•Safety Health & Environment for Construction Site Managers
•Safety Health & Environment for Construction Workers
•Working Safely
IEMA-approved courses
• •Environmental Sustainability Skills for Managers
•Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce
•Pathways to Net Zero
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is the world’s leading professional body for people responsible for safety and health in the workplace.
Rachel Young +44 (0) 20 7880 6209 rachel.young@redactive.co.uk
PUBLISHINGDIRECTOR
Aaron Nicholls
Redactive aims to provide authoritative and accurate information at all times. Its publications are, however, for guidance only and are not an official information source.
The inclusion of advertisements and inserts within IOSH magazine and ioshmagazine.com does not constitute an endorsement of the organisation or its products/ services by IOSH or Redactive. All advertisements must adhere to the British Code of Advertising Practice. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher and editor.
For changes to your address, please contact IOSH membership team on membership@iosh.com or 0116 257 3198.
IOSH magazine is printed by ISO 14001 certified printers.
Printed by Warners Midlands plc, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, PE10 9PH
IOSH at 80
This is a year of significant anniversaries around the globe. When the Second World War ended 80 years ago, the world emerged into a new period of hope, recovery and renewal. In April 1945, in the last gasps of the conflict, a group of safety professionals drawn from subcommittees of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents met for the first time as the Industrial Safety Officers Section. This was the foundation of what became IOSH. A new regulator, Great Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was formed three decades later, in 1975.
The world we live and work in now is very different from 1945. Work in many industries and countries is much safer and healthier. However, not everyone benefits from that and, as we look to the future, there are new risks and hazards emerging that we need to tackle.
High on the list is climate change and its impact on workers. This is highlighted in the cover story of this issue of IOSH magazine, with a particular focus on the challenges that women are facing. One thing is clear – this is something we cannot ignore. OSH professionals have a role to play in supporting businesses and protecting people from risks: climate change impacts are no different.
Climate change was covered at IOSH’s Middle East Conference in Dubai in January. This was a great way to start the year, bringing together our members
I HOPE WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE IOSH’S 80TH YEAR A SUCCESSFUL ONE
and stakeholders from the Middle East region and further afield.
As well as the conference, we had the pleasure of presenting certificates to the first students to complete the IOSH Level 6 diploma. It was wonderful to reward their hard work and dedication and, hopefully, help them take the next step in their career.
Returning to the UK, we held a celebration to mark the first cohort of students to gain our Level 3 certificate. Again, it was a pleasure to be able to meet and personally congratulate the students. They really are the future of the profession, and our qualifications are helping to give their careers a lift-off
Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, it’s set to be a very busy and exciting one.
In July we’ll be in Osaka, Japan, for a four-day OSH programme organised by the Global Initiative for Safety, Health and Wellbeing, of which IOSH is a participant. This is part of the World Expo, which runs for over six months.
We’re looking forward to engaging with members and stakeholders, collaborating as we continue our drive to make work safe and healthy worldwide. I hope we can all work together to make IOSH’s 80th year a successful one.
Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher CHIEF EXECUTIVE, IOSH
Reading
CLIMATE CHANGE GENDER GAP
70ROUNDUP
Hot topics
The latest research and reports
72DEEP DIVE Research: in depth
Spilt
Duncan
KNOWLEDGE
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS ISSUE
‘This report gives a snapshot of our members’ experiences of long COVID from a personal and professional perspective, including snapshots that illustrate the life-changing consequences of long COVID’
ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING
1. COVID-19
Nurses with long COVID being let down by employers, survey reveals
A survey conducted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has revealed insufficient support from employers for nurses suffering from long COVID.
Many respondents to the Survey of RCN members’ experiences of long COVID 2024 reported inadequate workplace protections before contracting COVID-19 and also a lack of acknowledgment of its ongoing impact.
The survey report outlines recommendations for improvement, urging the government to classify long COVID as an occupational disease for nurses.
The long-term effects of contracting COVID can include extreme tiredness, feeling short of breath, problems with memory and concentration, heart palpitations, dizziness, joint pain and muscle aches.
The RCN is advocating for employers to provide better reasonable adjustments in the workplace and facilitate a phased return to work for affected nurses in need of assistance.
For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ RCN-report-long-covid
2.
GRENFELL
Effects of Grenfell on firefighters: new findings
A new report outlines Grenfell Tower firefighters’ selfreported illnesses and says the lack of support for them compares badly with the life-long provision for those affected by the World Trade Centre attack.
Grenfell Tower fire: toxic effluents and assessment of firefighters’ health impacts by Professor Anna Stec and others highlights the need for further research and regular health monitoring to enable early detection of disease and the opportunity to provide treatment to first responders.
Richard Jones CFIOSH, former head of policy and regulatory engagement at IOSH, says: ‘This underlines the vital importance of the UK government committing to urgently enact the Grenfell Inquiry phase 2 report recommendations in its upcoming response.
‘Grenfell firefighters, COVID nurses and all those on the frontline of emergencies deserve not only our gratitude but also our ongoing care. We must do more to protect frontline workers from health hazards at work and, where exposure does regrettably occur, to mitigate any consequential harm.’
For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ Grenfell-first-responders-report
3. CONSTRUCTION
Hackitt:
construction
sector must ‘step up’ to avoid another Grenfell
The construction industry must ‘step up now’ and demonstrate that it is capable of reform following the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report.
That was the warning from Dame Judith Hackitt, speaking in her Sir James Wates Lecture for the Chartered Institute of Building in London.
Dame Judith said that the primary takeaway from the Inquiry was the bleak outlook on the industry’s ability to resolve its own issues, which has led to several recommendations for government involvement and stricter regulations within the sector. She urged the industry to pay attention and take the initiative now.
She also emphasised that the primary hurdle remains the government’s need to enhance regulation in the construction products industry.
For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ Hackitt-warning-construction
4. INCLUSION
Employees with a disability still face workplace barriers
Three-quarters of respondents to a global survey of 10,000 people with a disability, chronic health condition or who are neurodivergent have not asked their current employer for workplace accommodations even though they disclosed their disability or condition.
5. GOVERNMENT
GetBritainWorking: more SME support is needed, says IOSH
IOSH has welcomed the government’s white paper Get Britain Working but would like to see greater investment in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve early OSH interventions, as well as more support for older workers to encourage them to remain in and return to work.
In order to reverse this trend, Get Britain Working proposes significant reforms, notably an independent review into the role of UK employers in promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces.
support for SMEs so that ‘they have the resources to invest in prevention and early intervention around occupational health, including mental health’.
Deloitte’s Disability inclusion at work report indicates that the majority of those polled have deliberately chosen not to request adjustments such as alternative communication methods, access to assistive software solutions and working from home when needed, despite many reporting having faced accessibility challenges at work.
When asked to explain their reasons, 43% said they didn’t feel the adjustments were necessary. The second reason (20%) was the fear of negative perceptions from supervisors. Interestingly, 18% said they didn’t know how to request accommodations while 20% thought their employer would refuse. Significantly, 11% said they didn’t ask for adjustments because past negative experiences of requesting them at other organisations had discouraged them from doing so.
Jackie Henry, managing partner for people and purpose at Deloitte, said: ‘Despite companies being more aware of the importance of disability inclusion, this survey shows that there is much more to do. Employers need to proactively address barriers and cultivate an environment where employees feel supported in requesting adjustments. Accessibility and inclusion need to be embedded in all aspects of an organisation and its culture.’
For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ Deloitte-disability-inclusion-report
As the white paper states, the UK is the only major economy that has seen its employment rate fall over the last five years, largely due to a growing number of people not in work because of long-term ill health.
6. ANNIVERSARY
Ceri Finnegan, senior policy and public affairs manager at IOSH, commented: ‘These plans answer some of what IOSH called for in our pre-election manifesto, including focusing on preventing work-related ill health, delivering inclusive workplaces and equipping people with the skills for the future.’ She urged ministers to provide more
She also welcomed the government’s focus on young people in the white paper –but urged ministers not to forget about older workers.
‘This is the start of a journey, one which can lead to a brighter, healthier and safer future where millions more people benefit from good work. Let’s make change happen,’ she said.
For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ get-Britain-working-response
80 years dedicated to safe, healthy work
This year, IOSH reflects on eight decades of progress. Our members emerged from wartime, pioneered a new profession for occupational safety and health, navigated great disruption across industries, and adapted to rapid social, political, economic and technological change.
On 21 April 1945, at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), a meeting took place to establish the Industrial Safety Officers Section, which would later develop into IOSH. That first meeting – chaired by HR (‘Dick’) Payne of Imperial Chemical Industries – presented an interim plan to the 60 attendees, and news that 109 full and 57 associate members were already registered.
The committee kept up momentum, meeting again 12 days later and holding
its first AGM that summer, on 23 June. We separated from RoSPA in 1953, and Dick became our first president.
The organisation was renamed the Institution of Industrial Safety Officers, but then settled on the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health in 1980.
Membership grew, member grades were established, and branches and groups were founded. We contributed to the Robens review and many BSI standards, developed training and qualifications, and expanded internationally. We gained our Royal Charter in 2003 and have also been recognised by the International Labour Organization, accredited by the Commonwealth and awarded special consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council. IOSH continues to make its mark today.
Inside the reports
Bridget Leathley CFIOSH explores recent OSH developments to reveal challenges and takeaways for best practice.
DIGITAL PLATFORMS ENSURINGFAIR WORK
Fairwork is an international action research project which aims to make digital work fairer by establishing minimum labour standards and evaluating digital platforms against those standards. Although digital work provides opportunities for people who can’t access traditional workplaces, it has added new forms of exploitation to familiar problems like low pay and no pay for holidays and sickness absence.
The five fair work principles are:
• Fair pay: workers on low pay and uncertain terms such as zero hours are more likely to suffer anxiety from money concerns and fatigue from taking on additional hours or a second job. Fatigue and anxiety increase susceptibility to health conditions and can result in more accidents.
• Fair conditions: these include the provision of appropriate training and protective equipment. Paid sick leave allows people to recover from injuries and reduces the spread of infection.
• Fair contracts: these allow workers to understand their rights and the platform’s obligations. AI tools and algorithms that allocate or reward work need to be transparent. They shouldn’t discriminate or apply pressure to work unsafely.
• Fair management: this means clear communication about accidents, physical and psychological safety and action to prevent harassment, bullying and violence.
• Fair representation: workers’ organisations play a key role in improving safety at work.
Table 1 and the appendices in the report explain how each principle is assessed. Contracts and management have the most prescriptive requirements, including transparent contracts and not disadvantaging workers for voicing concerns.
Fairwork compares management claims and documentation with worker views to score each of the five topics from 0 to 2, giving a maximum score of 10. Even in the UK, where workers have relatively high legal protection, many of the popular delivery companies can’t guarantee the minimum wage and have scores ranging from 0 to 3.
While it might be depressing that the baseline starts so low, Fairwork believes that organisations are improving standards to get better scores. It lobbies governments and has provided evidence for talks around an EU directive on platform work.
Takeaways
Fairwork demonstrates the links between safety and health and those of fair pay, conditions, management and contracts. If your organisation employs platform workers, get it to sign up as a Fairwork partner; if it doesn’t, sign up as a Fairwork supporter, with a commitment to make informed decisions about your supply chain. Whether as part of a supply chain or delivering a takeaway, checking for fair work is as essential to safety and health as a risk assessment. If you live in one of the 39 countries covered, maybe check the rating of your food delivery company before your next order.
To read the original report, see b.link/Fairwork-project
Bridget Leathley is a freelance health and safety consultant and a health and safety trainer.
WORK REDESIGN A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH
Now that we recognise fair work, what is smarter work?
In the case of this Australian project, ‘SMARTer’ work refers not to the work itself but to the participatory approach used to redesign work, to identify job demands and reduce psychosocial risks. The report doesn’t define SMART; you have to look up one of the references to find that SMART stands for Stimulating, Mastery, Autonomous, Relational and Tolerable.
While the project focuses on care workers looking after the elderly, the job demands identified are familiar elsewhere: time pressures, unproductive interactions with colleagues, lack of clarity on roles and priorities, and high workloads due to staff absences and complicated administrative tasks.
Surveys, interviews and workshops provide a clearer picture of the problems and consideration by the workers of what might improve things.
One key intervention was an improvement to the care management software, which reduced the need for duplicated entries, automated some tasks and provided better information in support of clinical tasks. Checklists for agency workers and patient care provided greater clarity on roles and responsibilities.
Other interventions included timetabling 15 minutes for shift handover, with protocols to follow to reduce interruptions and improve communication. This was accompanied by changes to shift patterns to provide a better distribution of workload, especially during periods of high demand.
Takeaways
While admitting that changes in government funding for care during the project might have influenced some results, the researchers link improvements to the SMARTer intervention. Carers’ perceptions of the workload improved, with the percentage of workers who believed their workload was reasonable rising from 49% to 62%, and those thinking the organisation was a great place to work rising from 74% to 91%. Some areas were identified as needing further improvement, such as communication and perceived support from supervisors. The approach was costeffective, with the benefits of reduced absences calculated over six months as AU$81.40 per employee (around £40) on average after the costs of interventions were accounted
for. It’s not a lot but shows the intervention paid for itself, and if sustained could lead to longterm efficiencies.
Appendix 1 in the report includes details of the interventions applied to each psychosocial hazard and might provide food for thought on changing processes in your own organisation. The bigger takeaway involves two aspects of the approach they followed. First, they involved workers in all stages of planning, development and implementation. Second, they collected data at baseline and monitored the effectiveness of
redesigns so that adjustments could be made to enhance the impact of interventions. The measurement also enabled proof of the cost-effectiveness of interventions, making support for future projects more likely.
If you plan to apply the approach, I recommend reading the background paper, The SMART model of work design: a higher order structure to help see the wood from the trees by Sharon K Parker and Caroline Knight.
To read the original report, see b.link/ Australia-SMARTer-work
Mental health is a cause close to Michelle Stonley’s heart.
‘I was on a Microsoft Teams call one day and missed numerous calls from my sister,’ she says. ‘Then my brother-in-law phoned, which is when I knew something wasn’t right.’
Michelle’s stepfather was having a mental health episode. He’d locked himself in the garage with his motorbike running. Recently retired from working as a mechanic all his life, he was struggling to adapt to his ‘new normal’.
‘When I got there, the emergency services were pulling him out and giving him oxygen,’ she recalls. ‘They got to him in time, but the journey afterwards was quite difficult. My mother was particularly affected by this, and as a family we were struggling to work out how to support someone in that situation.
‘I sat in a meeting with my stepfather and various counsellors, and he said he wasn’t sorry and he’d do it again. He was lost and had no purpose any more.’
Thankfully, Michelle and her family received support from local Wirral charity the Martin Gallier Project, and were introduced to other organisations that could help her stepfather take up new hobbies to keep him busy.
Michelle is passionate about encouraging more men in these older age groups to speak up and seek mental health support. The overall suicide rate in the UK has shown fluctuations over the years, but the rate among adults over 65 remains concerningly steady (Older People’s Advocacy Alliance, 2024). ‘Check in with family members nearing this point in their lives and see if they need support,’ she urges.
‘Many have worked since they were 16 and they’re getting to the end of their working careers. They are often the hardest to reach in terms of engagement during safety briefings or toolbox talks. It’s about getting messages to these people and keeping them on board.’
In line with the IOSH presidential team’s strategic aims, she adds: ‘People are
Under the hard hat
We speak to IOSH vice-president Michelle Stonley CFIOSH about why she’s championing positive mental health and wellbeing, particularly for workers coming up to retirement.
WORDS KATIE SMITH
our most valuable asset, and we should collectively aim to protect them with all our power.’
A passion for safety in construction
As well as being one of IOSH’s four vice-presidents, Michelle is SHEQ and compliance manager at civil engineering, construction and property development company Hollingsworth Group.
Having held various positions at both small and large companies, including housing association Onward Homes, Michelle joined Hollingsworth Group in December last year to reignite her passion for the operational work around site safety.
‘I’m finding it interesting and enjoying being back on the frontline with a local company,’ she says. ‘I’m looking after all of the statistics and sites and reviewing risk assessments, working with health and safety managers at companies including Balfour Beatty and Ingevity.’ Michelle used to have a team that would do this while she reviewed their reports. ‘Larger organisations are run well, have good governance structures and plenty of resources, but my operational interaction was minimal in a more strategic corporate role,’ she says.
Importantly, the construction industry continues to account for the greatest number of workers killed in Britain each year, at 51 out of the total of 138 in 2023/24, and falls from height accounted for more than a third of all worker deaths – almost one a week (HSE, 2024).
This is a driver for Michelle and the rest of the presidential team this year. ‘When you go on site as a safety professional, it’s challenging,’ she explains. ‘We’re asking members to look at what they’re doing with regards to high-risk activities in the industry that are within their reach to have conversations about or change, then review procedures.’
Influencing the next generation
If there’s one thing Michelle prides herself on it’s influencing the next generation of OSH professionals. In 2023, she was shortlisted for the National Federation of Builders’ Top 100 Influential Women in Construction Awards, and more recently appeared on the IOSH Future Leaders podcast (see Championing women in construction).
Championing women in construction
As a woman working in a maledominated industry, Michelle suggests a toolkit to empower other women in construction:
• If you’ve been made to feel uncomfortable, for example needing to ask men on-site for the key to the locked female toilet, it’s important to flag. Write an email afterwards explaining that you didn’t feel comfortable raising it there but you’d like to bring it to their attention. We’re never going to change anything for other women who visit sites unless we say so. Be a challenger.
• Always be polite and punctual, act with integrity at all times and show respect to fellow workers.
• Empathy is key. You’ll not always deal with subjects that are comfortable. Just try and adjust your tone accordingly to these situations. And be yourself – the world would be a boring place if we were all the same.
