Your Role in Protecting Employee Well-Being – Explore a Career in OHS

The productivity of any organization begins with the well-being of its employees. The responsibility to support employees in this, rests in the hands of the professional focused on developing and implementing protocols that maintain a healthy and safe work environment. These occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals work to ensure that employees are, specifically, protected against accidents, injuries, and exposure to harm in the workplace.

They are responsible for protecting employees against many types of hazards that may be present in the workplace, depending on the industry. These include chemical hazards, biological hazards such as mold and fungi, bacteria, sewage and vermin, and physical hazards that can lead to injuries, such as exposed electrical wiring, excessive heat or noise, or wet floors causing falls. Other hazards that merit employee protection include ergonomic hazards that can put strain on muscles and lead to musculoskeletal injuries, and psychological hazards including work-related stress, fatigue, harassment, and violence.

Organizations and businesses that prioritize occupational health and safety reduce the risk of injury and accident. And by mitigating hazards, occupational health and safety professionals are contributing to improved employee productivity and morale, reducing costs associated with work related accidents and lowering insurance premiums as a result of fewer workplace incidents.

At Anderson College, the Occupational Health and Safety Diploma program, approved by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals, offers students the tools they need to flourish in an essential and growing profession.

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If you are considering a career in OHS, here are some of the tasks that will fall under your area of responsibility:

Provide a Safe Work Environment:

OHS professionals work to ensure that staff is properly trained on all machinery and equipment, while also ensuring that all chemical compounds used in the workplace are effectively tracked and stored. OHS professionals also guarantee that personal protective equipment (PPE) is readily available to all employees who need it.

Ensure Increased Productivity:

When staff feel protected, they also feel valued. This in turn makes staff feel loyal to their jobs, which helps to increase levels of productivity. If an organization fails to protect staff with the right OHS policies, they risk losing staff.

Improve Employee Well-Being:

Stress at work, long hours, few breaks, and unreasonable demands all contribute to staff fatigue and, in many cases, mental health issues. Companies need to ensure that staff are mentally healthy and thereby contributing effectively to the business. An OHS professional ensures that staff are protected and that their mental health is maintained as a top company priority by making sure staff work in reasonable conditions.

Maintain or Improve Company Reputation:

No matter what the industry, companies of all sizes need to consider occupational safety if they are going to maintain a reputation as a good company with good management. Beyond the fact that it is the right thing to do, in this era of social media, when employees can easily post their profiles with bad work experiences, it is crucial that companies go the extra mile in taking care of employee health and safety.

Create New Opportunities:

A career in OHS can also mean creating new opportunities for others in the organization. Staff that you have trained can in turn take on new responsibilities in the OHS space. Furthermore, safety compliance is crucial to an organization’s ability to do business – your contributions to a well managed and maintained safety program will enable your company to stay in business and prosper!

Essential to any workplace, occupational health and safety professionals help to create better and healthier work environments.

If you are interested in making a positive difference in the lives of employees, consider the Anderson College Occupational Health and Safety program. Speak to one of our Admission advisors today!