There is a need for closer links between the traditional company safety officer and OH practitioners, according to a leading international health and safety expert.
In his presentation, ‘Partnership working in health and safety’, Stephen Fulwell, deputy chairman, IIRSM, said he recognised how safety is an immediate and measurable factor within an organisation, while health is a longer-term and less discernible element.
Fulwell added that he was convinced that a lot of the recent stress cases have been generated by the persistent changes within the modern workplace.
He said he has seen how musculoskeletal problems have evolved over the years, from being caused mainly by carrying heavy loads to a result of poor ergonomics.
He admitted that safety professionals were not always easy to work with, but said that things are improving.
Fulwell concluded his presentation with a fascinating snapshot of how safety and health is handled elsewhere in the world.
He revealed that in Italy, staff take their medical record with them from job to job, while in Spain, although health and safety monitoring is poor the ehabilitation available to people recovering from sickness or injury is excellent.
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