Health And Safety's blog

Health and safety apps: a workplace necessity?

When the iPhone launched - way, way back in the mists of time during the Autumn of 2007 (here in the UK, anyway), few realised what a phenomenal success its digital distribution platform would be.  In fact, before the launch of the App Store many of us probably didn't even know there were things clled  applications within our phones, so few of them there were back then pre iPhone - maybe an alarm clock, a couple of games - but nothing like the scale you see today.

One of the most insteresting aspects of the apps world is that most of them are developed by third parties, meaning that just about anything you can think of is available for smartphones - from hip location-based social media tools to slightly eccentric (but still intriguing) stuff like lie detectors and (believe it or not) an app to help you track your bowel movements (!?)

So given the wide range of options available for discerning app fan, it was only a matter of time before a credible Health & Safety related app would hit the shelves. And Safety Smart Apps' "Safety Smart Shelf" holds the world's first set of industry-specific apps. What the apps aim to do is provide the relevant H&S info for each of the industries included - with each one being updated any time practise or legislation changes.

For more information check the app store here.

 

Health and safety news roundup

The first story to catch our eye this week was the sandcastle. Apprently the sand-constructed edifice, erected at a cost of five thouand pounds - and which stood at a healthy six and a half feet tall, was condemned for health and safety reasons. 

Of course, like many stories, it's not quite as health-and-safety-gone-mad as it may seem at first sight. For one thing, the intention of building the sandcastle was to get some great olympic themed photographs - not for the thing to remain on the beach.

Bearing in mind also that its propensity to erosion - even with slightly inclement weather - was maximal - and it's fair to say that neither the sculptor nor those who commissioned the sandcastle were expecting a building with a Sagrada Familia type longevity. And if all that sand were to tumble in a gust of wind ...

In other - perhaps slightly less amusing news, it was reported this week in Health Insurance & Protection Magazine that business tax breaks for health benefits won't be green-lighted until the sector is more fully able to provide return on investment figures detailing what it is about the benefits that's impacting e.g. sickness absence, and to what degree.

At last year's sickness absence review, it was recommended that PMI be paid for by employers on behalf of lower paid staff, but HI magazine quotes the DWP's chief medical adviser, who says that " convincing evidence of the benefits of wellbeing initiatives" would need to be sought prior to tax breaks being considered.

In the meantime, companies looking to buy business medical insurance can look at a wide range of low-cost options available including traditionalbig name providers and newer internet only insurers such as health on line when in the market for group cover. Medical insurance as part of an employment package is often highly rated among employees in surveys about the workplace wellbeing initiatives that they value.

Dcotor sacked for having a baby recieves compensation

A doctor who was sacked for having a baby has been awarded £4.5 million in compensation after being forced out of her job.

Doctor Eva Michalak, who is originally from Poland, won a tribunal against the NHS, after raising cases of sex and race discrimination. She was suspended and dismissed on allegations of bullying other staff, which the tribunal to be unfair.

Ms Michalak said that she had been 'hounded' since having a baby and had faced years of physcological harrassment from her employers.

Read the full story on this employment tribunal at The Independant.

Fit notes: an update

Fit notes were introduced last year as a means of assessing whether an individual was ready to return to work after a period of sickness. An individual's health situation is looked at by a GP who can then decide whether they're not fit for work or 'may be fot for work'. According to the NHS Choices page on fit notes, in the latter case the individual may be able to return to work but with reduced hours or different tasks with a view to eventually getting back to working full time if their condition continues to improve.

This week, however, thare has been some news activity around fit notes, with the recommendation that an independent body, rather than a GP, could assess people's fitness for work. Whether this would signify a lessening of the GP workload is impossible to tell - it is after all only a recommendation. But in terms of how fit notes are administered, something like this could mark a big change in sickness absence management - we'll blog on this subject again as and when there's more on this story. But for the time being it looks like the fit note system as it stands will be in place for a at least a while yet.

 

 

Laptop ergonomics - the health and safety way!

Do you use a laptop for work or to surf the net in your leisure time?

Most of us do these days - the compact and portable design makes them ideal for computing in a variety of locations in the office, at home or on the move (especially when there's free wi-fi).

But one thing that maybe we don't stop to think about enough while using a laptop is our posture. Because a laptop can be placed pretty much anywhere such as a kitchen table, work surface, coffe table, or even balanced (sometimes precariously) on the knees, it means that all too often we're likely to hunch forward too often, ignoring all the good advice that's out there on the best ways to sit.

