13 Chemical Hazard Policy Improvements

Occupational health refers to “work to promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations,” according to the World Health Organization. In other words, occupational health involves mitigating risk through the elimination of workplace hazards and improper working conditions. Occupational hazards are an unfortunate reality for the modern workforce. With highly mechanized production and a high demand for chemical-intensive processes, laborers are tossed into a system that often prioritizes maximum efficiency over their safety. A model that started with the Ford Assembly line of 1913, mechanized labor has now expanded and matured into an unstoppable and profit-driven machine – considering workers as cogs and gears less than as individuals.