For more of Michelle’s top tips to help women advance into OSH leadership positions, go to: b.link/Stonley-leadership
‘It was for my mentoring work with local members, running workshops and webinars for them during COVID-19,’ she explains. ‘I was chair of the IOSH Merseyside branch at the time, which is one of the largest branches in the country. We kept things going.
‘We were one of the first branches to talk about COVID-19 risk assessments and how people adjusted from the workplace to being at home. It was about keeping the communication lines open with membership during the difficult times we were experiencing.’
Indeed, Michelle’s vice-presidential role focuses on being an ambassador for members – getting out and supporting local events, meeting the membership, and taking onboard views or topics they want to talk about or see more of.
‘I get involved in LinkedIn debates and discussions, and sometimes people who are having mental health issues reach out,’ she says. ‘It’s important to offer them support by signposting to relevant organisations as well as the IOSH Benevolent Fund. It’s about being that conduit for the membership.’
Ultimately, she says, ‘I’d like to use my platform to continue to vocalise and drive fellow OSH professionals to join me on this journey.’
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/Michelle-Stonley
Resources
IOSH Benevolent Fund: b.link/IOSH-Benevolent-Fund
Construction Industry Helpline: b.link/ construction-industry-helpline
WAREHOUSING
John Lewis fined after worker fall
Retailer John Lewis has been fined £1.2m after a worker suffered serious injuries from a fall at a UK warehouse.
THE INCIDENT
The agency worker fell from a set of steps to a conveyor belt at the Milton Keynes site. The steps lacked a handrail and the headspace was confined. He broke his hip, which required extensive surgery and resulted in long-term complications.
IN COURT
Oxford Magistrates Court heard that the company had failed in several areas:
1) Failing to undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for crossing conveyor belts
2) Not providing and maintaining a safe system of work for employees and agency workers
3) Not providing adequate information, instruction and training for staff.
John Lewis plc admitted breaching sections 2, 3 and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act for failing to protect the health, safety and welfare of its employees. It also pleaded guilty to contravening regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999.
In sentencing, the judge stated that ‘the nature of the manoeuvre he was required to take was inherently unsafe’ and that ‘the offence was a significant cause of the actual harm suffered’.
She ordered John Lewis plc to pay the £1.2m fine after granting a reduction following the company’s early guilty plea, remorse for the incident and compliance with the investigation.
The company was also ordered to pay full costs of £11,271 and a statutory surcharge of £190.
ioshmagazine.com/ John-Lewis-distribution-injury
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION FIRM FINED £1.6M AFTER CRANE SLING SNAPS
Brand Energy and Infrastructure Services UK has been ordered to pay £1.6m after an employee was crushed to death when a crane sling snapped.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Jack Phillips was working at South Cliff Tower in Eastbourne, assisting while temporary mast climber work platform sections were being lifted by a lorrymounted crane. The lifting sling, which was attached to the crane, snapped, causing the load to fall and kill him.
THE INVESTIGATION
The GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Sussex Police found that Brand Energy and Infrastructure Services UK Ltd, trading as Lyndon SGB, failed to properly plan the lifting operation of the work platform. The company had failed to identify a requirement for safe exclusion zones and also failed to have a suitable robust system in place to ensure all accessories had been thoroughly examined or disposed of when expired. This resulted in out-of-date slings being used.
IN COURT
The firm admitted breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £1.6m plus £23,193 in costs at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.
ioshmagazine.com/ Brand-Energy-Phillips
HAULAGE
Ginsters owner fined after lorry crushes worker to death
Samworth Brothers, the owner of bakery giant Ginsters, has been ordered to pay £1.28m after a worker was crushed to death by a reversing lorry.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Paul Clarke was moving strip curtains in the loading bay in Callington, Cornwall, UK, when he was struck by the vehicle. He had not been trained on how to safely operate the curtains.
KEY FAILINGS
The investigation revealed several critical gaps in safety procedures and employee training.
1) Lack of a safe system of work: no formal system was in place to manage the safe movement of staff or equipment.
2) No training or instructions: staff were not provided with proper guidance or training on safely moving the curtains, which led them to devise unsafe, improvised methods.
3) Hazardous practices: workers were observed standing in the yard, directly behind reversing vehicles, to handle the curtains – a highly dangerous practice.
IN COURT
Samworth Brothers Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. As well as the fine, Plymouth Magistrates’ Court ordered the firm to pay £24,106 in prosecution costs.
ioshmagazine.com/ Ginsters-Clarke
AND RECYCLING
HSE RELEASES FOOTAGE OF BLAST THAT LED TO £300K FINE
CCTV footage of an explosion that left two workers seriously injured has been released by the HSE.
Tomasz Patek and Robert Tyrko were using a grinder to cut and replace pipework at the top of an 11-metre-high metal tank containing waste slurry at Bio Dynamic (UK)’s Nottinghamshire plant. They were not using harnesses to carry out the work. Sparks from the grinder ignited flammable gases, causing the tank to explode.
Tomasz was flung out of the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) into the air and landed on the ground. He suffered serious injuries and was unable to work for more than two years.
Robert was also thrown into the air and landed in the basket of the MEWP. Following the incident, Robert’s leg was amputated and he remains wheelchair bound.
SERIOUS FAILINGS
A joint investigation by the HSE and the Environment Agency found that Bio Dynamic (UK), which produces electricity from food waste by anaerobic digestion, had multiple failures in its management system, leading to the explosion.
IN COURT
At Nottingham Crown Court, Bio Dynamic (UK) pleaded guilty and was fined £304,500 plus £229,988 in prosecution costs.
ioshmagazine.com/ HSE-video-BioDynamic
WORKER KILLED BY TELEHANDLER AFTER RISK ASSESSMENT FAILURE
Merchant Homes Partnership has been prosecuted after a worker was killed by a telehandler at a site in Glasgow, Scotland.
THE INCIDENT
Scott Bradley had been using the vehicle to move scaffolding. The telehandler’s wheels went over the edge of the traffic route while it was reversing, causing it to slide down an embankment and overturn. Scott died from crush injuries at the scene.
THE INVESTIGATION
An investigation by the GB Health
and Safety Executive and Police Scotland found Merchant Homes Partnership Ltd had failed in its duty to properly risk-assess and introduce measures to ensure the traffic route was suitable for the telehandler.
THE PROSECUTION
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, the company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 27(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It was fined £160,000.
ioshmagazine.com/ Merchant-Homes-Bradley
FIRM ORDERED TO PAY £600K AFTER PRISONER DIES FROM LEGIONELLA
Failure to manage the legionella bacteria risk in the hot and cold water systems at HMP Lincoln has landed facilities management firm Amey Community in court. Graham Butterworth contracted Legionnaires’ disease and subsequently died. Water samples taken from his cell and from shower blocks tested positive for legionella.
THE FAILINGS
The GB Health and Safety Executive identified multiple failures that resulted in the prisoner’s death.
Amey Community Limited had ensured a risk assessment was undertaken but then did not act on its findings. It also failed to put in place a written scheme for preventing and controlling legionella risks.
IN COURT
Amey Community Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined £600,000 and £15,186 in costs at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court.
ioshmagazine.com/ Amey-Butterworthlegionnaires
AROUND
CONSTRUCTION FIRM FINED FOR SHEET PILE DEATH
A Singapore construction company has been fined S$160,000 after a worker was killed near a mass rapid transit (MRT) depot.
Shajahan Mohammad died of multiple injuries after part of a sheet pile struck him at a construction site.
Sheet piles, usually made of steel, timber or concrete, are used in construction to help retain soil and provide excavation support. They can be either permanent or temporary structures.
The Land Transport Authority said: ‘During the extraction of sheet piles, the welding joint holding two sheet piles together broke, causing part of the sheet pile to fall on a worker.’
Lum Chang Building Contractors was found to have failed to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of employees from BLT Geoworks, which it had engaged for works around Tanah Merah MRT station.
SOAP MAKER CITED FOR GAS RELEASE SAFETY FAILURES
A Pennsylvania soap manufacturer faces $161,310 in penalties after a nitrogen dioxide gas release sent a dozen workers to hospital.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors determined that the company, AFCO, had taken no action to assess the impact of the release immediately and did not swiftly evacuate workers from the building.
Dangerous nitrogen dioxide gas levels resulted in 12 employees attending hospital, and two being hospitalised. Inspectors determined that the firm had no emergency response plan in place.
OSHA has cited AFCO for one repeat violation, nine serious and two other-thanserious violations.
The wider view
WATCH ON DEMAND
How AI can advance your OSH strategy
In this webinar, IOSH and Ideagen explore how AI can enhance OSH strategies. With extensive experience in developing solutions that bridge technology and safety, the panel share actionable insights and practical guidance. Whether you’re just beginning to explore AI applications in safety or looking to optimise your current approach, this webinar provides the knowledge you need to confidently integrate AI into your strategy.
compliance; improved worker safety; increased operational efficiencies; sustainable working practices and costsaving and ROI.
Empowering frontline workers: leveraging mobile and AI for safer high-risk operations
The real value of a Permit to Work software system
Using manual or outdated methods to manage permits can have a significant negative impact on your business, perpetuating costly inefficiencies and introducing potential and avoidable risk. As the demand for more sustainable ways of working accelerates, this webinar looks at how implementing a digital Permit to Work system is essential for establishing both a safer and more sustainable workplace.
Join IOSH and Velocity EHS as they discuss: adhering to regulatory
This webinar explores how to leverage the power of mobile and AI to enhance risk mitigation strategies, improve safety performance and protect your workforce in challenging environments.
Join IOSH and Benchmark Gensuite for a focused discussion on:
• Understanding the evolving landscape, including the role of technology in addressing emerging challenges
• Mobile and AI in action, exploring specific applications
• Key program enhancements for proactive hazard detection and risk assessment in operational safety
• Engaging frontline workers and fostering a positive safety culture
• Data-driven decision making for continuous safety improvement.
If you missed seeing them live, all our webinars are available to watch on demand at ioshmagazine.com/webinars
Listen Webinars
12,700 TIMES
IOSH PODCAST
Influences, priorities and OSH as a
career choice
IOSH president Kelly Nicoll recently sat down with IOSH magazine editor Joanne Perry to describe the personal experiences that have shaped her career and to outline the priorities for her tenure. She explained why she’s passionate about telling the story of the true value of OSH and why the profession is a great career choice. Listen to parts 1 and 2 of the podcast at: ioshmagazine.com/podcast
Or watch both parts of the video at: ioshmagazine.com/videos
VIDEOS VIEWED
Video
Celebrating IOSH graduates
IOSH, its volunteers and the wider profession continue to work hard to promote OSH as a career choice. The IOSH magazine team recently stopped by the IOSH HQ in Leicester, UK to meet new Level 3 Certificate graduates and find out how they balanced studying with gaining on-the-job experience.
IOSH president Kelly Nicoll and CEO Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher also made an appearance, explaining why the OSH profession needs fresh perspectives and new talent, as part of a first career or a change later in life. Check out the video: ioshmagazine.com/video/qualifications
Career hub
Work experience opportunities
IOSH has launched its new work experience initiative, designed to connect aspiring OSH professionals with valuable work experience. Individuals, employers and recruiters can advertise work experience opportunities on the IOSH Jobs website completely free of charge. This can range from work shadowing, an ‘insight week’ or a full internship.
Candidates can make a profile, upload their CV and apply for these opportunities. This is the perfect chance for both IOSH Student Members and those new to OSH to gain experience.
For more information, visit: ioshjobs.co.uk/advertise-work-experience
Opinion
INVESTIGATIONS
When ‘accidents’ are not accidental Traditionally, accident investigations centre on identifying individual unsafe acts, often concluding with terms such as ‘operator error’, ‘failed to see and avoid’, ‘improper use of controls’ or ‘failed to observe and adhere to established standard operating procedures’.
THE HSE AND HSWA
A half century is a good time to reflect
In January, the HSE reached its 50th anniversary, which we marked with our cover story asking if the organisation is still fit for its role in enforcement, selfregulation and OSH leadership.
Meanwhile, members continue to write in with their views on the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA). All these opinions and a range of features are available in our dedicated HSWA content hub.
While these phrases neatly wrap up an accident investigation report, they rarely answer the critical question: why did the individuals fail to respond safely to the situation? By focusing narrowly on human error, investigators risk overlooking the systemic and contextual factors influencing behavioural safety factors that are key to preventing future incidents.
In his latest opinion piece for IOSH magazine, Saeed Ahmadi, OSH content developer at IOSH, discusses uncovering latent failures through the lens of human factors during accident investigations. Read Saeed’s article in full: ioshmagazine.com/opinion/ accident-investigation
If you would like us to consider publishing your reflections on HSWA, the HSE or other OSH topics, email the editor at joanne. perry@ioshmagazine.com
For the HSWA hub, visit b.link/ioshmagazine-HSWA
Stay up to date
Do you receive our award-winning weekly eNewsletter? Packed with the latest news, insight and legislative updates, almost 50,000 members and non-members read our eNewsletter every week. Don’t miss out – sign up for free today. ioshmagazine.com/newsletter
Issue archive
Did you know that you can download the last five years of IOSH magazine issues for free? Simply visit ioshmagazine. com/issues then click on the cover and hit download.
The meaning of wellbeing
We sit down with Dr Chris Davis, thought leadership manager at IOSH, to discuss the essence of wellbeing, post-pandemic changes and expectations for the future.
Can you define wellbeing?
There’s always been a lack of clarity surrounding wellbeing. To my mind, wellbeing is an ongoing sense of satisfaction with one’s current life and future prospects. Wellbeing touches upon all aspects of somebody’s life, whether it’s their health, their education, the opportunities they have, their freedoms, social and cultural life, their relationships and so on. If you take that as a starting point and then think about what wellbeing is at work – competence, autonomy and control, job security, relationships and so on – it helps us to see that it is a composite that incorporates all sorts of different aspects.
The key factor when defining wellbeing is the context. What does it mean for a young person to be well, for example? What does it mean for an older person to be well? And, therefore, what does it mean for a worker to
You attended the 7th OECD World Forum on Wellbeing last November. What were the main discussion points?
World Forum on last November. What were the discussion
Two first one was the idea that to make progress around needs to be sure that are included in climate significant
Two big pillars were discussed. The fi one was the idea that to make meaningful progress around wellbeing, there needs to be systemic change. Making sure that people are included in climate change planning requires some really signifi that as a then think about what is at work – competence, autonomy and control, and so on – it us to see that it is a that all sorts of different
The factor when is the context. What does it mean for a young to be well, for What does it mean for an older what does it mean for a worker to be well?
decisions. With artificial intelligence (AI) and technology, making sure that people are included in those decisions is perhaps a change in direction. So one of the key pillars of the discussion was that wellbeing as a global pursuit will only happen successfully if there is a fundamental change to the systems that we have.
The second pillar was about measurement: one of the keys to unlocking and energising the wellbeing agenda is how well we’re able to measure it – because it’s only by measuring it that you’re able to see who the winners are and who the losers are. And then, more importantly, you’re able to make informed decisions about who needs what, when and where, and so on.
What are the challenges of measuring wellbeing?
Ultimately, organisations want wellbeing data that is timely, frequent and granular. But that’s time-consuming and quite expensive to obtain. If you think back to the definition of wellbeing as something
that reflects many aspects of someone’s working life, to get rich data you have to ask a lot of questions. But organisations don’t necessarily have the time or resources to do that. While wellbeing data can help organisations to make good decisions, it’s pretty hard to get hold of, benchmark and track over time.
One way to obtain data is surveillance. What are the positives and negatives around surveillance on wellbeing, and the ethics of it?
Technology, including AI, is an influential tool for gathering and aggregating realtime data, hugely beneficial if used in the right way. But that is the key bit – whether it is used in the right way. And ultimately, where workers are involved and it’s their own data – whether from surveys or wearables – the willingness for somebody to give over that data will depend on the relationship that they have with whoever is asking for it.
You don’t find out about someone’s wellbeing just by asking once, but a willingness to answer questions honestly is going to depend on trust and whether they think anything is going to be done on the back of their responses. When it comes to wearables, these play into the bigger wariness that people have around technology and data, and employers will have to make a real effort to be transparent in their approaches to using it before workers start to have trust.
In an organisation where there isn’t that trust, if an employer were to find out healthrelated information before the worker, could the worker trust that the employer has a process in place for navigating that situation? Could workers trust that their employers wouldn’t ultimately use this knowledge for dismissal on health grounds? One soundbite from the OECD forum was that we need to try to shift from thinking about artificial intelligence to thinking about artificial benefit; to making technology work for us. There is a real need to navigate the tension that exists at the moment between AI as a threat and AI as a potential benefit.
How has hybrid working affected wellbeing and what do you think it will look like in the future?
What hybrid working has done more than anything else is show how wellbeing is something that is both work-related and non-work-related. In those early months [of the pandemic] when people started working from home, when children popped up on calls and pets barked in the background, you saw the relationship between somebody’s work and their broader life. And I think that’s helpful in terms of seeing the way that wellbeing transcends work and non-work. It was a real watershed moment.
In terms of the practical considerations, it highlights to an employer what duty of care looks like – how far are we extending our
Kate Raworth’s ‘doughnut economics’ model shows the interaction between social needs and sustainability
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AT HEIGHT ELEVATED
Benefit from smooth, effortless climbing and descent with the new Söll GlideLoc VR600 Fall Arresters. Built to last, these new safety solutions help increase worker mobility, safety and productivity. Certified globally, the new Söll GlideLoc VR600 Fall Arresters are compatible with all Söll GlideLoc ladders and guide rails manufactured after 1982.
Discover all their benefits live at the Health & Safety Event, April 8 – 10, 2025, Booth 12, Hall 3.
duty of care when we’ve got people working at home? A lot of organisations had to start thinking about how adaptable their policies were, and how well equipped their line managers were to work with a remote workforce. It has changed our understanding.
