Industry, for the most part, has done an admirable job of reducing physical injuries and fatalities in the workplace. However, during the next several decades our liabilities in health will greatly overshadow our liabilities in safety. Cuts and broken bones will be replaced with cumulative trauma cases involving musculoskeletal problems, lung disease and respiratory problems, and hearing loss. To further compound this problem, several items are employee factors and activities that management has very little control over, such as the aging workforce, off-the-job activities, and tobacco smoking. Not many companies have an Occupational Health Program or an ergonomics program in place. Without a good Occupational Health Program, how can a company manage exposures in the workplace, know the health status of new hires, and track individual or group employee health problems over the course of their employment?
Industry challenges in the next several decades will include the following:
Lung and respirable problems such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, asthma, and lung cancer. The mining and construction industries will be especially challenged by pending standards concerning crystalline silica. Ever since the International Association for Cancer Research (IARC) made crystalline silica a Class I carcinogen, the microscope has been focused on industries that have potential crystalline silica exposures. Dust control and smoking cessation programs will become more important because of the connection between cigarette smoking and many of these lung diseases.
Hearing loss claims will increase, not necessarily from exposures on the job, but from off-the-job exposures and as a result of the aging workforce.
Musculoskeletal injuries will continue, with a major cause being the aging workforce. This will put special emphasis on ergonomics, wellness programs, and off-the-job safety programs.
All of these "Cumulative Trauma" injuries and illnesses will strain workers' compensation programs, fuel higher medical costs, and increase company liabilities. Workers' compensation dollars may not be able to handle the increase in liabilities companies will face in the future. Attorneys are already assembling class action suits, which experts say will exceed those involving asbestos in our past. Insurance costs will surely rise. Many companies without an occupational health program may not be able to get crystalline silica insurance coverage. Communities (the 24-hour regulator) will grow in their expectations that companies should conduct business in a way that is safe for workers, the environment and the community itself.. A state-of-the-art occupational health program may be the only answer to combat these challenges.
Today, I will cover the key elements of a successful Occupational Health Program. I will highlight the steps to take after management commitment is resolved and how to do the legwork. We will discuss an exposure monitoring program, and how to stay out of jail by avoiding excessive workers' compensation costs, and high liability. We will also take a look at a couple of key influences to the cumulative trauma problem, which include the aging workforce and off-the-job injuries.
