Employees who are experiencing poor health, a family problem, or an injury should be able to seek advice, support and help from their employer’s occupational healthcare provider.
What is occupational health? How can it benefit you?
It is a branch of healthcare which focuses on the physical and psychological health of those who work in the workplace.
The goal of occupational health services is to prevent lost work hours, and injuries or illnesses related to the workplace. The occupational health professionals aim to achieve this by:
- Promoting and encouraging safe and healthy working practices such as healthy eating and drinking. For Water Coolers Wales, visit waterforyou.net/
- Promote ergonomics at work by implementing processes that will help you to perform better
- Monitoring the health of an employee’s workforce
- Helping to manage sick leave
- Help an employer improve health and safety compliance by helping to set policies
- Health assessments should be carried out prior to employment
- Encourage and support health education programmes
- Offer a advisory service to employees and counselling for problems that are not health related
- For example, you can provide your employer with information about the appropriate workplace adjustments for people returning to work following an illness or injury.
How can you get occupational health care?
It will be determined by the size of your organisation. Many professionals can offer occupational health expertise. These include a specialist nurse, a doctor, or one of the following:
Psychologists
Physiotherapists
Hygienists
Ergonomics Experts
Professional Occupational Therapists
Nurses and doctors with special training in occupational health