Put OH at heart of recovery, urges IOSH

The majority of health and safety professionals want the next government to prioritise improving occupational health services to cut the number of people being made ill by work.

A survey of members by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) found nine out of 10 want whichever party is elected after the general election on 4 July to ramp up OH provision and support. The findings have coincided with the launch of a health and safety ‘manifesto’ by IOSH.

With the main political parties also set to unveil their manifestos this week, IOSH’s Safer, healthier, happier manifesto has called for the next government to focus on protecting people at work as part of rebuilding the economy and reducing NHS waiting lists.

“We know that poor health and safety harms people, communities, businesses, our NHS and the economy,” said Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH’s head of policy and public affairs.

“The most recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive showed that workplace injury and new cases of work-related ill-health, including the growing issue of mental health problems, cost Britain £20.7bn.

“And more people being injured or made ill by work means more people seeking treatment, which adds additional pressure onto the NHS. This is pressure that can be avoided by good workplace health and safety,” Wilkinson added.

To make work safer, healthier and happier, IOSH has set out five calls to action for the new government. These are:

1. Protect workers’ rights to safe, healthy, decent work by endorsing and fully implementing health and safety-related international conventions and ensuring this covers all workers regardless of their employment status.
2. Strengthen and expand the UK’s world-leading system that prevents harm at work through increasing Health and Safety Executive funding and investing in strong occupational health systems.
3. Support businesses to tackle new and emerging workplace hazards by being proactive on laws around new technologies and ensuring non-permanent workers have rights to good working conditions, a minimum wage, working time protection and access to collective bargaining.
4. Promote a diverse, inclusive, skilled and motivated workforce by mainstreaming diversity into health and safety legislation, national policies and strategies and equipping workers with health and safety awareness.
5. Build a more robust, sustainable economy through reviewing and where necessary updating laws and regulations relating to changing health and safety risks and putting people at the heart of the sustainability agenda.

Wilkinson added: “By taking these actions, the government will go some way to reducing the number of accidents in workplaces and the number of cases of ill health caused by work.

“They are investments into the future of our workers, preventing people from being harmed by work, which will help cut the number of people seeking NHS treatment and support the economy,” she said.

As well as the 90% of members who want to see more investment in OH after the general election, 85% of those polled also said there needed to be better protections in place for non-permanent staff, including ‘gig’ economy workers.

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