Occupational Health Services
What are occupational health services?
Occupational health services are services that ensure that employees in any workplace are safe and healthy.
Members of occupational health service teams may include:
- occupational health psychologists
- occupational health technicians
- environmental health nurses
- industrial hygienists
- ergonomists
- occupational safety professionals
- occupational medicine physicians, and more.
Occupational health services tend to focus specifically on preventing, treating, and rehabilitating occupational illnesses and injuries. They also emphasize educating employees on how to be safe and stay healthy. By doing this, they aim to ensure the workforce is safe, healthy, and productive.
Why are occupational health services important to healthcare?
Occupational health services are important to healthcare because people spend a significant proportion of their lives in the workplace. Every year, millions of people in the United States suffer from an injury or illness that can be traced to the workplace. Several of these diseases can create long-term health challenges.
Occupational health services also help to reduce the healthcare costs related to workplace injuries, which are already very high. Claims for compensation for workplace injuries alone amount to billions of dollars. In addition, occupational injuries lead to lost wages and reduced productivity in the workplace, which in turn lead to additional losses and expenses.