The Ministry of Labor reminds the labor friends do not act alone when they suffer from occupational injury and disease. Ministry of Labor has authorized 10 occupational injury and disease prevention centers to continue the service of consultation for labor suffering from occupational injury and disease, diagnosis and assistance in rehabilitation, even at the time of the prevalence of COVID-19. For the rising infection rate of the pandemic, labor can proceed to remote consultation service via telephone, Internet or e-mail to reduce the risk of infection through hospitals. In addition, enterprises may seek timely assistance from the professional teams of the prevention centers in taking special preventive measures in response to the pandemic including working adjustment, return to work schedules.

Dr. Sun Huei-Yu, attending physician of the Occupational Injury and Disease Prevention Center at National Taiwan University Hospital, mentioned that labor who suffered from occupational injury or disease due to work will suffer from functional impairment physically or/and psychologically. It would be a complicated matter for them to return to the workplace. Further to treatment and rehabilitation, they may also have to confront the tensed labor-management relation and the impairment of working ability afterward. The center has provided service to a rust removal worker, Ah Chung, who operated with a powered grinder, suffered from left eye injury due to an iron brush fell off. The physician diagnosed as the traumatic cornea laceration and cataract, which severely impact on his daily life and work. He was then referred to the Occupational Disease and Injury Prevention Service Center of National Taiwan University Hospital by a Family Assessment Program manager of the local government. Through work ability assessment and Feasibility Assessment of an Employment, we have evaluated his work ability and appropriately helped him return to the workplace again. The physician mentioned whether the worker can successfully return to work after occupational injury or not will be influenced by a number of factors such as the completion of medical treatment and rehabilitation, the necessity of strengthening the work ability, the use of supporting tool at work, the possibility of work adjustment within reasonable range should be taken into account. Not only the evaluation and recommendation of the professional team, the communication and collaboration between the labor and the management will also be critical for success.

Besides the recent rising of COVID-19 in Taiwan, the EU-OSHA proposed recommendations in response to COVID-19, including reducing exposure to COVID-19 through work, the plan for return to work, the method to cope with the high vacancy rate, and the management of working from home. Above recommendations could be served as a reference for the enterprises in mapping out their strategies. Due to the volatile change of the pandemic and the new work pattern, some workers may develop psychological stress, suffer from bullying at the workplace or hard to adaptation to a new work pattern. If so, they can seek professional assistance from the prevention centers. For additional information, visit the website for the center of  occupational disease and injury management and service at https://tmsc.osha.gov.tw/, or call : 02-3366-8266

According to the Ministry of Labor, the President has signed the “Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act” on April 23, 2021. In the future, occupational injury and disease prevention centers will be transformed to recognized medical institutions of occupational injury and disease. The capacity of service will be intensified to provide continuous line services from diagnosis and treatment of occupational injury and disease, physical and occupational therapy, return to work planning, in order to improve the health of labors.