Working in a place that is risky to one's health and even life is not a place anyone would really want to spend one third of their lives in. Jobs do have occupational hazards and just because each job has some risks entailed to it, doesn't mean employers don't need to mitigate the workplace health issues involved. Programs that manage health risks often increase worker productivity and even employee interest in work.

One of the most basic and fundamental of any workplace health practice is having it free from common workplace hazard. Each working environment has its own set of hazards and need to be addressed specifically. Hazards can be classified as biological, chemical and mechanical.

Some workplaces are more prone to slips while others are more prone to collisions. Although not all mechanical hazards can kill, the slight possibility of it being able to do so is a serious matter to address. It is important that no matter how minor or serious these hazards are, management addresses it so no one gets hurt.

Having a janitor stationed near slippery areas to make sure the floors are cleaned. Other hazardous places like equipments and heavy machinery or even vehicular pathways should have the proper signs or barriers to keep people away from danger. Summing all these up, you get a safer workplace health environment.

Every day, new chemicals and new forms of compounds are being synthesized. While some chemicals are extremely dangerous, others are extremely non reactive and it doesn't matter what you to do them. It is hard to say what the actual workplace health risks are for each chemical as it varies widely for each.

Each and every single chemical in any workplace, whether the office, manufacturing plant or any other place should be identified and catalogue as well as made available the material safety data sheet for each one, as this is the single most important step in reducing workplace health risks. The MSDS is an industry and worldwide standard for sharing knowledge on the do and don't of each chemical. Companies should require all involved personnel to at the least glance through each MSDS to be prepared for the worst.

Viruses, bacteria, pathogens and diseases to name a few are all very real danger to anyone's health. Wherever you are, biological workplace health hazards are present. One more reason why biological hazards are hard to manage is their ability to travel from place to place.

Teaching employees on the do's and don'ts of health practices at work can make a big difference in keeping the whole company healthy. Washing of hands and simple practices like making sure workplace is neat and tidy can increase overall workplace health. Regular medical checkups that will monitor the employee's health can also prevent the transfer of diseases between employees.

While it may be impossible to eliminate all risks in any workplace, it does help to have employees who are knowledgeable about all the risks involved. Taking note of all these risks, from biological to mechanical, each one can do more now than ever to keep the workplace safe. In the end, the employee himself or herself is still the one responsible for choosing to follow or not these workplace health related programs.