Occupational Health
At RDS Safety Management we understand the importance of a robust occupational health programme. The figures for ill health either caused or made worse by work get higher every year. According to the Health and Safety Executive¹, there were 12,000 fatalities last year from lung disease “linked to past exposures at work” – this statistic alone underlines the importance of an occupational ill health prevention programme.
Waiting for a problem to arise is often the primary problem with organisations. A proactive approach can identify which problems an organisation may be at risk of; this could be with noise, dust, vibration, chemical exposure, manual handling and repetitive strain injury for example.
The first step we undertake is to arrange surveys of the workplace to establish if the occupational health hazard is being managed in line with current regulation and guidance. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) require that the risk assessment is reviewed at least every two years or when something changes.
Areas of support include:
- Providing noise or hazardous substance surveys carried out by qualified Occupational Hygienists registered with British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS);
- Providing Occupational Health Monitoring through qualified and competent practices, the type of monitoring can include;
- Audiometry (hearing tests) for exposure to noise,
- Spirometry (Lung Function) for exposure to dusts, hazardous substances etc.,
- Vibration exposure/symptoms questionnaires;
- Skin examinations of the hands due to exposure to hazardous substances;
- Driver medicals;
- Driver medicals for plant such as fork lift trucks etc.
¹ Health and Safety Executive (HSE). https://www.hse.gov.uk/