miolo sho2009_indices v8 - Departamento de Produção e Sistemas ...

Colóquio internacional sobre segurança e higiene ocupacionaisSho2009development. The Health Sector could be overloaded, but it is not likely to be affected by layoffs; howeverits own health and safety‟s structures might find it more difficult to introduce new programs and find fundingfor adequate risk evaluation and control, and improvement or work conditions. They could face increasedobstacles to eliminating unhealthy and risky workplaces which would affect not only the professional healthworkers, but also the patients that seek to prevent diseases and cure their illnesses. Hospital infectionsand other risks deserve special attention based on the better scientific knowledge, on evidence and onstudies such as those which are allowed to obtain data on the quality of life and work of healthprofessionals. It is estimated that 8% to 12% of patients admitted in hospitals suffer adverse effects duringthe period they are treated. The European Commission is presenting to the European Parliament and tothe Council new proposals on how to promote health and improve patient confidence. In addition, theCommission is also encouraging the political will and the strong commitment of the Member States'ministries of health to implement strategies aimed at preventing, eliminating and controlling these risks andproblems, promoting health and improving the confidence of patients. The purpose of these proposals is tomake patient safety a public health priority, which, we believe, depends on - and also supports – the healthof doctors and other health professionals. In Portugal, the increasing number of accidents andoccupational diseases recorded since 2000 in the health sector (in part due to legislative changes andevidenced by the studies on hospital Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) we have developed) haveshown the need for: (a) improvement in preventive structures; (b) strengthening preventive care culture,as well cooperation between OHS services and other hospital departments to increase cooperation amongOHS and stakeholders, especially with the infections control committee; (c) carrying out an urgent policyreview of ergonomics and OHS management in hospitals (that justifies a strengthening of commitment toensure the good health of the employees of the health sector, by reminding them of the risks they areexposed to, and making them remember that they are not immune and that they are vulnerable to workrelatedillness and disabilities); (d) requesting that politicians and managers give special consideration toOHS in their respective agendas, and especially with regard to health sector establishments; and (e)introducing legislation and normalization to require hospital certification to take into considerationindicators of levels of surveillance of workers health, of the work environment and of the lay-out andworkplace conditions.Keywords: distress, infection, hospital, patient, certification35