Occupational safety and health in India: now and the future

India, a growing economy and world's largest democracy, has population exceeding 1.2 billion. Out of this huge number, 63.6% form working age group. More than 90% work in the informal economy, mainly agriculture and services. Less than 10% work in the organized sector; mainly industry, mining and some services. New service industries like Information Technology (IT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) are increasing rapidly; so is the proportion of females in the workforce. The occupational safety and health (OSH) scenario in India is complex. Unprecedented growth and progress go hand in hand with challenges such as huge workforce in unorganized sector, availability of cheap labor, meager public spending on health, inadequate implementation of existing legislation, lack of reliable OSH data, shortage of OSH professionals, multiplicity of statutory controls, apathy of stakeholders and infrastructure problems. The national policy on OSH at workplace, adopted by the government in 2009, is yet to be implemented. Some of the major occupational risks are accidents, pneumoconiosis, musculoskeletal injuries, chronic obstructive lung diseases; pesticide poisoning and noise induced hearing loss. The three most important OSH needs are: 1. legislation to extend OSH coverage to all sectors of working life including the unorganized sector; 2. spreading the awareness about OSH among stakeholders; 3. development of OSH infrastructure and OSH professionals. Other issues include integration of occupational health with primary health care.     

Occupational safety and health: United States of America

Summary The major legislation in the United States to implement safety and health in the workplace is the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91–595). The United States has enacted a number of laws to reduce the number and severity of work-related injuries and illnesses which, despite efforts of employers and government, were resulting in ever-increasing human misery and economic loss.The Act calls not only for enforcement of standards but for programmes of research, education and training. The Secretary of the Department of Labour Uniformly applies occupational safety and health standards which have been developed with the assistance of the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. A strong programme has been developed in research and application of research to problems in the special areas of mining, construction, and agriculture, as well as for general industry and other employment.

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Arbeitsmedizin und Sicherheit am Arbeitsplatz: USA

Zusammenfassung Das wichtigste Gesetz in den USA, das Sicherheit und Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz gewährleistet, ist der «Occupational Safety and Health Act» des Jahres 1970 (Public Law 91–596). Die USA haben mehrere Gesetze verabschiedet, um die Zahl und die Schwere von Berufsunfällen und -krankheiten zu vermindern, die trotz der Bemühungen von Arbeitgebern und Regierung zunehmend menschliches Leid und ökonomische Verluste zur Folge haben.Das Gesetz fordert nicht nur die Durchsetzung von Normen, sondern auch Programme für Forschung, Erziehung und Ausbildung. Der Vorsteher des Departement of Labour wendet einheitlich die Normen auf dem Gebiet der Arbeitsmedizin und Sicherheit am Arbeitsplatz an, die mit Unterstützung des Vorstehers des Departement of Health, Education and Welfare erarbeitet wurden. Ein weitreichendes Programm wurde für die Forschung und die Anwendung der Forschung auf Probleme des Bergbaus, des Bauwesens und der Landwirtschaft wie auch für die allgemeine Industrie und andere Beschäftigungszweige entwickelt.

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Hygiène et sécurité du travail: Etats-Unis d'Amérique

Résumé Aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique, le principal texte législatif concernant l'hygiène et la sécurité du travail est l'Occupational Safety and Health Act de 1970 (Public Law 91–596). On a promulgué un certain nombre de lois et de règlements visant à réduire le nombre et la gravité des accidents du travail et des maladies professionnelles qui, en dépit des efforts des employeurs et des pouvoirs publics, occasionnent toujours davantage de souffrances humaines et de pertes économiques.L'Occupational Safety and Health Act prévoit non seulement l'application de normes appropriées, mais encore l'exécution de programmes de recherche, d'enseignement et de formation. Le Secrétaire au Travail veille à ce que soient respectées partout les normes d'hygiène et de sécurité du travail mises au point avec le concours du Secrétaire à la Santé, à l'Education et à la Prévoyance sociale. Il existe, en outre, un important programme de recherche et d'application des résultats de la recherche dans l'industrie en général et dans les autres branches d'activité, notamment dans les domaines spécialisés des industries extractives, du bâtiment et de l'agriculture.

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On detail from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.     

Occupational safety and health in the USA: now and the future

In the USA, national worker protection legislation was enacted in 1970. The legislation required that research, recommendations and guidance be developed to aid employers and workers, that workplace health and safety standards be adopted, that employer comply with those rules and that the government police employer compliance, and that assistance be offered to employers and workers to help them maintain a safe and healthful workplace. In the 40 yr since passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, worker injury, illness and fatalities have declined but not been eliminated. Efforts to accelerate the standards adoption process are much discussed in the USA along with how to protect workers from emerging hazards like nanotechnology. New strategies which seek to eliminate not only the causes of work-related injury and illness, but also more broadly, worker injury and illness, are on the horizon.     

