IOSH Magazine - May/June 2025 by Redactive Media Group

MAY/JUNE AY/JUNE 2 5

What questions can leaders ask and what actions can they take to head off disaster?

TRAGEDY

Zeebrugge (1987, 193 died) ugge

Grenfell (2017, 72 died)

Bhopal (1984, 16,000 died)

Grenfell (2 Gren (

Ladbroke Grove (1999, 31 died)

Aberfan (1966, 144 died)

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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.

Published by Redactive Publishing Ltd

9 Dallington Street, London, EC1V 0LN

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Joanne Perry

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Alex Lacey

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If governments are serious about an upturn in their economies, they must ensure that there is a focus on providing good work and good OSH. That brings me to two questions. First, what is good work? Quite simply, it is work that is safe, healthy and sustainable and accommodates people’s needs. Second, what do we mean by good OSH? This is a question many reading this will have been asked, both by senior leaders or other colleagues, or in conversation with families and friends.

It’s certainly something I’ve been asked many times in my career – and a question that still presents itself today.

With a safe and healthy working environment now recognised as a fundamental principle and right at work, governments, policy-makers, businesses and workers will want to know what this actually means for them. This is why IOSH set out to articulate what it means by creating a set of principles that good OSH is based on, in the context of the current world of work.

We were delighted to have engagement from a wide range of stakeholders through a series of roundtables, bringing OSH and non-OSH perspectives, and perspectives across our membership levels and from different countries. The iterative process took us from two sets of principles – one for governments and one for businesses – to a list of 10 overarching and universal guiding principles, from

GOVERNMENTS MUST ENSURE THERE IS A FOCUS ON PROVIDING GOOD WORK AND GOOD OSH

Ensuring ‘good’ OSH

rights and prevention to rehabilitation and equity, diversity and inclusion.

We published an early version of the principles and the road map on our website a couple of months ago and I was also able to take delegates through them at the recent Health & Safety Event in Birmingham. We then detailed what the features are of each guiding principle along with the key responsibilities for governments and regulators, businesses and duty holders and workers.

To be clear, these are principles, so they aren’t designed to be prescriptive in themselves. We will, however, produce guidance, policy positions and toolkits to help promote, implement and embed these principles with IOSH stakeholders, in the work we do to realise our vision of a safe and healthy world of work.

We are living and working in uncertain times. Conﬂict and politics are dominating the headlines. It’s crucial that we keep in mind the reason we do what we do: to prevent harm and ensure that everyone goes home safe and well every day. Not only does this protect everyone’s basic rights, but successful delivery can play a major role in supporting plans for growth.

Ruth Wilkinson CMIOSH HEAD OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, IOSH

THE KNOWLEDGE

6THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Stats, facts, news and views

10INSIDE THE REPORTS

How social dialogue supports SDGs, and how immersive technology can improve safety training

12INTERVIEW

Dr Clare Fernandes discusses how to help people overcome physical and mental health challenges at work

14PROSECUTIONS

Recent court cases

18 THE WIDER VIEW

What’s new online: our latest webinars, videos and podcasts

20PODCAST INTERVIEW

Dr Chris Davis explains the secrets of improving worker engagement

24MEMBER OPINION

James Greenan examines how compliance rules can be simplﬁed

28BUSINESS LEADER FORUM

How can we make sure we’re getting the most from emerging digital technologies like AI?

46 DIVIDED ATTENTION Finding

solutions to the multitude of distractions posed by technology

70ROUNDUP

Hot topics

The latest research and reports

72DEEP

Employed

Duncan

KNOWLEDGE

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS ISSUE

‘The Grenfell Tower tragedy claimed 72 innocent lives in a disaster that should never have happened. The ﬁnal report exposed in stark and devastating detail the shocking industry behaviour and wider failures that led to the ﬁre, and the deep injustices endured by the bereaved, survivors and residents’

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ANGELA RAYNER

1. GOVERNMENT

Firms involved in Grenfell disaster named and shamed

The UK government has accepted all recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, while seven organisations involved in the disaster face possible debarment from future government contracts.

