Manual workers at risk
Premature death rates from coronary heart disease (CHD) are 58% higher in manual workers, said Jenny Mason, OH adviser at Bupa Wellness Health at Work. Presenting the results of her findings (published in Occupational Health, September 2004), Mason revealed that a health promotion project aimed at construction workers verifies the need for health advice and education to be provided within the workplace.
New NMC register
Roger Thompson, education adviser at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), briefed delegates on the new NMC register, which now encompasses three parts: nursing, midwifery and specialist community public health nursing. He said existing OH nurses are being automatically migrated on to the third part of the register, and those entering the profession will be encouraged to achieve first degree level, although evidence based experience will also be taken into account.
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Personal account
Helen Riches and Vanessa Duke, recently-qualified OH advisers, treated delegates to a personal view of studying for a degree at London’s South Bank University. They covered the entry requirements needed to join the course, the challenges of fitting academic work into a busy work/life schedule, and how the course helped them deepen their knowledge and understanding of the OH arena. They said the pluses definitely outweigh the minuses.
