HEALTH TALK: Occupational Health- Introduction

Occupational Health a very important aspect of public health, which is concernee with health and welfare of the worker/family. Occupational health is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well being of worker in all occupations.
The importance of occupational health in our environment.

• it helps in the avoidance of hazard through primary prevention and use of safe technology.

• it helps to optimize our working environment.

• it helps in integration of production/health/safety facilities.

• it promotes employee welfare and participation in decision making.

• helps in continuous follow up and development of working condition.
  
  Some useful components of an occupational health.
  Promotive occupational health: it deals with keeping the workers and families in good health examples cafeteria, health talks, soft loans, children's school fees e.t.c.
  Preventive occupational health: it helps in recognizing diseases in early stage and protect against specific diseases examples screening, vaccination, medical examination e.t.c.
  Curative occupational health: examples primary care, first aid, emergency care e.t.c.
  Rehabilitative occupational health: examples vacations, psychosocial therapy e.t.c.

  A little bit of history of occupational health
  I will only point out Bernardino Ramazzini an Italian physician who is known as the father of occupational medicine. He wrote a book on occupational diseases (De Morbis Artificum Diatriba). I don't want to forget Sir Thomas Morrison Legge, a British physician who served as medical inspector to improve industrial hygiene. He postulated the "Legge's Aphorism".

  Occupational Health is a multidisciplinary team which consist of mainly but not limited to: occupational physician, occupational health nurses, ergonomist, hygienist, occupational psychologist e.t.c.

Next chapter: Hazard And Risk Of Occupational Health.
Stay turn.