A message that's really got through

Oct 5 2009 by Kevin Rowan, The Journal

IT is 35 years since the Health and Safety at Work Act was introduced. It was a radical piece of legislation.

There are no claims that this seminal set of statutory duties on employers and employees has been absolute in its effectiveness; there are still hundreds of workers killed as a direct result of the negligence of their employers every year, thousands more injured due to poor management of health and safety at work and one in five workers state that they are or have been made ill as a result of work. But there can be no doubt that there have been thousands of lives saved and injuries and illnesses prevented.

We’re not quite at the end game with tackling occupational health interventions yet, however. There are some cracking examples of excellent practice in this area. A joint Health and Safety Executive / TUC seminar last week heard two fantastic case studies; Leibherr Cranes in Sunderland and Cummins Engines in Darlington – two companies who take a very proactive approach to occupational health and safety.

The thorough management of health and safety in the workplace is complemented by innovative approaches to wellbeing; workplace gyms, cycle schemes, mental and spiritual health support. The returns are significant. Both companies are market leaders in managing absenteeism, which is a direct benefit to the bottom line and productivity. The trade union representatives in these companies are so positive about these actions too. Workers feel valued by their employer, there’s a positive benefit in self-esteem.

The increasing engagement of the health sector in this area is important, too. The Health at Work Award, supported by PCTs, is growing in popularity with employers so much so that PCTs are struggling to cope with demand. One of the considerations here may be the fact that the long-term benefits on the health and wellbeing of the population generally from improving health at work are not fully understood. Logic would say it is dramatic, given that work is the most significant cause of ill-health, tackling that must be the key public health concern, but this needs to be evidenced over time to bend large PCT budgets. I think we’ll get there.

Kevin Rowan is regional secretary of the Northern TUC