Occupational Health Safety
Occupational Health is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations by preventing departures from health, controlling risks and the adaptation of work to people, and people to their jobs.
The prevention of health hazards at workplace is ensured by AERB during regulatory inspection. Apart from this, as required in the Factories Act, 1948, AERB has appointed qualified medical practitioners as Certifying Surgeons for the units. The Certifying Surgeons are available in R&D units as well as in Production units of Department of Atomic Energy. The certifying surgeon exercises medical supervision by carrying out the examination and certification of persons working in radiation area, dangerous operations and canteen as per the statute.
Occupational Health related aspects including status of periodic medical examination of workers, health related problem encountered during normal working and training of certifying surgeons & para-medical staff are reviewed by a committee of AERB. All the units under purview of AERB needs to submit Yearly Report on Occupational Health which includes details of medical examination carried out and also the health profile of workers in different categories such as radiation, dangerous operation etc. Analysis of Yearly Report on Occupational Health is carried out to assess the morbidities for common diseases such as diabetes, respiratory diseases, cardiac diseases, anaemia, skin diseases etc. for different age groups.
AERB organises Occupational Health and Safety Professionals meet which helps medical officers as well as safety officers of different DAE units to understand the development in safety as well as in occupational health aspects. Various topics on Occupational Health such as Skin Disease, Ergonomics, Respiratory Disease, Toxicology, Physical Hazards, Medical Management, Occupational Stress etc. are covered during the meet. The para-medical staff are the first respondent to any injury. In view of this to update the knowledge of first-aiders and nurses working at first-aid centre, training programme / workshop for Certifying Surgeons & Para-Medical staff of all DAE units is jointly organized at DAE site by a DAE unit & AERB.