How CAN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HELP YOU MEET YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY OBLIGATIONS

Health and safety (H&S) is concerned with reducing work-related death, severe injury, and ill-health in the workplace. While the UK is known for its record on health and safety, it never hurts to raise awareness. This is precisely what the World Day for Safety and Health at Work held on 28th April aims to do.

Reducing the risk of accidents and work-related ill health as low as is reasonably practical is not just the ethical thing to do, it is also a legal requirement. It also makes sense from a business perspective. The cost of work-related injury and ill health for 2019/20 was estimated to be £18.8 billion (HSE:2022).

In addition, failure to follow legislation can result in prosecution, fines, and damage to an organisation’s reputation.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) outlines the general responsibilities employers have for the health and safety of their employees and the public. It also sets out Employees’ duty to:

• Take care to protect both their health and safety and that of those around them.

• Cooperate and follow the measures put in place to reduce the risk of harm.

Alongside the HSWA is a set of regulations, commonly referred to as the “six-pack”.

“Six Pack” Regulations What they cover

Employers' duty to:

• Have a written health and safety policy (where there are 5 or more employees).

• Appoint a competent person to carry out risk assessments. Documenting and reviewing this as appropriate.

The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations

• Implement measures to manage risk to levels as low as is reasonably practical.

• Provide supervision, information and training to employees regarding risk and safe ways of working.

• Consult with employees regarding workplace risks and the measures put in place to address them.

Manual Handling Operations Regulations

Display Screen Equipment (DSE Regulations)

Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations

Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations

Assessing tasks where people lift and move loads to reduce the risk of injury.

Assessing how we interact with screens and monitors to reduce the risk of developing muscle pain and discomfort. It includes access to free eye tests and assistance with the cost of glasses where needed for computer use.

General issues such as ventilation, heating, lighting, work areas, seating, and welfare facilities.

The requirement that equipment provided for use at work, including machinery, is safe.

The requirement to provide appropriate protective clothing and equipment to employees.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a microsite dedicated to helping businesses understand the measures they need to take to meet their legal obligations Health and Safety Made Simple: The basics for your business (hse.gov.uk). This includes guidance on how to work with employees and union representatives to:

• Identify anything that could cause harm or injury, also known as a hazard.

• Identify who could be harmed and the level of risk. This can be described as the likelihood an event will happen multiplied by how seriously someone could be harmed.

• Eliminate the hazard or put in place measures to manage the level of risk as far as is reasonably practicable.

The hierarchy of control ranks management interventions, in order of effectiveness. Getting rid of the hazard completely is the most effective measure. Followed by substituting it for something less harmful. Engineering controls reduce or prevent people from having contact with the hazard. This can be through creating a barrier or safety mechanism. While administrative controls aim to change the way things are done. This can be to reduce how long or how often people are in contact with the hazard. Or even how much of the hazard they are exposed to. Providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to act as a barrier between the hazard and the person is the least effective method and therefore the last resort.

How can Occupational Health help you meet your Health and Safety obligations?

Having a multidisciplinary team means we have a wide range of knowledge and expertise. This allows us to provide businesses with information and support. This includes helping to:

Identify hazards. These can be physical, biological, chemical, or psychological in nature. Having a clear understanding of your business and how you do things helps us to detect any potential problems. We are also in a unique position to advise on new and emerging hazards, as was demonstrated by COVID.

Understand the health implications or potential harm of a hazard. Occupational health is the specialist area of medicine, specifically concerned with understanding the impact of work on health and preventing work-related ill health.

Understand the level of risk, especially where people are considered to be more vulnerable. This can be due to their age, being a pregnant or breastfeeding mother, or having a health issue. Employers can have a higher duty of care to protect anyone considered more vulnerable as the impact of any injury or illness may be greater.

Control risk. Occupational health can recommend possible control measures to eliminate or reduce risk. However, when it comes to implementing control measures, it is a business decision on what is considered reasonably practical.

Monitor the effectiveness of control measures. Where indicated by regulations and identified by risk assessment, it may be necessary to carry out periodic health assessments or Health Surveillance. For example, hearing tests are required where workers are regularly exposed to noise, and hearing protection is required. We test for early signs of noise-induced hearing loss. By reporting on any trends, we can help identify areas where the control measures may need to be reviewed. It also helps identify those who have and existing hearing loss and may be considered more vulnerable so that appropriate measures can be put in place. The hearing tests also give us the opportunity to remind workers how to use the PPE correctly for maximum protection.

A business’s greatest asset are its people; therefore it makes sense to take measures to protect them. A commitment to health and safety is a wise investment, reducing the risk of loss of reputation, loss of productivity as well as financial loss. Occupational health services are a key partner in helping business to achieve this.