Health management in the workplace has been carried out under the Industrial Safety and Health Law for the purpose of ensuring the safety and health of workers and promoting the formation of a comfortable working environment. It is a “defensive” health management that puts the continuation of corporate activities first so that employees do not get injured or ill. On the other hand, health management can be said to be “offensive” health management, which regards employees as a valuable resource for the growth of a company and the promotion of employee health as an investment in human capital.
- Promoting efforts towards health management:
The following are examples of promoting efforts toward health management:
- Health management declaration by top management
It will be a big drive to promote health management if top management takes the initiative in promoting the practice of health management. Therefore, it is important to clearly state health management in the management philosophy and management policy. After that, the person in charge of practicing health management in the company is decided. In some cases, we will consider utilizing external human resources.
- Understanding the company’s health issues
The items that should be grasped as the “health issues” of the company are “regular health examination consultation rate”, “employee’s mental health condition”, “overtime hours / taking holidays, etc.” “Working environment” and “Providing the results of regular health examinations for people aged 40 and over to the association and the health status of their employees”, etc. Of these, the most important thing is to check the rate of regular health examinations.
- Formulation of a plan for health management
- Verification of the effect of the formulation plan and examination of improvement measures
The procedure here is to “understand the participation / implementation status of activities for employee health promotion”, “verification of the transition of employee health status”, Consider improvement measures ‘” Verify the effect of problem solving and consider new improvement measures “.
Among the steps to promote health management, the key is whether or not the fourth step, “verification and improvement of health promotion effects,” can be carried out properly. For that purpose, it is necessary to put the items to be done in each step into a form that can be checked and confirmed.
- Safety and health law:
Companies have a duty to keep their employees safe and hygienic. The “Occupational Safety and Health Law” requires the establishment of a person who manages the hygiene and safety of the company according to the size of the business establishment in order to take necessary measures so that employees can work safely.
Specifically, establishments that employ 50 or more workers at all times are required to appoint a “health supervisor” to manage workplace hygiene matters.
At construction sites, etc., businesses with contractual contracts often work in the same place. In order to prevent occupational accidents caused by mixed work by workers employed by each business operator, it is necessary to have a system that controls the entire site. For that purpose, not only the general safety and health manager appointed by the former business operator, but also the safety and health manager selected by the relevant contractors are required to properly manage and supervise the duties at the site.
- Appointment of safety and health promoter’s/ hygiene promoters:
Small businesses with less than 50 employees are not obliged to appoint a health or safety manager. However, establishments that employ 10 or more workers will instead be in charge of safety and health, and those who need a safety manager are “safety and health promoters”, and those who do not need it are “hygiene”.
You must appoint a “promoter”. The work performed by health and safety promoters is “inspection of facilities and equipment and disaster prevention measures”, “inspection measures for work environment”, “measures for health examination and maintenance promotion of health”, and “matters related to health and safety education”.
- Holding of Safety Committee / Hygiene Committee:
Even if you appoint a safety manager or a health manager, it is not desirable for organizational management to leave everything to that person. Therefore, it is necessary to hold a safety committee, a health committee, and a safety and health committee that serves as both at least once a month for business establishments of a certain industry and size.
There, labor and management jointly investigate risk prevention measures, causes / recurrence prevention measures for occupational accidents, creation of safety / health regulations, dangers / hazards caused by work, and prevent dangers or health problems of workers. It is required to discuss necessary measures and give opinions to the business operator.
- Health checkup:
When a business employs a worker, the worker must undergo a “health check” by a doctor. Furthermore, even after hiring, it is necessary to have a medical examination by a doctor once every year (once every 6 months in the case of midnight work).
In addition, establishments with 50 or more full-time workers must submit a “health examination result report” to the Labor Standards Inspection Office without delay when conducting regular health examinations and special health examinations.
Furthermore, if any abnormalities are found in all the tests specified by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, such as blood pressure measurement, blood lipid test, blood glucose test, and obesity measurement in regular health checkups, a secondary health checkup will be conducted at the request of the worker.
Very good write-up. I certainly appreciate this website. Keep writing!