Occupational health
Health is equally important as safety and there
is a significant business as well as moral case to take steps to
prevent work related ill health to employees in food and drink
sector.
Refer HSE recipe for
safety in food and drink industry:
- At January 2005, 2.5 million people in the UK workforce are in
receipt of incapacity benefits because they cannot work as a result
of illness or injury. This represents over 7% of the workforce, and
costs the country over £7 billion per year.
- Almost 5% (29,000) of workforce suffers from ill health caused
or made worse by work (Double that of reportable injuries)#
- Compares with 2.2% of workers receiving injury as reported
under RIDDOR
- Risk occupational ill health at work in the food and drink
industries is > x2 that of sustaining an injury
- Reflected in civil claims
Management of occupational health issues
Occupational health is generally more difficult
to manage than safety. The causes and consequences of poor safety
at work are immediate and often relatively easy to deal with.
The main causes of occupational ill health in the food and drink
industry include:
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs): mainly comprising
work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs) and back injuries
- Work-related stress: which can be caused by poor work
organisation
- Occupational asthma: caused by inhalation of bakery and grain
dusts
- Occupational dermatitis: from hand washing, contact with
foodstuffs etc;
- Rhinitis: caused by irritant dusts such as bakery and grain
dusts, spices and seasonings
- Noise-induced hearing loss (NIH): where noise levels exceed 85
dB(A).
In most instances, risks to occupational ill
health will be known or are self-evident and should be
assessed. Any assessment will need to take into account not
only individuals or groups exposed, but the degree of exposure and
likely consequences. This will enable priorities to be
determined and an occupational policy to be developed.
Due to the impact on manning along with need
for job rotation and rehabilitation, company human resource
departments often have an interest in the development of
occupational health policies. The HR department will need to
assume a co-ordinating role and consider what can cause harm and
affect manning, what pre-existing medical conditions may be made
worse by work. This will shape recruitment processes, the
management of sickness absence and any health surveillance.
Health surveillance
Health surveillance is typically required where
risks arise from:
- Dermatitis
- Musculoskeletal disorders (including Work Related Upper Limb
Disorders
- Work in hot or cold environments
- Occupational asthma. This may arise from exposure to
sensitizers such as grain dust, flour dust, bakery dust, fish or
egg protein or spices. Food materials may have a sensitising
effect even at very low exposure
- Exposure to microbiological infections (e.g.
slaughterhouses).
Role of management and safety committees
Management and safety committees should support occupational
health initiatives, listen and gather information from staff and
report back to Human Resource departments.
Typical management tools include:
- Health education and support policies
- Body mapping
- Discomfort questionnaires etc. These are basic techniques that
help identify which areas of the body hurt when staff are at work
and why.
Unfortunately workers are often reluctant to
admit to health problems to management if they think it might
damage their job prospects or if the information is sensitive.
Employee training
In support of occupational health policies
employees should receive training and information on nature of
likely injuries and causative factors. For example how to
recognise and reduce risks arising from manual handling. It
may include:
- What lifting equipment is available and how to use
- Safe lifting weights limits
- Safer lifting techniques
- When to call for assistance
- Load features
- Use of PPE etc.
Typical training for example would include
advising staff not to lift or stack above shoulder height.
Chemical substance risks
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations 2002 (COSHH) assessment should apply hierarchy of
control to management of risks. COSHH provides framework for
management of health hazards. It requires:
- Assessment of health risks. For example asthma can be
totally de-habilitating and may have significant adverse
socioeconomic outcomes on those affected being unable to work
again
- Prevention of exposure, if reasonably practicable. The
health management programme should remove persons with symptoms
away from exposure as soon as possible and as far as practicable
lead to redeployment to non-exposed areas
- Adequate control if preventing exposure not reasonably
practicable
- Monitoring of health risks - surveillance, examination of
plant, training, and people
- Provision of PPE as protection of last resort.
Refer Food & Drink Group Resources
Refer networking event presentations:
Further guidance
To support management of occupational health
issues specific assessment and management guidance has often been
prepared by HSE and trade associations. This includes:
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