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