On this World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we’ve created a special in which we answer the main questions: what is occupational health for?
Are all companies obliged to carry out occupational health consultations?
What is occupational safety for?
To find out the answers to these and other questions, as well as the advantages of OSH for companies, read on.
What is Occupational Medicine for and what are the benefits of this specialty for companies and workers?
Its main benefit for workers is the prevention of illnesses or risks associated with their job, as well as safeguarding their right to work in good health.
For the employer, it is essential to guarantee the health of employees and their value as active members of the organization.
The Occupational Physician assesses and determines fitness for work according to the type of occupational risks and the worker’s state of health, at that time and in a given context; this document, issued exclusively on medical grounds, cannot contain personal clinical data; it can instead contain recommendations on how to adapt working conditions to the worker, thus helping to limit the worsening of a known clinical situation, while also making it possible to reduce occupational illnesses, the risk of accidents at work and absenteeism.
Are all companies obliged to carry out occupational health consultations?
Yes.
According to Portuguese law, it is compulsory for all types of private companies and state institutions. The employer has to guarantee health surveillance for all workers, on a scheduled basis, annually for workers in risky activities or over the age of 50, or every two years for other workers; they can also request this assessment in occasional situations, as provided for by law, always on a certain date and in a certain context.
What happens during an occupational health consultation?
It has a common structure and is identical to all other medical consultations, with individual data being collected in the Clinical History and Objective Examination, but work-related questions are predominant in this context.
The clinical assessment is more associated with signs, symptoms and diseases with early identification, looking for a direct or indirect relationship with the risk factors linked to the individual’s professional activity.
It’s important to note that the TM consultation cannot replace the follow-up already established by the attending physician, within the scope of Primary Health Care, or the hospital doctor, if you are being followed up in a public or private hospital.
What are the different types of consultation available to workers?
– Entrance Exam
It takes place before the start of work or, if the urgency of the hiring justifies it, within the following 15 days.
– Periodic Examination
This is a consultation every two years for workers between the ages of 18 and 50 who do not carry out risky work; it is annual above this age or if there are risky situations defined by law or collective bargaining agreement.
– Occasional examination
This type of consultation is compulsory after returning from 30 days’ sick leave or other absence (maternity leave, for example), following an accident at work, at the request of the employee or the service, or even due to a change in working conditions.
What if the doctor thinks he can’t work?
There are two possible cases of unfitness.
The worker can be considered temporarily or permanently unfit.
What are the objectives of occupational safety?
The objectives of Safety at Work can be customized and vary according to the company’s area of activity.
In general, we can say that Safety at Work seeks to achieve the following:
– Preventing accidents at work and occupational illnesses;
– Sensitize and make workers aware of the importance of prevention, namely by encouraging safe working practices;
– Identify potential hazardous situations by workstation and define the associated risks, recommending preventive/corrective measures to be adopted to eliminate and, if not possible, control them;
– Implement action plans, following the risk assessment, defining priorities for action, monitoring the materialization of the measures defined and evaluating their effectiveness;
– Investigation of accidents at work, so that guidelines can be defined to prevent recurrences;
– Participate in and/or monitor audits/inspections carried out by the competent authorities
What is occupational safety and what is it for?
The aim of occupational safety is to prevent occupational illnesses and accidents at work through a set of activities, measures and preventive actions aimed at identifying and minimizing risk factors for workers’ health and safety.
Occupational safety is mandatory by law and promotes healthy workplaces, with direct benefits for the company’s productivity and the well-being of workers, as well as a positive impact on reducing direct and indirect costs related to the possible occurrence of occupational illnesses or accidents at work.
Advantages of OSH for companies:
SEPRI’s vision of Safety and Health at Work is a holistic one, which doesn’t look at the part, but at the integrated whole.
This means that we emphasize the role of various specialties such as psychology, nutrition, physiotherapy, nursing, medicine and safety in building truly Healthy Companies!
And healthy companies are successful companies.
These are the main advantages of OSH for companies:
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Essential for Good Business Management, because as well as being a legal obligation, it is a requirement for certification at various levels;
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A profitable investment that reduces direct and indirect costs related to workers’ health and safety;
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A Competitive Advantage, because healthy workers are more productive and better at customer relations and winning new customers;
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An Increase in the Organization’s Brand Image, as it favors the company’s good reputation and is a green light for investors, employees and customers.
