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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of

Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad
field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of the U.S.
Federal Statistical System. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that
collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the
American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local
governments, business, and labor representatives. The BLS also serves as a
statistical resource to the Department of Labor, and conducts research into how
much families need to earn to be able to enjoy a decent standard of living. [6]
The BLS data must satisfy a number of criteria, including relevance to current social
and economic issues, timeliness in reflecting todays rapidly changing economic
conditions, accuracy and consistently high statistical quality, and impartiality in
both subject matter and presentation. To avoid the appearance of partiality, the
dates of major data releases are scheduled more than a year in advance, in
coordination with the Office of Management and Budget.

Occupational safety and health (OSH) also commonly referred to as


occupational health and safety (OHS) or workplace health and safety (WHS) is an
area concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or
employment. The goals of occupational safety and health programs include to foster
a safe and healthy work environment.[1] OSH may also protect co-workers, family
members, employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the
workplace environment. In the United States the term occupational health and
safety is referred to as occupational health and occupational and non-occupational
safety and includes safety for activities outside work.[2]
Occupational safety and health can be important for moral, legal, and financial
reasons. In common-law jurisdictions, employers have a common law duty
(reflecting an underlying moral obligation) to take reasonable care for the safety of
their employees,[3] Statute law may build upon this to impose additional general
duties, introduce specific duties and create government bodies with powers to
regulate workplace safety issues: details of this will vary from jurisdiction to
jurisdiction. Good OSH practices can also reduce employee injury and illness related
costs, including medical care, sick leave and disability benefit costs.
Definition
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) "occupational health deals with
all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and has a strong focus on primary
prevention of hazards."[4] Health has been defined as "a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."[5]

Occupational health is a multidisciplinary field of healthcare concerned with


enabling an individual to undertake their occupation, in the way that causes least
harm to their health. Health has been defined as It contrasts, for example, with the
promotion of health and safety at work, which is concerned with preventing harm
from any incidental hazards, arising in the workplace.

Since 1950, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) have shared a common definition of occupational health. It was
adopted by the Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health at its first session
in 1950 and revised at its twelfth session in 1995. The definition reads:
"The main focus in occupational health is on three different objectives: (i) the
maintenance and promotion of workers health and working capacity; (ii) the
improvement of working environment and work to become conducive to safety and
health and (iii) development of work organizations and working cultures in a
direction which supports health and safety at work and in doing so also promotes a
positive social climate and smooth operation and may enhance productivity of the
undertakings. The concept of working culture is intended in this context to mean a
reflection of the essential value systems adopted by the undertaking concerned.
Such a culture is reflected in practice in the managerial systems, personnel policy,
principles for participation, training policies and quality management of the
undertaking."
Those in the field of occupational health come from a wide range of disciplines and
professions including medicine, psychology, epidemiology, physiotherapy and
rehabilitation, occupational therapy, occupational medicine, human factors and
ergonomics, and many others. Professionals advise on a broad range of
occupational health matters. These include how to avoid particular pre-existing
conditions causing a problem in the occupation, correct posture for the work,
frequency of rest breaks, preventative action that can be undertaken, and so forth.
"Occupational health should aim at: the promotion and maintenance of the highest
degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the
prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working
conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from
factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an
occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological
capabilities; and, to summarize, the adaptation of work to man and of each man to
his job.

Occupational injuries and occupational accidents


By occupational injury is meant personal injury, illness or death sustained in
connection with work. Employees who suffer an occupational injury may have

additional rights under the National Insurance Scheme.


In order for an incident to be an occupational accident, a sudden or unexpected
external event must have occurred during the performance of the work. The
National Insurance Act states that 'A specific time-limited event that causes stress
in excess of what is normally encountered during performance of the work of the
person in question is also deemed to be an occupational accident'. A 'crick' or
'muscle strain' that may arise during lifting and carrying in a fairly normal work
situation is not deemed to be an occupational injury.

Some illnesses are considered equivalent to occupational injuries even though they
develop over time and do not stem from a specific occupational accident
(occupational illnesses). This includes illness caused by exposure to solvents or
asbestos, poisoning and allergic skin and lung conditions. Repetitive strain injuries
or mental conditions that develop over time are currently not acknowledged as
occupational illnesses, even if they may be work-related. It is up to NAV to decide
whether an illness is acknowledged as an occupational illness or not.
Employer is obliged to notify NAV of any occupational injuries and occupational
diseases as soon as possible.
The right to occupational injury coverage is normally statute-barred one year after
the accident occurred or the cause of the disease was known to the employee or
notifiable.
Occupational health refers to the identification and control of the risks arising
from physical, chemical, and other workplace hazards in order to establish and
maintain a safe and healthy working environment. These hazards may include
chemical agents and solvents, heavy metals such as lead and mercury, physical
agents such as loud noise or vibration, and physical hazards such as electricity or
dangerous machinery. Since 1986, the NIEHS has supported training and education
programs designed to protect workers and their communities from exposure to toxic
materials encountered during hazardous waste operations and chemical emergency
response. This includes safety and health training for workers who are involved in
hazardous waste removal and comprehensive training and environmental
restoration for residents living near heavily polluted industrial waste sites.
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An ergonomic hazard is any situation in the workplace that poses a threat to the
musculoskeletal system of an employee.
Ergonomics is a field in which the workplace is studied for comfort and safety. All
equipment is considered together in order to determine if there are any dangerous
stresses placed on workers. Lights, furniture and electronics are the main factors
that can lead to debilitating injuries that hamper future work and life. New furniture
and equipment should always be evaluated for not only performance but also for
ergonomic fit.

Ergonomic hazards
An ergonomic hazard is a physical factor within the environment that harms the
musculoskeletal system. Ergonomic hazards include themes such as repetitive
movement, manual handling, workplace/job/task design, uncomfortable workstation
height and poor body positioning.
Ergonomics is the study of how a workplace, the equipment used there and the
work environment itself can best be designed for comfort, efficiency, safety and
productivity. Often we can improve our levels of comfort and productivity with
relatively simple changes.
Although ergonomics is a broad field, the main areas of concern for workplaces and
employees will often relate to:
workstations (sitting and standing)
equipment layout and operation
computer systems
noise
lighting
thermal comfort
maintenance tasks performed on plant items.
Ergonomic issues can be associated with a wide range of concerns including the
physical design of workstations, workspaces, the working environment, tools,
vehicles, computer programs and plant. It can also involve cognitive processes such
as those involved with workload, decision making, skilled performance and stress.
There are procedures for dealing with all these issues to make sure any difficulties
are addressed.
Overview of BLS Statistics by Occupation
Workers are classified into occupational categories based upon work performed,
skills, education, training, and credentials. Two examples of occupations are
accountants and auditors and janitors and cleaners. Some occupations are found in
just one or two industries; however, many occupations are found in a large number
of industries.
Health and Safety Committees oshs rule 1040
Health and safety committees play a vital role in preventing work-related injuries
and diseases, and are an important part of what is called the internal responsibility
system. This system, based on cooperation between employers and employees,
improves the overall understanding of occupational health and safety issues in the
workplace.

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