WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY?

Occupational safety and health is an area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work and to foster a safe and healthy work environment. There are labor laws in place to protect employees at work and create a healthy working environment. In order to create a safe working environment it requires taking precautions to prevent occupational accidents, occupational diseases and any hazards. According to studies, 70% of occupational accidents result from insecure behaviors and 98% of them are preventable. The way to prevent them is education. This includes education on the risks that an employee could face in the workplace and precautions that they could taks to prevent any occupational accidents and occupational diseases (Tulukcu, 2012). If physical and psychological health of employees is protected and they can work more efficiently. Besides the personal benefits occupational health and safety provides to employees, it also generates important social economic results and benefits. When working in a safe and healthy environment, employees are less likely to get injured and take time off, which in turn increases production levels within a company. If the job site involves machinery and equipment, and this gear is properly maintained operated safetly, this will reduce machinery/plant breakdowns which will also increase production. According to ACC, from July 2012 to June 2013, there were 285,841 active claims. This created a cost to the New Zealand economy of $683,632,207.00. (Accident Compensation Corporation, 2013) When working in the occupational health and safety, there are many industries you can work within including oil and gas, mining, building and construction, industrial, and transport. The following YouTube videos helps to show some problems people can encounter in their workplaces. References: Accident Compensation Corporation. (2013). Injury statistics tool. Retrieved from http://www.acc.co.nz/about/injury-statisitcs/index.htm#results. Tulukcu, N. B. (2012). The Importance Of Education In Occupational Health And Safety. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 5(1), 145-153. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1284535907?accountid=39660