In the 2017 disaster, 72 people lost their lives and ﬂammable cladding was later found to be the principal reason for the spreading of the ﬁre.

The 1700-page report contained 58 recommendations, of which the government has accepted 49 in full and nine in principle. The nine needed ‘further consideration’ through consultations.

Seven companies are named in the inquiry report: Arconic Architectural Products SAS, which made the cladding; Saint-Gobain Construction Products UK Ltd, which previously owned Celotex Ltd; Exova (UK) Ltd, which carried out ﬁre-risk assessments; Harley Facades Ltd, which installed cladding; Kingspan Insulation Ltd; Rydon Maintenance Ltd, which was the main project contractor; and Studio E Architects Ltd. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said that they had all acted with ‘systemic dishonesty’.

They will each face a full investigation under the new Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February. If found to be negligent and in violation of that act, they could face professional debarment from public contracts, as well as hefty ﬁnes and even possible prison time for their company executives.

To read the full story, visit ioshmagazine.com/ Grenfell-named-ﬁrms

2. MODERN SLAVERY

‘Situation is worsening’ 10 years on

Richard Jones CFIOSH, former IOSH head of policy, has called upon employers and the government to tackle slavery.

A decade after the ground-breaking UK Modern Slavery Act, Richard says employers need to take further steps and that the government’s forthcoming ‘action plan’ must urgently upgrade the regulatory framework.

Richard would like to see employers undertake the following:

• Improve modern slavery risk management and prevention

• Sign up to the International Accord, promoting OSH through independent inspections, training programmes and worker-complaints mechanisms.

He believes the government action needed includes:

• A lower report threshold and public sector reporting

• A single enforcer (Fair Work Agency), extension of the licensing regime, awareness campaigns, modelling ethical procurement and trade and a potential labelling scheme

• Considering a wider deﬁnition of modern slavery to clarify and keep pace with changes

• Fostering local and regional leadership and action.

To read more, visit ioshmagazine.com/ modern-slavery-worsening

3. REGULATION

Trudeau’s

legacy: safer workplaces for

Canadians?

The Canadian government’s ban on the import, manufacture, sale, trade or use of products made with asbestos was a landmark ruling and one of many positive OSH developments under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, who resigned at the begining of 2025. However, other policies did not deliver improvements, or else brought more risks.

After the Liberal government came into power in 2015, Canada faced a diverse range of OSH challenges, including COVID-19 and an opioid epidemic.

Although the ban on asbestos brought protection from this hazardous material, difficulties persist in the ability of workers to obtain accurate hazard information more generally. Other challenges to workplace safety include the legalisation of recreational cannabis, which has left some sectors dealing with impaired workers.

To read more, visit ioshmagazine.com/Justin-TrudeauOSH-legacy

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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

4. ROAD SAFETY Amazon driver killer jailed for life

The thief who killed an Amazon delivery driver in Leeds last year has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Claudiu-Carol Kondor was delivering a parcel in Leeds, UK, when Mark Ross tried to steal his vehicle. Claudiu tried to climb in, but Mark drove away with Claudiu clinging to the door. He then deliberately struck two parked cars, causing fatal head and chest injuries to Claudiu, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

IOSH NEWS

IOSH for Business in Bangladesh

IOSH is collaborating with the non-proﬁt organisation Nirapon on a new initiative that will play a major role in creating and sustaining a safety culture in Bangladeshi factories.

Nirapon, which works with global brands, retailers, manufacturers and non-governmental organisations, will enrol its team on the IOSH Level 6 Diploma in occupational safety and health leadership and management.

Other aspects of the collaboration include providing advanced OSH leadership training, enhancing the Nirapon team’s understanding of OSH standards and equipping the team to provide more strategic guidance to factories. The programme was put together as part of an IOSH for Business package, speciﬁcally catering to Nirapon’s needs.

