Guidelines on quality management in multidisciplinary occupational health services
Overview
Good practice in health, environment and safety (HES)
management in enterprises was one of the leading topics
considered at the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment
and Health held in London from 16 to 18 June 1999.
Occupational health services play an important role in achieving
good practice in HES management in enterprises. Quality
management in these services is, therefore, of great importance.
The changing nature of working life and reorientation of
occupational health services (OHS) towards multidisciplinary,
competitive, effect-oriented teams, which in many countries
operate on a commercial basis in competition with other similar
service providers, requires the development and implementation
of effective tools for high quality service management.
The main purpose of international guidelines is to encourage and
facilitate implementation of quality management in OHS or in
enterprises that have not yet adopted this approach.
A second
objective is to support further harmonization of occupational
health practice internationally so as to minimize inequity in
health of workers and to avoid social exclusion. Implementation
of quality management will facilitate occupational health impact
assessment and will increase efficiency and utility value of
OHS. Quality management in OHS and in enterprises will
introduce processes and encourage participation of all partners
essential in the development of good occupational and
environmental health practice at enterprise, local and national
level. The involvement of the social partners and technical
experts in quality management should underpin quality
initiatives. The adoption of similar procedures and terminology
across Europe will help to facilitate international cooperation
and the development of European occupational health
information systems.