How Occupational Medicine Enhances Workplace Safety & Health

No matter which heavy industry you operate in, ensuring the safety and health of employees is essential for your business’s continuity and success. And though the number of workplace injuries and ailments went down from 10.9 (1972) to 2.4 (2023) per 100 workers, the risk brought on by hazardous environments, substances, and activities is still present. Occupational medicine, or occupational healthcare, can effectively address the issue. As an employer, you can leverage this particular branch of medicine to not only handle accidents and injuries but also promote a safer work environment and prevent dangerous situations.  

Keep reading to understand the importance and benefits of occupational health services better. 

What is Occupational Medicine? 

Occupational medicine deals with the assessment and treatment of work-related injuries and disorders. Licensed and experienced physicians work with employers like you directly to tackle injuries promptly and chart out the best treatment plans for the smooth recovery of workers. Such doctors help you to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, implement better safety protocols, maximize employee productivity, and keep your business up and running despite hiccups.     

How Occupational Medicine Supports Workplace Safety

These are the key ways in which occupational medicine supports and promotes workplace safety:

• Medical Case Management

If a worker encounters an accident, the supervisor can contact the occupational health service provider via telephone or video, also known as remote triage. A licensed MD will remotely assess the injury, associated symptoms, the employee’s medical history, and other crucial details before sharing the diagnosis. They will also gauge the severity of the injury and whether it can be treated onsite or needs an emergency room (ER) visit. 

In the case of the former, the physician will prescribe medications if required, suggest the best line of treatment, and answer any doubts or queries. They will also monitor the recovery process, tweak the therapy if needed, and ensure the worker can resume their duties as soon as possible. If the employee needs an ER visit, the occupational doctor will share the case details with the relevant specialist and coordinate efficiently to ensure care continuity. 

• Physical Therapy

Musculoskeletal injuries and disorders are common in heavy industries due to uncomfortable postures, overexertion, and repetitive actions. However, they are not considered OSHA recordable incidents if they can be treated with first aid or massage techniques that only target soft tissues. Hence, occupational health service providers often offer hands-on massage therapies and tailored exercise instructions to manage strains, sprains, etc. for speedy recovery.    

• Post-Offer Employment Testing (POET)

Occupational medicine also involves extensive assessments to gauge if an employee can carry out the necessary physical tasks as per their roles, like pulling, pushing, lifting, etc. These assessments are precise, fair, and in line with relevant regulations, and they can help you build a productive and healthy workforce.  

• Safety Engagement:

Smart software tools like WorkPartners’ modONE™ system help distribute custom safety training, track incident data, and identify risks. This creates a proactive safety culture that enables you to meet compliance and reduce recordable incidents.

Enhancing Psychological Safety in the Workplace  

There is no denying the vital role played by occupational medicine in boosting psychological safety in the workplace. When injured workers receive immediate medical attention, they feel seen, heard, and valued. Occupational physicians also boost their morale and answer all queries to reduce anxiety and stress. This aids in faster recovery as well. This way, your employees know they won’t be left to fend for themselves if something goes wrong. 

POET assessments also show them how careful you are as an employer, and they feel confident they are right for the job. Tailored safety education and training help workers identify potential risks in advance, speak up without fearing repercussions, and know what to do in case of an accident or hazardous incident. All of this contributes to psychological safety and mental well-being. 

Promoting Occupational Health for a Productive Workforce 

Promoting occupational health or medicine at the workplace can help promptly deal with many common injuries and illnesses. POET assessments and thorough safety training can also prevent many serious incidents. Absenteeism rates decrease when employees don’t get injured as much or recover fast. 

Moreover, workers don’t constantly worry about their safety. Their overall job satisfaction and loyalty also increase, and they can focus better at the workplace. Hence, occupational medicine improves workforce engagement and productivity in more ways than one.  

Key Benefits of Occupational Medicine for Employers 

As an employer in any heavy industry, occupational medicine offers you the following key benefits: 

• OSHA Compliance: By complying with OSHA’s safety standards, you can avoid hefty penalties, maintain a low recordable rate, and preserve your reputation in the industry among different stakeholders. 
• Business Continuity: Since occupational health services help prevent accidents and allow injured workers to recover quickly, you deal with minimal operational interruptions. This translates to better efficiency and a stronger bottom line.
• Lower Healthcare Costs: For most injuries, occupational physicians suggest onsite treatments that involve first aid, physical therapies, or exercises. You don’t need to send workers to the ER every time and can keep healthcare expenses low. 
• Legal Protection: When injured employees receive immediate treatment and know you comply with OSHA’s standards, they are less likely to file lawsuits against you. And this boils down to both financial and legal benefits.   
• Reduced Workers’ Compensation Costs: Since occupational medicine ensures fewer ER visits, swift recovery, and less absenteeism, you don’t have to shell out a lot of money in terms of workers’ compensation. 
• Better Retention: Safety training, POET assessments, and medical case management can improve employee satisfaction and trust in you, making it easier for you to retain and acquire top talent.      

Conclusion 

In summary, embracing and promoting occupational medicine can create a safer, more productive, and more efficient work environment where employees are healthy and feel valued. A combination of injury prevention and intervention measures helps ensure workers’ physical and mental well-being while keeping costs low and minimizing business interruptions. 

So, if things ever go wrong, contact a reputed provider of medical case management services and consult knowledgeable, qualified doctors who are available 24/7. They will offer practical medical advice, answer any queries, support the patient mentally, and track their recovery closely until everything is normal. 

Choose WorkPartners USA for the Best in Occupational Medicine 

At WorkPartners, we know how workplace safety and health are closely linked with employee satisfaction, retention, business continuity, profitability, brand reputation, and OSHA compliance. Hence, as a part of our occupational medicine services, we handle injury cases holistically and minimize your OSHA recordables and healthcare costs while contributing to a resilient, productive workforce. As a well-known provider of medical case management services in St. Paul, MN, we also supply special first-aid kits and offer massage therapies in partnership with Athletico.  

Want to learn more? Get in touch with us today or call us at (800) 359-5020 for early injury intervention.