For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ IOSH-Nirapon

Pandemic preparedness still crucial

Five years on from the COVID-19 pandemic, IOSH is calling on governments and businesses to ensure that processes are in place to prepare for, respond to and recover from global emergencies.

Amazon told IOSH magazine it would continue to work with its partners to ensure the safety of its drivers.

To read more, see ioshmagazine. com/Amazon-driver-killed

5. CONSTRUCTION RAAC removed from just 30 UK schools

Education minister Stephen Morgan has admitted that work to remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has still not been undertaken in nearly 90% of identiﬁed schools.

The material has only been removed from 30 affected schools of the 232 identiﬁed, despite it being behind the collapse of three roofs in 2023.

Stephen warned that it could take ‘three to ﬁve years’ for RAAC to be removed from all affected schools.

For more, see ioshmagazine.com/ RAAC-30-schools

Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH head of policy and public affairs, said: ‘Pandemics remain on the UK’s National Risk Register (2023 edition). And member states of the World Health Organization continue to negotiate on the Pandemic Accord. This looks to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, to prevent and respond to future pandemics better.

‘An all-of-government approach, one which sees collaboration and information sharing between countries along with policy coherence, is crucial. This forms part of the political commitments being sought within the Accord as well as a whole-of-society approach to pandemic preparedness and response.’

For more, see ioshmagazine.com/pandemic-preparedness

IOSH at the National Film and Television School

Three graduates of the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in Beaconsﬁeld, UK, were presented with a health and safety award by IOSH at their graduate showcase.

A judging panel from IOSH’s Thames Valley branch presented the £1000 prize for this year’s ‘Health and safety management in ﬁlm production’ award, which went to three graduating students – Sara Saini, Emma Hinnells and Owen Tucknott – for their work on

the documentary ﬁlm A Good Question.

‘It’s a pleasure for us at IOSH to judge the ever-increasing standards of risk assessment by the students at the NFTS. This year’s winners really showed the need to adjust risk assessments as situations change,’ said Tyrone Partridge, chair of the IOSH Thames Valley branch.

To read more, visit ioshmagazine.com/ NFTS-award

Inside the reports

Bridget Leathley CFIOSH explores recent OSH developments to reveal challenges and takeaways for best practice.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SOCIAL DIALOGUE CAN SUPPORT SDGs

There is a clear alignment between good OSH practices and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), given that safe, healthy and equitable workplaces underpin social and economic sustainability.

A report published at the end of last year by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Social Dialogue Report 2024, reinforces this connection. It examines how peak-level social dialogue (PLSD) – collaboration between governments, employers and workers at national or sectoral level – can facilitate long-term, inclusive economic growth and social progress, while advancing SDGs such as removing poverty (SDG 1), good health and wellbeing (SDG 3) and providing decent work (SDG 8).

Challenges

The report points out how the need for social dialogue is now even more critical in light of the world-wide polycrisis which is occurring – geopolitical and climate instability, declining trust in governance institutions and rapid changes in labour markets driven by the twin engines of the digital and green transitions.

ISO 45001, the international standard for OSH management, requires management to understand ‘the needs and expectations of workers and other interested parties’ (clause 4.2) through a system for ‘consultation and participation of workers’ (clause 5.4).

This ILO report expands on the concept of worker participation beyond single organisations seeking certiﬁcation to ISO 45001. PLSD enables agreements that help not just those workers in a strong bargaining position, but also those less traditionally represented. This includes hard-to-reach workers such as gig workers, remote workers, migrants and young people. Women are also over-represented in low-wage sectors.

As evidence, the report cites an analysis of European data (Brandl and Braakmann, 2021), which shows that PLSD, through sectoral bargaining, generates higher productivity growth than either no collective bargaining or bargaining with individual employers. It suggests that countries with mechanisms for sectorlevel discussions are more productive because of the participation of employers and workers in social dialogue.

