Healthcare workers are vitally important for may of us. We could even categorize them as heroes sometimes, as many of them work very hard to save lives and get us healthy so we are able to spend as much time with our friends and family as would be possible. And many of them work long hours and don’t often get the recognition or appreciation that they deserve for their unselfed ambition and desire to serve others.
Do many of us who are not in healthcare think about those healthcare workers and their health? If there are shortages of people in certain roles, and workers get sick and thus aren’t able to care for the sick, doesn’t that put those ho are working under greater stress and lead to lower-quality outcomes and results with patients?
Yes, we do like to assume those workers will be there when we need them. Which usually means we tend to forget that these workers are human too, and are susceptible to many of the same risks as the rest of us – and those risks may be greater considering the environment in which they work.
After all, they are around a much higher percentage of sick and injured than the general population.
With that in mind, healthcare workers have special safety concerns and risk assessments that need to be met on a regular basis to enhance the quality of the work experience for these workers. Over the last few years, NIOSH and the Association of Occupational Health Professionals (AOHP) have partnered to educate health facilities about best practices in risk management and workplace safety for all health care professionals to better ensure that those workers will be available to care for those who are depending on them.
The two organizations renewed their partnership for another five years, which provides some quality resources in various workplace safety areas. The goals of the partnership remain the same, namely:
- Use conferences and media opportunities to disseminate information regarding healthcare worker safety.
- Be active at events, meetings and conferences about workplace health and safety topics.
- Promote research in the area of occupational health and safety.
- Encourage OSH research already completed from the theoretical to the practical.
- Provide resources for research and training through the use of the NIOSH Education and Research Centers.
You can use this link or this one to find more information about each organization and their partnership.