Occupational safety and health is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human and facility resources in the workplace.
Standards of occupational safety and health (OSH) are normally set in legislation; Governments have long realised that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State (e.g. through social security payments to the incapacitated, medical costs for treatment, but also through the loss of the "employability" of the worker).
In the European Union, Member States have enforcing authorities to ensure that the basic legal requirements relating to occupational safety and health are met. In many EU countries, there is strong cooperation between employer and worker organisations (e.g. Unions) to ensure good OSH performance as it is recognized this has benefits for both worker (maintenance of health) and enterprise (improved productivity and quality).
In the USA, OSHA has been regulating ocupational safety and health since the 1970s.
Occupational safety and health interacts strongly with other disciplines, such as ergonomics, toxicology, and psychology.
The terminology used in OSH varies between states, but generally speaking:
A hazard is something that can cause harm
A risk is the probability of the hazard causing harm
The outcome is the result of when the hazard causes harm
For example, repetitively carrying out manual handling of heavy objects is a hazard (it can cause harm). The risk can either be expressed mathematically, (0.5 = a 50/50 chance) or just as "high/medium/low". The outcome would be a musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
Risk assessment
Modern occupational safety and health legislation usually demands that a risk assessment be carried out prior to making an intervention. This assessment should:
Identify the hazards
Identify all affected by the hazard and how
Evaluate the risk
Identify and prioritise the required actions
The assessment should be recorded and reviewed periodically and whenever there is a significant change to work practices.
Among them are the right to complain to OSHA about safety and health conditions in their workplaces and, to the extent permitted by law, have their identities kept confidential from employers, contest the amount of time OSHA allows for correcting violations of standards, and participate in OSHA workplace inspections.
These individuals, who are chosen for their knowledge and experience in occupationalsafety and health, are thoroughly trained in OSHA standards and in the recognition of occupationalsafety and healthhazards.
The OSH Act covers all private sector working conditions that are not addressed by safety and health regulations of another federal agency under other legislation.
Occupationalhealth and safety specialists and technicians may be exposed to many of the same physically strenuous conditions and hazards as industrial employees, and the work may be performed in unpleasant, stressful, and dangerous working conditions.
Other occupationalhealth and safety specialists were employed in manufacturing firms; private general medical and surgical hospitals; management, scientific, and technical consulting services; management of companies and enterprises; support activities for mining; research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences; private colleges, universities, and professional schools; and electric power generation, transmission, and distribution.
Employment of occupationalhealth and safety specialists and technicians is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through 2014, reflecting a balance of continuing public demand for a safe and healthy work environment against the desire for smaller government and fewer regulations.
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