In terms of how things will look going forward, I don’t think that we fully appreciate what the effects of hybrid work are, both on individuals and on organisations. There’s some evidence out there of loneliness being quite high among certain worker groups, but we still don’t have really strong evidence of what the longer-term effects of hybrid work are.
Building a positive, safe and healthy working environment is a key part of attracting and retaining talent, especially younger workers. What are your thoughts on the ‘new normal’ for workplace wellbeing?
I think there is a general trend in terms of younger workers having higher expectations of employment and a greater willingness to move on if they’re not happy. Therefore, many businesses will have to improve their approach to wellbeing and ensure it’s authentic. Younger workers will have less tolerance for work that doesn’t meet their mental health needs, and they’ll just move on. Businesses have to take it seriously.
What do you think the future of wellbeing will look like?
I have two responses to this: a cautious one and an optimistic one. Cautiously, I do worry sometimes that wellbeing – like
YOUNGER PEOPLE
HAVE
HIGHER EXPECTATIONS OF WELLBEING AT WORK. BUSINESSES WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY
EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] – can carry some political baggage. I consider it to be a fundamental right, whereas wellbeing is still seen by some to be sort of a left-wing hobby. And if seen like that in the political sphere, then those systemic changes that are needed to energise the wellbeing agenda just won’t happen.
Optimistically, if wellbeing is recognised as a fundamental right for all both inside and outside work, it will have a trickle-down effect, where decisions are made in the interests of people. There are so many big questions now: the future of the climate, the future of our relationship with technology, the future of our consumption of ‘stuff ’. Inserting human wellbeing into that and planning for future generations brings a sense of conscience into our decisionmaking. That’s what we want to get to. The optimistic outlook is that we start doing that more routinely, making those decisions with long-term sustainability in mind.
I find Kate Raworth’s ‘doughnut economics’ model interesting. It’s a ring doughnut made up of three rings and in
As technological advances accelerate, it’s important to ensure that human workers see the benefit
the hole in the middle are basic social foundations that people need to live –education, health and so on. Around the outside of the doughnut, you’re then talking about planetary boundaries, keeping the earth safe. And the aim is that you fill in the middle of the doughnut – the space where a person can thrive – without the outside growing beyond its boundaries.
What that does is bring together the wellbeing agenda and the sustainability agenda. There are some countries that take care of those social foundations but are doing so in an unsustainable way. Equally, there are others that are living within their planetary boundaries, so to speak, but they’re not providing those social foundations for people. So, it’s about achieving balance between the two.
Finally, how does wellbeing fit into OSH in a global landscape?
With wellbeing, and particularly when you’re thinking about it at a social and global level, you can get very far away from OSH at work. So it’s good to bring it back. If we look at the provision of safe working conditions as being a prerequisite of healthy work and, in turn, if we see that healthy work is a prerequisite of somebody feeling well, then you can start to see the connections between those fundamentals.
The most helpful way to think about OSH and its relationship with wellbeing is to think about the input-output-outcomeimpact model. We put lots of inputs in, things that may largely go unnoticed in the businesses that some of our members work in. But then they create the output of safe work. The outcome is that people start to feel healthy, and then they go on and do some great things. For our members, understanding that relationship will energise wellbeing for them at a workplace level.
To listen to the full interview, visit ioshmagazine.com/ podcast/chris-davis
In the FRAME
OAlthough wellbeing can be a challenging concept, there are frameworks available to help us understand it better.
Dr Nick Bell CFIOSH, honorary principal lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University and chartered member of the British Psychological Society, suggests some useful ways for OSH professionals to think about wellbeing.
utside academic articles, there are few references to theoretical frameworks and supporting evidence to explain why and how particular factors influence wellbeing. Without this foundation, wellbeing strategies could be a random collection of potentially ineffective initiatives that may appear to be tokenistic or ‘wellbeing washing’.
Definitions are important. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 is to ‘ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing’. Wellbeing is not defined, and the goals in SDG 3 revolve around physical health, such as ending infectious diseases. If wellbeing is seen as
synonymous with physical health, then an occupational wellbeing strategy might include gym memberships, lunchtime walking groups and so on. In their review of SDG 3, Guégan et al (2018) point out that wellbeing encompasses both physical and psychological wellbeing.
ISO 45003, which relates to the management of psychological health and safety at work, defines wellbeing as the ‘fulfilment of the physical, mental, social and cognitive needs and expectations of a worker related to their work’. This appears to describe how to promote wellbeing rather than a definition of what wellbeing is.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a helpful resource. Its definitions of health,
wellbeing and mental health conceptualise wellbeing as a core component of health and mental health. It is a state in which people can ‘cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community’ and enables us to ‘make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in’ (WHO, 2022; 2021).
Promoting a positive state
It is clear from the WHO definitions that supporting wellbeing (and health more generally) is more than preventing ill health or stress, or managing ‘psychosocial risks’ (the focus of ISO 45003). Wellbeing relies on promoting a positive state. This was
a central message in the Stevenson and Farmer (2017) review of mental health and employers, Thriving at work. This review argued that greater focus should be placed on providing good work, among other things, to help workers thrive.
Incidentally, wellbeing is not a modern preoccupation. For example, the ancient Greek philosophers debated how to achieve a eudaimonic (which roughly translates as ‘happy’) life.
Returning to the ISO 45003 definition, does fulfilling our needs promote good wellbeing? If so, why? What precisely are those needs and how can organisations meet them?
Various psychological theories propose that humans have and are motivated to meet higher psychological needs. Those theories contend that meeting these needs contribute to, or are essential for, our wellbeing. Some examples are shown in the panel opposite, Diff erent models of higher psychological needs. There are overlaps between all these models and the WHO definitions of mental health and wellbeing.
Many of these needs are missing from the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Stress Management Standards, such as a
sense of purpose, engagement and personal growth. Applying those standards is crucial but is not the same as promoting wellbeing. It would be helpful if publications such as the HSE Stress Management Standards or ISO 45003 set out the theories and evidence they are based upon.
Workers’ differing needs
As individuals, we place different emphasis on different needs, and have differing opinions about whether work should meet, and is meeting, these needs. The Taylor review Good work (2017) acknowledges this: ‘Hearing one person describe a job as the best they have had followed by another person describing the same job as highly stressful or exploitative highlights the challenge for policy-makers in seeking to promote better work for all.’
Self-determination theory, in particular, has been extensively studied. Research has found an association between perceived needs fulfilment and subjective wellbeing – that is, how we rate our own sense of wellbeing (Pincus, 2023: Ryan et al, 2022; Šakan et al, 2020; Sheldon and Bettencourt, 2002). Therefore, there is a theoretical rationale for ISO 45003
Different models of higher psychological needs
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY (RICHARD RYAN AND EDWARD DECI)
1. Competence
2. Autonomy
3. Relatedness
SIX-FACTOR MODEL OF WELLBEING (CAROL RYFF)
1. Autonomy
2. Environmental mastery
3. Personal growth
4. Positive relations with others
5. Purpose in life
6. Self-acceptance
THE ‘PERMA’ MODEL FROM POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (MARTIN SELIGMAN)
P – Positive emotion
E – Engagement
R – Positive relationships
M – Meaning
A – Accomplishments/achievements
There is also a large and growing body of evidence around the importance of psychological safety for wellbeing (for example, Clarke et al, 2024; Bennouna et al, 2024; Fransen et al, 2020).
defining wellbeing as a product of needs fulfilment.
Neuroimaging of the brain, and especially the medial prefrontal cortex, reveals the neurophysiological activity that occurs when our psychological needs are met (for example, Di Domenico et al 2022). This may help account for a heightened sense of wellbeing, but most research is content to establish that a link exists between needs fulfilment and wellbeing.
How can OSH help?
If OSH professionals are asked to support or develop wellbeing initiatives, we can apply our normal, systematic approach. Typically, we collaborate with others to understand the current state of play, develop evidence-based interventions and assess their impact.
PROMOTING WELLBEING SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR THE ORGANISATION
To begin, we can lead conversations, maybe in health and safety committees, to ensure key stakeholders (such as unions and human resources departments) have a shared and well-informed understanding of what wellbeing means and the factors that influence it. That will directly influence how the organisation attempts to measure (for example, using staff surveys) and then enhance wellbeing.
As the management of employees is an important determinant of how well their psychological needs are met, HR may be better placed to spearhead wellbeing initiatives.
Health and safety professionals could ask HR to reflect on the skills and qualities they look for and nurture in managers. While we might aspire to develop transformational leaders, active listening skills are an important foundation. They can help managers to meaningfully discuss workers’ needs and expectations in work: where their strengths lie, what skills or knowledge they want to develop, what aspects of work give them the greatest sense of achievement or pride and so on. Incidentally, the HSE Stress Management Standards also rely on managers having these listening skills.
An appraisal system can give a useful structure for these conversations (another activity overseen by HR). Appraisals could form a ‘leading indicator’ of good wellbeing. HR can check whether staff have regular meetings with managers and ask how they find the experience and whether action plans are implemented.
Better wellbeing, better performance
Wellbeing largely depends on managers having the time, training, support and authority to understand and respond to the psychological needs of staff, while still fulfilling their responsibilities and objectives. Although health and safety professionals may be involved in developing wellbeing initiatives, HR may be better placed to lead them.
The measures that help to meet workers’ needs, such as transformational leadership, job crafting and so on, also improve different aspects of work performance.
The evidence therefore suggests that taking steps to promote wellbeing should be reflected in improved outcomes for the organisation.
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/nick-bell
How to meet psychological needs at work: a case study
This is an example of effective management I uncovered during my PhD.
A team consistently failed to meet seemingly achievable targets. Their manager identified that one individual was performing very well, while the rest struggled. Speaking with this person, the manager learned that they wanted to become a supervisor and were keen to take on more responsibility.
The manager asked the individual to coach the others and accepted that their figures would dip further while this ‘star player’ was not on the frontline. After a few weeks, the team’s performance dramatically improved, far exceeding their targets. The manager shared the figures with the team, encouraging them to reflect on and take pride in this turnaround. He described his team as being motivated and content.
Many of the workers’ psychological needs could be met in this example: competence, personal growth, connection to others and so on. However, the manager knew and had interest in their team members, was creative and took risks (and had the authority to put their plans into action), and ‘left their ego at the door’: letting someone else take the limelight and influence the team. These are some examples of a ‘transformational leadership’ style. Indeed, there is research connecting this approach with needs satisfaction and improved performance in work (Bader et al, 2023, Messman et al, 2021, Schoch et al, 2021).
This case study is also a textbook example of ‘job crafting’ (a term derived from the Job Demands-Resources model). This can entail assigning people to tasks to play to their strengths and interests, and find greater challenge and meaning in their work. Research has found that job crafting increases engagement, which is associated with benefits such as improved performance.
The next generation of noise monitoring
The 620 Series Enhanced Digital Sound Level Meter Now With Advanced Features...
Time history storage (1s to 30min intervals)
Voice notes
GPS
Single large measurement range
Simple operation
Compact, rugged design
Long battery life
Automatic calibration function
To request pricing or demo
Email: info@casellasolutions.com
Transformational
LEADERSHIP
We
take a look at the IOSH Business Assurance Certifi cation model, which asks organisations to check how they are led and governed.
WORDS ANGELA GRAY CMIOSH
OSH, once a basic compliance matter, is now a valuegenerator, culture-influencer and a board-level issue. Informed stakeholders in a business now look for a level of sophistication in managing risk, nurturing talent and being socially responsible as evidence of the overall quality of the organisation’s management. It gives corporate customers confidence in a company, and investors a sense that their capital is well placed. Therefore, behaviours of boardlevel and senior executives in relation to OSH need to reflect a more strategic and governance-oriented perspective. At this level, the leadership focus is on overseeing the development and implementation of policies, ensuring compliance and fostering a culture that prioritises employee wellbeing across the entire organisation.
This section of the IOSH Business Assurance Certification (BAC) has the following questions:
• Have standards for expected leadership behaviours been clearly defined?
• How and where are these standards defined?
• How transparent are these behavioural standards?
• How are the defined standards for behaviours identified and monitored to ensure consistent compliance?
• How well are the standards for appropriate leadership behaviours embedded within the board?
• Is inappropriate behaviour, at board level, identified and dealt with in an efficient, effective and timely manner?
Here are some examples of leadership behaviours we are expecting to see.
Strategic commitment to OSH
Board members and senior executives must demonstrate unwavering commitment to
health, safety and welfare by embedding OSH practices in the corporate strategy and risk management framework. By regularly reviewing and updating policies to align with regulations and best practices, they set the tone for the organisation and make health and safety a core component of its mission and values.
Long-term strategic planning
The board incorporates employee wellbeing into long-term business planning, ensuring that workforce health is prioritised in growth strategies, technological innovations and changes to working practices.
Oversight of health and safety performance
Senior executives must ensure that robust mechanisms are in place to monitor, review and report on health and safety performance, ensuring compliance and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement. They hold leadership accountable for meeting safety targets and driving improvement.
Establishing and reviewing safety policies and frameworks
The board ensures the company has an up-to-date and comprehensive health and safety policy, with clear protocols for ensuring the physical and mental wellbeing of employees.
Risk management and mitigation of occupational health hazards
Board members are responsible for ensuring that the company identifies, assesses and mitigates risks related to occupational health, safety and welfare at the organisational level, ensuring oversight of initiatives designed to mitigate those risks.
People and culture
(Outcomes of good governance)
Governance and leadership
(Setting the tone)
Business assurance
Systems and processes
(Enabling good governance)
Embedding health and safety into corporate culture
Board members and senior executives must champion a culture of safety and wellbeing, promoting a company-wide commitment to these values from top to bottom. They lead by example, encouraging open conversations about health and safety, supporting initiatives that promote employee wellbeing and ensuring that safety is ingrained in every level of the company’s culture.
BOARD MEMBERS MUST CHAMPION A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND WELLBEING
Accountability for corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Board members set CSR priorities that emphasise workplace health and safety as a key component, ensuring that employee welfare is part of the company’s public image and reputation, and aligning this with sustainability and ethical business practices.
Allocating resources for OSH initiatives
Senior leaders must ensure that sufficient resources – both financial and human – are allocated to health, safety and welfare programmes, ensuring that initiatives are properly funded and supported.
Transparency and reporting
Board members are responsible for overseeing the organisation’s approach to transparency in reporting health, safety
and welfare performance, ensuring accurate, honest communication with all stakeholders. Annual reports include clear metrics on health and safety performance.
Sustainability
and wellbeing integration
Integrating health, safety and welfare into the sustainability strategy, ensuring that employee welfare is not seen in isolation, should be part of the broader environmental and social governance goals of the organisation.
By emphasising these leadership behaviours, board members and senior executives can effectively oversee and support health, safety and welfare initiatives within the organisation. Their role is more strategic and governancefocused, ensuring that policies are in place, resources are allocated and the overall company culture supports the wellbeing of employees at all levels. This high-level oversight is essential for aligning health and safety priorities with the broader goals of the organisation.
For more information on the IOSH BAC process, contact angela.gray@iosh.com
The IOSH Business Assurance Certification model
PRACTICE
EXPLORE SKILLS, IDEAS AND THEORIES
THE HURT The heat and
IOSH’s report on the future of work asked: what if global warming leads to increased risks for workers? Here we explore the biggest OSH challenges of climate change – and possible solutions.
WORDS
CATHERINE EARLY
The impacts of climate change are now stark, with extreme rain, fires and storms increasing in frequency and ferocity. Workers are often on the frontline, particularly those in agriculture, construction, transportation and the emergency services.
Of all the risks facing workers from climate change, extreme heat has grabbed most headlines, with high-profile cases including four grape-harvesters dying during unseasonably warm weather in France, and footballers and Olympic athletes suffering extreme temperatures during competitions. It is the leading cause of extreme weather-related deaths globally.
Acute and prolonged exposure to excessive heat can not only cause heatstroke, but exacerbate underlying illnesses including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, asthma and kidney disease, damage to pregnancy and births, and transmission of some infectious diseases. It also exacerbates indoor and outdoor air pollution (International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024a). For more on the medical considerations of excessive heat, see page 54.
Other risks to workers come from less obvious effects of heat. For example, higher temperatures allow pests to spread and thrive, leading to the increased use of pesticides and therefore exposure of agricultural workers. The spread of pests also pushes up the risk of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever.
Heat epidemic
In July 2024, as the daily global average temperature reached a record high of 17.16°C, the UN secretary-general António Guterres issued a call to action on extreme heat, calling it an epidemic.
Backed by 10 UN agencies, including the ILO, an accompanying policy brief calls for better protection for workers, including the updating of regulations to align with the complexities of heat stress, tailored strategies for different sectors, monitoring of working conditions and reporting on death, and the right for workers to remove
themselves from danger without retaliation.
According to the ILO (2024b), 2.4 billion workers (71% of the working population) are exposed to excessive heat. Unsurprisingly, workplace exposure was above the global average in typically hot regions such as the Arab states and Africa but, notably, excessive heat exposure surged in Europe and Central Asia between 2000 and 2020, where the 17% increase in workers exposed was almost double the global average.
The same region, alongside the Americas, also experienced the most rapidly increasing proportion of heatrelated occupational injuries since 2000. The ILO puts this down to rapidly rising temperatures in mildly temperate regions where workers are largely not acclimatised.
GLOBALLY, 71% OF THE WORKING POPULATION IS EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT
The ILO’s data also stresses that the risk is not just during heat waves – 90% of workers exposed to extreme heat (and 80% of injuries) took place outside heat waves. Excessive heat can adversely affect workers’ concentration, leading to accidents.
A study on outdoor construction workers in the US found a 0.5% increase in the odds of traumatic injuries per 1°C increase in maximum daily humidex, a term used to describe how hot it feels to the average person (Calkins et al, 2019).
