The Health at Work Guide to Life

2011-10-05T17:32:00.000+01:00

Health assessment of forklift truck drivers

Not the sexiest subject to grace this blog but there appearsto be a lot of confusion about health assessments for drivers of Fork Lift Trucks and other mobile plant. I am often asked about it andthe subject is often raised on OH discussion groups so it appears that not onlyare employers unsure, many of those advising the employers are not muchwiser.

The problem is this; there is nostandard. There is a standard if youdrive large goods vehicles (LGVs) because apart from being bloody great thingsthat can do some serious damage if driven recklessly, they are driven on thepublic road. FLTs are driven on companypremises and although a few are licensed, most never venture beyond the factorygates.

The Health and Safety Executive advise that you carry out a“suitable and sufficient risk assessment” of your mobile plant and that thisshould address the issue of health and potential ill health. So what in practice does that mean and what shouldyou do?

Well, it’s not for me to prescribe your risk assessment processesbut most organisations that I work with and advise ensure that their FLTdrivers have:

1) A basic health assessment when they start(preferably before money is spent on training) that includes a healthquestionnaire, blood pressure, urine test, vision screen and assessment ofmusculoskeletal flexibility i.e. can the driver turn their head to look side toside and behind them.

2) The health assessment repeated every 5 years.

3) The health assessment repeated after any periodof long term absence or serious illness.

4) A signed declaration by the employee obligingthem to inform the employer if there have been any changes to health that mightaffect the ability to drive. For reasonsof medical confidentiality, the employee does not have to disclose the details,just that there might be an issue. It isthen for the employer to obtain consent to take this up with the employee’s GPor occupational health service is there is one.

Even though the law does not require the above, arguably thespirit of the law does and an organisation could feel the heavy hand of theregulator if it wasn’t making some attempt to ensure that potential healthrisks amongst its FLT drivers were managed. This process is also not overly burdensome and can be carried out withthe assistance of a local occupational health service or the employee’s GP.

2011-10-04T14:09:00.000+01:00

Happier and healthier after a recession?

The picture is clear. Most of the world is broke and hasn’t a penny to scratch its arsewith. The western world has been livingbeyond its means for 30 years and will bump along the bottom of the economiccurve for another 10 years at least before the debts are paid off. Whoever thought that living on such huge debtwas a good idea anyway, be it personal, corporate or sovereign? How did we blindly party our way into thecurrent mess, thinking it was all rosy and would never end? And what effect will this have on health?

The last 30 years have seen big reductions inmusculoskeletal ill health, work related injury and disease, cancer and heart diseaserates and many other improvements. Correspondingly, the same period has seen a huge rise in mental illhealth, particularly depression and anxiety (note to kids – during the nextboom, become a shrink). It seems thatwhen we think we can have it all, we get rather stressed by the idea, don’tbelieve we should really have it, struggle to pay for it and are a lot happierwhen we have given most of it back.

Only history and long term research will give the answer butI predict that once we have adapted to the “new normal” our expectation levelswill be much lower and therefore more easily met. Unrealistic expectation is the enemy ofmental wellbeing in just the same way that Barbie doll figures and high fashionare the enemy of stable weight and sensible eating.

The Irish are arguably one of the most put upon anddowntrodden nations in history. Theirreaction to the Eurozone crisis has been to think “well, life’s always been abit crap and we never had much before so it’s back to business as normal” Theyseem not too unhappy with the return of their particular status quo. Otherparts of Europe on the other hand, well...

Some sort of stability will return in the next couple ofyears even though there may be some big bumps along the way but once ithas, we may find ourselves with a bit less but a lot happier (note to kids – for the time being, get intowaste management or something).

2011-09-28T20:41:00.000+01:00

Case study – Parkinson’s Disease

One of my past cases involved Mr B who worked as a Hotel Porter andCleaner. He suffered from several healthconditions; Parkinson’s Disease, Type 2 Diabetes and a heart condition, He had undergone a heart bypass in 2005. Allhis conditions were managed with medication by his GP. At the time of thereferral all the conditions appeared to be reasonably stable but his Parkinson’saffected his left arm and leg resulting in a slight tremor and weakness. His ability to walk quickly was limited andhe was also starting to have problems lifting significant weight.

On discussion Mr B stated that he was struggling with the role of LinenPorter on the two days that he did this due to the physical aspects of therole. He found the cleaning role easier to cope with on the other 3 days.

