Multiple Determinants of Health in the Workplace

Multiple Determinants of Health in the WorkplaceMelissa Evans Introductionoccupational Health is a two-way family relationship between wellness and maneuver. tally to Occupation Health (2007), Occupational Health is as much think to the effects of the running(a) environment on the wellness of workers as to the ferment of the workers state of health on their ability to perform the tasks for which they were employed. Its main take away is to prevent, rather than cure, ill health from wherever it arises in the workplace. A persons health eject uphold on their work and their work can bear upon on their health.Approaching the impacts on work health holistically, we can olfactory perception at the determinants of health within the workplace through the use of variant models however we argon going to focus on the Dahlgren-Whitehead Rainbow Model.In meaning the Dahlgren-Whitehead model highlights a causal relationship between individual life style choices, social networks, wo rking and living conditions and economic, political and environmental factors, globally, nationally and topical anaestheticly. fleck the configuration of these different degrees and factors can have both positive and protective(p) influences on our lives, they can also undermine health and wel farthermoste, both for individuals and communities. For example, ill economic conditions have implications for employment and training opportunities, public services much(prenominal) as health, social electric charge, education, the wide range of services provided by topical anaesthetic authorities, as well as the funding they provide to support local voluntary sector services. Where adverse conditions persist, they can have a substantive and negative impact on social attitudes, social cohesion and social mobility(NHS Education for Scotland).Developed in 1991 by Goran Dahlgren and Margaret Whitehead the Dahlgren Whitehead Rainbow maps the relationship between the individual, their env ironment and health. The rainbow founts at five main areas. These areas includeAge, gender and Constitutional Factors This is the core of the Dahlgren-Whitehead model and it focuses on the key areas of age, sex, ethnicity and genetic/ biologic constitutional factors. A workers age, sex or constitutional factors can unveil if the worker brings with them a pre-existent health status to the workplace such(prenominal) as inheritance and genetic susceptibility. Other factors in the extended layers can also be influenced by this component of the model.Individual Lifestyle Factors This layer focuses on a persons lifestyle choices. Behaviours such as alcohol and other drug misuse, poor diet, smoking, lack of physical activity, the number of jobs they do or if they play a manoeuvre can have an impact on a workers health and in turn could affect their ability to assoil received tasks in the workplace. Injuries caused by lifestyle choices such as sport could impact on a workers abili ty to carry out certain tasks or could put them at a higher risk of soreness within the workplace which could lead to more serious injuries.Social and biotic community Networks This layer focuses on family support, friends and wider social circles. In this layer we can go through at things like different cultural backgrounds, communication, community support groups and rendition services. Quality not quantity should be taken into consideration.Living and functional Conditions This layer focuses on inlet to opportunities such as work, unemployment, training, health care services, ho victimisation, public transport and amenities. It also includes items such as water, sanitation and access to natural items such as food, fuel and clothing. When we focus on work we pauperization to focus on the type of work to see if at that place is a potential for occupational disease or stress. Financial instability and access to health services could be a result of unemployment. cosmopolit an Socio-Economic, Cultural and Environmental Conditions This layer factors that impact on health and well creation such as social, economic, cultural and environmental. Items include availability of work, wages and taxation, prices of essential items such as food, clothing, transport and fuel. Cultural factors could include health being affected by traditions and beliefs of the family community. These conditions get reported on through to the politics and in turn can influence the priorities of health policy and consumption by the government.Whilst there is extensive documentation and evidence prior to the breeding of the Dahlgren-Whitehead with respect to Occupational Health, the model has been widely used to answer with look of the vast array of factors that can impact our workers from both a health and work level. The development of the model now allows us to look into reviews and explore papers, and including qualitative and quantitative evidence in a more in-depth way. When using this information it should be supplemented with local and expert knowledge, policy information, and proposal specialized information.According to the Declaration on Occupational Health for All by the initiation Health Organisation (1994) by affecting the health of the working population, occupational injuries and diseases have profound effects on work productiveness and on economic and social well-being of workers, their families and dependants.Depending on the type of occupational injury or disease its effects can be far reaching. Whilst a majority of occupational injuries and diseases are minor there are also those that are more severe that the outcome could be tenacious term, for example, could result in ongoing hospital treatment for an extended period, may consider extended rehabilitation, changeless disability or even death. Lets look at the potential outcome of a worker who sustains a permanent disability and is wheelchair bound for the remainder of their lif e, it is not just the worker who is naturalized but their family, friends, their wider community, the costs that it generates, the loss of productivity at the workplace and the impact on social security systems.The World Health Organisation (1994) states that health and safety problems at work are, in principle, preventable and should be prevented by using all available tools legislative, technical, research, training and education, information, and economic instruments. In bon ton to achieve this outline a workplace needs to consult Federal, topic and State Legislation such as the Work Health and prophylactic Act 2011 as well as Australian Standards and Codes of Practice to assist with the development of a Safety and Health Policy in the number one instance. From the policy a workplace then needs to delve come along and design and implement Safety Management Systems, work instructions, job descriptions, job dictionaries, etc. Once the documentation has been researched, design ed and implemented they then need to look at training and education. As part of this phase they need to identify hazards, conduct risk assessments and look at controls and interventions for prevention and control. reference work ListAw, T.C., Gardiner, K. and Harrington, J.M. (2007) Occupational Health.NHS Education for Scotland. Retrieves March 20, 2017 from http//www.bridgingthegap.scot.nhs.uk/understanding-health-inequalities/introducing-the-wider-determinants-of-health.aspxDahlgren, G. and Whitehead, M. (1991). The Dahlgren Whitehead Rainbow. Retrieved March 18, 2017 from http//www.esrc.ac.uk/about-us/50-years-of-esrc/50-achievements/the-dahlgren-whitehead-rainbow/World Health Organisation (1994). Declaration on Health for All.