Occupation Medicine | What Canadian Employers Need to Know

Occupational medicine is dedicated to promoting healthy workplaces and preventing work-related injuries and illnesses. By creating safer work environments, both Canadian employers and employees benefit from fewer accidents, improved productivity and reduced costs.

What is Occupational Medicine?

Occupational medicine is focused on the treatment and prevention of work-related diseases and injuries. Initially centered on the health of production workers, the occupational health and medicine field has expanded over the years to include many different types of workplace environments, from factories to offices to production plants. Occupational medicine specialists play a key role in identifying workplace hazards, addressing unsafe conditions and preventing accidents before they happen. This proactive approach benefits both employers and employees by fostering healthier work environments, reducing overall costs and improving productivity. These preventive efforts are guided through federal and provincial regulations that are mandated through Canada’s OS&H Act — similar to the Health Administration OSHA guidelines in the U.S.— to ensure compliance with public health and occupational safety standards.

The Role of Occupational Physicians

Occupational medicine specialists in Canada play a critical role in ensuring workplace health and safety. Occupational physicians specialize in health care that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of work-related illnesses. They can determine if a patient’s injury or illness is in fact, work-related or not. Occupational physicians can also help provide appropriate treatment and help design and oversee return-to-work programs. Beyond clinical care, occupational physicians can also assist employers in implementing preventive strategies to reduce workplace risks and help foster safer working conditions. 

Common Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

While it’s best to implement safety guidelines to prevent workplace injuries and illness, it’s important for employers to be aware of accidents and health concerns that can occur in the workplace. Some of the most common include: 

• Musculoskeletal Injuries: Back strains, sprains and broken bones caused by lifting heavy items, repetitive movements or physical strain. 
• Repetitive Stress and Overuse Injuries: Workers can develop conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis from repetitive tasks or prolonged use of equipment. 
• Exposure to Toxins: In certain industries, workers are more likely to come into contact with harmful chemicals or toxins that could lead to skin irritation, respiratory issues or asthma.

• Trips, Slips and Falls: These injuries are very common in the workplace and can lead to cuts, broken bones or other injuries. To avoid trips, slips and falls, it’s important to ensure that rugs and mats are properly secured to the floor, walkways are kept clear and spills are cleaned up quickly and safely to prevent slips.  

Occupational medicine plays a key role in preventing and addressing these types of workplace injuries and illnesses. Occupational medicine provides an assessment of the work environment to identify potential hazards and work with employers on ways to mitigate risks. When injuries or illnesses do occur, these specialists provide timely care, facilitate early diagnosis and develop treatment plans that support a safe return to work. Additionally, occupational medicine providers can help manage the Workers’ Compensation process by offering medical assessments, keeping detailed documentation and helping ensure fair and efficient claims processing. Through these efforts, occupational medicine enhances workplace health and safety while promoting overall employee well-being. 

Which Canadian Industries Can Benefit from Occupational Medicine?

According to the Canadian Medical Association, the occupational medicine profession in Canada has been increasing since 1995. While all Canadian industries can benefit from occupational medicine, it’s especially important for high-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing, mining, logging, fishing and transportation. These industries often face hazards that can result in injury or illness from physical strain, repetitive motions, falls or exposure to toxic chemicals. Occupational medicine specialists help mitigate these risks by providing tailored services, including preventive care, safety protocols and on-site health assessments. 

So, how can occupational medicine benefit your specific industry? In the mining industry, specialists can help prevent respiratory diseases caused by dust exposure, such as silicosis, through regular health screenings and how to properly use protective equipment. For the logging industry, they can help educate workers on proper chainsaw usage and tree-felling techniques to reduce accidents. In the fishing industry, occupational medicine experts can provide ergonomic training to help workers manage repetitive movements and heavy lifting during net hauling or provide CPR and first aid training tailored to handling emergencies at sea. For the transportation industry, occupational medicine can offer best practices on fatigue management for long-haul drivers, ensure drivers maintain proper posture to prevent musculoskeletal issues or conduct vision and hearing screenings to uphold safe driving standards. And these examples are just the beginning. No matter your industry, occupational medicine can be customized to best benefit the needs of your workplace. 

How Does Occupational Medicine Improve Workplace Health and Safety?

Occupational medicine offers a proactive solution and helps Canadian employers identify and mitigate potential workplace health and safety risks before they become problems. This includes assessing hazards, providing regular safety training and ensuring that employees can handle job-related risks and incidents effectively. 

Occupational safety programs should prioritize both physical and mental well-being. For example, safety measures like proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), ergonomic workstations and mental health support initiatives reduce workplace injuries and illnesses while fostering a culture of safety and health. By addressing hazards proactively and promoting preventive care, occupational medicine helps employers maintain compliance with regulations, reduce worker compensation claims and enhance employee engagement while creating safer and more productive work environments. 

Occupational Health and Medicine Solutions by Medcor

Medcor Canada offers a comprehensive range of occupational health and medicine solutions designed to meet the unique needs of your workplace. Our services range from onsite occupational medicine clinics and mobile treatment centers that provide immediate care for injured employees to telehealth solutions and customized employer-focused health programs. Medcor serves industries across all provinces and territories in Canada and ensures that businesses of all sizes have access to effective health care solutions. For example:

• At a remote gold mine, Medcor Canada’s onsite clinic treated 91% of worker injuries onsite, providing faster care, reducing costly claims and minimizing lost time.

Medcor’s onsite clinic for an international manufacturing giant saved the company $2.8 million in employee healthcare costs.

By prioritizing employee health, streamlining care and focusing on prevention, we help businesses reduce claims, control costs and increase workplace productivity. Contact Medcor Canada today to learn how our tailored occupational health services can benefit your company.