Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and
Safety
Dr. Sreerupa Sengupta

How safe are we at work?
• Amazon has patented a wristband which tracks warehouse workers’ locations
and vibrates to ‘nudge’ them in the direction of their next assignment. It has
been reported that many feel that their main interaction during any shift is with
robots rather than colleagues (Guardian, 2018).
• In future, a move from wearable devices to implants is the subject of
considerable research and may be part of the future of work, carrying its own
OSH risks.
Opportunities and challenges for
using technology for
occupational health and safety
Source:
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/-
--europe/---ro-geneva/---ilo-lisbon/documen
ts/genericdocument/wcms_690066.pdf
Co-Bots at work:
Benefits and Risk
What is Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)?
• WHO definition: occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the
workplace and has a strong focus on primary prevention of hazards
• ILO/WHO – Common definition (since 1950): The main focus in occupational health is on three
different objectives:
(i) the maintenance and promotion of workers’ health and working capacity;
(ii) the improvement of working environment and work to become conducive to safety and
health and
(iii) development of work organizations and working cultures in a direction which supports
health and safety at work and in doing so also promotes a positive social climate and smooth
operation and may enhance productivity of the undertakings.
• Goals of OHS:
Minimize risk and foster a safe and healthy work environment
OHS may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, and
many others who might be affected by the workplace environment
• Approach: Occupational health is essentially preventive in nature. Lays strong

emphasis on the prevention of hazards at a primary level.
 Right to Occupational Health is an integral part of Right to Health

Work
Occupationa
l Health
Healt
h
Why do we need to address health and safety at work?
Direct Cost Indirect cost

Positive work
environment Influences
Increases person’s health –
positively Cost of replacing
productivity staff and training
Medical cost time
Negative work Loss of
environment Influences Productivity
Decreases person’s health –
productivity negatively Work stoppage
Worker’s Cost of
replacement of
compensation equipment,
property
Types of occupational hazards
Chemical hazard
Physical hazard Biological hazard
Caused by: harmful
Caused by: Noise, Caused by: virus,
chemical compounds in
vibration, illumination, bacteria, fungi – TB,
the form of solid,
temperature HIV&AIDS
liquid, gas, dust
Psycho-social hazard
Ergonomic Hazard
Caused by: shift work,
Caused by: lifting,
violence, stress, low
holding, pushing,
pay, low recognition,
walking
repetitive work
Timelines and Milestones
• 1948 – WHO Constitution – Article 2 (pt i): promote improvement of working conditions and other aspects
of environmental hygiene
• 1950 – International Labour Organisation (ILO): Protection of Worker’s Health Recommendations
• 1994: Occupational Health for All, WHO
• 2006: Promotional Framework for Occupational Health and Safety Convention, ILO
• ILO has adopted more that 40 labour standards which deal with OHS
• 2000: ILO adopted Decent Work Agenda
• 2015: Sustainable Development Goals 8
• 2020: WHO–ILO Global Framework for National Occupational Health Programmes for Health Workers
How to manage
occupational risk?
Workplace Health Promotion
• In 21st century, workplace, has been established as one of the priority settings for health promotion
• Workplace directly influences physical, mental, economic and social well-being of workers and in turn health of
their families, communities and society
• Workplace offers an ideal setting and infrastructure to support the promotion of health of a large audience
Benefits:
• Healthy workers are productive and raise healthy families; healthy workers are a key strategy, i.e. goal, for
overcoming poverty.
• Workplace health risks are higher in informal sector and small industry which are key arenas of action on
poverty alleviation
• Workplace health promotion helps people to work their way out of poverty
• Improved morale, Improved skills for health protection, Better sense of belonging, increased job satisfaction
Occupational
health and
safety
Workplace
health
promotion
Leadership,
Non-occupational
communication,
factors (family
team building,
welfare)
Technology
Safety, Health and Environment
at Workplace
Policy, CODES and Institution in India
• Constitutional Provisions:
• Article 24- prohibits employment of children under the age of 14 years
• Article 39 (e and f) - health of men, women and children should be protected, and children
should be given opportunity and facility for healthy development and should be protected
against exploitation
• Article 42 - humane conditions at work and maternity relief should be provided
• Occupational Health and Safety is dealt by Ministry of Labour and Employment – under
Industrial Safety and Health branch
• The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 – the code is an amalgamation
of 13 major labour laws
• This Code is yet to be implemented
• Special mention:
Women can work at night shifts (from 7pm-6am) subject to their consent
Inter-state migrant workers
• Code on Social Security 2020 – this code encompasses all social security laws of the country
• Expansion: Focus on unorganized sector and platform workers
• 2009: National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Workplace
• Salient Features of the policy:
 Recognizes safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental human right
 Aims at enhancing well-being of employees and society by eliminating work related
injuries, diseases, etc.
 Brings into focus the objective of continuous reduction in the incidence of work related
injurious and diseases
 National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) was established in 1970 at

Ahmedabad, Gujarat
 NIOH is WHO collaborative and reference centre for occupational health, and it works
closely with the Ministries of Labour, Health and Family Welfare, Environment and
Forests, Agriculture
Readings
• Textbook
Benjamin O. Alli (2008). Fundamental Principles of Occupational Health and Safety. ILO
• https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@publ/documents/publication/wcms_093550.pdf
NATIONAL POLICY ON SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AT WORK PLACE, Ministry of Labour and Employment,
Government of India, 2009 https://labour.gov.in/sites/default/files/SafetyHealthandEnvironmentatWorkPlace.pdf
Websites
https://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/en/
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/areasofwork/lang--en/index.htm
Video:
https://youtu.be/_-RK2GiB4Q0 – India’s Construction Workers

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Occupational Health and

Dr. Sreerupa Sengupta

• Approach: Occupational health is essentially preventive in nature. Lays strong

 Right to Occupational Health is an integral part of Right to Health

Direct Cost Indirect cost

 National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) was established in 1970 at

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