"Ways in which an Occupational Health Nurse/Adviser can support your
Organization

Occupational Health Nurses / Advisors are the largest single group of health
professionals involved in delivering health services at the workplace and
have an important role to play in workplace health management according to
the "World Health Organization".

Statistics
There are 400 million people working in the WHO European member states
Approximately 200-7200 non-fatal accidents per 100,000 employees per year,
of which around 10% are severe leading to over 60 days absence and up to 5%
per year lead to permanent disability.

Estimated costs to society of work related injuries and health in the
European Union is between 185 and 270 billion ECU per year

UK - 177 million working days lost in 1994 as a result of sickness absence
- assessed at over €11 billion in lost productivity

Workplace Health Management
To companies and managers who are unfamiliar with the role of Occupational
Health Departments, Health and Safety Practitioners are seen to be an
additional expense. However there is strong evidence from companies with
dynamic Occupational Health Departments, that the role in the prevention and
management of work related injuries is cost effective and actually
contributes to the profitability of the company.

Some companies view the cost of accidents purely in relation to their rising
insurance premium costs. Costs of an accident that are not reflected in
insurance costs include:

• Temporary shutdown of work activities resulting from the accident.
• Time spent investigating the cause of the accident.
• Lost time from work by injured worker.
• Cost of appropriate medical intervention.

Management of Injuries at Work:

The aim is that work-related injuries are quickly diagnosed, treated or
referred as appropriate for the injury, thus enabling the injured employee
to have proper immediate and follow-up medical care.

The OHD can actively manage the treatment and co-ordinate the follow-up care
required by the injured employee, which can be in contrast to the more
prolonged sick-leave associated with the traditional A&E/ GP service.

Improved monitoring of workplace
The benefits for the employer are:
• Reduced absenteeism
• Reduced number of Employer Liability claims, and extent of claims
• Improved monitoring of workplace injuries

The benefits to the employee include:
• Early and expert diagnosis and treatment of their injuries
• Medical expenses (e.g. GP, Physio) minimized
• Early return to work, reducing loss of income
• Appropriate early rehabilitation, reducing the likelihood of further
re-injury
• Preventative healthcare advice

Insurance Costs:

IBEC National Survey of Personal Injury Claims 2000 and the IBEC Survey
Analysis of Personal Injury Compensation Costs, Claims and Accident
Experience 1999-2001

Ø Covered 1995 – 1999, based on returns from 526 and 100 selected
companies respectively

Ø Employer liability (EL) claims cost an average of € 31,000.00
o 44% are legal costs
o average cost of settling directly with employee is € 7,250.00, as
opposed to € 49,000.00 on the steps of the court

o Accidents convert into claims at a ratio of 10:1 for EL claims

Ø Public liability claims cost an average € 11,200.00
o 46% are legal costs
o Accidents convert into claims at a ratio of 8:1 for PL claims

Ø Average cost of insurance cover from 1999-2001 increased by 40%

Ø 84% of companies paid employees wages when absent due to an injury
suffered at work

Ø Conclusions:
o Where safety is well managed, there are fewer accidents
o Where safety is well managed, there are fewer claims per accident

Workplace Health Policies need:
Direct commitment of senior management and the participation of employees in
the development of workplace health policies

Consider the following:
Develop a policy statement stating management’s commitment to the workplace
health management strategy within the enterprise

Educate managers and workers on the impact of environmental, occupational
and lifestyle determinants on their health and social well-being and on the
economic situation and competing ability of the enterprise to facilitate
their participation in the Workplace Health Programme

What should the employer look for?

A recognized Occupational Health nurse should have the following
qualifications:

A certificate, diploma or degree in General Nursing
and
a recognized Occupational Health qualification

The OHN must hold current registration with An Bord Altranais."