Takeaways

Organisationally, we should embed ‘social dialogue’ into worker participation. We could start by engaging workers in the policies we need for the future.

We should push for better networks that engage the hard-to-reach workers, enabling agreements on working conditions, wages and productivity. For those in the UK, we are far behind our European neighbours in providing collective bargaining systems.

This report reminds OSH professionals that supporting the UN SDGs is crucial for safe, healthy and sustainable workplaces. PLSD supports the SDGs by improving worker health, providing decent work conditions and promoting sustainable economic and environmental practices.

Read the full report at b.link/ILO-social-dialogue

Bridget Leathley is a freelance health and safety consultant and a health and safety trainer.

TECHNOLOGY

WILL AR MAKE IMMERSIVE TECH MORE ACCESSIBLE IN OSH?

The OSH community has been excited by the potential of immersive technology to make safety training more realistic, more valuable and – let’s face it – more fun, for a long time. I presented on this topic at the 2018 IOSH annual conference. However, unlike PC-based e-learning, immersive learning has yet to become mainstream.

The authors of Video see-through augmented reality ﬁre safety training: a comparison with virtual reality and video training, published in Safety Science in January, acknowledge the barriers to adoption in ﬁre safety training.

Challenges

Technical barriers include the cost of developing realistic fully virtual worlds, using either 3D ﬁlming of real ﬁres or hours of animator time to create a believable facsimile. Although the costs of virtual reality (VR) headsets and the computing power needed to run VR experiences have reduced, user acceptability remains limited. Some people experience dizziness or nausea, or are fearful because they can’t see their real surroundings. Additionally, the authors express a concern that training in VR might

not transfer easily to real-life situations.

This study examines augmented reality (AR).

Unlike VR, where you see only a virtual world, AR superimposes virtual images onto the real world. If you ever played Pokémon GO, you will have some idea of what this looks like.

Participants viewed AR through a tablet device to learn how to operate a fire extinguisher using the PASS procedure. The user had to click virtual buttons marked with the actions required: Pick (the right extinguisher); Pull (the safety pin); Aim (at the fire’s base) and Squeeze (the lever). The learners’ final step was to ‘Sweep’ the tablet device near the virtual fire.

The AR training outperformed the video training for knowledge retention, engagement and preference. Differences between VR and AR were smaller and more mixed, suggesting that overall AR could be as effective as VR, while being acceptable to more people.

Takeaways

As OSH professionals, we should constantly seek ways to improve people’s competence in managing those hazards we can’t eliminate. In many workplaces, the priority in a fire is evacuation. However, when safety relies on the use of a fire extinguisher, regular practice is vital. The AR solution in this paper shows promise but needs further development. Creating more realistic virtual fires, tailored to the equipment and materials in your workplace, would

make the experience more relevant. For example, viewing the training through AR glasses, rather than using a tablet, would free up the user’s hands to hold a controller that mimics the weight and behaviour of a real ﬁre extinguisher. Sensory elements such as heat and the smell of smoke could further enhance the realism. With such enhancements, ARbased ﬁre safety training has the potential to become an accessible and effective tool.

To read the full study, go to b.link/SS-AR-ﬁre-safety

As the UK government pledges to ‘Get Britain Working’, 2.8 million people in the country are currently locked out of work due to long-term sickness. It can only hope to achieve its target of an 80% employment rate by ensuring that, with the right support, those who can work do work (Reeves et al, 2024). Therefore, OSH teams are likely to ﬁnd themselves increasingly in the spotlight, supporting those with health conditions to get back into work and those who are in work to stay in employment safely and healthily.

Promoting productivity

Dr Clare Fernandes, former chief medical officer at the BBC, talks about helping people through physical and mental health challenges at work.

‘It’s the biggest challenge we’re facing in the UK right now,’ says Dr Clare Fernandes, EMEA medical director at consumer healthcare company Haleon, which she joined in December after a ﬁve-year stint at the BBC. ‘We have more and more people at work with long-term health problems and more young people entering the workforce with health issues.’

