The field of occupational health and safety is constantly changing and evolving. Workforce demographics, employee expectations and other influences are changing our training methods and the tools we use to improve workplace safety.
As we move into the first year of a new decade, several trends are taking shape that will influence occupational health and safety during the next few years and beyond. Although no one knows for sure exactly what the future will bring, it’s a safe bet that these four trends will have a big influence on the field.
Trend #1: Safety professionals continue to wear more “hats”
Gone are the days where safety professionals have one or two areas of focus or accountability. A continued trend for 2020 is that safety professionals will wear many “hats.” With streamlining and downsizing now increasingly common, and workplaces rapidly evolving, the days of safety specialization in a single category (fire, security, environmental, etc.) have become a thing of the past.
Instead, safety professionals are now tasked with multiple responsibilities and are more generalised in their respective approaches. The important opportunity for our industry is to steer safety professionals toward tools and resources that they can integrate into the workplace and help improve workers' lives.
Trend #2: A more holistic approach to health and wellbeing
We have seen a substantial shift within the industry toward a more comprehensive approach to wellbeing that goes beyond physical health. The National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH) outlines a Total Worker Health concept, which has proven helpful for Health Fitness and many other companies alike. The concept is a holistic approach to employee wellbeing that integrates safety and health protection with injury and illness. This multi-faceted approach includes social, emotional, financial and environmental dimensions of health.
Trend #3 Safety Concerns in Changing Workplace Environments
The workplace of today looks nothing like the workplace of 50 years ago. The rise of telecommuting, flexible scheduling and the gig economy have created new safety concerns and potential liabilities for companies, such as:
- Deciding how to train short-term or independent contractors in company safety protocols.
- Determining how much training is necessary for these workers.
- Developing protocols for addressing safety concerns for offsite workers.
- Encouraging these workers to embrace the organization’s culture of safety.
Occupational health and safety professionals will increasingly be tasked with determining how to manage safety in changing workplaces and finding ways to protect both employees and employers from risks.
Trend #4 Changing Demographics in the Workforce
Finally, the discord between millennials and baby boomers might be a punchline in late night comedy these days, but the fact is that millennials are now the largest generation in the workforce, and they have different expectations for their work, and everything related to it.
Attracting younger generations to pursue occupational health and safety as a profession will be critical, as much of the workforce has reached – or will soon reach – retirement age. In the Safety+Health Magazine 2019 Job Outlook survey, 62% of respondents reported that they had personally observed a shortage of qualified professionals in the field, and 65% believe employers will fill openings with internal candidates even if they have little or no experience.
Selling the safety profession and encouraging young professionals to pursue degrees and certifications will be an important long-term strategy for organizations and the industry as a whole.
Conclusion
Rising to meet these new challenges in occupational health and safety means having a solid foundation in the principles of occupational health and safety and how to apply them to the modern workplace.
Sources:
Neil Enslin | Occupational Health and Safety Manager