Health impacts from excessive heat are not always immediate. Globally, more than 26 million people are living with chronic kidney disease attributable to heat stress at work (ILO, 2024b). Jason Glaser, CEO of US-based research and advisory organisation La Isla Network, says that a type of kidney disease – CKDnt – driven by heat at work rather than the typical causes of hypertension, diabetes and old age, is now predicted to be the principal occupational disease caused by climate change.
CKDnt is more common among young, healthy male workers, and is typically discovered following return from working in hot conditions. Research by Johns Hopkins University, La Isla Network and the Nepal Development Society currently in pre-publication found that 31% of patients receiving kidney dialysis were returnee migrant workers, the vast majority from the Gulf, Malaysia and India.
Extreme heat can also cause mental health issues. A study of 40,000 workers in Thailand found that working under heat stress caused psychological distress, particularly among men aged between 15 and 29 years (Tawatsupa et al, 2010). The study suggested a potential link between heat stress and high rates of suicide in young men in the country.
Informal workers at risk
Manal Azzi, global team lead on occupational safety and health at the ILO, points out that, while workers in all sectors may be adversely affected by heat, some are at higher risk, including migrant and informal workers, pregnant women, indoor workers in unventilated environments, and outdoor workers in physically demanding roles in construction and agriculture.
This is also true for other risks stemming from climate change, such as exposure to pesticides, and could exacerbate existing inequality since the workers with most exposure are the least able to adapt. Those in the informal sector are the most at risk as they often lack recognition, workplace rights, and means to mobilise for better working conditions, says Dr Chris Davis, IOSH thought leadership manager.
Poverty often results in a lack of options, he says. ‘In a straight shoot-out between working in safe conditions or earning money, they’re going to go for the latter.’
Governments could decide to bring informal workers into the formal sector, but that depends on how well equipped they are to provide them with good working conditions so that the number of accidents and fatalities falls, otherwise they will add to the state’s economic burden.
Climate change impacts and the ILO's suggested solutions
Climate change impactWorker health impacts
Excess heat
UV radiation
Extreme weather
Workplace air pollution
Vector-borne diseases
Pesticide use
Source ILO, 2024a
22.85 million injuries, 18,970 deaths and 2.09 million disability adjusted life years caused by heat annually.
Over 18,960 work-related deaths annually due to nonmelanoma skin cancer alone.
No data for occupational risk.
860,000 work-related deaths annually attributable to air pollution (outdoor workers only)
Over 15,170 work-related deaths each year attributable to parasitic and vector diseases.
Over 300,000 deaths annually due to pesticide poisoning
However, there are initiatives underway to find solutions for informal workers. In June 2024, not-for-profit organisation Climate Resilience for All launched a microinsurance product for informal female workers in India. Cash payments are triggered when temperatures hit 40°C, to compensate them for stopping work. It paid out to more than 46,000 women in 2024. The women are also provided with basic protective equipment, such as a tarpaulin for shade or a cool box.
The scheme has almost three million members across India and is underwritten by global reinsurer Swiss Re, with local insurance provided by ICICI Lombard. Climate Resilience for All plans to roll the product out to East and West Africa over the coming year to protect the health and livelihoods of women and children.
Dr Dorothy Ngajilo, an occupational medicine specialist in the global occupational and workplace health programme at the World Health Organization (WHO), points out that most OSH legislation covers those who are in a formal worker-workplace relationship but most workers globally lack this – over
Potential solutions
Maximum temperature limits for the workplace, acclimatisation, self-pacing, hydration, mechanisation and adaptive clothing.
PPE, sunscreen and shaded rest areas.
Emergency prevention, preparedness and response are critical components of a national OSH management system.
Traditional OSH legislation tends to focus on dust and fumes indoors. Administrative controls, such as rotating job roles, may be effective.
Extremely limited research exists regarding protection for workers specifically.
There is limited legislation regarding occupational exposure limits, and no internationally agreed list of highly hazardous pesticides.
85% of workers globally have no access to specialised occupational health (OH) services (WHO, 2025).
To ensure that all workers are covered, WHO recommends scaling up health coverage of workers by enabling primary healthcare practitioners to address workers’ health needs, including OH services within primary care settings and reforming health financing to ensure coverage for vulnerable workers, she says. The Thai government is a notable example, having successfully integrated OH services into primary healthcare systems.
Seeking solutions
Given the scale and evolving nature of the risks from climate change, OSH professionals could easily feel that there is nothing they can do, or that mitigating the risks will be too expensive, Dorothy says.
However, not only are most of the solutions inexpensive, but many employers have not acknowledged that if they do not act, it will hit productivity and therefore their bottom line, she says.
OSH professionals should not only increase their own awareness of the OH
OSH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS OF THE RISKS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE
risks from climate change, but become actively involved in shaping legislation to protect workers, so that interventions such as taking frequent breaks and sitting in the shade and drinking water are actually put in place, she says. Educating workers on the risks and preventive measures is also important, she adds.
Dr Luke Parsons, a climate scientist at The Nature Conservancy who has studied the impact of extreme heat on workers, points to simple measures such as ensuring that workers have regular breaks, scheduling intense work at cooler times of the day and providing shade, access to clean drinking water and bathrooms – especially for women, who are less likely to stay hydrated if they do not have a clean and safe bathroom.
It is not just about temperature –humidity, wind, solar radiation and the intensity of work combine to affect how much people feel the heat, and how safe it is, he adds. ‘Letting people slow the pace of work to maintain safety and comfort is really important,’ Luke says.
However, safety measures can create trade-offs. Moving work to the night time may mean cooler temperatures but could lead to higher accident rates due to a failure to see properly, or from sleep disruption. Impermeable clothing designed to protect workers from pesticides can prevent sweat from evaporating, leaving them ‘sitting in a pool of hot water’, he says.
‘Wearable’ PPE such as cooling vests or bandanas are marketed as solutions. But trials have shown variable results, including an increase in health risk, says Manal. Such technologies should not be a first resort for OSH professionals, she says.
Dorothy is also sceptical about such technologies and wants to see more research on practical and low-cost interventions. ‘A lot of things that people are using are not evidence based,’ she said. Even if they work, they are not necessarily the most cost-effective solution and so are of limited use for poorer workers.
Manal sees more promise in smart devices that can provide real-time data on indicators of potential heat stress. She suggests that OSH practitioners should provide guidance on setting up monitoring systems for temperature, humidity and heat emitted by machines, and also take account of work intensity. This can support risk assessments and identify control measures.
Administrative controls, such as providing acclimatisation time before people start work in high temperatures, can be more effective, especially for migrant workers, she says.
Protection and productivity
The ILO (2019) projects that 2.2% of total working hours worldwide will be lost to high temperatures by 2030, the equivalent of 80
INDUSTRY TENDS TO THINK PROTECTING WORKERS FROM THE HEAT WILL BE COSTLY. BUT IT'S NOT TRUE.
million full-time jobs, and heat stress will reduce global GDP by $2400bn by that date.
Jason is adamant that protecting workers from extreme heat makes good business sense. La Isla Network found that agricultural workers in Nicaragua were being killed by chronic kidney disease. In response, it implemented OSH measures including rest, shade, hydration and hygiene. It also introduced paid sick leave and routine access to healthcare.
These simple solutions not only reduced hospitalisations related to occupational heat stress by 80%, but also increased worker productivity by 10% to 20%, providing maximum return on investment of 60%. ‘Industry tends to have this bias that protecting workers from heat stress will be costly because they need to take breaks.
But we’re showing again and again that that is just not true,’ he says.
He compares it to high-intensity interval training, where performance can be increased by combining bursts of intensive exercise with much lower-paced ones.
La Isla Network uses its data to prove return on investment for worker safety measures to businesses. Its research is proving popular with insurers keen to reduce claims related to worker illness, and major companies such as Liberty Mutual and Chubb are collaborating on a project concerning construction workers in the US.
Awareness agenda
Although awareness of the risk that climate change poses to health has been growing, commentators are frustrated by a lack of recognition of workers. UN climate talks at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 hosted a health-themed day for the first time. Its Declaration on Climate and Health has been endorsed by more than 150 countries, but does not specifically mention OH.
‘We’ve always had to force the issue of human health into discussions at COPs, and it’s still not very well understood,’ Manal says.
The ILO plans to gather representatives from employers, workers and governments in February 2026 at a high-level technical and political meeting to discuss the issue, following which it will develop global policy guidance.
Chris notes that legislation relating to climate change and OH tends to be incremental rather than revolutionary. ‘Systemic change is required to make meaningful progress here,’ he says.
Though many climate change risks are covered by OSH legislation globally, the intensification of climate change means that these need to be reviewed and updated, according to the ILO. For example, maximum temperature limits often include exemptions for particular sectors, and do not take into account exacerbating factors
such as properties of clothing worn by workers and heat produced by the body while working. They might also not be adequately enforced.
Manal hopes that some leading countries can champion a movement to protect workers from climate change. While discussions on climate change tend to focus on limiting emissions that are causing it, governments, employers and OSH professionals should not wait for the world to tackle climate change, she says. ‘Workers are one of the largest groups globally exposed to the changing climate. What we can do now is protect workers today, rather than wait to make the world better environmentally.’
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/global-warming-risks
THE CLIMATE CHANGE GENDER GAP
As global temperatures rise, female workers are suffering most, from higher levels of heat-related illness, poverty and violence. What will it take for gender to be factored into climate change policies?
WORDS
CLAIRE MOULDS ILLUSTRATION BETH GOODY
In its quest to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, the world is failing women and girls. The United Nations recently stated that not one of the indicators and sub-indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 5 – the goal for gender equality – is currently being met (UN Women, 2024a).
Impact on labour supply
As a result, female labour is more vulnerable to an increase in temperature than male labour. ‘Our research findings confirm that, among the high-exposure labour force, heat stress decreases the relative working hours of female workers,’ says Shouro Dasgupta, environmental economist at the EuroMediterranean Center on Climate Change and visiting senior fellow at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics.
This is being exacerbated by climate change, with women – especially the poorest – affected in greater proportions. Under a worst-case climate scenario, up to 158 million more women and girls could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2050, nearly half of them in sub-Saharan Africa, while up to 236 million more could face food insecurity (UN Women, 2024b).
Crucially, women are also more susceptible to the effects of climate change than men, experiencing greater physical distress in intense heat – with hormonal fluctuations related to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause all worsening their ability to regulate their body temperature – and a higher mental health burden (Portner and Roberts, 2022). Higher temperatures have a greater adverse effect on female workers in the high-exposure sectors (Shayegh and Dasgupta, 2022)
‘As the temperature at which labour supply for female workers peaks is significantly lower than for male workers, future increases in temperature, due to climate change, are likely to have a greater adverse impact on female working hours.’
Already, it is estimated that heat-related income losses for women total at least $120bn (£95bn) across India, Nigeria and the US alone – equivalent to the average woman working eight uncompensated eight-hour shifts each year. Across the three countries, women in the poorest 40% of households lose 40% to 55% more paid working hours to heat than those in the wealthiest 40%, as they are more likely to work in manual jobs or outdoor settings instead of environmentally controlled conditions
(Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, 2023).
Additional climate-related constraints on the ability of female workers to fully participate in the labour market are the implications of changing weather conditions on their household and caregiving responsibilities.
Globally, 1.8 billion people live in a household where drinking water must be collected and, in 70% of these households, the task falls on women and girls (UN Women, 2024b). In 53 countries with data, women and girls spend 250 million hours a day on water collection. As temperatures rise and water becomes scarcer, this figure will increase as they have to travel further, limiting their availability to undertake paid work (Portner and Roberts, 2022).
Female family members are also often primary carers for two of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to heat-related illness –children and those aged 65 and over. As climate-driven extreme heat will increase the need for care inside and outside the formal healthcare system (where women are also over-represented), it is women who will shoulder the heaviest care burden.
urinary tract infections after temperatures soared 5.2°C above normal in 2024. The situation was exacerbated by working long hours to meet tight delivery schedules and having poor access to water, sanitation and healthcare facilities (Shivakumar and Sundaresan, 2024).
It is estimated that the textile industry employs 45 million people in India, 70% of whom are women, making it the largest employer of women in the country after agriculture. Common worker complaints include a lack of cooling systems, proper ventilation and running water. Bathroom breaks may also be limited, causing workers to restrict their water intake for fear of needing unauthorised toilet trips and leading them to become dangerously dehydrated.
Once unpaid work is factored in, women’s heat-related productivity losses increase by 260%, as they need to work significantly longer to perform the same volume of paid and unpaid work – an additional working day a month in the US, 90 more minutes a day in India and an extra 150 minutes a day in Nigeria. This also reduces their time for rest which, in turn, carries the risk of negative outcomes (Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, 2023).
Challenges facing female workers
Female textile workers in Tamil Nadu, India, suffered heat-related stress and dehydration, rashes, frequent fainting spells, yeast and
The Self-Employed Women’s Association, which has 2.9 million members across India working in roles ranging from waste recyclers to market vendors, also notes the critical issue of safe food and water storage. It says many workers are not able to eat and drink safely during the working day, further decreasing their energy levels, because the intense heat causes containers to leach plastic into their drinking water and spoils the lunches they bring from home (Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, 2023).
Compulsory uniforms can put women under additional heat stress by layering overcoats on top of salwars and saris and specifying masks and caps – as can traditional Islamic attire (Habibi et al, 2024).
It is important to remember that the physical results of heat exhaustion, including dizziness, nausea and fainting, can occur outside the working environment, after the employee has returned home, and therefore go undocumented (Shivakumar and Sundaresan, 2024).
Heat is just one aspect of climate change that leads to problems related to female
HARASSMENT
Violence and aggression
Climate hazards are associated with increased violence against women, girls and vulnerable groups (Portner and Roberts, 2022).
One study across India, Pakistan and Nepal found that for every 1°C increase in average annual temperature, incidents of physical and sexual domestic violence increased by more than 6.3% (Asian Development Bank, 2024).
Heightened tensions in a household and the threat of violence may stem from men’s use of negative coping mechanisms, such as alcohol abuse, when they are unable to fulfil their traditional role as providers due to the challenges of finding work in a changing climate (Portner and Roberts, 2022).
During and after extreme weather events, women and girls are at increased risk not only of domestic violence but of harassment, sexual violence and trafficking, including early marriage (Portner and Roberts, 2022).
Fetching water is one example of an activity that puts women and girls at greater risk, especially when water scarcity forces them to walk longer distances to collect it, leaving them vulnerable to sexual abuse, demands for sexual favours at controlled water collection points, physical injury and the threat of domestic violence on their return if they are unable to complete their daily water-related domestic tasks (Portner and Roberts, 2022).
It is therefore vital that employers recognise this wider threat to female workers’ wellbeing, especially if alterations to working hours to manage the impact of extreme heat means they will be travelling to and from work during unsocial hours.
workers’ clothing. ‘Women caught in unexpected downpours have to then work in drenched clothes that cling to their bodies, exposing them to sexual harassment,’ says Shikha Silliman Bhattacharjee, head of research, policy and innovation at human and labour rights organisation Equidem.
For agricultural workers, storms bring additional dangers. Shikha says: ‘In rural areas, the vast majority of women find work in the agricultural sector and they are reporting growing concerns about lightning strikes due to sudden, intense storms. It’s yet another risk for an already vulnerable group where many work outside the bounds of labour law protections with scant provisions for their occupational health and safety.’
Mental and social stress
It’s not only physical risks that female workers face. ‘Climate change increases women’s time spent on care responsibilities, often leading to exhaustion and mental health concerns, thus increasing the risk of accident and injury,’ says Emanuela Pozzan, senior specialist on gender equality and non-discrimination at the International Labour Organization.
Its impact on women’s mental health can also be felt through the response of management to changing temperatures. ‘In manufacturing sectors across the globe, including garment and seafood processing where workforces are largely composed of women, male managers drive unreasonable production targets using gendered industrial discipline practices,’ says Shikha.
‘Verbal abuse used to drive production, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace bullying are the norm and, once normalised, this behaviour can more easily escalate to physical abuse and sexual violence. As rising temperatures slow worker productivity, industrial discipline practices escalate as managers drive workers to meet increasingly unreasonable targets.’
Not only can workers’ productivity decrease in rising temperatures, but managers’ tolerance of any challenges may drop at the same time. The ‘heat hypothesis’ explaining violent crime rates, including
MATERNITY
Heat exposure risks specific to pregnant workers
Pregnant workers face additional challenges as temperatures rise.
Exposure to excessive heat has been linked to:
• Pre-term births
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirths
• Gestational diabetes
• Placental abruption
• Lower birth weights
• Birth defects
• Neonatal stress
• Long-term behavioural and developmental deficiencies.
Recent research revealed that working in extreme heat can double the risk of
stillbirth and miscarriage for pregnant women (Mazumdar, 2024).
It is a critical issue in countries that already have the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world – India (more than 8% of global deaths) and Nigeria (28%) – and where racial inequalities in maternal health outcomes already exist (Adrienne ArshtRockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, 2023). For example, in the US, black women are over three times more likely to
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION
in the workplace, suggests that high temperatures lead to increased aggression, reduced impulse control and heightened social interactions (Anderson, 2001). Tempers rise along with the temperatures, making for a dangerous combination.
For those female workers who migrate because of climate change, in the hope of securing work, there is a very real danger of the move leading to worse conditions.
‘Sadly, women who migrate for employment, as they cannot find work where they are from, are more likely to endure highly exploitative conditions,’ explains Shikha. ‘For instance, climate change is
die from pregnancyrelated causes than white women.
As food insecurity due to climate change also affects women more than men, this has significant implications in terms of the nutritional needs associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding (Portner and Roberts, 2022).
