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14 May 2022
The importance of Occupational Health and Hygiene

People nowadays spend one third of their time at work or in their occupational field, another third spending leisure and entertainment time, and the last third sleeping. Working hours are critical in order to survive and live as a normal human being. Each one of us in the workplace is exposed to multiple hazards that could be biological, psychosocial, chemical, physical, and more. These hazards depend on the nature and type of each field. Occupational health and hygiene are focused exclusively on. maintaining, promoting, and protecting each worker's state of well-being Every worker worldwide can be exposed every minute to many hazards without even knowing that they may have an acute or chronic negative impact on their health. Occupational health is an integral part of public health delivery and has 3 concepts that should be considered as a golden rule called "the tripod". Recognition, Evaluation, and Control are the main pillars that together form the tripod. Due to various competing social, economic, and political constraints, occupational health is still ignored in many countries. Lack of governmental interest in occupational health, insufficient statistics and data collection methods, and weak enforcement of health and safety rules are all factors contributing to occupational health problems in many countries around the world. According to the International Labor Organization, about 160 million occupational disorders occur worldwide each year, with 2 million workers killed as a result. The proactive approach was the dominant method in occupational health and hygiene practices. Despite the fact that assessment of the health impact of occupational risks is critical for societal identification of these risks, planning and supporting adequate actions for their prevention, and appropriately managing the health burdens they generate, Therefore, physical, chemical, and biological parameters in the workplace should be measured, tested, analyzed, and evaluated to maintain a safe working environment. Occupational health and hygiene should be considered to ensure a safe workplace environment, which aids in improving workforce productivity by increasing their physical and mental well-being, lowering healthcare costs, reducing workforce absenteeism, which further reduces productivity loss and costs to the company, and assists in maintaining high professionalism.