Workplace or occupational health is about the effect of work on health and health on work. It means making sure that workers are fit for the work that they do. It’s about prevention rather than cure, and about rehabilitating workers after illness.
Practical advice on Creating a Healthy Workplace can be found in a joint publication from the Faculty of Public Health and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine. Occupational health services are available through NHS Plus.
The main occupational health issues include:
- Occupational asthma. The prime cause of occupational asthma is related to working with hazardous substances (see hazardous substances).
- Musculo-skeletal disorders including lower back pain. There is a range of likely causes for these disorders. For full details, refer to:
- Dermatitis. This is normally associated with the handling of hazardous substances, such as solvents and metalworking fluid (see hazardous substances).
- Noise and vibration. New regulations in 2005 introduced lower and/or new exposure action values as described in noise and vibration.
Ageing national workforce. By 2030 half the UK population will be aged over 50 and one third aged over 60. These demographic changes, together with forthcoming age discrimination legislation across Europe, will require employers to address the need to retain older workers in suitable occupations.
Recent research has shown that muscle strength, heart and lung function, and some mental capacity do decline with age, but these changes can be compensated for by modifying working conditions. The greater experience of older workers can also offset some of the effects of ageing.
Aspects relating to reduced work performance. It is estimated that the cost of poor performance at work is around seven times the cost of absence from work due to work-related ill-health.
These and a number of other significant factors relating to workers’ health and well-being, including absence management and rehabilitation, are dealt with in the EEF publications Managing Sickness Absence and Fit for Work.
It is important, in terms of managing workplace health, to have a clear idea of the factors or indicators which you need to manage. EEF has an on-line benchmarking system for occupational health and safety (see health and safety management systems), which can help you to identify your key health factors or performance indicators, and enable you to establish the good and bad points in your health and safety management system and how you compare with others. For details, see EEF H&S Benchmarking.