Occupational health services are concerned with the safety of workers and their families at work. They provide medical examinations, counseling and advice to employees and advise on the organization of the workplace, working conditions and health protection. The Occupational Health service providers can organize employee health surveillance programs for the early diagnosis of diseases and assist in the rehabilitation of injured or disabled workers.
Depending on the size and scope of a business, the occupational health service is a single integrated entity or a composite of different occupational health and safety units unified by a common concern for workers' health. In developing countries, the work of these services may be limited to general medical care or it may include such activities as maternity and childcare services, school health promotion, and assistance to underserved populations.
The main task of an Meridian HealthCare service is to ensure that the workplace meets legal and regulatory standards for the health and safety of workers. These include the prevention of occupational disease, control of workplace hazards and the development of a work environment that is favorable to workers' health.
In order to achieve this, the occupational health service is in a position to promote the adaptation of work and the improvement of working conditions and equipment to the individual worker. It also advises on the selection of machinery and other equipment and the choice, maintenance and repair of materials used in the enterprise.
Its personnel should be trained in first aid, so that they are prepared to respond promptly to accidents and emergencies affecting the entire enterprise. In addition, they should be instructed in the use of protective clothing and face masks.
A further duty is to maintain a comprehensive record of the workplace and to monitor the situation periodically, to keep management informed and to make recommendations for preventing problems. A major focus of occupational health practice is the surveillance of the working environment (ILO Convention 161).
During this surveillance, the occupational health service should identify new and unrecognized hazards. These are typically physical hazards that cause harm to the body without touch, such as radio waves, ultraviolet rays or extreme temperatures.
They should also be made aware of the potential impact of changes in production systems, facilities, machinery and equipment or the introduction of new materials and their possible effects on the worker's health. The resulting assessment should form the basis for adjusting occupational health practices.
The healthcare service should help the workers, in collaboration with the workers' representatives and the employer, to improve their capacity to perform their work or to adjust their assignments to the existing physical or mental impairments. This helps to protect their working capacity and reduce their absenteeism, restoring a good psychosocial climate in the enterprise.
The occupational health service also should advise on the preparation and conduct of workers' medical examinations, including the provision of a written and signed declaration of their intention to undertake these tests. This is a legal requirement under many national laws and international guidelines. It is essential to conduct these examinations regularly, even if there is no reason to believe that the health of the worker is at risk. The occupational health service should make sure that the examinations are carried out in accordance with the rules of medical ethics and are not influenced by personal or professional interests. Get a general overview of the topic here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health.