that whether the factory is compiled to industry norm or not, secondly workers
should be encouraged to follow rules and regulations of occupational health and safety. Trade
union should actively participate in order to give proper rights to workers.
Quinn & et.al., (2015), conducted the study which aims at providing importance of
identifying hazard recognition programme. As many of the construction activities may have
many health hazards and such hazards may remain unrecognizable to the organisation. Therefore
in order to improve recognition performance employers of an organisation have provided
employees with hazard recognition training. But as a result it was found that despite of many
efforts the desirable level or effectiveness of hazard recognition has not been identified and it has
also been noticed that return on investment from training has not been achieved. The reason
behind the failure of this programme is recognised was due to the fact that the knowledge which
workers has acquired from this programme are failed to implement them in practice. The other
reasons which has been recognised for training failure is due to improper training delivery and
adopting low engagement training methods which fails to engage employees. 51 cases on this
topic was identified in united states. It was found that if the training element are not properly
arranged than it results in training programme failure. As a result it was found that employers
should make use of training elements for creating highly effective training methods.
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However from the above literature it can be seen that it is essential for the organisation
that there stakeholders take active participation in formulation of policies and procedures related
to occupational injuries and illness (Occupational injury prevention training programme, 2019).
The participation of stakeholders will help in formulation of effective training method by using
training elements. Also the role of trade union will also help to ensure that organisation follows
the rules and regulations as per the occupational healthy and safety standards. Which include that
contractors of an organisation should operate as per the legislative policies and procedures.
Use of technical devices
While Mitchell & et.al., (2018), says that it is first and foremost duty of employers to
communicate workplace safety policies to the employees. By conducting regular training session
employees of organisation can be well trained. All the key information related to workplace
safety should be provided to employees, Employers can make use of mobile technology in order
to provide every employees easy access to key information related to workplace safety.
Regardless of method used to inform employees it should be assured that whatever information
is shared to all employees should be clear and useful for each and every employee at workplace.
As per the views of Souto & et.al., (2019, July), there many organisation has started to
make use of technology for enhancing safety at workplace. And it has been evident that
technology plays a significant role in maintaining safe environment at workplace. Many
organisation use 3D visualization technology, drones, communication system and record keeping
system which helps employees to become aware about the workplace and hazards associated
with it. Such technology not only helps employees but it also help employers to identify dangers
in new sites. High speed communication and use of real time data technology help employees to
be safe during their working hours.
Therefore it can be seen that use of new technologies in workplace for a safety purpose is
good idea (Baidwan & et.al., 2016). The companies can also make use of risk management
software which will help them in ensuring safety at workplace.
Conclusion
From the above literature it can be seen that there are variety of methods which can be
used by the organisation in order to ensure workplace safety of employees with regards to illness
and injuries at workplace. The literature gives some recommendation that what practices
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company can ensure in order to assure safety of employees in workplace and avoiding any type
of occupational hazards and illness.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alsamawi, A. & et.sal., (2017). Trade in occupational safety and health: Tracing the embodied
human and economic harm in labour along the global supply chain. Journal of cleaner
production. 147. 187-196.
Aluko, O. O. & et.al., (2016). Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of occupational hazards and
safety practices in Nigerian healthcare workers. BMC research notes. 9(1). 71.
Amponsah-Tawiah, K., & Mensah, J. (2016). Occupational health and safety and organizational
commitment: Evidence from the Ghanaian mining industry. Safety and Health at work.
7(3). 225-230.
Baidwan, N. K. & et.al., (2016). The association between work-related exposures and
occupational injuries in the aging United States workforce. Health promotion and
chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy and practice. 36(11). 265.
Chan, D. K. & et.al., (2017). Preventing occupational injury among police officers: does
motivation matter?. Occupational Medicine. 67(6). 435-441.
Darabont, D. C., Antonov, A. E., & Bejinariu, C. (2017). Key elements on implementing an
occupational health and safety management system using ISO 45001 standard.
In MATEC Web of Conferences. (Vol. 121. p. 11007). EDP Sciences.
Friend, M. A., & Kohn, J. P. (2018). Fundamentals of occupational safety and health. Rowman
& Littlefield.
Maceachen, E. & et.al., (2016). Systematic review of qualitative literature on occupational
health and safety legislation and regulatory enforcement planning and
implementation. Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 3-16.
Mitchell, D. C., & et.al., (2018). Physical activity and common tasks of California farm workers:
California Heat Illness Prevention Study (CHIPS). Journal of occupational and
environmental hygiene. 15(12). 857-869.
Quinn, M. M. & et.al., (2015). Cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces in health care:
toward an integrated framework for infection and occupational illness
prevention. American journal of infection control. 43(5). 424-434.
Sámano-Ríos, M. L. & et.al., (2019). Occupational safety and health interventions to protect
young workers from hazardous work–A scoping review. Safety science.113. 389-403.
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Souto, I. & et.al., (2019, July). Occupational Health Risk Among Teachers in Higher Education.
In International Conference on Healthcare Ergonomics and Patient Safety. (pp. 311-
322). Springer, Cham.
Online
Occupational injury prevention. 2019. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3430886/>
Occupational injury prevention training programme. 2019. [online] Available through:
<https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/injury/>
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