Thoughts on the occupational health work in post-pandemic era

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought new opportunities and challenges to the global occupational health work. In the post-pandemic era, occupational health work faces a complex situation of coexistence with many risk factors and diseases. First, COVID-19 poses a serious threat to the health of workers in the workplace, particularly the physical and mental health of those working in healthcare and social work. Second, COVID-19 has spawned or accelerated the new technologies represented by digital and communication technologies, with new ergonomic and psychosocial risks such as human-machine interfaces, cyber security, and unemployment or underemployment. At the same time, occupational health work not only faces the pressure of traditional occupational diseases such as occupational pneumoconiosis, occupational chemical poisoning and occupational noise-induced deafness, but also faces the challenge of serious disease burden caused by work-related diseases such as work-related musculoskeletal diseases and occupational stress. The global scope of work related death, injury and disease patterns is changing, represented by the wide application of new materials represented by nanomaterials, the changes of ageing labor force in social demographic characteristics, the attractions and the change of the mode of work, and by the global warming and climate change. All these changes will have a profound impact on workers’ safety, health and well-being. Therefore, the implementation of “Occupational health Protection Action”, “Pneumoconiosis Prevention and Control Action”, construction of “Healthy Enterprise” and the National Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Plan ( 2021-2025) are the task book, timetable and roadmap for occupational health work in the post-pandemic era, and will be the main line of occupational health work. It will contribute to the comprehensive development of China’s occupational health in the new development stage.

Abstract

摘要：新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)大流行对全球职业健康工作带来新的机遇和挑战。在后疫情时代, 职业健康工作 面临多种危险因素并存、多种疾病并存的复杂局面。首先, COVID-19疫情对工作场所劳动者的健康, 特别是从事医疗卫 生和社会工作劳动者的身心健康造成严重威胁;其次, COVID-19疫情催生或加速了以数字化与通讯技术为代表的新技术 发展和以居家工作为代表的新工作方式, 由此带来新的人机界面、网络安全等人机工效学和社会心理风险。与此同时, 职 业健康工作不但面临职业性尘肺病、职业性化学中毒、职业性噪声聋等传统职业病防治的压力, 而且面临工作相关肌肉骨 骼疾患、职业紧张等工作相关疾病导致的严重疾病负担带来的挑战。随着全球范围内工作相关的死亡、伤害和疾病模式 正在发生变化, 以纳米材料为代表的新材料的广泛应用, 以劳动力老龄化为代表的社会人口学特征变化, 以长工时和倒班 工作为代表的工作方式的变化, 以及以全球升温为代表的气候变化等, 都将对劳动者的安全、健康与福祉产生深远影响。“职业健康保护行动” “尘肺病防治攻坚行动” “健康企业”建设和《国家职业病防治规划(2021-2025)》的实施, 为做好后 疫情时代职业健康工作规划了任务书、时间表和路线图, 以之为主线开展职业健康工作, 必将助力在新发展阶段全面推进 我国职业健康工作实现高质量发展。