Individual and Occupational Determinants

Work Ability in People with Health Problems

Joanna Bugajska, Teresa Makowiec-Dąbrowska, Tomasz Kostka, Joanna Bugajska, Tomasz Kostka, Teresa Makowiec-Dąbrowska

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781000178241
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Workplace Culture
• Index: Technology & Engineering

There are individual and professional factors that have the greatest impact on the preservation of work ability for people of advanced age, and people with chronic health issues and disabilities. This text examines the demographic trends in the population and shows that proper functioning in their lives is only possible if people are provided with appropriate psychosocial and physical working conditions. This publication discusses physiological changes that occur with age and influence work performance. It presents the concept of applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in order to assess the work ability of people with disabilities. It shows, using examples and case studies, that practical activities aimed at appropriate working conditions for people of advanced age, and people with health issues and disabilities, will have excellent work ability.

Features

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• Presents a comprehensive approach to workplace tolerance for people with health issues

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• Offers an innovated in-depth evaluation of the Work Ability Index (WAI)

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• Presents applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to access the work ability of people with disabilities

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• Outlines actions that should be taken to maintain work ability for people of advanced age or with disabilities

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• Provides real case studies and analysis.

"Demographic changes, especially those related to aging, belong to the main changes occurring in the contemporary working environment. Thus, preserving work ability in the older population as well as [populations with] health concerns are among the most important challenges of today. Accordingly, the monograph fits into the most recent issues of [this] public health area, focusing on work ability in populations at risk of social exclusion, also occupational exclusion. These are older people, persons with chronic diseases and those with different types of disabilities.
In my opinion, highlighting the problem of work ability in the context of aging by the authors, in such a broad understanding, is extremely valuable and useful and the presented research outcome is an authentic and very much expected contribution to the discussion on this issue. The topic has been thoroughly presented, which undoubtedly results from the interdisciplinarity of the group of authors including specialists in work physiology, physicians and physiotherapists. The monograph provides a very measurable and reliable knowledge in this field. Combining the theory with the presentation of the authors' research outcomes is an unquestionable advantage of the monograph…".
— Jolanta Walusiak-Skorupa, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, ?ód?, Poland

Part I

General Issues

1 Work Ability Assessment
An Important Element of Workers Health Protection

Joanna Bugajska

Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute

Teresa Makowiec-Dąbrowska

Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine

Work ability assessment is one of the key elements of workers’ health protection. It belongs to the functions of occupational health service (OHS), focused on health protection in the working population against adverse conditions of working environment, the manner the occupational activity is implemented and preventive measures including workers health control. Systematic control of workers’ health is also aimed at active employers’ contribution to improvement of working conditions in order to reduce occupational hazards. It comprises procedures and studies involving workers’ health assessment, oriented to identification of the work-related health disorders.

Work ability is a wide-ranging term, defined in different ways, depending on the purpose of definition and the accepted concept. However, regardless of the purpose, each case requires determining whether a given person is able to work. This ability is the result of interaction between the person, the task and the working environment. This means that work ability should not be determined without a detailed assessment of work-related tasks and working environment (Tengland 2011). Therefore, we should consider not only characteristics of a future worker including his/her physical and mental potential, knowledge and skills, but also job requirements and working conditions. According to one of the conceptions pertaining to the discussed issue, “work ability assessment is mainly based on medical criteria and understood as fitness for work” which, according to the definition, is the evaluation of worker’s capacity to work, entailing no hazard for the worker and other persons (Cox et al. 2000; Serra et al. 2007). The criteria of fitness for work include determining the worker’s ability to work and the risk...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgment
• Editors
• Contributors
• Series Editor
• PART I General Issues
• PART II Work Ability and Age
• PART III Work Ability and Chronic Diseases
• PART IV Work Ability and Disabilities
• Index