| Occupational health case management theory is | | | | is often the starting point for safety. |
| a system being used by most major companies | | | | Constant monitoring and auditing of the |
| today. What exactly is it and why is it | | | | safety conditions of the workplace is |
| needed? | | | | essential. This monitoring includes the |
| | | | individual employee. A health record can be |
| The history of the Industrial Revolution is | | | | kept on the employee as part of their other |
| not a very pretty one from the stand point of | | | | employment records. This process starts with |
| employee health and safety. It was not really | | | | a physical examination appropriate to the |
| thought to be an issue to an employer for | | | | type of work that is going to be done. It |
| almost two centuries. The object was profit | | | | would be followed up by routine safety |
| and employees were seen as an expendable | | | | meetings stressing health related issues such |
| resource. It might have been this disregard | | | | as safety gear and proper lifting techniques. |
| for health and safety that had as much to do | | | | |
| as money with the attraction of communism. | | | | When a health issue develops, either as a |
| Today, worker health and safety is more than | | | | result of illness or accident, the employee |
| just the morally right thing, it is the | | | | is covered by a health plan that is part of |
| profitable thing, and it is the law. | | | | the overall health care system. These |
| Occupational health case management is one of | | | | selected health care providers do more than |
| the tools being used to insure a safe work | | | | just provide "medical insurance", but are |
| place for all. | | | | aware of the health and safety situation of |
| | | | the employer as well as the employee. Careful |
| Occupational health case management is | | | | follow up and record keeping of every health |
| actually a system that tracks each incident | | | | situation can provide ideas for improving the |
| that relates to employee health and safety. | | | | environment for others. |
| It integrates the entire plan of an | | | | |
| organization into a unified whole that | | | | There is no question, even in health |
| assumes completely responsibility for each | | | | management, that all accidents can not be |
| employee. This means that it is as concerned | | | | prevented and employees become ill as do all |
| with prevention as it is with health care | | | | humans. The goal is to do everything that can |
| after an accident. The prevention side of | | | | be done to prevent accidents and minimize |
| case management is the most important. | | | | illness. Ultimately, that is all that can be |
| | | | done, but it is also considerably more than |
| In occupational health case theory, the work | | | | has been done in the pass. Occupational |
| environment is the first line of defense for | | | | health is no longer a chancy thing, but |
| worker health and safety. Compliance with | | | | rather a managed and controlled part of any |
| OSHA standards is taken for granted, but that | | | | successful organization. |