Learn how to create a healthy and safe workplace
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a healthy workplace as one in which workers and managers collaborate to use a continual improvement process to protect and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of workers and the sustainability of the workplace. With the objective of creating healthy work environments in the country, Prabath Karunanayake Associates is organizing a workshop to educate the corporate sector on ‘How to create a healthy and safe workplace’.
The workplace, whether it be a comfortable office or a tough construction site, is full of hazards with the potential to cause illness and injury. The hazards come in different forms including physical, chemical, mechanical, ergonomic, biological and psychosocial. Unless these hazards are managed properly, they may cause unnecessary risks to the employees resulting in various adverse health conditions. The fate of the employee who leaves the comforts of his or her home and arrive at the workplace depends on how the occupational exposures are managed in the workplace. Even though safety has received a fair degree of attention from the industry, health has not. One reason is the lack of expertise on the subject available in industry as very few medical practitioners are actively engaged in promoting health in
workplaces. Going by the WHO definition, health expands way beyond merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Only when one achieves a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being, he or she can enjoy perfect health.
For a workplace to be a conducive environment for efficient and effective work, it has to both protect and promote health. Protection of health in the workplace has been known and practiced for quite a while now, but health promotion in the workplace is a relatively new concept.In the workplace, managers have the responsibility to ensure that all components of health are taken into consideration when developing their health and safety initiatives and also programmes on health promotion are implemented in addition to health protection.
Expressing his views, Dr.Prabath Karunanayake, the resource person of the workshop, said that the management has a huge responsibility to ensure that the workplace is a low risk environment. In the first instance, it is a legal requirement. Then it is the right thing to do because the workplace plays an important part in combating the rise in chronic disease and preventing needless disability. Going beyond the prevention of illness and injury and promoting wellness is part of fulfilling the employer’s responsibility to the employee. It is also the smart thing to do. Good employee health and wellbeing boosts business performance and Health and wellness programmes can improve performance and productivity and reduce indirect costs.
Dr.Karunanayake is the only fulltime industry-based medical practitioner specializing in occupational health. This is an opportunity to gain some valuable insights into how to make the workplace healthier for the employees and those who are interested can get more information from info. pka2014@yahoo.com or 0776956-701.