WHY
Total Worker Health
®
The United States spends nearly $250 billion on occupational disease, injury, and death.
​
Source: The Milbank Quarterly
$250
Billion
Productivity losses linked to employees who miss work cost employers an average of $1,685 per employee each year.
​
Source: CDC
$1,650​
Annually
California saw a net decrease of 19% in injuries and illnesses five years after implementing mandated health & safety.
​
Source: CDC
19%
Decrease
Fast facts about worker health and safety
(mouse over for answer)
More than 400,000 work-related accidents happen each year in the U.S.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
$4.61
up to
ROI per dollar invested in Total Worker Health
Why Total Worker Health?
Total Worker Health® is defined by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as "policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with the promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being."
The focus of the Total Worker Health (TWH) approach is founded on improving the safety, health and well-being of workers. ​The holistic approach of Total Worker Health programs have seen improved workplace safety, health risk factors and health conditions, including return on investment (ROI) of $2.05 -$4.61 per dollar invested. (Source: American Journal of Public Health )
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Helpful Resources to start with:
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Listen to our TWH podcast episode
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Learn more at NIOSH's TWH website
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Learn about the NIOSH Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health®
We spend 1/3 of our life at work, and the work setting and activities strongly affect our safety, health and well-being in many ways. Research demonstrates that safe and healthy workplaces can protect personal health and reduce health care costs substantially. Factors at the workplace contribute to our health and well-being. For example, stress at work has been associated with burnout and anxiety, shift work can increase the risk for sleep disorders, and various work-related risk factors have been linked to injury, musculoskeletal disorders, depression, unhealthy lifestyles and many chronic diseases. In turn, health concerns are linked to injury, absenteeism, turnover, and productivity. (Source: World Health Organization)
Healthy Work = Healthy Life
Health and Safety Go Hand-in Hand
Traditional occupational health and safety programs focus primarily on keeping workers safe from workplace hazards such as injury risks and harmful exposures. We have since learned that other factors are important to consider as well. For example, wage, work environment, workload, work stress, co-worker and supervisor support have been shown to affect one's risk for sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, depression, and a number of physiological and emotional health concerns, which in turn can affect one's work.
"In the four decades since the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) was signed into law, workplace deaths and reported occupational injuries have dropped by more than 60 percent. Yet the nation's workers continue to face an unacceptable number of work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses, most of them preventable." (Source: OSHA)
1/3
The amount of our life spent at work
The decrease in deaths and injuries since OSHA was signed into law
60%
The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences (where OHWC is housed), Oregon OSHA, and SAIF Corporation signed the first state-wide alliance to join efforts to expand the knowledge of Total Worker Health by leveraging the strengths of three state-based organizations. What we consider to be unique in this alliance, is forging a partnership between Oregon's state OSHA, Oregon's not-for-profit, state-chartered workers' compensation insurance company, and an Oregon-based academic research institute. Learn more about our alliance.
Collaboration and Community
Research has shown that work is related to to physical and psychological health. Longer work days can impact family well-being, including one's time to care for their children or aging parents because of competing work demands. Factors like workplace culture promoting safety and health, and supervisors supporting flexible schedules, can improve overall satisfaction with work-home life, and decrease turn-over. (Source: NIOSH, BMC Public Health, American Psychological Association, Corporate Wellness, The American Institute of Stress)
over 40%
of workers report that juggling work & personal life is the main cause of stress and anxiety
Work & Home Life is Important
OHWC, Oregon OSHA and SAIF signed an alliance agreement to support mission of Total Worker Health
2017
The Hierarchy of Controls and Total Worker Health®
While traditionally, the Hierarchy of Controls has been used as to help determine how to implement effective and feasible control solutions to protect workers on the job, the concept has been refined and updated to better address all hazards recognized within the Total Worker Health framework. The application of the Hierarchy of Controls to Total Worker Health provides a conceptual model for prioritizing efforts to advance worker safety, health and well-being. To learn more about the Hierarchy of Controls applied to Total Worker Health, visit the NIOSH "Let's Get Started" page. (Source: NIOSH)