Extreme weather events also result in reduced access to prenatal care, unattended deliveries and decreased paediatric healthcare.
increasingly acknowledged as a critical driver of migration from east Africa and we’ve heard first-hand, when Equidem interviewed nearly 100 women from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda who were employed as domestic workers or nurses in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, how they were subjected to conditions that indicate forced labour, including abuse of vulnerability, deception, restriction of movement, isolation, physical and sexual violence, intimidation and threats, retention of identity documents, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions and excessive overtime.’
Moving forward
‘One of the reasons the issue of heat stress isn’t being addressed is a lack of awareness amongst employers and workers of heatinduced health effects, including slower onset illnesses,’ says Shouro. ‘For example, it is only recently that the incidence of kidney disease in agricultural workers is being linked to increased heat stress. It’s therefore
post-nominals that highlight your professional commitment, competence and credibility
access to CPD resources, webinars and the technical advice helpline
support for your professional journey by creating your personalised professional development plan
our award-winning IOSH magazine with the latest news and updates delivered to your door
tools and resources to help you get ahead with access to the Career Hub
a Future Leaders Community dedicated to new and aspiring professionals
vital that OSH professionals promote the issue throughout their organisations and that they emphasise that female workers are most at risk due to contrasting physiological thermoregulation between men and women.’
He adds: ‘A lack of awareness among workers and employers –with figures as high as 41% reported in some surveys – regarding adaptation strategies and their effectiveness is another major barrier to improving conditions and it’s important that OSH teams are aware of the options available and are able to recommend the best approach to senior management.’ (Dasgupta et al, 2024).
While climate change undoubtedly affects men too, placing female workers' voices front and centre will be critical to the successful mitigation of the challenges that climate change presents.
‘It’s crucial that we take into account how climate change will exacerbate existing gender inequalities and that health risks will disproportionately be felt by women and other vulnerable groups. As such, those impacted must have a voice within decisionmaking processes,’ says Ruth Wilkinson CMIOSH, head of policy and public affairs at IOSH.
‘Considering the potential for gender inequalities here, a onesize-fits-all approach will not work, as men and women face different climate-related challenges. Nor will a top-down approach, as it may present workers with solutions that are ineffective, unachievable or which create or exacerbate further issues for women within their work.
‘OSH professionals need to ensure that female workers on the frontline of the climate crisis have consultation opportunities and meaningful input into the identification of the hazards and risks that could cause them harm and the development of the control measures to protect them, as they understand and experience the breadth and interdependency of the challenges they face.’
It’s a sentiment echoed by Emanuela. ‘It’s essential that gender is recognised in the development of climate-responsive occupational safety and health policies and prevention strategies. Recognising gender-specific risks between workers ensures OSH solutions are inclusive, equitable and effective for everyone.’
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ climate-gender-gap
ADDITIONAL MEASURES
Takeaways for OSH professionals
Climate change presents a raft of new challenges and it is vital that OSH professionals recognise that, for female workers, additional measures may be needed to mitigate risk. These might include:
• Recognising the need for more frequent rest breaks, preferably in a cool location with comfortable seating
• Ensuring that workers take regular toilet breaks
• Providing access to clean drinking water and electrolyte drinks
• Offering a daily nutritious meal
• Providing access to health services, including mental health support
• Running information campaigns so that female workers are aware of the specific risks they face, the early symptoms to look out for, how to protect themselves and how the company can help them. Such campaigns should also take into account how women share information and, potentially, a preference for it to be shared with them by another woman rather than a male manager
• Assessing whether the current uniform and/or PPE is suitable for female workers in hot conditions
• Adjusting the work schedule/intensity and allowing self-pacing
• Recognising the need for flexible working hours in light of greater caring and/or domestic responsibilities
• Supplying free menstrual products, as the combination of sweat and blood will mean these need to be changed more frequently
• Providing advice, support and access to organisations that can help with domestic abuse, physical and sexual violence, alcoholism and child marriage
• Offering company transport so that workers can travel safely to and from work, especially when working outside normal hours to avoid the heat
• Setting temperature restrictions for safe working, taking into account the gender differences in terms of heat response.
HANDLING THE HEAT
As our climate changes, heat stress is becoming a greater threat to workers in large parts of the world. We take a detailed look at the impact on vulnerable groups and explain how OSH professionals can support them.
WORDS ELOISE BYRNE CMIOSH
Global warming is expected to result in an increase in workrelated heat stress, damaging productivity and causing job and economic losses, with the poorest countries being the worst affected (International Labour Organization, 2019).
At the beginning of 2025, the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record and the first calendar year in which the global average temperature exceeded the 1.5°C limit above the pre-industrial average set by the Paris Agreement (Copernicus, 2025).
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had already predicted that 2015-24 would be the warmest 10 years in its 174-year record (WMO, 2024a).
Kindling ill health
Extreme heat can have an impact on the ability of the body to regulate internal temperature, leading to an increased risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There is an increased risk of immediate health problems such as heat stroke, heat cramps and, in extreme cases, heat syncope (fainting), as well as chronic illnesses that can result from prolonged exposure
to extreme heat (International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024).
In addition to these physical problems, high temperatures have been found to impair occupational health by increasing workplace injuries (Filomena and Picchio, 2024) as a result of sweaty hands, fogged-up safety glasses, dizziness and reduced reaction times or reduced productivity, causing workers to feel under pressure, rush and make mistakes (ILO, 2024).
The indications are that heat waves will become more intense in duration, frequency and magnitude (Amoadu et al, 2023). Already, on average, more than 25,000 heat deaths are estimated to occur in Europe each year (Leyk, 2019).
But the impact of heat stress around the world is distributed unevenly, with southern Asia and western Africa predicted to be the most heavily affected. Up to 2.41 billion workers (71% of the working population) are exposed to excessive heat every year and, currently, excessive heat results in 18,970 work-related deaths (ILO, 2024).
Physical and mental effects
Various job roles are now exposed to the heat-related effects of climate change, such as agricultural workers, people working at sea, construction trades, energy engineers, emergency workers, delivery drivers, leisure workers and so on. OSH professionals must understand the hazards and the mechanisms of how heat affects the human body to validate their findings and inform their risk control decisions.
Part of delivering a competent risk assessment is to understand something of the physiology of the human body. It is fundamental to topics such as conducting occupational hygiene risk assessments, manual handling, noise, vibration and others.
Climate-driven changes to the weather can influence the body’s response to toxins through thermoregulation
HOW TO HELP
Mitigating the effects of extreme heat
• Add engineering controls: ventilation systems, cooling systems and so on
• Consider design modifications to enhance natural air ventilation
• Offer increased shade
• Apply an administrative control by changing workers' schedules.
(Williams, 2020). Warm and wet skin has been evidenced to increase the absorption of chemicals (James et al, 2022). Workers are also more likely to remove or not use PPE in high temperatures, leaving them at an increased risk of other hazards. For example, agricultural workers have a greater risk of exposure to pesticides when in extreme heat (El Khayat et al, 2022).
Workers may also be affected in less obvious ways. The impacts of climate change can cause a loss of productivity, with extreme repercussions for some workers as it obliges them to put supporting themselves and their families above their personal safety. Climate change migration means that people leave their homes behind in search of work elsewhere.
In addition, some mental health challenges are associated with increased temperatures (World Health Organization (WHO), 2022). The impact that climate change has on labour productivity and gross domestic product (GDP) is also likely to have a knock-on effect on mental health. Hours of work lost because of heat have risen significantly over the past two decades and some regions are already experiencing heat stress conditions at or approaching the upper limits of labour productivity (WMO, 2024c).
Gender differences
Certain workers are more at risk of climate change impacts than others. The location and type of work are factors; gender, age and health are others. A study carried out by TheJournal of Climate Change and Health (Amoadu et al, 2023) found that migrants, pregnant women and children were extremely vulnerable to heat stress.
Females are less tolerant of heat than men (Amoadu et al, 2023) – see page 36 for our cover story on the impact of climate change on women. The physiology of males and females is different: women do not cool down as quickly as men. Women and men are physically different, therefore their exposure to OSH risks is different and this needs to be considered when mitigating risks for workers (EU-OSHA, 2014).
According to a study in the Netherlands, women sweat half as much as men (van Steen et al, 2018). Additionally, cardiovascular strain is reportedly higher in women than men, and heat places stress on the cardiovascular system (Davis, 2022). Another explanation is that women have higher core temperatures after ovulation and they are often smaller than men, meaning they heat up faster. Overall, more research is needed to find out why women are at increased risk during heat stress; it is likely that the reasons are multifaceted.
An extreme example of the impact of heat on women at work can be seen in The Gambia, expected to be at the sharp end of increasing temperatures. A recent study showed that women experienced significant heat stress while working outside during pregnancy, with symptoms including headaches, dizziness, and chills (Spencer et al, 2022).
Women in The Gambia use adaptive techniques while working, such as resting in the shade, taking regular breaks, drinking water, taking medication for headaches and reducing the area that they cultivate. However, household power structures relating to age, migration, material status and socioeconomic status have reduced the extent that these women are able to control the effects of extreme heat exposure at work (Spencer et al, 2022).
Women who work outdoors may experience rashes, urinary tract infections or miscarriages (Schonhardt, 2023). Extreme heat can also increase the amount of time it takes to complete a task – women in India and Nigeria work an extra 90 to 150 minutes per day when they are experiencing extreme heat.
Heat exposure for pregnant people is also a risk factor, with adverse outcomes for the mother and her foetus or baby (WHO, 2024).
Age considerations
Younger workers under the age of 24 and older workers over 40 are at risk of experiencing heat-related illness when working in hot environments (Amoadu et al, 2023). Younger people are sometimes at an increased risk of heat stress due to a lack of understanding and experience, while children and young people are at increased risk of heat-related illness such as heat stroke. This is largely due
to their anatomy, physiology and overall development (Forsyth and Solan, 2022).
The majority of heat-related deaths occur on a worker’s first day in the job, according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2025). Acclimatised workers sweat at a higher rate and their sweat contains less salt, which prevents an imbalance of electrolytes. This enables them to maintain a lower body temperature and heart rate while working, and increased bloodflow to the skin helps to lose heat faster through the surface of the body. Young and inexperienced workers can experience difficulties due to a lack of acclimatisation. Similarly, younger workers
HEAT CAN PROVOKE HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT INCREASE THE RISK OF DISEASE
may not have fully developed the ability to regulate their body temperatures.
At the opposing end of the spectrum, older people can also be at an increased risk of extreme heat because of their reduced physiological adaptability, morbidity and intake of prescription drugs. A heat illness can progress suddenly to life-threatening heat stroke (Leyk, 2019) among older workers. Excess deaths during a heat wave occur predominantly in older people and are cardiovascular in their origin (Kenney et al, 2014).
Both older and younger workers can be at an increased risk from heat stress.
In a study carried out in Hanoi, Vietnam, construction workers who were younger had less knowledge of heat-health impacts but reported fewer symptoms (Lohrey et al, 2021). In comparison, older female workers were more likely to report symptoms.
Underlying medical conditions
Workers with underlying medical conditions or disabilities can also be at an increased risk. For example, cardiovascular
disease is the biggest cause of death globally (Desai et al, 2023). Extreme heat can have serious implications for heart health, especially in those with preexisting conditions. This is because the body’s way of coping with extreme heat puts strain on the heart – for example, increased metabolic demand, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances (Desai et al, 2023). Workers who are physically inactive, obese, hypertensive and have high cholesterol are at an increased risk of heat stress (Amoadu et al, 2023).
Occupational heat exposure can provoke health problems that can increase the risk of certain diseases (Ioannou et al, 2021). In Nicaragua, occupational heat stress has been identified as a primary trigger of chronic kidney disease or kidney injury (Pacheco-Zenteno et al, 2021).
Taking action
Heat poses an occupational and public health challenge. Therefore, a coordinated effort is needed to protect vulnerable workers. A study carried out in Ireland advocates the adoption of an approach centred on ‘health and safety in climate change in all policies’ to develop a public health focused heat-health action plan (Paterson and Godsmark, 2020).
Although climate change is likely to have an impact on all workers, certain groups are more vulnerable than others and this must be considered when designing risk assessments for workers.
Well-established processes that safeguard the health and safety of workers are valuable when protecting workers against the effects of climate change. As ever, OSH professionals should follow a risk-based, evidence-led approach, engaging with medical professionals and occupational health practitioners regarding considerations of heat stress. The focus should be on prevention and keeping workers safe and well despite rising temperatures.
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/excessive-heat
HOW TO… PROTECT WORKERS FROM SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Recent high-profile cases serve as a reminder that workplace sexual harassment is worryingly prevalent. Here’s what OSH professionals should know to help tackle it.
WORDS HELEN BIRD
Just as the Worker Protection Act came into force in October 2024, the UK press was awash with sexual harassment claims at the likes of luxury department store Harrods – and yet more have emerged in the months since. The BBC announced that MasterChef presenter Greg Wallace would step aside while allegations of misconduct were investigated, while at McDonald’s numerous allegations were made about the behaviour of managers. In January, Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) put out a statement
saying it was ‘actively working with’ the fastfood chain ‘in light of the number of serious allegations raised about the company over the last year’, adding that its priority ‘remains ensuring that McDonald’s improve their practices and that staff are protected from sexual harassment’.
The Worker Protection Act, which is an amendment to the UK Equality Act 2010, comes after years of campaigning by trade unions and the public for employers to do more to protect their staff from sexual harassment. But the recent headlines reinforce that employers need to do better.
Sexual harassment – defined by the UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) as unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that either violates someone’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment, whether intended or not – is pervasive yet under-reported. A 2024 poll of 2000 UK employees found that one in 10 had witnessed or experienced sexual harassment at work but half (49%) did not report it. Four in ten respondents (43%) reported feeling worried about retaliation or retribution should they report an issue, while almost a third (30%) said they believed more would be achieved if they went to the media about workplace misconduct rather than to their own management team (Brown, 2024).
Challenging biases
Being harassed is more common among women. UK researchers found that half of all women had experienced workplace sexual harassment, rising to seven in 10 for disabled women and LGBT+ employees – although four in five did not report the harassment to their employer (TUC, 2024).
This doesn’t mean that men can’t be on the receiving end. Nicole Vazquez, director
at Worthwhile Training, says: ‘I’ve had men in workshops confide in me about incidents where they have been sexually harassed, and sadly the one thing they all had in common is they were not taken seriously when they reported it.
It should be remembered that sexual harassment is often not about sex but about power and anyone can be affected, regardless of their gender or sexuality.’
Defining harassment
There are laws aimed at preventing sexual harassment at work in approximately 120 countries, but over a third of nations still have no workspecific anti-harassment measures. Legal definitions of sexual harassment vary widely between countries because of cultural differences, including traditional gender norms.
Hessom, 2023
Victims often experience psychological effects, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and low self-esteem, physical symptoms including headaches and insomnia, and professional setbacks from reduced productivity and absenteeism. The need to address workplace sexual harassment is clear.
Proactive, not reactive
Since the new duty is anticipatory, organisations need to take a proactive and preventive approach, says Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser for employee relations at professional body CIPD. ‘This includes carrying out a risk assessment, such as analysing where sexual harassment is most likely to occur: for example, people working alone or remotely and those involved in client entertaining. It also means delivering regular awareness and training sessions, as well as making sure that managers are confident to tackle inappropriate behaviour and rolemodel the right behaviour.’
However, Nicole warns that the new duty has not necessarily prompted the hoped for action. ‘I am stunned to see that some employers are not planning to make any real changes. As with many legislative changes, I am concerned that this will only gain attention once we start to see actions being taken against companies for failure in their duty,’ she says.
‘One element I think may encourage organisations to revisit their existing measures is that the duty specifies the need to address the risk of sexual harassment from third parties. It asks employers to consider the risk posed by customers, the general public and other professionals who their workers may come into contact with – not just their own colleagues.’
Although sexual harassment at work has been taken more seriously by international agencies in recent years, still more work needs to be done. In 2019, the International Labour Organization (ILO) published its Violence and Harassment Convention (No 190), which recognises ‘the right of everyone
AROUND THE WORLD
France
The definition was legally expanded from mere harassment to gain sexual favours to actions in two categories: repeating actions or words that are sexual in nature and which impact the dignity of or humiliate someone, and blackmailing an employee to exploit them and gain sexual favours. Violating these provisions can lead to two to three years in prison and heavy fines.
Brazil
Like most other South American countries, Brazil recognises workplace misconduct as wrong, but it’s only illegal when committed by a superior using their position to gain sexual favours from an employee.
Canada
The definition varies by province, but the Supreme Court refers to sexual harassment in the workplace as unwelcome actions that detrimentally affect the work environment or lead to negative job-related consequences. Canada has adopted labour standards that ban any type of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Hessom, 2023
to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment’. The UK has ratified it, but to date just 46 of the ILO’s 187 member states have done so (ILO, 2024a).
IOSH head of policy and public affairs Ruth Wilkinson CMIOSH says: ‘As per our policy position on violence, harassment and aggression at work, we call on governments to ratify and implement ILO Convention No 190 and its accompanying recommendation. Governments are drivers of international law and play a vital role in implementing international legal and regulatory obligations on human rights, labour rights and women’s rights. They must therefore take robust action to combat violence and harassment against workers.’
Taking reasonable steps
OSH professionals have an important role in understanding and implementing the new duty, which requires employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to mitigate or minimise the potential risks of workplace sexual harassment in their organisations. A useful source of information is the EHRC guidance that was updated in September 2024, which lists eight reasonable steps for employers (see OSH actions on sexual harassment, above).
Meanwhile, an ILO report published early last year recommends that OSH frameworks tackle root causes of violence and harassment by addressing underlying risks (ILO, 2024b). This aligns with risk management processes already familiar to OSH professionals, says Ruth. ‘If instances have previously happened or do happen, it’s about having reporting mechanisms in place so that the person impacted can receive the appropriate support and that action can be taken to prevent it from happening again. This can and should therefore be linked with the normal risk assessment processes that are already in place, and already considering hazards and risks associated with violence and harassment at work.’
