The Importance Of Occupational Health And Safety

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, employers ran their businesses as they saw a chance to make profit but not concern on employee safety and health. In fact, in official terms these things were nobody’s concern. In the U.S.A. injured employees had to litigate to obtain compensation for their injuries. The cost of doing so effectively in prevented employees from going to court. But, under common law, if the employee already knew of the hazards the job entailed or if the injuries were brought about as a result of the negligence of the employee or a co-worker, the employer was not liable to pay compensation for their injuries. From these origins, there has emerged an approach and practice with regard to health, safety and welfare issues.

It is a health service which demands that employers, both government and private should show concern for practical measures of protecting the health of workers or employees (Adeniyi, 2001). Occupational health (OH) is a branch of health services specifically concerned with health, safety and welfare of workers of all categories. The health of the workers has several determinants, including risk factors at the workplace leading to cancers, accidents, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory diseases, hearing loss circulatory diseases, stress related disorders, communicable diseases and others. According to World Health Organization (WHO) in Carl (1975):

“….occupation health should aim at the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupation. The prevention, among workers, of department from health hazards caused by their employment, risk resulting from adverse factors to health in the placing and maintenance of workers in an occupation environment adapted to his physiological and psychological equipment: and to the adaptation of work to man and each man to his

Basically, a hazard can cause harm or adverse effects (to individuals as health effects or to organizations as property or equipment losses). Sometimes a hazard is referred to as being the actual harm or the health affect it caused rather than the hazard. Moreover, hazard assessment is an evaluation of a work place, or work situation, as to the potential for hazards that an employee may encounter while performing the job According to World Health Organization the term ''hazard'' refers to an inherent property of an agent, or situation having the potential to cause adverse effects when an organism, system, or population is exposed to that agent ''Risk'' by contrast, means the likelihood of causing adverse health