These CPD activities, developed by Professor Anne Harriss, should help occupational health professionals understand more about what an OH service in the emergency services, including police and fire and rescue, should include.
Activity 1
Read this blog by Dr John Harrison, senior medical adviser at the National Police Wellbeing Service, which provides an overview of wellbeing in UK police forces.
Activity 2
Police officers are at risk of exposure to several hazards. The Australian Institute of Criminology highlights these here. Reflect on the implications these could have for effective occupational health provision.
Activity 3
Physical fitness is essential for frontline police officers. Job-related fitness tests for a range of high-risk roles, such as those involving armed policing and diving, have been considered by the National Police Chief’s Council.
Appraise yourself of appropriate fitness standards for work in the police service, considering the recommendations of the Fitness Testing Working Group of the NPCC. The College of Policing has also published the job-related fitness standards.
Physical fitness is essential for firefighters. You should familiarise yourself with the Modern firefighter fitness guide from the UK government and the Firefighter fitness best practice guide from the Fire Brigades Union, taking note of the variations for females and age.
Activity 5
More CPD
CPD: Loughborough University embraces wellbeing as part of its OH strategy
CPD: Loughborough University embraces wellbeing as part of its OH strategy
The National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) launched in 2019 offers guidance and support for police forces across England and Wales to build organisational wellbeing. This service is very influential, as it is associated with the College of Policing and works closely with both the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office.
The Surrey and Sussex OH service highlighted in our article was developed in the light of their guidance. Read through the recommendations for occupational health standards.
Activity 6
People employed in the police and the fire and rescue services are at risk of witnessing psychologically traumatic events which put them at risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The organisational psychologist Dr Ian Hesketh and occupational health psychologist Dr Noreen Tehrani, published an article on psychological trauma risk management in UK policing, which can also be applied to fire and rescue services.
Police Care is a charity established to support veteran and serving and police staff, volunteers, and their families who have endured physical or psychological harm as a result of their work. It is funded by donations and is independent of the police service. Find out more about the psychological support it offer
The Police Federation website includes a police traumatic events checklist, and the College of Policing have prepared PTSD guidance.
Activity 7
Assume you have applied for a post as an OH nurse for a fire and rescue service and you have been shortlisted for the equivalent of a band 6 post. How would you prepare for the interview?
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