Ouradvice was that he would automatically be viewed as falling within thedisability provisions of the Equality Act due to his Diabetes. Also, his other conditions are likely to beregarded as having a long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry outnormal day to day activities, were it not for his considerable amount oftreatment.

Mr B was assessed on-site and the different aspects of his role wereexplored. He was assessed as fit for thecleaning role of his job but advised against carrying out the role of LinenPorter as this was too physical for his current ability and there was asignficant risk of him having an accident if he carried on with these tasks. Hewas advised against lifting weights greater than 8 kilos. These adjustments were advised on apermanent basis, as his condition was not expected to improve.

Althoughthis was a fundamental change to his role, his employer was able to rearrangethe duties within the team and accommodate Mr B for the foreseeablefuture. They kept him under review. The case demonstrated that significantadjustments are achievable even though an employee’s health is deterioratingand starting to have an effect on daily living. There will come a time when he is no longer able to fulfil other dutiesand his employment will become unsustainable. A tough business decisionfollowing further advice will then need to be taken but in the knowledge thatthe decision will be a fair one as the employer will have done all it reasonablycan to maintain employment for as long as possible.

2011-09-23T08:50:00.000+01:00

Work place Flu Jabs - are they worth it?

I would be interested in views about whether flu jabs at work really are worth it. Ten years ago as the National Occupational Health Manager for the Environment Agency, I was asked by the then Operations Director to cost this out. It was as much a risk management exercise as cost saving exercise. His view was that if the recent severe floods had happened at the same time as the previous year's flu outbreak, the organisation and much of the country would have been in the you know what. I looked at all the options including cost, time taken off to have the jabs, that those in high risk groups get it anyway from their GP, the percentage of those that might take time off due to a reaction, etc., and found that on a yearly basis the cost saving would be negligible. On a risk management basis, bearing in mind that serious flooding only lasts for about 2 weeks (although does have a long tail) and the peak of a flu outbreak not much longer, the provision of an annual flu vaccination programme may have saved the organisation about once every 25 years.

My view from talking to companies in the last 12 months is that Swine flu may have changed the game. Many have said they were caught out last year. Where as seasonal flu, in their experience, tended to have a limited impact on the working age population - their employees - the impact of Swine flu on this group has been much greater. The jury is still out. Research has been done on the cost effectiveness of work place flu vaccination over the years but is of dubious quality and often carried out on behalf of those with a vested interest in selling it. If you have a view, I would like to hear it. Were you caught out last year? Is this something you have been doing for years and believe you have reaped the benefits? Please reply to the blog or email me on lindsey.hall@splitdimension.co.uk. Thanks.

2011-09-22T18:16:00.001+01:00

Case studies for all

In order to turn this blog from a series of varied thoughtsand ramblings into something that is more useful to readers, I am writing aseries of case studies. All are looselybased on real cases but confidentiality of the individual and employer isassured. If there is an occupationalhealth issue that you are wrestling with and you want some advice please DM viatwitter or email me and I will blog a response.

My first case study is about Mr H who is a painter anddecorator for a large housing association. Following receipt of the referral documentation, he was contacted by telephone. He had undergone a left partial hipreplacement in mid July 2011. He assuredme that he was recovering well and currently walking with one stick. He had a fit note signing him off for 6 weeksand following this was expecting to have another for the same period afterwhich he should be able to manage a phased return to work.

Mr H had a similar operation to his right hip 8 yearsago so knew what to expect in his recovery. He said he was recovering at asimilar pace to last time. He had noother major health problems.

Due to his requirement for this type of surgery on twooccasions, his employer was advised thathe was highly likely to be regarded as disabled by an employment tribunal underthe Equality Act 2010.

Ithen advised the following based on the information he provided.

1) He was not fit forwork at the time of our discussion.

2) A 3-month recoveryperiod for this type of operation is quite normal.

3) I spoke to him again 2weeks before his intended return to work. He was fully mobile and walking without a stick. He was driving but still feeling quite tiredat times.

4) A phased return wasrecommended starting on 4 hours per day during his first week back, 6 hours perday during the following week after which he should return to full hours.

He returned to work as planned and is fit for the fullhours and duties of his role.

Let me know if you have an idea for the next one.

2011-09-20T12:02:00.001+01:00

Three reasons to look after your employees

My whole philosophy for providing occupational healthservices is based on 3 reasons why organisations should look after theiremployees, regardless of local culture or legal framework. I first wroteabout this about 10 years ago on a Jiscmail OH discussion group and have seenit crop up a number of times since – not least in some of the documentation nowprovided by the Health and Safety Executive. If you keep the following in mind when considering staff health, welfare,absence, productivity and culture, etc., you won’t go wrong.

