Health and Safety
Introduction
Health and Safety is a discipline with a broad scope involving many specialized fields. In its broadest sense, it should aim at: * the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; * the prevention among workers of adverse effects on health caused by their working conditions; * the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; * the placing and maintenance of workers in an occupational environment adapted to physical and mental needs; * the adaptation of work to humans.
In other words, Health and Safety encompasses the social, mental and physical well-being of workers, that is the “whole person”.
Successful occupational health and safety practice requires the collaboration and participation of both employers and workers in health and safety programmes, and involves the consideration of issues relating to occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, toxicology, education, engineering safety, ergonomics, psychology, etc.
Occupational health issues are often given less attention than occupational safety issues because the former are generally more difficult to confront. However, when health is addressed, so is safety, because a healthy workplace is by definition also a safe work place.The important point is that issues of both health and safety must be addressed in every workplace.
Importance of Health and Safety
Work plays a central role in people's lives, since most workers spend at least eight hours a day in the workplace, whether it is on a plantation, in an office, factory, etc. Therefore, work environments should be safe and healthy. Yet this is not the case for many workers. Every day workers all over the world are faced with a multitude of health hazards, such as: * dusts;