JENKINTOWN PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

An emerging organizational strategy from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) called Total Worker Health™, aims to integrate occupational safety and health protection with other programs that aim to protect workers from physical harm.

The organization explains that traditional workplace health programs have been compartmentalized in the past; with employee safety programs focusing on safety issues and reducing exposure to risk factors in the work environment, while workplace health initiatives focused on lifestyle factors both in and out of the office. Based on this compartmentalization, NIOSH created the Total Worker Health™ program in 2011 to combine the focus on the total health of the employee.

NIOSH defines their Total Worker Health™ program as a “strategy integrating occupational safety and health protection with health promotion to prevent worker injury and illness and to advance worker health and well-being.” These Total Worker Health™ programs not only serve to address the work environment (physical and organizational), but also focus on individual response and behavior, which can include health and lifestyle decisions as well as how to cope with workplace stress.

A holistic approach to the entire health of an employee may serve to help keep more employees happy, working, and most importantly, healthy. NIOSH feels that when the risks for workplace injury and illness are reduced while simultaneously placing a focus on the overall health of the individual, everyone can begin to thrive.

While not all workplaces have adopted this program or approach, NIOSH is hopeful that more employers will begin to adopt this program. For individuals who have experienced an injury or illness as a result of their working conditions, workers’ compensation is available. If you or someone you love has experienced an injury on the job in Pennsylvania, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation law firm of Mednick, Mezyk & Kredo at 888-807-WORK (9675) today for a free consultation.