Did you know that back pain is the largest single reported cause of absence from work? Because of this, several studies are conducted to determine how and why people experience back pain, and whether or not their respective jobs are the cause of the back ache. Obviously, jobs that rely on physical strength and manual labor would define back pain as an occupational health hazard. The importance of making the workplace a safe and healthy place cannot be stressed enough, that is why the International Organization for Standardization or ISO created ISO 18001, (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems). Workers spend most of their time at work, and the workplace is never without potential risks. There is no telling when accidents happen while employees are on duty, and most industrial sites are pretty much loaded with chemicals, machineries and tools to which workers are exposed today in and day out. In order to ensure and continually improve workplace safety and health, it is recommended that employers enlist the help of an occupational health and safety officer or for larger organizations to establish a team dedicated to OH&S. An OH&S team is ideally composed of a safety professional, an occupational hygiene specialist, an occupational physician, and a work and organization specialist.
Occupational Health and Safety was first introduced into Australia when a magistrate ruled that employers had a responsibility to provide a safe place to work. Employers have a duty of care to their staff, as well as employees being responsible and following the safety systems set in place. An effective Occupational Health and Safety system means a reduction in deaths and workplace injuries. For any system to be effective it needs to be put in writing, and as well as having an Occupational Health and Safety Manual, the next step is to conduct an audit. An audit can be carried out by a Safety Consultant. If you conduct basic safety audits within your own workplace you need to look at how each job is performed within your business, and think about the Occupational Health and Safety issues within each job. They will conduct a comprehensive inspection of your workplace and on completion a written report will be issued with notes of what needs to be done to improve safety standards
What can be done on the employers' side? There are various measures to consider. Employers should create awareness among employees about stress in the workplace. Encourage two-way communications between employers and employees. Welcome the participation of employees to play roles in the decision making, especially the decisions that would affect their work. Ensure ample resources and facilities for employees to improve on their jobs by providing in-house resource centers and reference facilities like Internet. In addition, workers should make sure to flush out all the toxins away from their body before going at work. The most effective way to get rid of toxins is by drinking water. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water can help get rid of any toxins away from the body. As a result, workers will have lesser chance to feel stressed out at work. When it comes in coping with stress at work, knowing the best should be considered in every single way. If you feel stressed, you should in hale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this for a few times, and you will see that you will get yourself to calm down and also drink lots of water and get yourself organized and you will definitely have a smoother day at work.
