What is Occupational Healthjane.coombs@working-well-solutions.com

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Starting and leaving employment

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National issues• Absence due to stress costs • Sickness absence• after 6 months only 50% are likely to return to work,• after 1 years’ absence only 10%

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Work related Health issues influence….

• Risk of civil, criminal or enforcement action• Resources - time, litigation, investigations• Staff turnover• Poor publicity/low morale

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Work Related Health IssuesManual handling injuries

Upper limb disorders

Fitness for

work

Absence Vaccinations

stressReasonable adjustments

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Wellbeing

Health promotion

Stop smoking

PolicyHealthy Eating

Support for

employees

Best practice

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Linked to Safety Drug and Alcohol testing

Fitness for

task

Health checks on

sight, hearing,

mobility etc

Best practice

Product safety eg

food, health care workers

Computer set up

Workplace assessments

Policy and procedures

Specific health conditions

Hand arm vibration

Hearing loss due to noisy

workplaces

Dust, fume, chemicals

affecting the body

Lung disease caused by work Skin conditions

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Influences on OH• Fit notes – Dame Carol Black

• Public Health

• Ageing workforce

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Absence issues• Average absence 8.4 days• Public sector absence 10.3 days • Health sector 11.2• Stress is one of the leading and growing causes of absence

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How to minimise absence• Return to work interviews• Adhere to site rules• Publishing interdepartmental absence figures• Monitoring everyone’s sickness absence • Trying to change little things • Leadership• Early referral to OH if thought to be work-related

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Return to work interview• Welcome• Absence• Responsibility• Move on

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Stress at work• There is no disease of ‘stress’ – it is a state of arousal• May lead to Anxiety/Depression• Define stressors for individual• Ask for solutions• Refer to OH as soon as possible• Keep in contact

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After depression/anxiety• Fragile - more likely to go off again• stress risk assessment to look at:

• work load v resources• control• role conflict• changes in the workplace• support from peers and Management• training needs

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Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services

• OH Doctors and Nurses with technician support• Manual Handling• Health and Safety• Counselling

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What OH does• Health surveillance programmes• Lung function testing• Audiometry

• Pre-employment• Management Referrals• Health promotion initiatives

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OHA/OHP• Impartial and independent• Negotiate a way back to work or to improve attendance - the best way

• rehabilitation programmes• change of shifts

• Understand basic Employment law• Regarded as a Competent Person by HSE

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What can OH do…………• Interpret medical info into functional info• Fast track referrals• Work place assessments• Compliance – Risk assessment• Help reduce costs by early return to work• Free up management time

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Communication Issues - 1• OH:• too soft• accept the stories without question• do not understand operational issues• has the power to make employment decisions• do not answer questions or give a decision

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Communication issues - 2Employees• Manipulate OH and get OH on side• Hide behind confidentiality• Believe that OH has power to authorise:

• holidays• change of duties• redeployment when a work situation is difficult

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Communication Issues 3• HR/Managers• Threaten staff with OH when all else has failed• Do not fully discuss the referral process• Do not tell OH the whole story• Can be openly hostile about OH recommendations• Want OH to make employment decisions

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Essential to OH work• Communication

• Reports• Management referrals• Case conferences

• Team working• Collaboration, negotiation, compromise• Trust

What is Occupational Health

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