1) The moral reason.Since the days of 17^th Century Italian, Bernadino Ramazzini - one ofthe fathers of occupational health - work can sometimes make you ill or evenprematurely end your life. Employers andthe 'State' have a moral and ethical duty to prevent this. This is welldocumented by various organisations around the world, particularly the InternationalLabour Organisation. Their websitecontains plenty of information on what countries should do about employee healthand welfare, but that’s for the likes of me to read as you probably have betterthings to do. All you need to know isthat your employees go home a bit tired but with health and faculties intact.

2) The legalreason. Unfortunately, obeying Occupationalhealth and Safety related legislation often comes with a reluctance; an"if we have to" sort of culture which is not always endearing.However, it is the law and not following it has risks and penalties for you, youremployees and your business. There’splenty you need to do - probably too much. Occupational health Advisers are notlegally required in the UK but the law requires much of organisations that isours to do, almost by right. There is a place for us and we can help.

3) The businessreason. If the law is a pain, think about the money. Whether we like it or not, money makes theworld go round more than ethics or law. Organisations are in business to either make a profit or provide aservice - or both. Whatever they do,they rely on people to make them work efficiently who must be productive and bepresent. Health interferes with both. Healthy,fit, well motivated employees who attend will be far better for business thanunhealthy, unfit and poorly motivated employees who take time off.

Even if your moral code and legal radar are is wilting a little, investingwisely in the health of employees is surely of financial benefit.

When is an absent or unwell employee fit to attend a meeting?

2011-05-19T15:52:00.000+01:00

This is an occasional dilemma for both Human Resources and Occupational Health. Employers are often nervous of talking to an employee when they are off work. There is still the view, although it is becoming less common, that if they are unwell, they should be left at home to recover and not be troubled. More often than not though, the employee is wondering why no-one has bothered to call and feeling a bit isolated.

The situation becomes more difficult if the employer is unsure about the reason for the employee absence or if there has been a grievance, stress or breakdown in communication. I’m sure you have all had experience of cases where an employee is off work with stress and blames this on the employer. There may also be a disciplinary issue and the employer wants to talk to them informally about this or call a more formal hearing. But, because the employee is signed off, there is concern as to whether they are fit enough to attend. Well, if you can say “yes” to the following then yes they are and calling a meeting is a reasonable course of action. the criteria are:

1) The employee understands the situation and possible employment implications

2) They are able to follow proceedings

3) They are able to defend themselves or instruct another person to do so

4) They can understand the final verdict or outcome.

Illness or absence needs to be taken seriously and managed professionally but should not be a barrier to running your business.

Say what you mean.

2011-05-09T08:41:00.001+01:00

What does “corporate” mean to you? This came up as a discussion point in another forum as someone wanted to ask the interview question: “What do you understand by Corporate Occupational Health?” They then wanted ideas about the sort of answers to expect? Now, I have been in the OH business for well over 20 years and if someone asked me that question I would probably reply with a blank stare and want more information about what they were asking. “Corporate” is one of those buzzwords that sounds great but means so many different things to different people its value as a word is diminishing fast.

It’s the same problem in another forum for small and medium businesses I frequent - www.skillfair.co.uk. A great site with all sorts of opportunities, however, so many consultants pitch their wares and services, particularly when they join with all the clarity of pea soup. What do they actually do? We have had Pioneering Strategy Partners, Action Learning Advisers, Specialisms Business Strategy Marketers and consultancies who like to work with forward thinking organisations in a creative culture and want to align personal and organisational values - don’t we all?. But please, what the f*** does it all mean? It’s like getting a full house at buzzword bingo.

Occupational health is sometimes regarded as a complicated business and when people are involved any profession can be. We advise people about other people’s fitness for a job – people who sometimes don’t want to receive the advice they are given about people who don’t want to be the subject of the advice. We also carry out a number of legally required and advised medical tests to ascertain whether someone is fit for a job and if not, what needs to happen in order to be fit. We sometimes tell people what they don’t want to hear, even though it is the right thing to tell them, and then we charge for it. But, if our advice is to be taken seriously and with respect - whether hoped for or not - it needs to be clear. Someone is either fit or not. If not, this is how long it will be before they are and this is what the employer should consider in order to accommodate a less than fully fit employee. Because at the end of the process the outcome is very clear indeed. The employee either comes to work or they don’t. I know it’s tough out there but if you want to stand out from the crowd, cut out the buzzwords and speak clearly to the rest of us. We might then be more interested in what you have to say.

