SafeforHealth

1. Do your research Get to know your destination in depth before you arrive. Read traveler reviews and consult with locals for information about the safest neighborhoods, places to stay and incidences of crime. Check the State Department’s website for country updates and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Another important travel security precaution is to know whom to call in an emergency. Get the contact information for the nearest embassy or consulate, police station, and other local emergency departments. 2. Don’t draw attention People who look like they’re from out of town are especially vulnerable to crime, so try to blend in as much as you can.…

Safety culture embodies the value placed on safety and the extent to which people take personal responsibility for safety in an organisation. Safety culture is often described as the “personality” of an organisation, as it is a shared value of safety. According to a factsheet from the same webpage, a positive safety culture exists when employees understand the importance of safety and exhibit positive safety behaviors, such as wearing personal protective equipment without being asked, completing risk assessments for all jobs and reporting all incidents. Safety culture encompasses a set of shared beliefs, values, attitudes and customs with regards to workplace safety. A safety culture can take time to develop,…

Access to enough safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances can cause more than 200 different diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. Around the world, an estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people – fall ill after eating contaminated food each year, resulting in 420 000 deaths and the loss of 33 million healthy life years (DALYs). Food safety, nutrition and food security are closely linked. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly and the sick. In addition to contributing to food and…

Maintaining a safe environment reflects a level of compassion and vigilance for patient welfare that is as important as any other aspect of competent health care. The way to improve safety is to learn about causes of error and use this knowledge to design systems of care to “… make errors less common and less harmful when they do occur”1 (p.78). As a result, researchers, policymakers, and providers have intensified their efforts to understand and change organizational conditions, components, and processes of health care systems as they relate to patient safety. Health care is the second-fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy, and nursing is the largest occupation within the…

Considering how long we spend working, where we work plays an undeniably large role in our well-being; it can influence whether or not we arrived motivated and enthusiastic or if we view the day as a countdown to quitting time. A work environment should be pleasant and comfortable for everyone, but creating such a setting can be tricky. There are countless pitfalls that will lead to toxic workplaces and atmospheres where employees, for one reason or another, will feel stifled, constrained, and vulnerable. A positive and uplifting workplace will bring the best out of everyone, keep retention rates high, reduce recruitment costs, and improve employee engagement rates and Employer Net…

Environmental safety is defined by the guidance, policies, and practices enforced in order to ensure that the surrounding environment is free from hazards that will warrant the safety and well-being of workers and employees, residents near industrial operations, as well as the prevention of accidental environmental damage. The surrounding areas include industrial facilities, work areas, and laboratories. Environmental safety is a crucial issue for any industrial activity as negligence and non-compliance heighten the risk resulting in injuries, illnesses, and accidental environmental releases. With the aim to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for working employees, the United States Congress has passed the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) of 1970,…

In today’s fast-paced world, our health often takes a backseat to our hectic schedules and numerous responsibilities. We tend to neglect our well-being until we’re faced with the consequences of our neglect. But it’s never too late to start prioritizing your health and embark on a journey to wellness. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of health and provide you with practical tips on how to maintain and improve it.   The Importance of Health Health is our most valuable asset. It affects every aspect of our lives, from our physical and mental well-being to our ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Without good health, even the most…

At its 110th Session in June 2022, the International Labour Conference decided to include “a safe and healthy working environment” in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work and to designate the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) as fundamental Conventions. All Members, even if they have not ratified these two conventions, now have an obligation arising from the very fact of membership in the ILO to respect, to promote and to realize, in good faith and in accordance with the ILO Constitution, the principles concerning the fundamental right to a safe…