Introduction
Managing occupational health and welfare issues in your workplace means taking steps to promote employees' and your own well-being and prevent illness and injury.
This can range from cutting stress and drawing up a drugs and alcohol policy to stamping out bullying and harassment.
All businesses are likely to face a range of occupational health and welfare issues. This guide sets out the importance of tackling them and explains how to implement systems that can help you do so.
It also details the types of occupational health risk faced in many workplaces and the specific risks found in particular industries.
Promoting occupational health
Tackling occupational health in your workplace could involve looking at issues such as:
- stress
- repetitive strain injury
- backpain
- smoking, drug and alcohol use
- bullying and harassment
Occupational health issues include those that derive from long-term exposure to risks, such as asbestos, as well as those that derive from immediate injury and disease. They cover psychological and social issues too, such as violence and bullying.
You can read about common occupational health issues on the Safe and Healthy Working website.
Occupational health concerns aren't an optional extra - all employers have a legal duty of care to their employees. In addition, taking occupational health seriously can bring a range of business benefits:
-
lower absenteeism - for further information, see our guide on how to manage absence and sickness
- improved relationships with customers and suppliers
- improved productivity
- reduced staff turnover
Overall, it can cut your business' costs and improve its performance.
For more information on your wider health and safety duties, see our guide on your responsibilities for health, safety and the environment.
Key occupational health issues
You should consider anything which affects your employees' welfare as an occupational health issue.
- Smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse - not only can an addiction affect an individual's performance, their behaviour can have a significant impact on colleagues. See our guide on smoking policies, drugs and alcohol abuse.
- Stress - excessive pressure can affect your employees' psychological, social and physical wellbeing. For information on tackling stress, see our guide on how to deal with stress or read about stress on the HSE website.
- Back pain and RSI - a variety of lifting, repetitive and other kinds of work, including computer work, can result in injury or longer-term disability. Good ergonomics can help reduce the risks. See our guides on how to prevent RSI and upper-limb disorders and ensure the safe use of machinery, equipment and tools.
- Disease prevention and control - you should promote good health and take measures to reduce the risks of disease, infection and allergy. See our guide to diseases, infections and allergies.
- Violence, bullying and harassment - physical violence or psychological intimidation can have a serious impact on an employee's well-being. An effective discipline and grievance procedure is essential in tackling such problems. See our guides on bullying and harassment and handling discipline and grievance issues.
- Work-life balance - working practices help employees achieve a better balance between their work and personal lives and can make them more productive. See our guide on how to meet the need for work-life balance.
You can read about common occupational health issues on the Safe and Healthy Working website.
Manage occupational health
To establish and maintain a working environment that safeguards staff welfare you need to put into place systems which allow you to:
- Identify - and involve workers in assessing - workplace risks. For further information, see our guide on risk assessment - an overview.
- Assess and consider employees' needs when planning and organising work.
- Provide advice, information and training to employees, as well as mechanisms for employee feedback such as a suggestion scheme.
- Regularly monitor and record employees' health.
Some elements of occupational health are good practice, while others - such as the need to conduct a wide-ranging assessment of health and safety risks - are legally required.
However, remember that you have a legal duty of care to your employees. This means you have a legal responsibility for even those health and safety issues at work which are not covered by specific laws. You must assess all risks to employees' health and safety and take steps to control these risks.
You can explore an occupational health best-practice database on the Securing Health Together website.
Concerns in different industries
Depending on the sector in which you operate, you and your employees are likely to face specific occupational health issues. Here are some of the concerns associated with different industries and business activities:
-
Transport - you should be considering drivers' comfort and posture as well as the hours they spend at the wheel.
- Building and construction - consider employees' fitness for particular tasks as well as prevention of injury and exposure to excessive noise, vibration and hazardous materials. You can read about occupational health in the construction industry on the HSE website.
- Manufacturing - take into account a range of hazards, from excessive noise, cold and heat and time pressures to potentially dangerous processes, materials and chemicals.
- Agriculture - consider possible causes of stress such as long hours and isolation.
-
Offices - look at the ergonomics - seating, desks, lighting and screens, noise levels. For further information, see our guides on how to prevent RSI and upper-limb disorders and ensure the safe use of machinery, equipment and tools.
- Food and catering - consider the risks of allergies and infections posed by contact with certain substances.
- Warehousing - consider how exposure to sudden changes in temperature, lifting heavy items and poor lighting can affect health.
Regardless of the industry, you should pay particular attention to the needs of new and expectant mothers. Read about health and safety for new and expectant mothers on the HSE website.
Many industries have very specific health and safety requirements - it's essential to ensure you're familiar with those affecting you. For further information, see our guide on special requirements and approved codes of practice.
Risks in the workplace
The condition and cleanliness of your workplace have a direct impact on the welfare of your employees. You must meet a range of minimum workplace standards under health and safety law.
You must provide:
- clean toilets, with water, soap and a towel or drier
- access to drinking water
- clean working areas, with waste regularly removed
- adequate space to work in
- a comfortable working temperature
You can download the guide Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare from the HSE website (PDF).
Other issues you may have to consider include:
- supplying ergonomic office equipment, ie designed to give maximum comfort and support
- ensuring dust levels are kept down - minimising noise and smell levels
- preventing contact with irritants or hazardous substances
- providing well maintained and comfortable rest areas
- implementing good communication channels
You can explore
an occupational health best-practice database on the
Securing Health Together website.