If you want to know what I really think about Corporate Occupational Health then that’s another blog post.

Four rules of absence management.

2011-05-05T20:00:00.000+01:00

Following the recent blog about saving a million quid, what does this mean in individual cases of absence? There is an old saying that goes “look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.” Absence is the same. If you manage the individual absentees fairly, reasonably but closely, then the overall absence total and associated cost will reduce.

The first rule is to act early. Have a policy where the employee must ring in if at all possible when they are ill. If they don’t, ring them. This is not harassment as remember, you are paying them to be at work and if they are not, you have a right to know why. If there is a genuine medical problem, you don’t have a right to know all the details but you do have a right to know they are unwell and how long it is likely to last.

Secondly keep in touch. So many employers are frightened of sickness absence amongst their staff and leave them alone out of a perception that you might be harassing them by contacting them. But before long, a week has turned into a month and you have probably paid your employee a couple of grand for not working. And often, they are sat at home thinking that work has forgotten all about them and no-one cares.

Thirdly, seek professional help if the absence proceeds beyond 4 weeks. Obtaining a report from the employees GP or treating specialist may cost you up to £100 but is small change compared to the cost of the employee sitting at home, the temp you have hired to do their work or the increasingly grumpy colleagues trying to manage with an empty desk in the department. Alternatively seek help from an Independent Occupational Health or Human Resources Adviser. This might cost you a bit more but you will get more detailed advice than from a GP, a good legal perspective and advice on how to potentially return the employee to some form of employment even if they still have a medical condition. Not all employees will be able to return quickly due to serious ill health but at least you will know where you stand with some confidence. A few hundred pounds will pale into insignificance compared to the increasing cost of absence, potential future recruitment of a new member of staff and the potential legal claim for failing to manage the situation appropriately.

Finally, make sure you talk to all your employees when they return from sickness absence. This does not have to be a formal meeting; it can be a two minute chat by the coffee machine for someone returning from a couple of days off with a cold. It lets the genuine ones know that you care and the occasionally less genuine absentee know that you are take absence seriously.

Grim financial predictions bound to affect health

2011-05-03T10:05:00.002+01:00

Recent reports have indicated that GPs and charities are being increasingly contacted by people struggling with debt and now it could get worse. According to HR Magazine www.hrmagazine.co.uk, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has announced the biggest squeeze on real pay since the 1920s with household earnings not set to increase until the end of 2012.

According to a report published today by accountancy firm Deloitte, a number of factors will maintain the downward pressure on household incomes in the near-term. Pay growth is unlikely to catch up with inflation, which is heading towards - and possibly above - 5%. Real earnings therefore look certain to fall for the fourth successive year in a row - the first time this has occurred since the 1870s.Lastly, the labour market outlook provides further cause for concern, with Deloitte's experts doubting the private sector can compensate for the cuts in public sector employment - which is already falling by 100,000 a year. Expectations are that households' disposable incomes will fall by about 2% this year in real terms - equivalent to about £780 per household. Our own experience backs this up. The public sector is shrinking capacity by cutting people. The private sector is wary of filling the void, will take a while to catch up anyway and will systemise what it can before considering increasing headcount.

Some forecasters - such as the Office for Budget Responsibility - are optimistic about the ability of households to run down their savings to support their spending. But the saving rate is historically low and, in the medium-term at least, needs to rise. My experience of talking to employees in the workplace already struggling with illness is that debts are also a major concern and for many, there are no savings. Consumers may have little choice but to cut their spending further and some will increase their debt, inevitably leading to further angst and in some cases mental illness.

More favourable conditions are predicted for late 2012 as inflation and taxes could both start to fall by then but that will seem like an age away to many struggling households.

Split Dimension can help so give us a call on 07771 596111 for more personal advice for your employees. Alternatively contact Moneyadviceservice.org.uk online or by phone on 0300 500 5000.

How to save £1M

2011-04-27T15:01:00.000+01:00

All businesses want to know their cost of absence. Not as easy as you might think as this requires all sorts of variables to be considered. Some employees will take time off and their work will simply be shared by colleagues. The cost of any short term absence is therefore negligible. Others such as teachers or train drivers will need to be replaced, either by colleagues working overtime or agency staff. The cost of absence will therefore be much higher as not only are you probably still paying the absentee but you are paying for their replacement and any overtime or agency costs. Therefore the cost can easily be more than double the employment cost of the absentee.