The nature and location of the work should also be considered. The ILO (2024b) states that OSH frameworks should address those risks related to specific tasks and working
STEP BY STEP
OSH actions
on
sexual harassment
Employers and OSH practitioners can –and should – take a number of steps to safeguard workers from sexual harassment.
Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) lists eight reasonable steps for employers:
• Develop an effective anti-harassment policy
• Engage your staff
• Assess and take steps to reduce risk
• Encourage reporting
• Provide effective training
• Handle complaints appropriately
• Deal with harassment by third parties
• Monitor and evaluate your actions.
conditions which produce high stress levels that can lead to violence and harassment.
Liz Brewster CMIOSH, managing director of Craven Consultancy Services, says that ‘different sectors pose unique challenges for OSH professionals’.
In social work and healthcare, for example, she recommends ‘implementing buddy systems or check-ins for lone workers, and training staff to handle uncomfortable or dangerous interactions’. In both public and private sectors, Liz adds, job roles with high client interaction or power imbalances ‘demand clear boundaries, security measures and accessible reporting channels’.
A cultural shift
Barriers to reporting sexual harassment can include fear of harming one’s career or not being taken seriously. This can be more pronounced when the complaint is directed at a colleague in a position of greater power.
‘It’s essential that senior leaders take a lead on the issue and send a strong message that sexual harassment is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,’ says Rachel. ‘They need to follow this through by putting in place effective reporting channels, ensuring there are processes to swiftly and fairly investigate complaints and by providing line managers
Liz Brewster CMIOSH recommends the following for OSH professionals:
• Risk assessments: identify environments or roles prone to harassment and evaluate preventive measures.
• Policy development: collaborate with HR to implement comprehensive policies, training and reporting mechanisms.
• Awareness campaigns: foster education about sexual harassment, its forms, and its impact on workplace safety and mental health.
• Compliance monitoring: ensure legal and organisational standards are upheld to create a harassment-free environment.
with the education and confidence to deal with any hint of inappropriate behaviour. They also need to role model behaviour based on dignity and respect at all times.’
Building a culture and environment in which workers feel psychologically safe is crucial. This again involves having robust risk management processes in place, says Ruth – as well as person-centred and holistic approaches, leadership commitment and worker feedback channels.
‘To change the culture, those at the centre of the organisation need to buy into this as a positive growth for their organisation,’ says Nicole. ‘For us, it is those senior leaders who attend training with junior colleagues and talk openly about the issues who show their real commitment to the campaign.
‘Embedding guardians or champions can work, but employers need to ensure they are not a token gesture without real change. Those who are willing to take on these roles need to be trained in how to support – and be given support themselves.’
For IOSH’s policy position on violence and harassment at work, go to b.link/IOSH-harassment-policy-position
For more on the EHRC’s eight steps, go to b.link/EHRC-sexual-harassment
leader Fromlearner To
Why IOSH?
IOSH has long been a recognised leader in the field of safety and health, designing world class training for more than 70 years. Now that IOSH is also an Awarding Organisation (AO), your access to globally recognised qualifications is streamlined and enhanced.
iosh.com/qualifications
With globally recognised qualifications from IOSH.
There’s no better way to invest in the future of your career than with globally recognised qualifications.
Find out how to get started by scanning the code.
Why you? Why wait?
You’re ambitious, determined and want the most from your career. You want the best tools and the most expert support available to help you to achieve your goals.
Get in touch now to find out how a Level 3 Certificate or Level 6 Diploma will help you get to where you want to be faster. It’s a competitive world and you should act now to gain a competitive advantage.
HURDLE The last
The final piece in our three-part series on slips, trips and falls explores the causes and impacts of falls in the workplace – and what can be done to prevent them.
WORDS EMMA BENNETT
Every year, an estimated 684,000 people die from falls globally (World Health Organization, 2021). That’s the equivalent of 15 full double-decker buses every single day. And in the UK workplace, slips, trips and falls on the same level (STFs) are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries to employees, making up 31% of accidents, according to the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE, 2024).
It’s a similar picture in the EU, where 584,371 accidents at work in 2019 occurred due to slipping, stumbling and falling, 520 of which were fatal (Eurostat, 2022). And in the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says slips, trips and falls cause nearly 700 workplace fatalities every year, or 15% of all workplace deaths (OSHA, 2023). While the data doesn’t make a distinction between falls on the same level and falls from height, it’s likely the latter is responsible for most fatal accidents.
It’s a key issue for IOSH president Kelly Nicoll CFIOSH. ‘One family every week in the UK is getting a knock at the door saying somebody’s not coming home because they’ve had a fall from height,’ she said. ‘And on top of that there are thousands of people who have lifechanging, life-limiting injuries from falls, even if they’re on the same level.
‘My mum had a fall at work recently and broke her wrist. That means she’s not able to look after my dad who has terminal cancer, she can’t drive to work or do her job. So the ramifications of what seem like a minor incident can be substantial.’
Older workers at risk
A detailed analysis of 1231 falls on the same level in the Netherlands found that almost 40% of these falls were due to a loss of grip between the shoe and the floor surface, almost 30% were caused by tripping over obstacles, and about 15% by uncontrolled movements (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, 2024). Other hazards contributing to risk include poorly designed stairs, inadequate
TOP TIPS
Low-level fall prevention
Use data:
Analyse the accident data to work out where and why falls that result in injury are happening.
Check the weather:
Do not carry out work in adverse weather conditions if it means conditions are dangerous.
Educate employees:
Raise awareness about fall prevention not only to reduce falls but to minimise injuries and time off work.
Encourage near-miss reporting: Be proactive about reporting near-misses because it’s the best
way to learn before anyone gets hurt.
Create a positive safety culture: Management teams and OSH professionals both need to work on creating a culture in which people feel they can speak up about unsafe behaviours. Avoid dangerous practices being accepted as a part of everyday working norms.
Maintain work equipment: Identify who is responsible for ensuring that equipment is in good working order and doesn’t produce any leaks, trailing leads or other hazards that could result in someone slipping or tripping and falling over.
lighting and wet surfaces. The analysis also showed that older workers are more at risk of slip or trip accidents, with 33% of victims being over 50, compared to only 19% for other types of accidents.
Jules Robinson, falls engagement lead at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), agrees that age should be an important consideration for OSH professionals, because of the more serious consequences of falls for older people.
‘Falls occur because of human behaviours and are made more likely due
Provide supervision: Lack of proper supervision can lead to incidents. Ensure that supervisors carry out their role to ensure that dangerous practices are challenged.
Do the housekeeping: Ensure that the work area is clean and tidy to prevent slips and trips which could result in an accident.
See it, say it or sort it: If something is seen as a potential issue that workers could fall over, encourage workers to flag the issue and move the hazard as soon as they see it, rather than leaving it for someone else.
to intrinsic risk we carry with us, which tends to increase with age,’ she explains. ‘There are so many factors at play –maybe someone’s eyesight isn’t strong, or they’re distracted or dehydrated so are more likely to lose their balance. Perhaps they’re carrying too many things or are in a rush to get to their next meeting.’
She adds that if someone over the age of 50 falls, they are more likely to suffer from poorer outcomes, including physical problems like hip fractures and negative impacts on their wellbeing.
CASE STUDY
Reducing fall rates
Jeanette Whitehead, senior health, safety and environment manager –healthcare, at Compass Group UK & Ireland, explains how the catering, cleaning and support services company reduced falls in its hospitals.
‘Most hospitals have a high footfall. They also have smooth flooring for infection control purposes, which becomes very slippery as soon as you put water on it. We’re also cleaning around people who can be either vulnerable and unsteady on their feet, or are rushing to give treatment.
‘The main thing we changed was using microfibre cloths for cleaning, which are more effective at removing infection and use about 80% less water so the floors dry quickly. This is one of the innovations that contributed to a reduction in falls by 23% in the last 12 months.’
USING TECHNOLOGY
‘We also introduced a team of robots to clean the corridors of some of our partner hospitals. They scrub and dry the floor as they move, working with an operative to keep busy areas clean and safe during the day. You might get up to 4000 people walking down a corridor in a day, so if you were doing conventional mopping, it would be incredibly difficult to keep the hospital operating.’
RAISING AWARENESS
‘Retail is a key part of bringing normality to a hospital. Unfortunately, it can increase the number of spillages. So we put up posters prompting customers to check if their drinks lid was secure. We also provided bags at entrance points to go over wet umbrellas and stop them trailing water through the corridors.
‘We’re also in the process of rolling out “spill boards” in areas with no easy access to cleaning equipment, so other users can help clean simple spillages in public areas. These contain paper roll, a bin, a wet floor sign, alcohol hand gel and – in case they’re not comfortable cleaning it themselves – a number for the rapid response team.’
IDENTIFYING TRENDS
‘All these solutions have reduced falls by around 32% over five years. Trend analysis is very important: we don’t just look at the number of falls but the type of fall, what they are slipping on, where it was, the time of day and so on. That helps us understand what our issue is and how to solve it. You’re never going to stop people rushing in a hospital so you need to think differently based on the trends you identify.’
Physical and mental impacts
‘There are more than physical outcomes to consider,’ adds Jules. ‘Falls can seriously damage self-confidence and your ability to support your family, impacting mental health, which inevitably affects you back at work.
‘So employers also need to think about cultural change. That means having active conversations around tackling sedentary behaviour, which can accelerate age-related decline, about wearing the right footwear and encouraging people to have eyesight checks.’
RoSPA’s Fall Fighter awareness training educates employees about fall prevention with the aim of minimising fall-related injuries and reducing time off, enhancing staff wellbeing and reducing the burden on the NHS. By incorporating this free workshop into employee development programmes, organisations can help to improve wellbeing.
Being proactive
Risk assessments and slip studies are vital tools to prevent falls, says Kelly. ‘Look at regular walking routes and use the information you have in your business about
where incidents are happening so you can put in preventive measures. For example, if you know you have an issue with falls under a tree, divert people from that hazard. Also, check what the weather is doing and ensure grit is laid down before the ice comes.
‘Getting people to be really proactive around near-miss reporting is also important because that’s the best way to learn before someone gets hurt.’
Achieving this means that management teams and OSH professionals need to invest in creating a culture which encourages people to speak up when they see unsafe behaviours. ‘Creating environments where people can say, “This doesn’t look safe, I’m not doing that” involves every single section of a business,’ Kelly says. ‘Health and safety is a team sport; we can’t do it on our own. The better a whole business understands that, the easier our job becomes.
‘If we’re serious as a profession about creating a safer, healthier world of work, we need to look at the reasons why people get injured and sometimes don’t come home.’
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ STF-falls
SAFETY On the road to
A look at the legal framework surrounding workrelated driving accidents.
WORDS PAUL VERRICO, PARTNER AT EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND, AND LAUREN SLATER, ASSOCIATE IN THE EVERSHEDS ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY TEAM
No matter the activities of an organisation, some employees will inevitably need to drive for work purposes, even if only occasionally. But many organisations remain unaware of their responsibilities and the potential liabilities both they and their employees face in the event of a serious or fatal road accident. With increased criminal law scrutiny, and new driving offences and penalties being more serious than ever before, where do the lines blur between corporate and personal liability? Does the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ever take an interest? At what point in the day is a worker too fatigued to get behind the wheel?
Recent studies show that work-related motor vehicle incidents account for approximately one-third of all driving deaths. Given that there were 1624 fatalities on the roads in the UK in 2023, that would mean around 550 involved someone carrying out a work-related journey (Department for Transport (DfT), 2023; Ward et al, 2020). Work-related driving accidents should therefore remain a significant concern for employers and employees alike.
The legal framework surrounding these incidents is constantly evolving, with road safety remaining a key component of the UK’s overall public health and safety
MANY ORGANISATIONS ARE UNAWARE OF THE POTENTIAL LIABILITIES IN A ROAD
ACCIDENT
strategy, reflecting the need for greater accountability and safety on the roads. Parliament continues to debate various bills aimed at enhancing road safety and employer accountability. Having effective controls makes it much more likely that people will get home safely.
Over the past decade, new road safety laws across the UK (and in fact across Europe) have made it challenging for organisations to ensure vehicle compliance across multiple jurisdictions. A range of legislation applies in the UK, including the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA), the Road Traffic Acts, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 , and the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (CMCHA), all of which address road risks.
A changing legal landscape
Taking the most serious of the above legislation first, under CMCHA, an employer can be convicted of an offence if, due to senior management failure, the company grossly breaches a relevant duty of care that results in an individual’s death. Just before CMCHA came into force in April 2008, many commentators suggested the first prosecutions would occur in the field of workplace driving. There were good reasons: of the 11 common law corporate manslaughter convictions that predated CMCHA, at least four occurred in the transport arena.
But as the dearth of cases in court since then shows, corporate manslaughter is a difficult offence to prove. Several elements must combine for an organisation to be convicted of corporate killing following a fatal road accident. CMHCA says the jury must consider whether the organisation failed to comply with health and safety law or guidance that relates to the alleged breach and how much of a risk of death this non-compliance posed.
Jurors may also consider ‘the extent to which the evidence shows that there were attitudes, policies, systems or accepted practices within the organisation that were likely to have encouraged any such failure or to have produced tolerance of it’.
A more recent significant development in road traffic law is the introduction of the offence of causing serious injury by careless
driving, effective from June 2022 and aimed at the driver rather than the corporate. This new offence aimed to address a perceived gap in the law and to provide a more appropriate charge for drivers whose careless actions result in serious injury. Previously, such incidents could only be prosecuted under the lesser charge of careless driving, which was not thought to adequately reflect the severity of the injuries caused. The new offence carries a maximum sentence of two years’ custody and disqualification from driving for at least 12 months.
This change underscores the importance of careful driving and holds drivers to a higher standard of accountability. Careless driving, for example when deprived of adequate sleep or rest or engaging in a brief but avoidable distraction (such as changing the radio station) could lead to a serious injury. At its worst, this means a fractured finger could amount to causing serious injury by careless driving if the injury is deemed to be more than a minor or temporary injury.
In 2022 the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act also increased the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving from 14 years’ imprisonment to life.
Fatigue: the real killer?
The case of R v Susan Lowe helps define how much work is too much for expecting employees to drive. Lowe was driving home to Yorkshire from Bournemouth when at around 11pm on the A31 in Hampshire, she struck a recovery truck and killed a man working under a parked car. The jury in the trial heard that she had been awake for more than 16 hours at the time of the incident.
In sentencing her, Judge Leigh QC noted that she must have fallen asleep at the wheel, not realising how tired she was. Many employers see that 16 hours of wakefulness as a useful indicator of an absolute limit in expecting people to work and then drive – it is good practice to consider that in writing your own risk assessments.
While employers may think that this only applies to driving during working hours, the HSE has previously made clear that although health and safety law does not usually apply
to commuting, it may apply when the employee is travelling from their home to a location that is not their usual place of work, or where the employer’s actions have put the employee at risk travelling to or from work.
In 2006, Cambridgeshire potato processing company The Produce Connection was fined £54,000 after an employee crashed his car on the way home and died. The employee had worked four 19hour days before the crash and the company was held liable for his chronic fatigue. Determining when an employee is too fatigued to drive is complex. Employers must monitor working hours and ensure that employees are not overworked. Renown Consultants Limited (trading as Renown Railway Services) was fined £450,000, plus £300,000 in costs, in 2020 after two employees died in a crash caused by driver fatigue. The case was the first prosecution by the Office of Rail and Road in relation to failures of fatigue management and could
DETERMINING WHEN AN EMPLOYEE IS TOO FATIGUED TO DRIVE IS COMPLEX
have wide-ranging implications for the management of fatigue both within and outside the rail industry.
The HSE has recently issued guidance (HSE, 2024) in response to recommendations made by the Transport Research Laboratory for the HSE and DfT (Pyta et al, 2020). The report suggested that where employees drive a lot for work, the employer should take responsibility to
implement vehicle safety monitoring technology (telematics, intelligent speed assistance, distraction recognition, and so on). Failure to follow this guidance may mean that employers fall foul of health and safety legislation and may be relevant if jurors need to consider the attitudes, policies, systems or accepted practices within the organisation for CMCHA purposes that were likely to have encouraged any such failure or to have produced tolerance of it.
Reverse burden
Charges relating to careless or dangerous driving are subject to the usual criminal burden of proof. Charges under the HSWA are, however, much more difficult to defend because it is difficult to prove that all reasonable measures have been taken to ensure health and safety, particularly if industry guidance has been ignored. The reality is that the HSE is rarely interested. According to the Road Death Investigation Manual (Police Scotland, 2015), the police must contact the HSE after a road death when there is sufficient indication that failures in safety management by the employer have significantly contributed to the incident, and these failures cannot be addressed by the ‘cause and permit’ provisions in road traffic statutes – such as where an individual causes or permits a driver to use a car that is uninsured or unregistered – and where the risks are foreseeable and beyond the direct control of the driver. This is similar to the work-related death protocol used following industrial deaths in the workplace.
This might apply where the employer has failed to ensure that drivers are competent and capable of doing their work in a way that is safe for them and other people: has the employer considered whether the driver has the necessary driving licence and whether further training is required to enable them to go about their job? Alternatively, it could be
that the employer asks salespeople to travel around with heavy items in the back seat of their car that are not properly secured and which could cause serious danger in the event of a collision, when they could become projectiles.
A question of priorities
Work-related road safety is not a priority in the HSE’s strategic plan. As such, the likelihood of an investigation under the HSWA or regulations is much lower than in a conventional work-related incident: for example, if an employee were run over by a forklift truck in a warehouse or private yard. By contrast, the police are very interested in work-related driving because they are the organisation that normally investigates road deaths; there could be situations in which the HSE is not particularly interested but the police believe there is sufficient evidence to
push for corporate manslaughter. This situation creates a dilemma for employers in that failing to take some precautions is unlikely to result in prosecution by the HSE but if, following a combination of factors someone dies, they might face a corporate manslaughter investigation.
