Healthier workplace call gets political boost

The drive to create a healthier workforce will receive cross-party attention at a parliamentary dinner, this evening.

The dinner will be hosted by Harry Cohen MP, on behalf of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), on Wednesday 24 June. Professor Dame Carol Black, National Director of Health and Work, will be welcomed as part of a discussion of the Governmentís response to her review of the health of Britainís working age population (ëWorking for a healthier tomorrowí), launched last year.

Lord McKenzie of Luton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with responsibility for Health and Safety, will give an update on government progress in implementing its response to Dame Carolís review and its future plans for occupational health.

Other speakers tonight will include Lord Skelmersdale, Conservative Spokesperson for Work and Pensions in the Lords, Norman Lamb MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Health and IOSH President, Nattasha Freeman.

ìThe dinner will focus all of us – government, employers, educators and other professionals, including health and safety people – on the big challenge to improve the health of the working age population,î said Nattasha.

Last year, in Britain, 2.1 million people suffered an illness they put down to their work – and 28 million working days were lost to work-related ill health. Dame Carol estimated the cost of working age ill health at around 100 billion per year, while the CBI puts the cost of absence to the UK economy at 13 billion, in 2007.

ìWe know that ëgood workí is good for health, with evidence to suggest a link between positive workplace perceptions and higher productivity, profitability and staff retention - so workplaces really should be used to promote health and wellbeing,î added Nattasha.

ìHealthier workplaces will benefit individuals, business and society and IOSH believes health and safety professionals can play a crucial role, working within multidisciplinary teams, to help bring a new, more inclusive approach to managing workplace health.î

ìIOSH is working with the DWP on a pilot course to upskill health and safety practitioners to take a more active part in health matters, so that they can advise and support managers to prevent work-related ill-health from developing in the first place, get help early, and assist those who have been ill to return to work safely for the long term.

ìMany issues getting in the way of return-to-work are not clinical but organisational, and health and safety practitioners are ideally placed to help,î she explained.

IOSHís work on health issues and the Dame Carol Black review are due to enjoy added focus, later this year, when leading business names are invited to a roundtable discussion.