Occupational Health and Safety
People work in different environments and set-ups and it is during these activities that they fall sick, acquire injuries, or even die. A certain concept must be applied to ensure that the workers do not experience the shortcomings listed above while at work. The concept is known as Occupational Health and Safety. Despite the application of Occupational Health and Safety measures, the majority of the workers still contract diseases and suffer from injuries while others die. These illnesses can be grouped into one major class known as work-related illnesses and death. The illnesses can be caused by many factors such as the design of the workplace, the processes involved, equipment in use, and workplace culture among others (HealthPeople.gov, 2017). Workers are affected differently by illnesses due to factors such as age, ethnicity, cultural background, the training provided, and education (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017).
Extent of the Health Problem
According to HealthyPeople.gov (2017), workers based in the United States continue to suffer from work-related illnesses and deaths. People from various nations, religions, and ethnic are coming to the US to seek employment. Some of them suffer from work-related illnesses due to ethnicity, racism, disability, and discrimination among others (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017). Workers are also working for longer hours with no breaks, thus causing pressure. New chemicals are also being introduced and are in use; these are both environmental and health hazards.
Initial steps to address the problem
The initial step to solving the issue of work-related illnesses and death was the formation of the National Research Agenda (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017). The latter was established by two institutions namely; Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC and P) and NIOSH. NORA was formed to help reduce the number of work-related illnesses by improving workplace practices (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017). Much has been achieved by NORA since its inception.
Current action being undertaken to solve the health problem
The United States has taken action to provide quality life for its workers by improving the working conditions. Research has been conducted and it has contributed a lot to changing the way occupational health and safety are handled (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017). These changes have helped in reducing and preventing work-related illnesses and deaths from occurring.
Statistics
In 2007 the number of deaths occurring due to the kind of occupation one was at was 4.0 per every 100,000 people (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017). The latter would be equivalent to 0.004 % which is a small percentage compared to the whole. In 2012, the figure had dropped from 4.0 to 3.6 which is a significant improvement (HealthyPeople.gov, 2017). Therefore, the government of the United States is doing a commendable job.
Writer’s thoughts on the measures that have been put forward to help solve the issue of work-related illnesses and deaths
The United States government—across national, state, and local levels—has made significant efforts to address the health issue in question. These actions have led to a notable decline in work-related fatalities. Additionally, research initiatives have played a crucial role in tackling the problem effectively. As such, the author acknowledges the positive impact of these efforts and sees no reason to criticize them. If in the same position, the author would adopt similar strategies, including supporting and conducting research aimed at resolving health concerns.
References
HealthyPeople.gov. 2017. ‘Occupational Health and Safety.’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
