The medical work is a branch of health science that is responsible for the study, prevention and treatment of diseases that develop as a result of work activities.
It is responsible for the study of accidents that may occur within the organization, as well as the statistics, and for creating policies in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team in order to reduce these risks.
Occupational medicine deals with the prevention and monitoring of the health status of company workers. Source: pixabay.com
The occupational physician works with other professionals who are in charge of creating optimal conditions to minimize the risks of acquiring pathologies and increase the health of the personnel.
As a branch of medicine, there were many attempts by various scientists to establish the relationship between diseases and work activity. However, before the work of Bernardino Ramazzini, considered as the forerunner of occupational medicine, the description between some pathologies suffered by workers and the activity they carried out was not carried out.
The recommendations made by this doctor were so successful that they are still valid today, such as the rest time between working hours.
State regulations and standards have contributed greatly to the protection of working conditions so that they do not affect the health of workers, as well as to the development of science.
History
This branch of medicine arose in response to the solution of the health problems that affected workers after the massification of productive activity.
During the industrial revolution, large masses of workers were incorporated as labor in various factories, including women and children.
Already at that historical moment, as a result of various scientific works, there was knowledge about the origins of certain pathologies as a result of work activity or the link between work and the appearance of certain diseases.
With the aim of reducing the levels of absenteeism and the low productivity that this entailed, a businessman in 1830 sought advice from the doctor Robert Baker.
This renowned medical professional, who showed great interest in the area of occupational medicine, joined the factory as an employee and dedicated himself from that moment to taking care of the health of all workers.
He was in charge of visiting each of the facilities on a daily basis, which gave rise to the first medical service in the midst of a work environment worldwide.
In 1833, in order to comply with the protection of workers, in the United Kingdom the Factory Act was created and Baker was granted the position of Inspector General of industries located within the territory.
This step laid the foundations for the recognition of the importance of the integral well-being of the workers for the proper functioning of the companies.
Occupational medicine today
During the 20th century, the foundations were laid for the birth of occupational medicine worldwide through the creation of organizations such as the International Labor Organization in 1919.
One of the main purposes resides in the defense of the rights of the workers, who must have environments that comply with a series of safety standards such as cleaning the area, among others.
Likewise, various laws that may vary from one country to another regulate the hours of working days in order not to exceed the number of hours and include rest, which is conceived as a right of each worker.
Other state regulations correspond to the establishment of living wages, as well as the minimum conditions required for a worker to be able to carry out his work without putting his health at risk.
Background
One of the most important advances in occupational medicine is directly related to the goal of medical care.
During the installation of the first medical services in the factories in 1830, the policy revolved around reducing the absences of workers due to diseases.
However, today this concept has been transformed to the extent that employers must provide a friendly environment that cares for and promotes the health of workers.
Employees are conceived as one of the most valuable resources within companies, which is completely the opposite of past times.
However, the so-called father of occupational medicine, Bernardino Ramazzini, already in the seventeenth century made reference to the importance of designing policies within companies in order to maintain the health of workers.
Ramazzini, through his work De morbis artrificum diatriba, specified multiple pathologies according to work activity and recommended the importance of disease prevention in the work environment.
His contribution was of such relevance that today many of his recommendations regarding the promotion and conservation of workers' health remain valid.
Object of study
Occupational medicine focuses on the study of all pathologies that can arise as a result of work activity and affect the worker.
To do this, an exhaustive analysis is carried out of the potential health risks that each position within the company implies for the employee who performs these tasks. It also addresses accidents that can occur on the job site and how these events can be prevented from occurring.
The main objective of occupational medicine is that the people who work within the company enjoy the best possible health and for this, health professionals can undertake awareness campaigns.
These policies are aimed at employees and usually contain information on procedures or guidelines to follow to avoid accidents or illnesses.
They may also include regular visits by occupational health experts in order to monitor the conditions in which staff are working within the company. On many occasions, courses or workshops are included in order to reduce stress or relaxation techniques such as meditation.
Also included are the teaching of healthy habits that can be practiced in the middle of the workday, such as active breaks as tools for managing physical and muscular tension.
Applications
This branch of medicine focuses on the workers who make up the human talent of the company, as well as on the entire physical extension of the organization.
The purpose of these actions is to monitor, supervise and guarantee the health of employees, as well as the design of strategies for the prevention of diseases or occupational accidents.
To achieve the proposed objectives, various medical examinations are applied before the entry of each worker, which are adapted to the evaluation of risk factors according to the position.
The doctor is responsible for conducting physical examinations and reviewing the results of laboratory tests in order to determine if the person is in good health that allows him to perform functions within the company. Source: pixabay.com
One of the central objectives is that individuals have the optimal conditions to be able to carry out the tasks without acquiring, at least in the short term, the diseases that are considered as a source of risk of the position.
Medical examinations can be carried out periodically in order to evaluate the conditions of the company's personnel and to be able to apply the corrections through the diagnosis and the respective treatments if necessary.
The scope of these interventions is intended to reduce illnesses derived from work activity to the lowest possible percentage.
It should be noted that physical tests will be carried out at the time of each worker's discharge, as well as before and after their rest or vacation period to determine their health status since their entry through comparisons.
Methodology
In order to meet the proposed objectives related to maintaining the health of workers and controlling the pathologies of the activities, a series of steps are carried out.
Initially, the risk factors that can act as a starting point for the appearance of diseases caused by work or that can generate accidents are exhaustively investigated.
To determine the elements that intervene in the appearance of diseases, the variables that can act as triggers by type of activity are investigated.
An example can be given in specific cases of individuals whose workplace lacks the comforts required to maintain a good posture or that forces the worker to maintain a position that is not recommended for health.
Faced with these long-term variables that have the potential to cause ailments in workers, the multidisciplinary team of the health department proceeds to consider alternatives for a solution.
On the other hand, special relevance will be given to statistics with respect to occupational accidents in order to draw up plans that help reduce risk factors, such as appropriate clothing, among others.
References
- Baraza, X. Castejón, E. Guardino, X, (2.015). Industrial hygiene. Taken from books.google.com
- Eadic. (2016). Medicine at Work: beyond a medical examination. Taken from eadic.com
- EcuRed. Work Medicine. Taken from ecured.cu
- Ortega, V. J, (1.998). Background of Occupational Medicine. Medspain Magazine.
- Taboadela, C, (2.016). From Occupational Medicine to Worker Health. The role of the Occupational Physician in the XXI Century. One minute. Taken from uniminuto.edu