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12 June 2012 - NR 24/12

Call for British businesses to play role in reducing heart attack and heart disease victim numbers

A new online guide to help employers raise awareness about heart disease in their workplaces was launched today by a leading health and safety body.

Some 1.5 million people now living in the UK have suffered a heart attack. And to help those who are still at work or plan to return, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has published fresh advice for businesses on how they can promote healthy living among their workforces, and support the rehabilitation of heart disease victims.

IOSH’s Occupational Health Toolkit includes tips on:

• Rehabilitation and how to accommodate someone in work
• Signs and symptoms of someone suffering a heart attack
• Helping employees to lead a healthy lifestyle
• Signposts to the key organisations and sources of information for more help
• Legal advice on employers’ statutory duties on occupational health

As official partners of Men’s Health Week (11 to 17 June), the Institution is publishing its guidance today as figures show that two men to every one woman has suffered with a heart condition.

Over a half of the world (58 per cent) spends one third of their life at work*, which can have a big impact on lifestyle choices people make. With good health and wellbeing plans in place, employers can help their staff forge good habits that will help manage heart disease and reduce the risk of a heart attack.

Jane White, IOSH research and information services manager, said: “Our information on heart disease was an essential module to add to the toolkit because heart disease can affect anyone at any time of their life and it’s a duty of employers that they have the health and wellbeing of their employees at the forefront of their priorities.

“Employers are now more than ever recognising that they have a corporate social responsibility to provide a healthy working environment for their employees.”

Diseases of the heart and circulatory system account for 191,000 UK deaths each year, while one in five men and one in seven women die as a result of coronary heart disease. And it’s because of this that IOSH is calling on employers to communicate the wellbeing message more effectively to men, not just women.

Jane added: “Culturally, women have been the ones looking for the signs of poor health, whereas men tend to talk less about their health and aren’t always as keen to go to a doctor, or seek advice from a health professional.

“But as the number of men with heart disease and suffering from heart attacks far outweighs women, businesses should be tailoring their wellbeing strategies to make them more inclusive and accessible. Knowing how to prevent the condition, or spot early signs will make it much easier to live a full life.”

Signs of heart disease include chest pain or discomfort, pressure or pain in the arms, neck, jaw or stomach, tiredness, breathlessness, an irregular heartbeat, dizziness, numbness and tingling, nausea or pale, sweaty skin and loss of consciousness.

Some of the main causes of heart disease are smoking, age, genetics, ethnicity, high cholesterol and blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. But factors which are often linked to the workplace – a poor diet, lack of exercise, stress and excessive noise – can also contribute significantly to the chance of developing a heart problem. IOSH is urging workplaces to play their part in reducing many of these risks.

Jane added: “Work can have a big influence on how active you are, what you eat, and how you deal with stress and mental health issues. Companies can encourage healthy eating and exercise, perhaps by offering annual health checks, introducing corporate discounts for exercise classes and gym membership, or even something as simple and low cost as a lunchtime walking group.”

To help reduce mental health issues, which can also have a negative effect on the heart, IOSH advises proper training to help line managers spot the signs of stress in their staff, dealing with it and managing workloads accordingly. They’ll also need to be understanding and flexible in helping employees with heart disease to live a healthy work life.

Jane said: “Anyone working with heart disease might need their day-to-day tasks changing, or time to attend medical appointments, while others who’ve had time off might need a phased return to work to help recovery. Business with good procedures will find it helps with staff retention, reduces lost time and boosts morale, so it’s better all-round.”

IOSH’s heart disease Occupational Health (OH) Toolkit is a set of guidance for employers, employees and the general public to tap into to find out more about the facts behind the causes, signs and symptoms and different types of heart issues. More information can be found on the OH Toolkit section of the IOSH website.

*According to the World Health Organisation

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Notes for editors:

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 42,000 members in 100 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.

IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.