Measures to protect your workforce

Employees are an organisation’s most important asset but ensuring their health and safety can be a legislative minefield without access to the right information and experience.

Things also became potentially more difficult last October when the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stopped offering guidance to become an enforcement agency intent on prosecuting those who breach any part of the healthy and safety at work act (1974).

And penalties are steep for those in breach of the law – individuals could face fines of up to £20,000 or two years in prison.

Yet, for a faction of the cost of a fine, there are a range of effective measures to not only safeguard the workforce but also ensure legal compliance.

Such measures include:

- health surveillance for employees exposed to risks such as excessive noise, hand arm vibration, solvents, fumes, asbestos etc
- risk assessments to identify workplace hazards, employees at risk and control measures needed
- specialist health & safety courses eg manual handling, identifying specific hazards, IOSH managing and working safely courses, to help bring staff up to recognised levels and keep them there, despite changes in health & safety legislation
- providing every UK employee with access to a trainer first aider in the workplace, whether they work there or are visiting the premises.

Statistics show that the main causes of workplace absenteeism are musculosketal disorders and mental health issues – costing employers thousands of pounds in
lost productivity – yet early intervention by a physiotherapist or counsellor could facilitate a speedier return to work, and the cost would be much less than having the employee off work for a period of time.

Research has also shown that wellbeing and health promotion programmes increase employee satisfaction and increase productivity, reduce sickness and lower staff turnover (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008).

Employees could benefit from advice and information on quitting smoking, nutrition and healthy eating, exercise or how to be more stress resilient, to name a few lifestyle issues that can affect their workplace performance.

Uncategorized

Vacancies for two new nurse trained advisors

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH / SCREENING ADVISORS WANTED

Interested in a challenging yet rewarding career in occupational health?

Due to continued growth, we are looking for two full time vacancies for occupational health / screening advisors. Applicants must be RN qualified.

No experience in occupational health required as full training will be given, with induction period. Opportunities available to gain further relevant qualifications.

Competitive salary and attractive benefits including paid holidays, bonus, uniform allowance, expenses and contributory pension.

Great opportunity to join a professional, experienced and friendly team with a wide client portfolio in both public and private sectors.

Role includes full remit of occupational health, health screening (audiometry, hand arm vibration, etc), absence management , employee wellbeing and health promotion.

Job also involves travel to client premises throughout the UK and some overnight stays. Applicants must have a full manual driving licence.

Some of your time will be spent at our West Bromwich HQ so applicants should ideally live in or around the West Midlands.

Call Helen Hooper on 0121 601 4041, email helenhooper@mohs.co.uk or visit mohs.co.uk for further information or application pack.

Uncategorized

Vinnie Jones’ CPR technique

While we love Hollywood hard man and former footballer Vinnie Jones doing CPR to the soundtrack of the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ in the BHF’s new ad campaign aimed at encouraging people to ‘have a go’, we must stress that this advice is purely to raise awareness and has no bearing on First Aid at Work. Although the media campaign is supported by the United Kingdom Resuscitation Council, the correct method of CPR includes ventilations and chest compressions. Trained individuals should continue to follow the guidance received during training they receive on recognised courses such as the ones we offer. But you have to ‘hand’ it to Vinnie, anyone who can make CPR a talking point is ok in our book!

First Aid, Uncategorized

First Aid Training at Work delivers responsible social benefits too.

  • September 3 2010
  • Posted By

Businesses would benefit from seeing first aid training as part of their corporate social responsibility and employee benefit activities as well as part of their statutory responsibility to meet their health and safety responsibilities, an article in Augusts Occupation Health suggests.

Mohs Workplace Health supports this.  The Office for National Statistics for England and Wales (2008) reports that each year there are 150,000 deaths which could have been prevented if proper first aid was available at the time. Last year there were around 150 preventable deaths in the workplace.

First aid can save lives, build morale and boost team work.  Teams are properly trained feel valued and motivated, reassured in the knowledge that their organisation cares about them enough to offer them protection whilst they are at work.

