ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH: A LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Abstract

Environmental health is an all-encompassing area aiming to prevent injury and illness and promote well-being by identifying, evaluating, and limiting hazards. Occupational health deals with workplace health and safety, where occupational hazards are present. This thesis demonstrates the significance of environmental health, with a focus on occupational health, in keeping workers safe from injuries, illness, and deaths by exploring occupational health’s global history and progression, what systems, laws, or regulations are in place, and what can be improved for the future. By looking at the occupational health and safety systems of the United States, China, and India, we find that an occupational health and safety system does help in the prevention of injury, illness, and death. However, much of the weakness lies in structure, enforcement power, and resources. Thus, there needs to be adjustments made in these areas to increase effectiveness.