Exposure monitoring and medical surveillance are typically a reaction to governing regulations. and two potentially robust data streams are rarely integrated. The overall picture is sometimes lost, which results in increased medical and/or industrial hygiene costs and liability risks. Health promotion programs are currently a response to the latest "vendor trend," and true medical management of the actual condition has not been introduced in a systematic or cost-effective approach.
Frequently, health and safety professionals are tasked with overseeing an enterprise's safety, health and hygiene efforts. Occupational safety and health programs in industry and government are increasingly under pressure to integrate with human resource and risk management programs among other corporate functions. They all share the growing costs of medical expenses, lost productivity, and employee replacement costs due to the explosion in the obesity-epidemic and those related disorders and risk factors (e.g., reduced exercise and processed food diets), including diabetes, arthritis, respiratory disease, and other illnesses.
Health and safety professionals are also often asked to wear "multiple hats" and oversee other areas, such as environmental compliance or security. Despite the convergence of responsibilities, there is still a lack of communication or a "silo" effect with respect to sharing of information or practices within many organizations.