According to the UK government, the most common conditions preventing people from being in work are mental health conditions, musculoskeletal conditions and cardiovascular disease. Poor mental health is now the leading work-limiting health condition among those aged 44 and under (Reeves et al, 2024).

‘Combine this with problems in the health system that leave people waiting longer for diagnosis and treatment – potentially leading their conditions and consequently their lives to become more complex – and you have a perfect storm,’ says Clare.

A coordinated effort

While OSH certainly has a role to play in addressing the employment issues the country faces, there are limitations to what it can do without wider support. ‘It needs to be part of a coordinated effort,’ says Clare. ‘People have to be able to access healthcare at the right time, and there then needs to be a seamless return to work where the correct ongoing support is in place.’

Complex challenges are something that Clare is used to, though, having helped

g in ndes, e nt at ple at and orce e eople s and alth h der ealth for ading lives e a n what ds to are care to be rrect hat

WORDS CLAIRE MOULDS

to steer the BBC through the pandemic in her role as its chief medical officer.

‘While keeping 22,000 people safe was challenging, it was also one of the highlights of my career,’ says Clare. ‘I’m really proud of how everyone came together to create the “Close Contact Cohorts” TV production protocol, which became the industry standard and enabled shows like Strictly Come Dancing to go ahead – helping to lift the nation’s mood and provide vital normality during great uncertainty.’

Africa and Kenya, virtual meetings took place in the local language, where employees and their families were able to learn more and ask questions facilitated by a translator. Clare says: ‘As a trusted organisation, the BBC was able to conﬁrm what we deﬁnitely knew about the virus, dispel common myths, outline where we didn’t yet have the answers and enable people to make informed choices.’

Productivity and health

and mental health – it’s ﬁnancial health, safety and security. A whole host of things in the workplace contribute to an employee’s overall wellbeing.’

Since people gravitate to people, an internal peer support network can be very effective. ‘We set one up at the BBC 18 months ago,’ explains Clare. ‘We took it

The BBC’s Close Contact Cohorts protocol was a COVID-19 measure whereby pairs or very small groups of people were able to interact with each other to produce TV programmes, alongside routine testing and recognised measures to mitigate their risk of contracting the virus.

With economic growth now the UK government’s key focus, wellbeing is destined to move even further up the agenda, with productivity and health inextricably linked.

‘For me, it’s a holistic construct,’ says Clare. ‘It’s more than just good physical p p

As a qualiﬁed doctor, the pandemic also enabled Clare to realise one of the reasons she originally moved into occupational health.

‘It’s fulﬁlling to have a positive impact on an individual employee’s life, but being able to make a difference on an organisational level – especially in countries that don’t have the same healthcare that we do –and providing a wider corporate social response is really incredible,’ she explains.

This included sharing the latest knowledge and ﬁndings in the UK to help BBC employees around the world and, crucially, their communities to stay safe. In countries including Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, South

How to get your board on board

It is not always easy to secure the backing that OSH initiatives require. For Clare, the key to success lies in taking a strategic approach:

• Find the right moment, as board members have multiple competing priorities.

• Pick the right person to approach who is likely to champion your cause with the rest of the board.

• Use the language that leaders use, rather than health and safety language, to ensure that your message resonates with them. For example, show how your OSH work will improve staff retention, save the organisation money or improve its reputation.

• Have data and insights to hand that you can share. These do not need to be complicated –they just need to support the narrative.

• If it is an industry-wide issue that you are raising, be ready to explain how competitor organisations are managing the problem and the pros and cons of their approaches.

• Be clear, if asked, on next steps. If the board says yes to your proposal, they will want to know what will happen next and what the end result will look like.

