HM Government Consultation – ‘Health is everyone’s business: Proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss’
The British Occupational Hygiene Society welcomes the consultation on Proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss. As the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, BOHS supports every initiative aiming to achieve healthy workplaces and reduce the burden of preventable diseases caused by exposure to workplace hazards.
Occupational hygiene is the discipline of anticipating, recognising, evaluating and controlling health hazards in the work environment with the objective of protecting and maintaining the health and well-being of workers, and safeguarding the community at large. The Society’s activity has direct relevance to building and sustaining workplaces in which everyone can thrive.
BOHS’ contribution aims to help the government and decision makers to further understand aspects of occupational health delivery that focuses on workplace environment issues which affect disabled people and return to work for those suffering a long-term health condition. Staff with health conditions are less likely to be resilient, for example, to dusty environments or situations where there is poor control over airborne concentrations of solvent vapours, irritant chemicals and the like.
There is a risk of re-introducing staff with health conditions to a work environment that exacerbates their condition, which would defeat the object. Prevention must be a primary focus in any strategy seeking to reduce ill health-related job loss.
The full feedback to the consultation provided by BOHS can be viewed here.
