Alyson Fennemore and Michael Jelley are Manage Health Limited

Manage Health is the UK’s leading health and wellbeing specialist, working across all sectors to help employers look after their people. We work in all areas of employee health, keeping individuals and their organisations safe and working. To see more of what they have achieved, visit www.managehealth.co.uk.

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Health & Safety News

Christopher Peck, Health & Safety

Health Priorities

Workplace health issues continue to dominate the statistics for absence from work. In 2009-10 it is estimated that there were 28.5 million days lost due to work related ill health and injuries (equivalent to 1.2 days per worker). Of these only 5.1 million were due to accidents, but the remaining 23.4 million days lost were due to ill health.

The two biggest categories are musculo-skeletal (37% of time lost), which includes lower back and upper limb disorders, and stress (55%). Respiratory issues only account for 2% of time lost.

Where organisations can make a big difference to their sickness absence figures they can contribute massively to increasing productivity and workforce satisfaction. There are a number of health related focus days throughout the year, but some coming up shortly are:

• World Heart Day – 29 September 2011: http://www.world-heart-federation.org/index.php?id=123
• BackCare Awareness Week – 17th-23rd October 2011: http://www.backcare.org.uk/270-7690/BackCare-Awareness-Week-17th-23rd-October-2011.html
• National Stress Awareness Day – Wellbeing and Resilience at Work – 2nd November 2011: http://www.isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day/index.html.
  The current British Heart Foundation campaign that I mentioned in the July Newsletter is also well worth a visit. It is providing information and materials to help businesses to get their staff to make a difference to their lives both at work and at home:
• Be active – Eat well – Think well – and Change habits – http://www.bhf.org.uk/HEALTHATWORK/#.

In the process of improving our individual health, we can increase our productivity and make ourselves more resilient to the effects of increasing pressures at work.

Safety priorities

Just because business is tight, there is no excuse for ignoring safety. The HSE and local authorities are maintaining their Field Operations in high risk areas. They will continue to inspect construction sites and agricultural businesses, because that is where the highest numbers of serious accidents and fatalities occur. Key issues for inspectors are:

• Asbestos training; work at height; safe maintenance; respiratory hazards (silica and asbestos) and welfare facilities.

Two areas are worthy of special mention:

• The ladder exchange programme – 1st September to 30th November – several suppliers are giving good deals for replacing old and or damaged ladders. If you or your employees use ladders at work, then you can purchase a replacement in exchange for attractive discounts. http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/ladderexchange.htm.
• Asbestos Training Pledge – 5th September to 25th November – a number of training organisations are giving free places on some of their Asbestos awareness courses all around the country or free access to e-learning asbestos modules. Over 4000 people die due to mesothelioma, each year. It is hoped therefore to provide over 4000 places on the courses and 4000 places for self-tuition on the internet. These will be provided on a first come first served basis. http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/training-pledge/?eban=tpledge&cr=promo.

A review of your health and safety arrangements is a timely way of reducing the risks of injury and lost time to your business. We can help you to do this and ensure that your working solutions are relevant, safe and improving the health of your workforce. Ready to start? Contact us now.