A much easier calculation is the cost of non attendance. Take an average salary of £499 per week according to the 2010 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285 or just short of 26k per year. Add 30% employment costs and this equates to 33.8k per year. Divide this by 226 working days per year (when weekends, bank holidays and 25 days annual holiday are taken out) and you reach a figure of £149.55 per day. Therefore every day an averagely paid employee doesn’t attend work, this is what you are paying them to stay at home. This mounts up. If your employee has a 5% rate of absence, this equates to 11.3 days per year which means you are now paying £1689.91 for non attendance per year – for one employee. You don’t need to be a mathematician to work out that this can equate to an awful lot of money when you have a reasonably sized workforce. In fact, you don’t have to do the maths at all. Go to www.splitdimension.co.uk, click on Absenceline, then click on absence costs to see what your costs of non attendance are. There is information on organisations sized from 250 employees to 20,000 employees and by using the formula you can scale up or down. If one employee can cost nearly 1.7k per year in non attendance, this is relevant to even the smallest of businesses.

And what about the £1m? Well,that’s the average cost of 1% of non attendance in an organisation of 4000 employees. Reduce non attendance by 1% and the savings are clear.

When is an absent employee fit to attend a meeting?

2011-04-26T15:40:00.002+01:00

An occasional dilemma for HR and OH alike. An employee is off work – often with stress and sometimes blaming this on the employer. There may also be a disciplinary issue and the employer wants to talk them about their future. But are they fit enough to attend such a meeting? Well, if you can say “yes” to the following then yes they are.

1) The Person understands the situation and possible employment implications

2) They are able to follow proceedings

3) They are able to defend themselves or instruct another person to do so

4) They can understand the final verdict or outcome.

Of course, employees can be absent for all sorts of reasons but just because they aren't at work, doesn't mean you can't talk to them.

Contact Split Dimension for occupational health advice on any difficult case that is troubling you. We can also bring in mediation, HR and Legal Advice if required.

Time out

2011-04-20T12:11:00.000+01:00

Piers Morgan likened his appointment to Editor of the Daily Mirror at the age of 29 to being a kid presented with the biggest train set you could imagine. I took a similar, although downgraded view of my own venture into self employment in 2006. Here was a big and occasionally scary toy that I could build something with. Big or small, it was mine to do with as I saw fit. I quickly settled into the long hours of the self employed and as the office was originally at home, my wife worked and both kids were at school, it was a solitary existence, particularly when the client list was still small. The role of office junior was assigned to the cat, whose ability to amuse me by chasing a pencil around the floor never ceased but whose filing and tea making ability was frankly, a bit crap.

But who was I. Previously, I left the house in the morning in managerial work clothes and became whatever title I had at the time. I came back in the evening, changed and was again Dad, husband, gardener, occasional cook etc etc. Now it was suddenly all jumbled up. I could be Dad and cook when the kids came home and Managing Director, accountant, web designer, secretary, and Independent OH Adviser into the early hours. More than ever, I was defined by my business and wondering if this was a good thing?

There is still a bit of me that would love to have a simple job where I turned up at 9am, did my bit and went home care free at 5pm to the rest of my life. However the rest of me knows that I wouldn’t reach lunch time on the first day without wanting to change this, reorganise that and get things done rather more efficiently than was happening. I also know from my work that many such jobs are rarely fulfilling.

The separation of Church and State, as my self employed uncle once put it, was helped by moving out of the house into an office. But now social media has taken over. I’m on twitter and facebook from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I’m drafting potential blogs at all hours, while still trying to actually earn some income by fulfilling the main role of the business in advising other businesses on matters of health, at the risk of frazzling my own.

So what’s the point of all this prose. Well, firstly, boundaries and secondly the need to pause. Take stock occasionally. From reading his diaries, I’m aware that even Piers Morgan takes time out from his mad media existence and tweeting football related insults at Alan Sugar. So make time for the rest of your life and take time to turn off all the chatter, listen to the silence and focus on what’s really important. Like the rare footballers who suddenly stop in midfield, put their foot on the ball and take a few seconds to look at the options. They’re rarely tackled as everyone’s a bit surprised at the sudden hiatus. But the options become clearer and the impetus is with them.

Pedal while you work

2011-04-19T10:37:00.000+01:00

Last month’s Occupational Health Magazine had an interesting couple of News articles. Firstly it reported that most health and fitness New Year’s resolutions hit the skids by the beginning of February. Never a problem for me as I expertly manage my expectations and never make New Year’s resolutions. However, according to Aviva nearly three quarters of Britons vow to get fitter at the start of each year with 80% failing miserably in the first 4 weeks.

