Occupational Health
An Introduction to Occupational Health
HSE estimates that there are 2.1 million cases of ill health every year caused or made worse by work. Some 25,000 people leave the workforce annually due to work related injury or ill health. The costs to individuals, their families as well as to organisations and the economy as a whole are too big to ignore.
Asbestos
The latest edition of the HSE Asbestos Campaign News.
Stress in the Workplace
People's mental and physical health can be adversely affected by aspects of their working environment, which produce feelings of anxiety and sometimes acute distress. The government reports that nearly one in three of Europe's workers, more than 40 million people, report that they are affected by stress at work.
Managing and Reducing Sickness Absence
Reducing sickness, absence has emerged as a strong feature of the Governments and HSC’s new strategy for occupational health (OH) called ‘Securing Health Together’ (2000). What RoSPA has been trying to determine is what is the average scope for reducing sickness absence by better OH and welfare policies?
'Manual Handling' - Preventing back pain and injury in the health and care sectors
As a contribution to ‘Health and Safety Week’ in 2000, RoSPA organised a ‘Summit’ on ‘Safer People Handling’ in the health and care sectors. Chaired by Sir Frank Davies, ex-chair of the Health and Safety Commission and chair of ‘Backcare’, the main aims were to: undertake a policy and practice ‘stock taking’ exercise; assess progress as well as barriers in addressing known problems with established solutions; and identify the need for further work to tackle as yet unsolved ones.
This is a report of the summit, which was also sent to the Health Secretary, Alan Milburn and HSC chair, Bill Callaghan. Whilst acknowledging the work that has already been undertaken to reduce risks associated with people handling, it concludes that a broader strategic approach with overall targets is urgently needed, underpinned by an appropriate cost/benefit analysis to demonstrate the ‘business case’ for action - particularly at local level. RoSPA is continuing to develop its people handling courses and other services designed to help employers tackle these issues and, in that context, is anxious to join with others in efforts to reduce injury in this area.
Also available to download: Safer People Handling (PDF 48kb)
Occupational Health and Safety Training
Information on RoSPA’s Health and Safety training courses.
Awards [Awards]
Find out more about RoSPA’s Occupational Health Award – the 'Astor Trophy'.
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