| It has become clear that the very nature of | | | | a health impact on employees also. Most humans |
| work has changed in the past few generations. | | | | become stressed when exposed to constantly |
| What are the future challenges facing the | | | | changing conditions, and this is becoming a major |
| occupational health and safety field? | | | | health concern. The proper training of employees |
| Just about everything has changed as a result of | | | | and the care with which change is introduced to |
| a technological revolution that has swept over the | | | | their work environment has become a concern of |
| developed world in the last quarter of a century. | | | | occupational health as well as the training |
| The changes have impacted our day to day life | | | | department. |
| and they have impacted our workplaces. Some of | | | | It is hard to predict the future. The aids epidemic |
| these work related changes have been studied | | | | has changed the look of first aid kits around the |
| and already there has been some understanding | | | | industrial world. Rubber gloves and blood clean up |
| of them and efforts to deal with them. Others | | | | kits became standard as a reaction to the |
| are still not understood and in some cases, not | | | | possibility of blood borne infection. What the next |
| even recognized. Stress related problems and | | | | disease might require is a bit hard to predict. It is |
| ergonomics have become serious work place | | | | going to be necessary to keep flexibility in health |
| issues. What are the future challenges of | | | | planning in order to be able to quickly respond to |
| occupational health safety? | | | | changing situations. |
| Perhaps, the biggest challenge of occupational | | | | Another problem that should loom large in the |
| health safety in the future will be simply keeping | | | | future is the ever increasing cost of health care. |
| up with progress. One of the features of the | | | | An occupational health and safety management |
| modern technological age is rapid change. This | | | | plan that includes the providing of health services |
| rapid change presents two distinct problems to | | | | must be constantly aware of the rising costs and |
| occupational health and safety programs. If a | | | | the efforts of the insurance industry to provide |
| company is failing to provide the most up-to-date | | | | alternative plans for coping with them. One thing is |
| safety gear and following the most advanced | | | | certain. Over the entire world, the government |
| standards for good health, they are failing in their | | | | has taken an interest in worker health and safety. |
| mission to provide the best and safest work | | | | Government regulation becomes more and more |
| environment for their employees. Keeping up with | | | | demanding, and compliance becomes more and |
| rapid change is going to remain a challenge. | | | | more essential. |
| The rapid change caused by technology is having | | | | |