Enter the Portable Pedal machine mentioned further down the page. These were provided in a trial to 18 full time employees in the United States for 4 weeks. Virtual daily distances covered ranged from one-third of a mile to 13.5 miles with up to 500 calories burned. Surely there’s a link here. I have always said that for exercise to be effective it should be part of the daily routine and preferably combined with doing something else. So when the resolve to keep to the latest fitness campaign is starting to flag and you can't be bothered or don't have the time to go for walk at lunchtime, kick away the footstools and all the other crap under your desk and get a set of pedals. The danger of course is that sooner or later, some bright spark will invent an energy saving computer that you can only keep going by pedalling harder. A new version of the sweat shop will be born.

Basic principles of assessing a computer workstation remotely

2011-04-18T18:54:00.000+01:00

I have been asked a few times recently to assess an employee’s workstation over the telephone. Not possible you might say but, short of occupational health by skype (there’s a thought), if you follow a few basic rules you can do something quite reasonable. Obviously, if there is a good local DSE assessor who has not yet become involved, get them to do it, but if not, then consider the following:

1) The employee needs to be sat, reasonably upright and not slouched, with elbows just above desk height.

2) If their feet are off the floor, they need a footstool.

3) The screen should be directly in front of them.

4) Their horizontal line of vision should be in line with the top third of the screen. Laptop users find this one difficult but with the laptop raised on a small plinth and a separate keyboard and mouse, it’s almost a desktop.

5) Keyboard and mouse should be within comfortable reach.

It’s amazing how many times I come across people slouched, with the screen off in one corner complaining of neck, back or shoulder pain. A few basic principles can save a lot of discomfort.

And another thing – everyone should get up and move around at least every hour or so. The human body is designed to move about and not sit in one position for too long so learn to fidget.

Help for depression linked to financial worries

2011-04-15T17:25:00.000+01:00

GPs and charities are being increasingly contacted by people struggling with debt according to a recent BBC article on its website. Nothing new to the OH profession as I have noticed a significant increase in financial worries in the people I see, particularly in the manufacturing sector, which the recession has squeezed more than most. For some, just losing a shift can make the difference between making all their repayments that month or deciding which one to miss, with all the consequences that might bring. The Government has increased access to talking therapies but in many cases, what those I see want is practical help. They don’t want to talk about their debt, they want someone to help them sort it out.

In response to this, the Government has also launched The Money Advice Service which will provide more comprehensive advice, including face-to-face meetings for the first time. It is hoped the scheme will give people more control over their finances. The service will run on an independent basis, with an independent chairman and board appointed by the Financial Services Authority.

The service can be reached online at Moneyadviceservice.org.uk and by phone on 0300 500 5000. Split Dimension also works with an organisation who has someone who can help so instead of funding a number of counselling sessions why not fund some financial advice. In the right circumstances, it will probably cost less and help more. Martins Money Saving Tips at MoneySavingExpert.com is also a good source of advice.

Occupational health – sexy or not?

2011-04-14T22:45:00.000+01:00

First go in the blogosphere, this, so please be patient if it doesn't quite go to plan. The intention is to mostly comment on all things related to health at work - Occupational Health to those in the field - with the odd exception related to the news, life in general and Southampton FC.

We can be a quirky lot, us Occupational Health Advisers, but folk, both in and out of the profession often bemoan the unsexy image of the busines . “Health” can be a sexy topic but once the word “occupational” appears, we are not too far removed from our esteemed colleagues, the Health and Safety Advisers – sorry guys. But look at it this way. I’ve come across men who have worked all their life in industry and can’t listen to their favourite music without blowing the windows out. That’s not sexy. I have known women whose wrists are so painful they can’t pick up their grandchildren without it hurting. That’s not sexy either. Stress isn’t sexy and nor is dermatitis and from the health and safety view point, nor is falling down the stairs because some plonker left a load of boxes in the way. So whenever you or a colleague comment on the unexciting image of the profession, think of all the unsexyness we help prevent.

Topics for the next few days and weeks will be:

Pedal while you work
Debt and depression
When is someone fit to attend a meeting?
Three reasons to look after your staff
How to save £1M
Anything else I can find in the news, other media, discussion groups or the day in general .

Confidentiality of clients and their employees will be rigourouslyl respected but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty to blog about with some good old fashioned opinion and, I hope, the odd good laugh. Hope you enjoy and please comment.