This month, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health celebrates the one-year-anniversary of Total Worker Health, a program focused around integrating occupational safety and health protection with health promotion in order to reduce incidents of worker injury and illness and advance health and well-being. The program is focused around finding ways to improve the health and well-being of workers in ways that go beyond traditional focuses of incident management, including developing a supportive and hazard free environment, and where workplace policies encourage healthier choices.
The role of the employer in ensuring the quality of life of their employees cannot be overlooked, not only by focusing on a safe environment, but by focusing on a friendly environment. Depression and anxiety can exacerbate existing health conditions or create new health issues, resulting in increased incidents of worker illness; stress and frustration can result in increased on-the-job accidents even in an otherwise safe working environment. NIOSH has been hard at work conducting research to identify and address risk factors in the workplace, and will be discussing their findings through a number of conferences and symposiums throughout the year.