In recent years, several safety initiatives have been introduced to reduce work-related driving accidents. The British Safety Council, for example, endeavours to reduce accidents through effective driver training, education and support.
The HSE is also working closely with organisations including the DfT, the DVSA and Highways England to improve workrelated road safety. Examples include the transport sector plan (HSE, 2019), which focuses on safe drivers, safe vehicles and safe journeys.
There is a growing call for serious injuries and road deaths during work journeys
A breath of fresh air
Specification made easy with Dräger Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)
COMING SOON! Small light and comfortable. Our new X-plore 8000 unit is being previewed now.
to fall within the RIDDOR framework, placing more of an obligation on the HSE to investigate. As all OSH professionals know, reporting does not drive change –action does. Given the current headcount challenges facing the HSE, with a real-time reduced budget impacting its capacity to enforce health and safety regulations effectively, it is unlikely to welcome such a change.
By staying informed about the latest legal developments and prioritising road safety where employers have people on the road, both employers and employees can contribute to a safer working environment. The evolving legal landscape underscores the importance of accountability and proactive measures in preventing work-related driving accidents.
For references, visit ioshmagazine. com/legal-framework-driving
If you specify RPE to protect your workers then Dräger’s PAPR will feel like a breath of fresh air. With a continuous flow of clean air to a wide range of tight and loose-fitting headpieces, each with different head protection options, you can choose from face masks, face shields, hoods and helmets. With so much choice, you can rest assured that you have chosen the most appropriate protection for the wearer, the task and the environment. www.draeger.co.uk
SCAN ME
BUSINESS
ELEVATE OSH IN YOUR ORGANISATION
Backache, headaches and mental health issues can all result from exposure to whole body vibration. What are the key sources of vibration and how are they best mitigated?
WORDS JOHN WINDELL
Whole body vibration (WBV) is a major occupational health hazard caused by repetitive mechanical vibration, usually transmitted via surfaces such as floors, platforms and seats. While figures for its prevalence are scarce – vibration itself can be measured but its effects on people are less easily quantified – one study estimated that some nine million adults in the UK were exposed to occupational vibration every week (Palmer et al, 2000).
The sources of WBV can be varied. It’s anything producing vibration that
subsequently travels through a worker’s legs and arms and into the torso.
‘The main sources are often work vehicles or ride-on machines. The obvious ones are tractors and other off-road vehicles,’ says Chris Wagstaff CMIOSH, health and safety director at Croner.
Dr Karen Michell CMIOSH, research programme lead at IOSH, says the way a vehicle is both designed and used has an effect. ‘We think of drivers in cabs that are poorly designed, but they may be in a well-designed cab and driving on a really bad road surface.’
Other workers at risk are those using tools such as jackhammers. ‘Pneumatic equipment
Chronic exposure
causes vibration, which is transmitted through the worker’s body. The amount of energy varies, depending on what equipment they are working with.’
WBV is primarily a problem for industries employing heavy vehicles and mobile machines. ‘It tends to be industries such as construction, mining, agriculture and forestry,’ says Chris. ‘Twenty years ago, I’d say longdistance driving as well. But unless you’re driving a really old vehicle over a long distance without good suspension, that’s not going to affect you any more.’ Light aircraft and small
boats might also expose people to WBV, while recent research has also highlighted issues with jet skis, he adds.
Paul Delderfield, principal specialist inspector (noise and vibration) at the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE), says the regulated area where WBV is considered a risk is off-highway vehicles. ‘It tends to be agricultural machinery, quarry vehicles, cranes in dockyards, and forklift trucks and other vehicles with little suspension but travelling over rough ground such as broken tarmac and concrete.’
While the type of exposure is a key factor, so too is its length. Karen says studies have shown that for workers who use equipment for fewer
NINE MILLION ADULTS IN THE UK ARE EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL VIBRATION EVERY WEEK
than four hours a day the impact on the body is minimal. ‘It’s the chronic exposure day after day and prolonged working hours that have the greatest impact. The body doesn’t get enough time to recover.’
The process of defining the harm WBV can cause is not straightforward. ‘It’s an interesting
one for us as the regulator because it’s hard to directly link harm back to cause,’ says Paul. ‘Hand-arm vibration and noise-induced hearing loss have distinct characteristics that can only be caused by vibration or by noise. WBV often leads to back injury, but so do 101 other things.’
Making the link
Given the prevalence of back issues among the general population, the task of identifying WBV seems fraught. But an ‘index of suspicion’ can’t be ignored, says Karen: ‘Where somebody working with equipment that generates vibration complains of back pain, we need to be thinking: “Is this because of work exposure?”’
However, the harm caused by WBV can spread further than the back. ‘Acute harm is a big shock of WBV over a short period,’ says Chris, ‘whereas chronic harm is low exposure over a long period. With acute issues, the two issues that always come up are headaches and loss of balance after getting off the machine. Over a longer period, it can affect digestion, give a lot of joint pain, and in females can even upset the menstrual cycle.’
Karen also points to research that found pregnant women who are exposed to WBV tend to have pre-term births.
So what do employers need to do to help protect workers? Prevention is always better than cure, but given the stealthy way WBV can impact people, simple awareness is a key step.
‘If an employee is starting to exhibit headaches and loss of balance, particularly after a long day, you want to start acting on that,’ says Chris. ‘Some clients I’ve worked with have reported visual issues. You will also find that, as with any ill health over a long period, it will start to affect people’s mental health. That can cause a build-up of stress and tension in the body, which then causes more issues.’
When faced with an employee who has backache, the temptation for employers might be to look at the person’s lifestyle. But any sort of occupational exposure to vibration should be the starting point for managing the issue.
‘That would be the earliest symptom in the deep disease process,’ says Karen. ‘We know, for example, that there may be digestive disorders, visual disorders, cardiovascular issues and a link to hypertension in certain workers.’ The longer and more intense the exposure, the more significant the health effects may be.
Monitoring the effects
Given the complexity of the issue, employers and OSH professionals need to consider all the issues that could cause the sort of back problems that are potentially linked to WBV. As well as investigating, this may entail providing equipment that attenuates vibration or protects workers from the prolonged effects. To help quantify the issue, the HSE has produced a WBV calculator (see WBV: legislation and measurement, above) and the Back Injury Risks in Driving (BIRD) tool. It’s a questionnaire that
WBV: legislation and measurement
In the UK, the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set out exposure values for WBV. The HSE provides advice on the regulations for employers (hse.gov.uk/pubns/ indg242.pdf) and general guidance (hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l141.pdf). The HSE also offers WBV guidance for certain industries (hse.gov.uk/ pubns/ais20.pdf).
The EU directive 2002/44/EC covers the effects of WBV at work. Other countries also have WBV legislation. For example, Australia’s Work, Health and Safety Act 2011 requires employers to check levels of vibration, frequency and duration of exposure, and the design of plant and vehicles.
‘It’s hard to monitor and measure WBV,’ says Chris Wagstaff. ‘With any piece of equipment or vehicle that’s causing an issue, first go to the manufacturer’s guidance, which should give the vibration emissions. HSE has an exposure calculator (hse. gov.uk/vibration/wbv/calculator. htm) but you’ll need an idea of the vibration magnitudes from vehicles. WBV meters are available. Note that the manufacturer’s guidance gives the best outcome for a vehicle used in the correct conditions and that has been serviced and maintained correctly.’
considers all the issues that may cause backache, including the type of vehicle and road surfaces, and the seating position in the cab, and then indicates what the highest risks are likely to be. Technology is also playing a role in monitoring vibration and mitigating its effects. Remote control equipment is becoming commonplace in some industries, such as agriculture. Workers don’t physically ride or handle equipment but
control it from a safe place, well away from harmful vibration. Keeping equipment well maintained is vital to controlling vibration, and many modern machines have sensors that warn when a service or repair is required. New vehicles also come equipped with sensors in the seat, which will alert the driver or operator when vibration becomes excessive. General engineering has come a long way too.
‘New suspension set-ups and shock absorbers are better than they were,’ says Chris. ‘The design and technology that goes into seats is the best it’s ever been. In a modern HGV, the seat wraps around you. Much of the vibration is stopped before it gets to the seat. The ancillary parts, such as tyres and dampening materials, are much better.’
On the agenda
So, what are the key things OSH professionals need to consider when protecting workers from mechanical vibration?
‘Number one,’ says Chris, ‘don’t overlook WBV. It seems obvious, but while we are often good at looking at a machine or a vehicle and saying it needs servicing or a risk assessment, we sometimes forget to consider WBV. It needs to be on the agenda. Number two, keep up to date with technology. In the world of health and safety, nothing stays the same. Third, inform staff about the risks of WBV. Do awareness training, but make it about the employees.’
WBV is certainly something to be aware of, says Paul, though it is restricted to relatively few industries. ‘Make sure you look at all the factors that are going to cause back injury.’
Karen agrees that giving workers the knowledge to link the early signs of WBV with the work they are doing is a positive step. ‘There’s often a fear that if we give workers information, they’ll become problematic. But my belief is that if you give them the right knowledge, they cooperate. There’s better collaboration. The employer gets to hear much earlier that something’s wrong, creating the opportunity to prevent chronic and long-term issues for workers.’
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ WBV-effects
BIOSAFE AND SOUND
We take a look inside The Pirbright Institute, a world-leading centre of excellence for the research and surveillance of viral diseases.
WORDS KATHY OXTOBY
The COVID-19 pandemic that swept through the world in 2020 ‘reminded everybody that a biological hazard can have a longerlasting, further-reaching, more costly and greater impact than a chemical or fire hazard’, says Dr Andrew White, director of risk and assurance at The Pirbright Institute in the UK.
‘COVID was a wake-up call for governments, policy-makers and the wider community. There is now a clearer realisation of the level of the threat and the potential consequences of pathogens such as Nipah virus and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, both identified by the World Health Organization as emerging threats in the future,’ he suggests.
One of eight facilities in the UK with level 4 status (the highest category of biocontainment), The Pirbright Institute in Surrey is dedicated to the research and surveillance of viral diseases of livestock and those that spread from animals to humans. As a National Capability site, it provides the UK with the capacity to predict, detect, understand and respond to outbreaks.
The threat level from pathogens to human and animal health is growing, Andrew says. ‘This is because of climate change, more people travelling and more animal movement,’ he says. ‘Almost all of the viruses we are working on are an increasing threat to human and animal health in the UK and globally. Many of these
diseases are not endemic to the UK, and we must keep them out of the country and contained within the research laboratories.’
He says diagnostic surveillance work ‘is critical, but in a sense closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’. He adds: ‘What is important in the long term is the research that we and others are doing, for example, into possible vaccines.’
The Pirbright Institute certainly knows a thing or two about operating over the long term, having started life 100 years ago as a cattle-testing station for tuberculosis and since then having played an important role in controlling and preventing some of the world’s most devastating diseases.
In the last decade, the organisation received nearly £500m of investment from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to develop a state-ofthe-art national virology centre, completed in 2015, which combines fundamental and applied research.
More recently, the institute received funding from the UK government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to build a facility for vaccine innovation and manufacturing. ‘We’re going to take the vaccines coming out of our laboratory research and develop them at scale to the point where they can be manufactured and used in the world,’ says Andrew.
Keeping everyone safe
Health and safety is, of course, a priority for all 450 staff, research students and visiting scientists at the facility. ‘Many of these pathogens are a serious and immediate danger to the workers handling them. They can also spread to the community and pose a wider threat to the public,’ says Andrew.
Health and safety measures at The Pirbright Institute include ‘complex engineering measures for our laboratories, and rigorous operational and management controls’, Andrew explains.
Engineering controls include microbiological safety cabinets to protect workers as well as a range of measures to safeguard the wider community and
REPRESENTATION
Biorisk Strategic Leadership Group
Established in 2017 and coordinated by The Pirbright Institute, the Biorisk Strategic Leadership Group (BSLG) brings together the UK’s high-hazard biological facilities and representatives of other key stakeholders across the whole bio economy.
The HSE asked The Pirbright Institute to facilitate the formation of a sector leadership group for biorisk, says BSLG group chairman Dr Andrew White. ‘Key players from the sector come together at leadership level to have dialogues on a strategic basis,’ he explains.
The organisation’s members include eight level 4 organisations, the HSE, NHS England, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and some universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
The group is not just a ‘talking shop’, Andrew insists. ‘We wanted it to do useful work. For example, we hold workshops and produce briefing notes in order to share best practice.’
The Pirbright Institute is a level 4 biocontainment facility
the environment. The whole facility has a negative air pressure cascade and the exhaust is double HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtered, while liquid waste is heat-treated in an effluent treatment plant, and solid waste is heat-treated in an autoclave or incinerated.
Operational controls include risk assessment (including for any genetic modification), functional and process safety management, a training and competency framework, an internal inspection and audit programme, human factors critical task analyses, planned preventive maintenance and testing of engineering assets, 24/7 live monitoring and management of systems, and duplication and backups of key systems.
At a regulatory level, scrutiny by the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is ‘intensive and at the same level as an oil refinery or chemical plant’, Andrew says.
The biological agents in hazard group 4 (handled by level 4 facilities) are ‘the most hazardous and do cause severe human disease if exposure is not suitably prevented’, says a spokesperson from the HSE. ‘However, they form a minority of the biological agents worked with in this country and are only handled by a small number of specialist organisations, who have often done so for a significant number of years.’
The spokesperson adds: ‘We have a well-developed and long-standing riskbased regulatory regime which is aimed at ensuring the control measures applied are sufficient to protect the health of workers and the wider community.’
Professional recognition
Despite the importance of the work, up to now there has been a lack of recognition for professionals operating in the field of biorisk. ‘Employers in the sector have been finding it difficult to recruit. The lack of a credible professional status has meant that people have not been finding it an attractive career option,’ says Andrew.
To help address this, a new professional registration scheme for biorisk specialists was launched in the UK in June 2024.
THE THREAT LEVEL FROM PATHOGENS TO HUMAN HEALTH IS GROWING
The Biorisk Professional Registration Scheme (BPRS) from the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) has been developed in conjunction with the Biorisk Strategic Leadership Group (BSLG) and coordinated by The Pirbright Institute (see Biorisk Strategic Leadership Group on page 63).
BSLG members ‘felt strongly that there needed to be a professional framework for
people working in biorisk management as a specialist field of health and safety’, explains Andrew, who is chairman of the organisation. While there was ‘already training out there, the sector wanted it to be reviewed and updated, and for both knowledge and skills to be an important part of the scheme’.
The BPRS has been developed over several years, with input from a wide range of biorisk experts and sector leaders, including representatives from many of the UK’s main high containment facilities, several leading universities and research institutes, NHS England and other industry partners. It was decided that the new scheme needed to sit under a professional body with a royal charter, so
The Institute plays a vital role in disease control and prevention
The facility follows strict controls to protect staff and the wider community
BSLG approached the RSB, which became a partner in developing it.
RSB director Paul Trimmer says: ‘Our support includes a robust [continuing professional development] programme, allowing professionals to record and reflect on their training and learning. As a professional body with a royal charter, RSB provides credibility to the register.
‘We developed the scheme for those involved in management, control or containment of biorisk, to provide an objective benchmark of the key knowledge and skills required for biorisk practitioners.’
Independent assessment
Those applying to become registered are independently assessed against this framework. ‘This scheme helps practitioners to develop and evidence their professional skills, raises standards and provides assurance to stakeholders seeking biosecurity advice and support,’ says Paul. ‘Ultimately, this will enhance the containment of hazardous agents and control of biorisk, improving the protection of people and the wider environment.’
There are two tiers to registration in the BPRS: registered biorisk adviser (RBA) and registered biorisk specialist (RBS). The former is for new practitioners, those who require a basic level of recognised competence and/or those who are supporting work at low biocontainment levels, while the higher tier is intended for practitioners developing a career as a biorisk adviser/specialist, needing a higher level of recognised competence and/or those supporting more complex work in higher-risk environments.
For OSH practitioners working in biosafety and biorisk, ‘it will elevate their professional status within the context of management of biorisk, recognise and benchmark their expertise and skills in this particular specialist area of health and safety practice, and provide an objective standard for employers when they are developing staff ’, says Andrew.
‘We are not trying to compete with IOSH, we’re trying to supplement what IOSH
Biorisk regulatory enforcement
UK laboratories that are places of work are subject to the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) and other regulations under the Act.
Most important are the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, particularly schedule 3. It is under these regulations that biological agents are classified as hazard group 1, 2, 3 or 4, which, in the case of groups 2, 3 and 4, leads to the classification of the laboratory as containment level 2, 3 or 4.
Schedule 3 part II of COSHH identifies containment measures that apply to labs working at containment level 2, 3 and 4.
Schedule 3 also creates a requirement for an employer to notify the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should they use hazard group 2, 3 or 4 agents for the first time at any premises.
There are requirements to further notify the HSE of any proposed work with certain named biological agents. This includes all hazard group 3 and 4 agents.
does,’ he emphasises. ‘We’re providing a new professional dimension for practitioners working in this specialist area.’
IOSH CPD will meet the requirements of the new scheme ‘so IOSH members do not need to do two lots of CPD’, he says.
‘We will also accept grandfathering rights from people who have already done approved training courses,’ says Andrew. ‘And once you have the accreditation, provided you pay the membership fee and do your CPD, you are accredited for life.’
Improving protections
The scheme has made a ‘major step towards enhancing the professional status of biorisk practitioners, and fostering international
The HSE employs a team of specialist microbiology inspectors to assess notifications and carry out inspections of work activities involving biological agents. Enforcement action is taken in accordance with the HSE Enforcement Policy Statement and Enforcement Management Model.
