Criteria for Evaluating Healthy

work environment in various

Occupational setting

Presenter:
Anil Khanal
Jagat Pd. Upadhyay
Sagar Parajuli
School of Health & Allied Sciences
Pokhara University

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 Healthy Workplace
A healthy workplace is “one
in which workers and
managers collaborate to use a
continual improvement
process to protect and
promote the health, safety
and well-being of workers
and the sustainability of the
workplace.” – WHO

Source: WHO Healthy Workplace Framework and Model

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 Healthy Workplace Components
Criteria for healthy workplace based on identified needs;
• Health and safety concerns in the physical work
environment.
• Health, safety and well-being concerns in the psychosocial
work environment including organization of work and
workplace culture.
• Personal health resources in the workplace.
• Ways of participating in the community to improve the
health of workers, their families and other members of the
community-Enterprise community involvement
Healthy Workplace determines Quality of workplace life
(QWL)

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 Healthy Workplace Components
Healthy Physical Work Environment Psychosocial Work Environment

Workplace building structure, air flow, Includes the attitudes, values, beliefs
machines, furniture, products, and practices, Absence of workplace
chemicals, materials and processes that stressors.
are present or that occur in the work organization, organization
workplace, Affects physical safety and culture, command and control
health as well as mental health and management, support for work-life
well-being
Personal Health Resources in Enterprise Community Involvement
Workplace
Includes the activities, expertise, and
Supportive environment, health other resources an enterprise engages
services, information, resources, in or provides to the social and physical
opportunities and promoting healthy community or communities in which it
personal lifestyle practices and choices operates, Corporate social
responsibility

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Workplace Health Model

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 Health protection at workplace
1. Health Promotion Measures
Nutrition
• Canteen providing balanced diets or snacks at
reasonable cost under sanitary control
• Health education on the value of a balanced diet and
healthy eating habits
• Safe and uncontaminated place to store the food if
worker carries own lunch pack at workplace
• Obligatory on the industrial establishment to provide
canteen when the number of employees exceed 250.
Communicable disease control
• Provision for early diagnosis, treatment, prevention and
rehabilitation for communicable diseases
• Vaccination against major preventable communicable 6
 Health protection at workplace
Environmental sanitation
• Water supply- sufficient supply of wholesome drinking
water
• Toilet: clean and sufficient number of (at least one
sanitary latrine fro every 25 employee, separate for
males and females)
Provision of general plant cleanliness
• Walls, ceilings and passages painted with water
washable paints
• Repaint at least once in 3 years
• Wash at least one in every six months
• Vacuum cleaners or wetting agents for dusts that settles
down
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 Health protection at workplace
Sufficient space
• Sufficient floor space and cubic space to prevent
respiratory infections
• Recommended standard is a minimum of 500 cubic feet
• Sufficient and suitable lighting
• Ventilation, temperature
• Protection against hazards: protection from exposure
against dusts, fumes and other toxic hazards.
Mental health
• Encouraging employee participation in decision making
and overall control of their jobs
• Motivation and counseling

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 Health protection at workplace
Measures for women and children
• Maternity leave
• Prohibition of women and children in certain dangerous
occupation
• No children below age of eighteen employed to work
(defined by UNCRC)
Health education/training
• Regarding personal hygiene
• At all levels- the management, the supervisory staff, the
workers, the trade union leaders and the community

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 Health protection at workplace

• Training should be provided to all workers at no cost

and should take place during working hours, if possible

 Family planning: provision of basic contraceptives

services, eg: Condom

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2. Preventive Measure

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 i. Medical Measures
• Preplacement examination
• Regular periodic health checkup
• Medical/Health and Accidental Insurance
• Family Health Insurance
• Provision of treatment within occupational premises or
nearby health institutions with appropriate
transportation facility
• Provision of treatment in case of accident/injury
• Record keeping of previous problems and their control
measures
• Health Education and counselling.

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 ii. Engineering Measures
• Special attention on map prior building infrastructures
• Proper ventilation
• Proper installation and placement of equipment's
• Provision of exhaust fan
• Safety measures
• Substitution
• Monitoring of environment and health related data
• Monitoring and evaluation of work and production

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 iii. Legal Measures
• Implementation of company act and rules
• Implementation of Labor act and rules
• Legal provision of health, safety and welfare
• Fixation of work duration
• Provision of paid leave
• Provision of insurance

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 iv. Welfare
• Recreational activities, cultural programs, sports, parks,
etc.
• Provision of quality education for children of employees
• Special programs for retired employees and elderly
parents of employees
• Rehabilitation services, as per necessary

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 Tele-work
Telework is defined as the use of information and
communications technology (ICT) – such as desktop
computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones – for work
that is performed outside the employer’s premises.

This includes work performed from home, a satellite

office or another location.
“Hybrid” work refers to a combination of telework and
work on the employer’s premises

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 Health Impact of Telework
• Physical Health
outcome
– Positive: Self
reported health
– Negative:
musculoskeletal
damage, eyestrain
• Mental Outcome
• Health behaviour

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 Ensuring Telework Healthy
• Flexible working hours,
considering employee
home environment
• Ensuring frequent breaks
within work hours
• Adequate temperature,
humidity and ventilation
• Adequate lighting
• Digital Detox
• Digital Screen Equipment
(DSE) Checklist

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Benefits of Healthy Workplace

Source: Canadian Centre for OSH

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Benefits of Healthy Workplace

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Source: Govt. of South Australia
Key to ensuring Healthy Workplace
• Healthy vision
• Sound Leadership, organizational values and beliefs
• Sound management practices
• Infrastructures, Equipment and environment
• Total Workers Health (TSH) :an integrated approach for
workers' health protection, prevention and promotion as
well as welfare (Safety, Health and Well-being)
• Staff Recognition, Reward and Appraisal
• Work culture
• Employee and family Health and well-being packages
• Workplace auditing practice (Place, people & vision)
• Application of Ergonomics principles
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 References
1. Burton J, World Health Organization. WHO Healthy workplace
framework and model: Background and supporting literature and
practices. World Health Organization; 2010.
2. Park K. Preventive and social medicine.
3. Occupational Safety and Health Guidelines. Department of Local
Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Road. DoLIDAR:
Government of Nepal; 2017
4. Operational Guideline for Occupational Health. Ministry of Health
and Population. Department of Health Services: Government of
Nepal; 2065
5. A workplace Health and Well-being Tool Kit. Government of South
Australia

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