THERE NEEDS TO BE A SEAMLESS RETURN TO WORK WHERE THE CORRECT ONGOING SUPPORT IS IN PLACE

back to basic principles: who understands better what you’re going through at work in terms of challenges and pressures than someone who is working in the same environment as you? It adds authenticity and credibility to the initiative and is a great way of embedding the wellbeing services you’ve set up, as each “buddy” can explain how they work and how to access them.’

For such a system to work, though, it must be diverse and inclusive. Clare says: ‘We recruited a range of genders, ages, ethnicities and job roles and advertised widely through our employee networks, including our LGBTQI+ network and minority ethnic employee group. Participants were also able to write a short biography about themselves so that users were conﬁdent they would be a good match.’

Finally, it is important to recognise that wellbeing is not a one-way street. ‘Ultimately, wellbeing is a partnership between an organisation and its employees,’ says Clare. ‘From induction through to exit interviews, everyone has to be clear on their roles and responsibilities, as we all have an impact on the wellbeing of others.’

A longer version is available at ioshmagazine.com/Clare-Fernandes

MANUFACTURING

£1m ﬁne for wood manufacturer

Two serious incidents in 2020 have resulted in a seven-ﬁgure ﬁne for wood product manufacturer West Fraser (Europe) Ltd.

THE INCIDENTS

In January 2020, utility operator Sean Gallagher suffered serious leg injuries after falling through the viewing hatch of a storage bunker at the ﬁrm’s Cowie plant in Stirling, Scotland.

At the same site, six months later, scaffolder David McMillan fell more than 13 feet to the ground, suffering multiple fractures, after a plate gave way on a rooftop gantry.

THE PROSECUTION

At Stirling Sheriff Court, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd pleaded guilty to both incidents. It was ﬁned £28,000 for the ﬁrst incident and £1,040,000 for the second.

OSH TAKEAWAYS

The ﬁrst case was investigated by GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Stuart Easson. He said IOSH members could learn that there should be a focus on the wording of risk assessments, the understanding of procedures and the importance of forward thinking.

The second case was investigated by Kim Ross, who said: ‘West Fraser had a good preventative maintenance programme in for its machines and its forklifts, but it needed to also include things like gantries, walkways and stairways rather than just machinery.

‘That would have prevented this incident very easily.’

For the full story, visit ioshmagazine. com/West-Fraser-Gallagher-McMillan

David Wood Baking of Leeds has been ﬁned for more than half a million pounds after three of its employees suffered serious injuries in separate incidents involving machinery.

THE FAILINGS

Case 1: a woman’s arm was caught in a conveyor belt at the company’s facility in Bolton, causing two open fractures and irreversible nerve damage to her hand.

Case 2: a man was injured after his left arm was trapped in a mechanical mixer. He sustained multiple fractures and nerve damage in his left forearm.

Case 3: a worker’s ﬁnger was severed after her hand became caught in an unprotected drive belt.

The GB Health and Safety Executive investigation found the company had failed to keep employees safe from risks posed by machinery, and that training was inadequate.

The company had already been ﬁned £858,000 following another incident involving machinery in 2021.

IN COURT

David Wood Baking Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations and was ﬁned £573,344, with £12,288 in prosecution costs, at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

To read more, see ioshmagazine. com/David-Wood-Baking

East Yorkshire-based animal feed company AB Agri has been ﬁned more than half a million pounds after an employee’s lower arm was severed when it was caught in a conveyor belt.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Blender operative Bartosz Gaj was working on a conveyor that was known to jam, requiring manual intervention to remove blockages.

He was trying to clear a blockage when his hand was pulled into the conveyor mechanism, resulting in the amputation of his right arm below the elbow.

THE FAILINGS

The GB Health and Safety Executive found that employees often attempted to clear blockages themselves, despite lacking proper training. There had been no review of the risk assessment for the conveyor’s operation since its installation.

IN COURT

At Hull Magistrates’ Court, AB Agri Ltd admitted breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was ﬁned £566,000 and £6410 in costs.

