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