Occupational health and safety in the wake of Covid-19

Insights from India's workforce

Bibliographic Data

ID22081045
AuthorsNikita Birhman (Nihon Institute of Medical Science), Gitika Kharkwal (Nihon Institute of Medical Science), Sudipto Roy (0000-0003-2097-8551, ARCH Development Corporation), Navsin Shaikh (Nihon Institute of Medical Science), Poonam Sharma Velamuri (0000-0002-6378-2551, Regional Medical Research Center), Hem Lata (Discovery Centre), Abhishweta Saxena (Virginia Department of Historic Resources), Aanchal Satija (0000-0001-5032-2479, ARCH Development Corporation), Kh Jitenkumar Singh (Data Centre ICMR Hqrs), KhJitenkumar Singh (Regional Medical Research Centre), Taruna Madan (0000-0003-2826-2443, ARCH Development Corporation), Jugal Kishore (0000-0001-6246-5880, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital), Prakash Kanti (ARCH Development Corporation), Tanu Anand (0000-0003-2911-2332, ARCH Development Corporation)
Year2026
Volume14
Pages1807940-1807940
Publication date2026-06-09
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2026.1807940
PMID42344246
OpenAlexW7163987628
LanguageEN
References cited33

Introduction: Occupational health and safety (OHS) practices witnessed profound changes worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in workplace preparedness, particularly among workers in high-exposure and essential service sectors. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Google Scholar, DOAJ, ResearchGate, and gray literature sources. Studies published between January 2020 and December 2024 focusing on occupational exposure, workplace transmission, OHS guidelines, and workforce health during COVID-19 were included. Results: Healthcare workers experienced the highest occupational risk due to sustained patient contact and aerosol-generating procedures, accompanied by significant psychological distress and burnout. Essential workers, manufacturing sectors, retail workers, educators, and informal sector workers also faced substantial occupational and socioeconomic challenges. Workplace interventions including engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE use, vaccination strategies, and digital surveillance tools reduced workplace transmission. Remote-enabled sectors demonstrated lower infection risk but increased mental health concerns. Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic transformed traditional OHS frameworks by integrating infectious disease preparedness, vaccination strategies, mental health support, and workplace surveillance into occupational safety systems. The findings emphasize the need for integrated, adaptive, and equitable OHS frameworks aligned with public health preparedness to strengthen workforce resilience against future pandemics

Health care · Mental health · Occupational health nursing · Occupational safety and health · Personal protective equipment · Preparedness · Psychological intervention · Public health · Workforce · Workforce development · COVID-19 and Mental Health · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Infection Control and Ventilation

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