Lab work involving genetically modified organisms comes under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2014, which are made under environmental legislation, not HSWA. However, the HSE forms part of a competent authority with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and devolved nation governments, which have duties under these regulations. These regulations also refer to groups 1 to 4 and containment levels 2, 3 and 4.
There are similar notifications to COSHH, and the HSE carries out regulatory interventions and enforcement where necessary.
Source: HSE
equivalence and recognition of biorisk management practice’, says Paul.
As for the work being done in the bio sector, this continues to be ‘incredibly important in protecting people and the animal population from the impacts of high consequence pathogens’, says Andrew.
‘It’s vital this work is done safely, so that people stay healthy and well and that these pathogens are not released into the wider community. We are working with the sector to not cause the very outbreaks we are trying to prevent.’
For more information about the scheme, visit the RSB webpage at rsb.org.uk or email registers@rsb.org.uk
CLEANERS
Sweptunder THE CARPET
WORDS ANNA SCOTT
Despite being a huge global sector involving millions of workers, cleaning has a low profile. What are the OSH challenges that cleaners face, and how can they be tackled?
he cleaning sector encompasses a wide range of roles and responsibilities. In the UK, employees in the cleaning, hygiene and waste disposal sector make up 5% of the entire UK workforce: 1.47 million people (British Cleaning Council (BCC), 2024). These figures include people working in noncore cleaning services, including cabin crew and hospital staff
The latest figures from the US show that around three million employees were working as janitors and cleaners, maids and housekeeping cleaners, as well as all other building cleaning operatives in 2023 (Statista, 2024).
In France, the cleaning industry employs about 642,000 people or 8% of the country’s labour force (IBISWorld, 2024). The cleaning industry in Germany employs over 1.1 million people and is described as the country’s ‘largest skilled workforce’ (European Cleaning and Facility Services Industry, 2020).
were building cleaning and pest control workers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). In the UK, there were two fatalities over two years – both victims were selfemployed window cleaners who died after falling from a height (HSE, 2024; 2023).
Whatever specific job roles the data covers, the number of people around the world with cleaning responsibilities as part of their job is huge. More than 3000 serious accidents involving cleaners are reported to the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) every year, but underreporting means the true figures are likely to be much higher (SafeWorkforce, 2024).
Environment is key
Cleaning can take place anywhere, and the principal consideration from a health and safety perspective is its location. ‘One obvious example is the standard office building – most people are working on computers, and cleaners come in after 5pm to work on their own,’ says Ross Whalley, partner at law firm Leigh Day, specialising in personal injury.
injury, infection or respiratory issues.’ explains Denise Hanson, commercial director of the British Institute of Cleaning Science.
Given the range of cleaning responsibilities, the health and safety risks are vast. One study at Mekelle University in Ethiopia found that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among cleaners was 52.3% in the previous 12 months and 31.8% in the previous seven days (Melese et al, 2020).
C L E A N I N G S
Of 5486 fatal work injuries in the US over the course of a year (2023), 67
Working at height obviously poses risks, whether it’s cleaning landings or standing on desks to clean ceiling fans, for example. ‘If the height is over a couple of feet it carries a risk of injury,’ Ross says. ‘There are also risks with any type of electrical cleaning equipment. It must be maintained, inspected and repaired as any workplace machinery would be.’
Poor training or a lack of training for cleaning staff can also lead to incidents. ‘Some workplaces also have a lack of provision of storage areas for cleaning equipment and materials or storage areas that have poor ventilation,’ adds Delia Cannings, chair of the BCC.
‘Or cleaners might work in an environment like a psychiatric hospital, and service users will be present at the same time. Or they might be doing external cleaning of tall buildings. Employers should visit the location and consider the inherent risks posed by the physicality of the work at that location,’ he says.
‘Risks include slip and trip injuries, manual handling injuries and health conditions caused by repeated exposure to chemicals,’ she says, adding that cleaning is often done under time pressure, which can feed into mental health issues. For example, cleaning staff may experience stress about reaching the required standards in the time allocated. ‘Mental health issues can also be caused by the pressure of widespread staff shortages or other workload issues, remote working, unsocial hours and lone working,’ Delia explains.
The main physical health and safety issues for cleaners depend on where they are working. ‘Problems can include repetitive strain injury, musculoskeletal
‘Cleaning staff can feel invisible in the workplace because their contribution is not acknowledged by others, or they are not heard in the work environment. You also see poor behaviour and practices by other staff, who have an expectation that the cleaner will deal with it,’ Delia says. If cleaning operatives are tired, stressed, anxious or dealing with monotonous work, they may lack concentration,
which then poses physical risks.
hen aine master of the pful of Environmental
es physicalrisks issues
Lorraine Larman, master of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, agrees that cleaners often face low societal perception and self-esteem issues.
‘Continuous management of hazardous substances and high-risk tasks can lead to mental health problems from the stress of working in these exacting conditions,’ she says. ‘Working alone or in different locations can lead to feelings of isolation.’
Working alone
Lone working is more common in the cleaning industry than in many others.
‘Without proper support from employers, cleaning operatives can experience stress, and more accidents and incidents are possible,’ Delia says.
‘Many businesses in the cleaning and hygiene sector do recognise this and have put measures in place to help staff,’ she adds. These include using technology, providing training, assessing risks and promoting communication and understanding of issues.
‘Lone workers are more vulnerable and exposed to physical and sexual assault and abuse.’ Ross explains. ‘I have acted for cleaners who have been exposed to violence in the workplace after hours. This creates isolation and the absence of safeguards. Cleaners are also at risk if an accident happens when they are on their own.’
Denise adds: ‘There needs to be a robust risk assessment so that if an incident or accident were to occur there would not be an extended period for the operative to be unattended.’
Who is cleaning?
Other risks are posed by who is cleaning. ‘The cleaning industry employs more female staff and migrants than many other industries,’ Delia says. Women make up 69% of the UK cleaning workforce, but at a manager level it is 62% male (BCC, 2022). Staff therefore may be at greater risk of assault or abuse.
In addition, many cleaning operatives speak English as a second language and
many have literacy or numeracy issues.
‘Even if their first language is English, it doesn’t necessarily follow that they can
read and understand any documentation supplied for them to aid in their health and safety,’ Denise says.
‘It is important that the induction and training of all staff ensures the health and safety of all workers is comprehensively covered, in such a way that all candidates can comprehend.’
Delia agrees: ‘There is a risk of staff not understanding key policies and procedures such as induction into the role, health and safety requirements, evacuation procedures, how to dilute chemicals, compliance requirements generally and reporting procedures.’
Another potential risk is modern slavery. The UK cleaning sector is one of the most likely industries for human traffickers to
CASE STUDY
Smarter ways to reduce exposure to risks
place their victims and for unscrupulous companies to practise modern slavery (Total Support Services, 2019).
‘The cleaning industry as a whole is being made aware of the group Stamp out Slavery at industry events with the Cleaning and Support Services Association, championing its adoption to ensure employers are up to date with the signs to look out for when employing candidates,’ Denise says.
How to mitigate the risks
OSH professionals should refer to IOSH’s policy positions on fatal occupational injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, psychosocial risk, violence and aggression. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) is the main piece of legislation protecting cleaners at work in the UK.
It’s crucial to consider employers’ responsibilities for self-employed cleaners
Technology is playing a growing role in reducing risks in the cleaning sector. This can be through the monitoring of lone workers, equipment and buildings in real time, but there is a growing array of applications.
‘The use of robots is increasingly common in the industry,’ Delia explains. ‘They can take over the more mundane and repetitive tasks, allowing human staff to focus on other areas, which increases productivity and efficiency, leading to higher standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
mmon in the Delia
ading to standards nfection te isms, impr
[can] moni es and req and safety chnology, ove and tor that allow quest assistance at work, [and]
Lorraine also points to ultraviolet disinfection technology, which uses UV light to deactivate micro-organisms, improve hygiene and reduce exposure to harmful bacteria.
‘Internet of things and data analytics [can] monitor cleaning activities and optimise workflows,’ she says. ‘Apps that allow cleaners to report hazards, order supplies and request assistance in real time also raise the bar on health and safety at work, [and] increase efficiency and cost savings.’
or those employed by a third party.
‘Environmental factors, machinery –they may not be controlled by employers but they retain a non-delegable duty of care that is enshrined in the HSWA,’ Ross explains.
This also applies to the work given to cleaners. ‘There are unreasonable requests by clients who have no understanding of the cleaning staff ’s role and make requests that should be carried out by estates departments,’ Delia says.
Ross recommends taking a five-point approach. Professionals should:
• Identify the tasks causing risks.
• Consider the harm likely to be caused.
• Establish whether the risk can be eliminated as part of a work process.
• Decide what factors and systems are needed to reduce the risk of harm.
• Implement these systems.
THE
EMPLOYS
‘For example, if heavy items need moving as part of a work process, what is the weight and size, how often do they need to be moved and over what distance?’ he says. ‘What harm is possible, such as back strain, hernia injury or work-related upperlimb disorders?
‘Could cleaners clean around the items instead of moving them? If not, how can we
duce the risk – can the items br k wn into
reduce the risk – can the items be broken down into smaller or lighter components? If not, could machinery assist, or more
Also, consider the worker’s physical abilities – are they male or female, how big are they, what experience do they have, do they have pre-existing vulnerabilities? Finally, professionals can put a work system in place.’
Taking this kind of methodical approach will help OSH professionals to mitigate some of the risks faced by cleaners. They should also understand what cleaning staff face every day, the requirements of the role and, Denise adds, ‘raise the profile of these oftenunseen operatives’.
For references, see ioshmagazine. com/spotlight-cleaners
EVIDENCE
EXPLORE THE LATEST RESEARCH
TOPIC: Unpaid labour
TITLE: The silent shift: Pregnant women doing aesthetic and emotional labour at work
Published by: Gender, Work & Organization
SUMMARY: While laws exist to protect pregnant women from discrimination at work, many still choose to stay quiet about their pregnancies before they begin to show. This study investigated how pregnancies were concealed by interviewing 54 women in the US who were employed during their pregnancy.
It revealed two main findings: the women were forced to manage their pregnant body both aesthetically and emotionally, which the author describes as a form of unpaid labour that they call the ‘silent shift’.
This involves concealing the pregnancy, typically during the first trimester through changes in work clothes (aesthetic labour) or behaviour. When their pregnancy could no longer be concealed, the women dealt with awkward comments from co-workers about their bodies by keeping silent about how such remarks made them feel, suppressing negative emotions,
Research matters
Recent papers examine issues facing pregnant women in the workplace and obesity as a risk factor for musculoskeletal injury.
rationalising co-workers’ comments or by laughing them off (emotional labour). The author concluded that while laws exist to protect pregnant women from job discrimination, these are less adept at capturing everyday forms of inequality involving microaggressions and stigmatisation.
READ REPORT AT: b.link/GWO-silent-shift
TOPIC: Obesity and musculoskeletal injury
TITLE: Obesity as a risk factor for musculoskeletal injury during manual handling tasks: a systematic review and meta-analysis
PUBLISHED BY: Safety Science
SUMMARY: Obesity affects 60% of adults globally and is now considered to be an epidemic in Europe. The risk of sustaining a workplace injury is estimated to be 25% to 45% higher for obese workers compared with those of a healthy weight. Obese people also tend to have higher rates of work-related injury, absenteeism, compensation claims, increased medical costs and reduced work productivity and ability. According to the World Health Organization, obese adults are at increased risk of musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints, metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular
disorders, and mental health issues. Researchers investigated the effects of increased body weight on the biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical responses to manual handling. Results showed mixed evidence for differences in the kinematics of lifting between obese/ overweight handlers and those of a healthy weight, and moderate evidence that obese handlers adopt similar knee postures to those of a healthy weight despite different compression forces on the lower spine. But the results suggest that approaches to preventing and managing work-related MSK conditions should consider a worker’s body weight when designing workplaces, work practices and training. They concluded that, to develop appropriate interventions, more high-quality studies were needed, involving a range of industry and service sector handling tasks.
READ REPORT AT: b.link/SS-obesity-MSK
Research: in depth
We take a look at a recent paper to see how its findings can inform OSH.
TITLE
Characteristics of work-related fatal injuries among aged workers in Republic of Korea
PUBLICATION
Safety and Health at Work
BACKGROUND/AIMS
A demographic analysis reported that Korea became an ‘ageing society’ in 2000, an ‘aged society’ in 2018 and will become a ‘super-aged’ society in 2025. Due to its low birth rate and the rapid ageing of its population, Korea had the largest percentage of workingage population in 2019, followed by a decline. This has led to a prediction that the employment of elderly workers will increase to offset rising labour shortages in many industries.
Previous studies of the construction industry workforce found that older age at the time of injury was related to higher injury-related costs, but age was unrelated to the number of injuries.
This study sought to investigate whether an ageing workforce is associated with an increase in workrelated fatal injuries and to explore the underlying reasons for this potential increase.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
Aged workers were defined as those who were at least 55 years old. Workrelated fatalities were assessed in those who were registered with the workers’ compensation system in 2021 in the Republic of Korea. Total waged workers, based on raw data from the Local Area Labour Force Survey in 2021, were used as the denominator to estimate the work-related fatality rates.
The estimated rate of work-related fatalities of aged workers was about four times higher than that of younger workers. In addition, the estimated rate of work-related fatalities of all aged male workers (1.782 per 10,000) was about 30 times higher than that of all aged female workers (0.060 per 10,000).
Among aged workers, most work-related fatalities were in the construction sector (58.9%), followed by the manufacturing sector (16.5%). Most work-related fatalities in the aged sector were for ‘elementary occupations’ (unskilled workers). An analysis of the types of accidents responsible for workrelated fatalities showed that falling was the major cause of death in both aged and young workers.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that aged workers have a higher incidence of work-related
fatalities than young workers. The frequent engagement in precarious employment and jobs, coupled with greater physical vulnerability, probably contribute to their higher rate of work-related fatalities.
The study was strong in that it was based on a representative national workers’ compensation database for Korea that covers all industrial sectors and occupations. It also estimated the incidences of work-related fatalities of aged workers relative to young workers according to industrial sector, occupational class and employment status.
However, since the research was a cross-sectional observational study, the authors could not infer causality, just report observations of associations. The study was also unable to calculate the precise incidence rates of work-related fatalities in aged workers, because of the unavailability of exact data.
The authors stated that, to prevent fatal workplace injuries, employers
should improve the safety and health standards for the types of employment and jobs in which aged workers are most common. In addition, preventive measures that improve the physical and functional capacities of aged workers, with a focus on balance and muscle strength, may help prevent fatal injuries in these individuals.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
A question many ask when considering the implications of an ageing workforce is whether there is an association between age and workplace fatalities. According to this study, aged workers of 55 and over had a higher incidence of work-related fatalities than younger workers. The causes of this were found to be older workers’ frequent
engagement in precarious employment and a greater physical vulnerability. This raises the question: what can OSH professionals do to keep older workers safe? Targeted risk assessments are one answer, ensuring that vulnerable workers have more specific control measures or reasonable adjustments where needed. Measures might also include reviewing the scope of existing workplace policies, including equality, diversity and inclusion, workplace reasonable adjustments and flexible working policies. The advice and support of occupational health services may also be required.
For the full report, go to b.link/SHW-ROK-fatal
Spilt milk
Duncan Spencer CFIOSH, head of advice and practice at IOSH, takes a practitioner’s view of landmark civil law cases that can inform our approach.
In the UK, one of the most popular liability claims is for slip and trip incidents.
So what do cases in the last 20 years tell us about control efficacy and, ultimately, the ability to mount a legal defence for such potentially costly incidents?
Courts believe that this type of accident can only happen through negligence; therefore, there is a burden on the defendant to show an effective system of work is in place.
How long a spillage that has caused an accident could have been in existence is a vital consideration. The case most referenced in this regard is Ward v Tesco (1976). A customer slipped on some spilt yoghurt. Tesco was able to evidence that staff regularly inspected and cleaned floors and dealt with spillages as soon as they were detected. But Tesco lost because it could not show when the floor had been last inspected.
For some, the workplace can be other people’s homes. In Kennedy v Cordia (Services) (2016), a care worker was visiting a client’s home. It was cold, and fresh snow was lying on top of ice. When walking up a sloping path the claimant slipped and fell, in part because of wearing inappropriate footwear. The hearing found for the claimant on the grounds that the employer had not completed a risk assessment or considered providing appropriate footwear (PPE).
The most important lessons from cases such as these are as follows:
In a similar case, Dawkins v Carnival plc (2006), the defendant lost because it did not produce evidence from the employees on duty that day to confirm that their system of vigilance was being effectively implemented. Consequently, Carnival was unable to evidence if the spillage had been there for a few minutes or longer.
As Thompson Solicitors call out in their article from May 2005, the
presentation of an argument is crucial in deciding a case. In one case cited, a claimant tripped over the feet of a large screen, which protruded on both sides, at a conference venue.
COURTS BELIEVE SLIP AND TRIP INCIDENTS ARISE THROUGH NEGLIGENCE
The judge found for the defendant on the grounds that the feet were easily seen, and it wasn’t reasonably practicable to store the screens elsewhere. In a similar case cited, the judge found for the claimant. Here, the feet of the screen only protruded on one side of a small screen that could have been easily turned around to hide them safely.
• Ensure that risk assessments cover where, how, why, what and when, and consider all control possibilities in the hierarchy of risk control.
• Have a robust system of work that includes effective inspection, spillage procedures and generation of incident records (which prove the system is working).
• Ensure that employees understand the importance of the safe system and the potential for them to give evidence if there is an incident followed by legal challenge.
For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ civil-law-milestones-slips-trips
“Excellent course content, very user friendly.”
“Very good online training, best I have come across so far.”
“Really good course, well laid out and support from tutors was excellent.”