This video shows - in a very helpful and concise way - some everyday laptop use scenarios where the posture is wrong, and then provides simple and effective ways that it can be put right:

 

 

Employees want to work more flexible hours

Flexible working hours is increasingly becoming an important feature of occupational health programs across different companies, however a recent study of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) reveals that fewer than ten percent have the provision on their contract to work remotely from home in spite of more than one in three employees expressing an interest in having this option.

Caroline Gatrell, senior lecturer in management learning and leadership at Lancaster University Management School explained that there is strong evidence to suggest that working flexible hours is good for employee wellbeing.

She quoted “For some men and women flexibility can make the difference between being able to cope at work, and going under due to poor work-life balance. It is for the benefit of all organisations and governments to facilitate flexible working practices”

Load safety advice

 

Many health and safety websites focus mostly on office health and safety - but there are, of course, many other working environments where complying to health regulations is absolutely essential.

The transport industry is one of these areas, and workers must be extremely careful so as not to cause injury to themselves or others as they load and transport heavy cargo. This of course means that employers are subject to expensive insurance policies to insure their staff and the general public against harm. This video from the Health and Safety Executive explains loading well, and would be a good resource for employers in this industry to show their staff.

Back care at work

This week is Back Care awareness week - so a good time to think about the importance of back care in the workplace.

Many of us spend a long time in the same position, or making repetetive movements at work. And whether it's sitting, standing or hunching over machinery, all of these things can be bad for our backs. So how do we reduce back pain at work? It's all about being aware of our movements and keeping ourselves fit and healthy - and with 9.3 million sick days taken due to back pain over 2008/9, it's a big issue. Here are some of the best ways to stay back pain free:

Posture: If like many people, you have to sit at a desk for long you may find that you will have unexplained aches and pains - which could be donw to your posture. To avoid this, ensure your chair is at a height that will allow you to type with your arms straight out, keep your feet flat on the ground and your screen at eye level. Your keyboard and mouse should also be at easy rach so you can rest your wrists on the desk and do not have to lean at an angle to reach them.

See a physiotherapist: Many of us just don't take back pain seriously enough. How often have you put off going to see the doctor about a dull ache in the back before realising it's actually been going on for months? If this sounds like you, you're not the only one. And there are a number of very talented physiotherapists on hand to help - many can offer exercises and advice that can be incorporated into your working day to keep your back healthy and relatively pain free. Some workplaces even offer medical insurance cover with health cash plans incorporated, so you may sometimes be entitled to some money back for any costs incurred by these appointments.

Lifting safely: If your job is physical, ensure your bend your knees and test the weight of any item before lifting it. Health and safety laws require that carts are available for anything too heavy too carry, and lifts are in place so heavy loads are not carried on stairs.

Repetetive movements: Making sure you take regular breaks can help ensure you don't get long-term aches from straining or streching in an awkward position. Standing tall and straight and avoiding actions that cause you to regularly hunch can also help reduce back pain.

Mental health at work: What's the solution

A few months ago, the Mental health charity Mind launched a campaign to address mental health in the workplace, reporting that many are too afraid to speak out when they are struggling.

Amongst the reasons for this included the fear of stigma or lack of support, but now a number of major employers have joined forces with the charity, to help come up with solutions - after the main problems behind mental health at work were identified at a summit held in partnership with AXA and Mind.

From here, a number of major employers have come up with possible solutions, which have been released in a recent report. Amongst a number of government targeted recommendations, such as improving the use of fit notes, the report advices employers to create an 'open and supportive' workplace, which encourages problems to be discussed before they escalate.

Considering that the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey report that one in six workers are said to suffer from depression, anxiety or stress, and mental health problems are a major cause behind high sickness absence levels, this is certainly a step in the right direction. Does your workplace do enough to support mental health amongst staff members?

Healthy eating at Work: A healthy and safety officers job?

Obesity costs UK businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds in staff absence each year - so is healthy eating at work now a health and safety issue?

Maybe not entirely, but encouraging healthy eating amongst staff can help reduce sickness absence and boost productivity in the workplace. So how can this be done? Well the advice is simple, but could be effective if a good attitude to health and wellbeing is promoted throughout the workplace.

Here is some of the tips that can be found on the NHS Health at Work website, and our thoughts on the best ways to carry them out:

• Run education campaigns - why not coincide them with National Awareness days and email some health facts around?
• Activities - The NHS suggest taster sessions for healthy food - why not arrange a healthy employee cook off?
• Facilities - If your employees have everything they need to make healthy food (frdges, microwaves etc), they're less likely to hit the burger van at lunch - why not offer some ideas for healthy meals that can be microwaved at lunch?
• Training - Health and wellbeing training could impact staff even after office hours - and an understanding of the effect of unhealthy food on the body and productivity levels at work could encourage some to make positive lifestyle changes.