For further details, see ioshmagazine.com/AB-Agri-Gaj

Animal feed ﬁrm to pay £566k after worker’s arm severed Network Rail ﬁned for track worker deaths

Network Rail has been ﬁned £3.75m after two workers were fatally struck while undertaking track maintenance.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Network Rail workers Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge were undertaking track maintenance on a set of points near Port Talbot, South Wales, when a Great Western passenger train struck them.

THE INVESTIGATION

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch concluded that the tragedy occurred

For more, visit ioshmagazine.com/ Network-Rail-Lewis-Delbridge MANUFACTURING

because the track workers were operating on an open line without lookouts to warn them of approaching trains. They were also likely to be wearing ear defenders owing to the noisy nature of the task.

THE PROSECUTION

Network Rail pleaded guilty to a breach of section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was ﬁned £3.75m plus costs at Swansea Crown Court.

CONSTRUCTION

UNSAFE SCAFFOLDING FATALITY LEADS TO £30K FINE

Aim Access Ltd, a Liverpool-based scaffolding provider, has been ordered to pay more than £30,000 after an investigation into the death of an employee revealed that the ﬁrm had failed to construct safe scaffolding at a block of ﬂats.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Employee Robert Duffy, 45, fell from the scaffold and sustained fatal head injuries. The GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the death and discovered the failings. Although it decided to prosecute, the case was based on the breaches rather than Mr Duffy’s death.

The HSE discovered signiﬁcant problems with the scaffold’s construction at the site in Merseyside, noting that the assembly instructions were not adhered to during installation. Instead of using a ladder, workers accessed the scaffold by climbing its own rungs.

At Wirral Magistrates’ Court last month, the company admitted contravening section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was ﬁned £30,800 and £5040 in costs.

To read more, see ioshmagazine.com/ Aim-Access-Duffy

SPORT & LEISURE

INDOOR SKIING COMPANY FINED AFTER CHILD DIED AT BIRTHDAY PARTY

The death of a 12-year-old boy has seen an indoor ski slope organiser ﬁned £100,000 for failing to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments.

THE INCIDENT

Louis Watkiss was at a birthday party at the Snowdome in Tamworth, Staffordshire. While tobogganing, he collided with an employee. The employee fell backwards onto Louis, who sustained fatal head injuries.

THE INVESTIGATION

The Health and Safety Executive found that Snowdome Ltd did not

AGRICULTURE

adequately ensure the safety of its customers during the tobogganing activity.

The investigation also revealed that the company lacked an adequate risk assessment for tobogganing activities.

IN COURT

At Telford Magistrates’ Court, Snowdome Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was ﬁned £100,000 with £14,534 in prosecution costs. Visit ioshmagazine.com/ Snowdome-Watkiss

EXPLODING TYRE FATALITY COSTS DAIRY FARM £80K

A farmhand sustained fatal head injuries during a tyre inﬂation incident at the Old Grange Farm near Preston, Lancashire.

WHAT HAPPENED?

One of Joshua Hardman’s duties was to repair punctures in tyres. He had ﬂagged an issue with his supervisor Bill Hesketh, one of the partners of W Hesketh & Sons, regarding a large tractor tyre.

When Hesketh used a compressor to inﬂate the tyre, it suddenly exploded and the release of compressed air propelled the wheel rim into Hardman. He later died in hospital.

THE FAILINGS

GB Health and Safety Executive investigators found that W Hesketh & Sons had failed to properly assess and plan the work activity or put appropriate risk control measures in place.

To compound matters, the tyre, wheel rim and inner tube were poorly maintained, leading to a greater risk of explosion.

THE PROSECUTION

The farm partnership was ﬁned £80,000 plus costs at a hearing at Preston Magistrates’ Court.

To read more, see ioshmagazine.com/ Hesketh-Hardman

AROUND THE GLOBE

IRRIGATION DISTRICT FINED $365K AFTER DIVER DEATH

The Eastern Irrigation District in Alberta, Canada, has been ﬁned $365,000 following the death of a diver. The corporation pleaded guilty to failing to ensure an intake mechanism at a reservoir gate.