Occupational safety and health in Japan: current situations and the future

The Industrial Safety and Health Law enacted in 1972 has contributed much to the progress of occupational safety and health (OSH) activities. Many indicators including death and illness statistics show continued improvement up to date. The establishment of OSH organization within enterprises and 5-yr administrative programs formulated by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) were important factors for satisfactory management. The past programs indicate that the weight of self regulation in comparison to legal control gradually increased since late 1990s. In spite of the past achievement, many hazards such as overwork, mental stress, chemical agents and others still remain to be prevented. The systematic risk assessment of unregulated chemicals by the MHLW proved to be an effective scheme for risk-based management and to deserve continued implementation. The size of human resources for OSH was estimated at 1.5 million. In view of the adverse effect on OSH by economic, social and political environment in the future, the importance of the efficiency of OSH management was indicated. Since the efficiency depends on the competence of OSH personnel and the level of scientific basis, it was concluded that the fundamental policy for the future should give high priority to education and research.     

Occupational safety and health in Europe: lessons from the past, challenges and opportunities for the future

Europe has always played a key role in the field of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and can be considered the cradle of Occupational Health. The European policy framework has been set since the establishment of the European Union, but its strength lies in the enactment of the Framework Directive on Occupational Health and Safety (89/391/EC), which has had a strong positive impact on the assessment and management of occupational risk factors and has promoted the quick diffusion of common standards across Europe. Yet, some implementation issues still remain to be addressed, due to changes in the world of work, fragmentation, economic crisis and, more generally, to the impact of globalization. Therefore, actions need to be reviewed with respect to research plans and policy implementation so as to support the OHS social dimension fostering a broader concept of wellbeing at work.     

A comparative analysis of the United kingdom and the United States health care systems

With America entering a new period of debate about the future of its health care system and with several alternative models now being tested in individual states, this article explores the similarities and differences between the National Health Service of the United Kingdom and America's varying approaches to addressing the health services needs of its citizens. The focus of this article is in identifying opportunities to benefit from the relative strengths and avoid or correct the weaknesses inherent in each system.     

Occupational health and safety in Brazil

BACKGROUND. Brazil is the world's fifth largest and sixth most populous nation. Its economy is varied, with strong manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and service sectors. Therefore, a wide variety of workplace hazards confronts its work force. This paper describes Brazil's occupational safety and health regulatory scheme, workers' compensation system, plant-level practices, training, and data collection. METHODS. We reviewed and analyzed Brazilian regulatory legislation and government and non-governmental organization (NGO) activity in occupational safety and health, as well as the structure and function of the workers' compensation system. We also reviewed available data on injuries and diseases from major sources, including the now-defunct Instituto Nacional do Previdencia Social (INPS) and the workers' compensation scheme, Seguro de Acidente de Trabalho (SAT). RESULTS. The incidence of workplace injuries has decreased in recent years and is now reported to be about 5 per 100 workers per year. The case fatality rate has been constant at about 5 fatalities per 1000 injuries. Less than 6% of reported injuries are classified as "diseases." Brazil's rates are comparable to those of Mexico and Zimbabwe, and two to four times higher than in most industrialized countries. CONCLUSIONS. Brazil has a high incidence of occupational injuries and diseases; these injuries and diseases are underreported; there is a large informal sector at special risk; and Brazil illustrates the disparity that exists in many countries between legislation on the books and legislation that is actually implemented.     

Occupational health and safety in Australia

The focus of OHS in Australia is on workplace-based prevention rather than individual health care. Over the past decade, workers' compensation data have shown continuous improvement in work-related deaths, serious injuries and diseases. Injuries from work-related vehicle incidents are the leading cause of fatalities. There is a high incidence of on-road incidents in light vehicles; this problem is under-recognised, and better incidence data are required to support more effective interventions. Rates of many long-latency diseases such as cancers are underestimated, and again more reliable information is needed, particularly on work-related exposures to carcinogens. Disease-related deaths are largely confined to older workers. Musculoskeletal injuries and disorders are the most frequent and costly OHS problem, constituting a large majority of non-fatal injuries and diseases. There is growing recognition that their risk management should be more evidence based, integrating assessment and control of psychosocial and 'manual handling' hazards. A high rate of population ageing is increasing risk of chronic diseases, including musculoskeletal disorders, which is helping to raise awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting workforce health. Strategies to achieve this have been developed but implementation is at an early stage.     

Occupational health nursing in the United States

This article is a summary of information about occupational health nurses and occupational health nursing in the United States. The article provides demographic, education, credentialing, role, and other data based on secondary analysis of occupational health nurses' responses to the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. Current issues affecting the U.S. work force and businesses are addressed and high-risk business and industrial sectors are noted. Occupational health nurse practice opportunities are highlighted and practice areas where occupational health nursing research is currently focused are discussed. The article also examines the challenges facing the next generation of occupational health nurses.