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Block 3: Occupational Health Management - Section 1: Occupational Health
Service |
OHM1.1: Structure and overview |
GENERAL OBJECTIVES |
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
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To familiarize
the student with the core elements that comprise an Occupational Health
Programme. |
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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES |
- Understand the main objectives of an Occupational
Health Programme
- To learn about the core components of a "generic"
Occupational Health programme"
- To understand the links between the various
components of the programme, and how they feed into each other.
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INTRODUCTION:
The aim of the Occupational Health Service is to protect, promote and maintain
the health and safety of all employees through a comprehensive and caring service.
This will be achieved through the provision of medical and technical expertise to
achieve improvements in the working environment, adaptation of work to the individual
worker, and promotion of the health and welfare of workers. In this way the
service will decrease the incidence of occupational injuries, diseases, deaths
and related disability. The Article 105 of the ILO Convention on Occupational Health
Services forms the basis of this framework (see Appendix).
Occupational health services are delivered by an integrated team and have five main components:
These terms are defined in the Glossary. The Occupational Health Programme
is further comprised of:
SHOW THE FLOW OF THE FIRST DAY'S PROGRAMME RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE
PERHAPS BY CHANGING THE COLOUR OF TEH BLOCKS OHS - OHP - RISK ASSESSMENT AND
THEN STEPPING TO THE RIGHT TO MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE TAKING IN THE MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE BLOCK. THE MAIN FOCUS IS ON THIS
VECTOR FOR DAY 1 IN THE NEW TIMETABLE (MONDAY). OTHER COMPONENTS DEALT WITH IN THE COURSE OF THE BLOCK
CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT COLOUR
PUT IN THE DEFINITIONS IN SERVICE POLICY DOCUMENT HERE
These elements also have substantial areas of overlap. The definitions are further discussed in the Policy
for the Occupational Health Programme. The broad principles that provide the framework within which the
occupational health service will function include:
- Occupational health services are considered as having a preventive orientation
that focuses on work-related problems. Nonetheless, the occupational health services
should be comprehensive and undertake curative, preventive, promotive, compensation
and rehabilitation services; education and training of employees; and maintain an
appropriate health information system.
- The governance of the occupational health service should involve participation
of both management and employees, in determining the activities of the service.
- The organisational infrastructure of the Occupational Health Services in terms
of the facilities, resources and staffing must be appropriate to the needs of
the workforce, and aligned with business strategies.
- The services should be easily accessible to use during working hours.
Objectives - REPLACE THESE WITH DEFINITIONS AS INDICATED ABOVE
- The objective of the Occupational Health Programme will be to provide a
comprehensive injury and illness prevention strategy, including Occupational
Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Occupational Safety.
- The objective of the Primary Health Care Programme will be to provide primary
clinical services for injured and ill employees, and rehabilitation and
re-integration where relevant.
- The objective of the Employee Assistance Programme will be to provide a
support service to employees with various physical, psychological and social
problems, including counselling, training and rehabilitation.
- The objective of the Health Promotion and Wellness Programme is to provide
a framework for optimal well-being, through healthy lifestyle and educational
initiatives.
- The objective of the Employee Benefits Programme will be to support the
Human Resource team in the management of employees with benefit queries, such
as medical aid and disability issues.

REFERENCES to appear once only
- Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), No 85 of 1993 and Regulations.
- Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), No 130 of 1993 (as amended 1997).
- The Mines Health and Safety Act (MHSA), No. 29 of 1996 and Codes of Practice.
- Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works (ODIMWA), Act No. 78 of 1973 and Regulations.
- Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Amendment Act (ODIMWA), Act No. 208 of 1993.
- The Hazardous Substances Act No 15 of 1973 and Regulations.
- The Health Act No 63 of 1977 and Regulations as amended.
- The Nursing Act No 50 of 1978 and Regulations as amended.
- The Nursing Amendment Act No 71 of 1981.
- The Medicines and Related Substances Control Act, No 101 of 1965, as amended.
- The Labour Relations Act No 28 of 1956 as amended in 1996.
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The Basic Conditions of Employment Act No 3 of 1983 as amended - Act 75 of 1997.
- The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998.
- The Codes of Good Labour Practice (including Hours of Work, Pregnancy, HIV & testing, Disability, etc.)
- The National Road Traffic Act No. 93 of 1996, and Regulations.
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APPENDIX 1:
Article 5 of the Convention Concerning Occupational Health Services, Convention 161 of the
International Labour Conference, June 1985.

