Document mm7boaGwpo7gNy19GX8N7Rvq4

Modem occupational health programs, re gardless of size, ideally are composed of elements and services designed to maintain the health of the work force, to prevent or control occupational and non-occupational dis eases and accidents, and to prevent and lower disability and the resulting lost time They should provide for 1 Maintenance of healthful environment 2 Health examinations 3 Diagnosis and treatment 4 Immunization programs 5 Medical records 6 Health education and counseling 7 Open communication between plant phy sician and personal physician Any treatment of ill or injured persons has some bearing on the practice of medicine All states, therefore, regulate medical and nursing practice to curb the activities of persons who are not properly trained and licensed Ideally, all the services related to health, injuries, first aid, and medication of any kind should be under the supervision of a licensed physician The industrial physician Physicians in industry may be employed on a number of different bases, dependent upon such considerations as the number of em ployees, the hazards in the operations, and the type and extent of the occupational health program Arrangements may be made for full-time, part-time, on-call, or consulting service Where the medical service program re quires a full-time physician, one should be employed by the company Some large or ganizations employ a full-time medical di rector on their headquarters staff, with parttime physicians serving their decentralized operations Some part-time physicians devote a sched uled number of hours, either daily or weekly, to the medical service needs of a company, yet they are available at other times for emergencies Others arrange their service by telephone on the basis of current needs of the company--when applicants require examina tion, injured employees need medical care, or other medical problems anse The on-call physician arrangement is most often used by companies (or establishments) having fewer than 500 employees, a low fre quency of accidental injuries, or a minimum program of health services for employees The on-call physician is usually located nearby and is available m emergencies He cares for most injuries not requiring hospitalization and for those cases requiring hospitalization that fall within his competence He often uses specialists as consultants Frequently, the on-call physician has similar arrangements to serve a number of companies in the vicinity--a particularly convenient sys tem with the small-plant or small-company clusters, such as in industrial parks It is not unusual to find physicians special izing in the caie of industrial injuries and diseases, and the provision of occupational medical services in some manufacturing centers Consulting service is usually reserved for diagnosis and treatment of senous injuries, illnesses, toxicological problems, and special kinds of injuries or disorders (such as eye injuries) that require the services of a spe cialist State and local health departments often supply, without charge, medical, nursing, and engineering consultation, as well as make industrial hygiene and radiological surveys to industries within then areas Many insurance companies also provide this type of service to their clients Duties ot the industrial physician An effective medical service program should be planned by the medical director, with the approval of management Full support of management can only be obtained when management is sympathetic to a cause that reflects management's policies Only then is it possible to establish and maintain an ade quate professional staff and facilities for ex aminations, emergency cases, and storage of records Also, the medical director must be given enough authority so that workers will respect his judgment and follow his instruc tions on personal health and safety The industrial physician should be familiar 551