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Occupational Health
See also: Asbestos; Biological Agents; Carcinogens; COSHH; Legionellosis; Lead; Manual Handling; Noise; Sick Building Syndrome; Soldering; Respiratory Sensitisers; Skin Piercing; Work Related Upper Limb Disorders Introduction Every year more than two million people suffer ill-health caused or made worse by work, with the loss of 13 million working days. Work-related illness can occur in any business and costs British industry several hundred million pounds every year. Preventing ill-health caused by work will therefore serve to protect your staff and your profits. What is work-related illness? Work-related illness, also known as occupational health, describes any illness an employee suffers because of the hazards they have been exposed to at work. There are a wide range of health risk capable of causing a variety of illnesses. Examples of such risks include:
Taking action Preventing ill-health requires sound management, summed up in the following 4 stages: 1. Find out if you have a problem
2. Decide what action to take
3. Take action – implement identified improvements 4. Check/review what you have done In this way you can anticipate problems rather than deal with them after they have arisen. Where to go for help Booklet HS(G)137 `Health Risk Management – A practical guide for managers in small and medium-sized enterprises’ should be of great help in managing work-related health risks. It provides more detailed advice and practical guidance on the four stages of the process of health risk management outlined above, supported by several check lists. Advice can be sought from the local authority Environmental Health department, the HSE area office, HSE’s Infoline (0845 3450055), Trade associations, employers’ associations or trade unions may also be of use. The Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) is a team of doctors and nurses who can advise on work-related health problems; they can be contacted by ringing HSE on 01256 404000. You may also wish to seek specialist advice from the following:
Each of these groups has its own professional body who may be able to advise on selection and appropriate qualifications. There is also a free leaflet available, `Selecting a Health and Safety Consultancy’. Checklist – occupational health
References/further details Free leaflets - hazards at work - occupational health
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