Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) puts emphasis on protecting employees in the workplace from injuries, accidents and even exposure to harmful substances. Even though accidents may happen at any point in time, it is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that they take definite steps for the purpose of reducing the risks of incidents, as well as maintaining a safe working environment. Martin Lloyd Sanders himself has been greatly involved in the field of occupational health and safety. His expertise lies in biological safety, occupational safety and health, environmental health services, and infectious disease epidemiology.
Prioritizing occupational health and safety at a business has multiple advantages, including reduced accidents, risks or injuries by effective identification and mitigation of hazards. It also contributes to improved efficiency and productivity due to fewer employees missing work from illness or injury. Improved employee relations and morale can also be an advantageous impact of OHS, as a safer work environment is a less stressful work environment. Putting emphasis on occupational health and safety can even lead to reduced costs linked with injuries and accidents, such as healthcare and rehabilitative expenses.
It is no secret that almost all industries face safety hazards of some sort or the other. The most vital aspect of good OHS would be to identify these hazards and subsequently make sure that the employees have the right training, safety equipment, and other resources that they might need to work safely. Not being able to implement effective precautions and policies can lead to injuries, possible penalties, the absence or loss of skilled labor and many other problems.
While Occupational Health and Safety measures are designed to create a safe, healthy work environment, they can ideally be considered as two separate entities. OHS covers the risk factors present at a workplace, while potential safety hazards that can cause injuries to people. On the other hand, Occupational health puts emphasis on the potential health concerns and wellbeing of the employees. People can consider safety as the physical well-being of the employees, while health can include everything else, even mental health.
All employees have the legal right to expect a safe and healthy work environment, even if it seems like OHS is an obligation and cost to business owners. Business owners should understand that a safe workplace is a key to developing a positive corporate culture. Most employers would agree to the fact that preventing accidents at the work place would be a priority. The majority of the safety issues concerning a workplace do not crop up due to nefarious intentions. They, in fact, take place if business organizations end up cutting corners and do not take adequate time to train their employees properly on safety protocols. Being a part of this field for years, Martin Lloyd Sanders is well acquainted with the system of OHS. He took up his degree in zoology at the University of California, Davis, and received his doctorate from the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. He currently serves as the Director of Safety, Environmental Compliance and Emergency Management for Federal Occupational Health.