“Our First Aid Training is serious but fun” says Mark Jinks, Training Supervisor at MOHS “We have a volunteer programme running in the local community – this gets everyone involved.  We run events for local business organisations, here at our office, for example we are shortly to have an event with the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.  we believe that First Aid is an invaluable tool to help organisations ‘put back’ into society and we have many tales of lives being saved by people who have attended our events”

To find out more about booking one of our first aid courses please contact our training administrator, Nikki on nikkiadams@mohs.co.uk

corporate social responsibility, First Aid, Health and Safety

Noise assessments at work are vital when the levels rise!

  • August 27 2010
  • Posted By

Did you know that the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, stipulates that noise assessments are carried out for any business likely to produce more than 80 dB. Because it is a health and safety requirement it is vital that you have a noise assessment carried out.
MOHS has over 40 years of experience and wide knowledge base, including; health and safety professionals, specialist practitioners and occupational health physicians allowing our team to help you assess and effectively manage noise in your workplace. We advise clients from night clubs, to heavy industry and factories ensuring that their noise levels are at a safe level.

To meet the regulations you might need:

  • a noise assessment
  • offer access to specialist practitioners
  • guidance through the new ‘Physical Agents Directive’
  • advice on creation of a hearing conservation programme
  • health surveillance as required by legislation

This service will form part of your integrated health and safety management system and a simple assessment is only £60.00 per hour

We also offer on site audiometry with a specifically designed, computer moderated mobile testing system.

* reporting time is costed at the above rate

Health and Safety, Noise at Work

New MOHS Workplace Health fact sheet – Fit notes shift focus from “Can’t do” to “Can do”

A new method for reporting sickness came into effect on 6 April 2010. Up until that date, employees who were off work sick or injured for more than seven days needed to provide a sick note (a form issued to them by their doctor which enabled them to claim sick pay). The sick note has now been replaced by a “fit note”, the idea of which is to make it easier for people to return to work and to shift the focus from what they can’t do to what they can do…

MOHS Workplace Health has written a fact sheet about this area to help organisations.

Fit Notes

West Midlands Health Information Week July 5 – 11th 2010

MOHS Workplace Health is pleased to support and promote the West Midlands Health Information Week this week.

Health Information Week is a campaign throughout the West Midlands to improve access to health information. In the West Midlands region staff from local authorities, public libraries, NHS, voluntary sector, independent information and advice centres have all been working together to make their health resources more available to the public.

In most areas local libraries and information centres will have extra health information available, leaflets to take away or sessions to show you how to use the computer to find good quality health information. Look out for posters in your area or visit your local library to find out more.  A report is available from Health Information Week 2005 and 2006 and 2007 and 2008 and 2009.

Find out what is going on in your area: (confirmed events in some areas not available yet)

Events Diary for Health Information Week

For Information Providers:

Here are some of the documents that are provided to help you give the public access to good quality health information in this week:

Uncategorized

Good luck to the Race for Life team!

A team from MOHS Workplace Health are Racing for Life this weekend in Sutton Park in the West Midlands.

The race, on 19th June, is part of Cancer Research UK’s activity and is set to raise thousands of pounds to help with research into cancer.

Company News

National men’s health week 14 – 20 June 2010

It’s men’s health week this week and MOHS Workplace Health is pleased to support it and help raise men’s health issues in the workplace.

Men have specific health issues at work – here are some key facts which we found on the HSE website.

Health

Summer workplace health courses discounted!

Summer is approaching and everyone is planning their breaks and fun in the sun.  The summer tends to be a quieter time for us – which means that it’s an ideal time to book people onto our workplace health courses!

For all workplace health training courses held in July and August we have decided to offer a 5% discount – this means you can get more high quality training for your team for less.

Hurry beacuse the places will go fast!  To book contact Nikki Adams on 0121 601 4041 or email her at nikkiadams@mohs.co.uk

Company News, Health, Health and Safety