OCCUPATIONAL RISKS IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND EMPLOYEE SAFETY CONCEPT

Year 2015, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 1 - 13, 03.04.2016

Sinem Somunoğlu İkinci

Abstract

 

From the perspective of health sector, occupational risks encountered by employees and employee safety concepts are considered to be highly topical matters. This is mainly because health sector involves greater risks compared to many other sectors. Major occupational risk factors are classified as biological, physical, chemical, ergonomic and psycho-social. These risk factors recently have led to an increase in occupational diseases, work accidents, and health problems. As its direct consequence, planned activities have increased in number to prevent diseases and improve the health of employees. These activities originated from the ideas to determine occupational risks in health sector, take necessary precautions, and adopt an effective risk management. In this way, it is believed that the employees would be kept away from work accidents or losing health or being injured due to an occupational disease; that employee safety would be ensured; and that health service would be presented at a higher level with more quality and safety. Protecting employees from occupational risks and giving importance to employee safety concept will not only enable prevention of work accidents and occupational diseases, but also will ensure a peaceful and comfortable working environment.

Based on these, this article will explain occupational risks in health sector and their potential effects, include some examples of the most frequent occupational risks in Turkish health sector, and refer to employee safety concept and some precautions to ensure it.

Keywords

Occupational risk and health sector, employee safety in health sector

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