Anna
My philosophy on this is very simple. Occupational health should have as its
main aim that no-one goes home in a worse health condition than when they
came to work. Health surveillance is one of the tools that we can use to
help us achieve this aim. Health surveillance should be aimed at detecting
effects on worker health at a stage where the clinical disease can be
prevented.
1. Detecting effects on worker health at a subclinical stage
2. Identifying where in a workplace such effects are occurring due to
inadequate risk assessment and management of risks
3. Where clinical effects have occurred, or cannot be detected at the
sub-clinical stage (e.g. allergic contact dermatitis, but not irritant
contact dermatitis), identifying these at the easliest possible stage where
remedial treatment can achieve an ability to continue at the chosen
activity.
Whilst return to work activity will often be required, to me this occurs
where people have become injured or ill, and thus, in effect, the employer
has failed to protect their health and safety. It will always be necessary,
but surely preventing its necessity is the more important task.
Chris
Chris Packham
FRSPH, FIIRSM, FInstSMM, MCMI, MBICSc
EnviroDerm Services
Unit 10, Building 11, The Mews, Mitcheldean, GL17 0SN
Tel: +44 (0)1386 832 311
Mobile: 07818 035 898
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