The charges stem from an incident at the Lake Newell and Rolling Hills Reservoirs in 2022. A diver was inspecting and completing work on the reservoir’s gates and sustained fatal injuries during the dive.

The Brooks Court of Justice ordered the irrigation district to pay a total of $365,000, with $300,000 going to the Central Alberta Rescue Diving Society for equipment and training, and $65,000 going to the Alberta Underwater Council for a safety campaign directed toward divers and employers.

ALUMINA PRODUCER FINED AFTER CAUSTIC SPILL INJURED WORKERS

Alcoa of Australia Ltd was ﬁned A$400,000 and ordered to pay costs of A$5536 after workers received burns from an uncontrolled release of caustic solution at the company’s Kwinana alumina (aluminum oxide) reﬁnery.

The group of people affected by the 2022 incident included school students on a work experience placement at the site.

Emergency response officers attended the scene and provided ﬁrst aid to those affected by the spill before transferring them to the site’s medical centre. WorkSafe commissioner Sally North said the workers and students were extremely lucky not to have sustained more serious injuries.

Alcoa pleaded guilty at Rockingham Magistrates’ Court for failing to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers under the Work Health and Safety Act.

The wider view

Listen

IOSH PODCAST

Ask the president anything!

Following on from the runaway success of our recent podcast episode with IOSH president Kelly Nicoll, we’re delighted to announce that Kelly will be back in the studio next month to answer questions from the membership in a new ‘Ask me anything’ series. Is there something you want to know about Kelly and her work, what brought her into the world of OSH, what attracted her to join the presidential team and become IOSH’s president, or what’s next after her term ﬁnishes? This is your opportunity to ﬁnd out more.

If you have a burning question for the president, submit it here: ioshmagazine.com/podcast-questions

Future Leaders series: stories and strategies for OSH careers

Two members of IOSH’s Future Leaders Steering Group appeared on the podcast recently, chatting about stories and strategies for OSH careers.

Danielle Thorburn, with a background in veterinary science, transitioned into biosafety management at the Francis Crick Institute. Jessica Edwards emphasises the importance of soft skills like listening and empathy. Both highlight the value of qualiﬁcations and continuous learning. Danielle aims to increase women’s involvement in biosafety, while Jessica aspires to a fellowship. Listen at ioshmagazine.com/ podcast/future-leaders

Webinars

SOLUTIONS SORTED

IOSH magazine has hosted a series of solutions-focused webinars on diverse topics. If you missed them, they are all available to watch on demand.

Topics covered include the value of implementing a digital permit-to-work system, how to raise the bar of your on-site contractor compliance, and leveraging mobile and AI for safer high-risk operations to empower your frontline workers. Our expert panels guide viewers through the issues organisations are facing, and explore some of the solutions on the market to overcome these. They really are a valuable way to spend an hour of your time, and you can log it as CPD. Check out our suite of webinars at ioshmagazine.com/webinars

Opinion Career hub

Do your AI plans meet a ‘good work’ test?

With surging AI and algorithmic use, we need workers and advisers involved at all stages to ensure good work. So a key question for employers is: do your AI plans meet a ‘good work’ test for participation, support, learning, autonomy, dignity, equality and wellbeing? Richard Jones CFIOSH explores the answers in his latest opinion piece for IOSH magazine

Read it at ioshmagazine.com/ opinion/ai-plans

Overconsumption

– OSH in a circular economy

In her ﬁrst opinion piece for IOSH magazine, Toni King, thought leadership programme lead at IOSH, discusses the impact of overconsumption on both the environment and workers, highlighting the OSH challenges that arise in a shift towards a circular economy. Read it at ioshmagazine.com/ opinion/overconsumption

Careers advice

Did you know IOSH Jobs has a careers guidance hub? From advice on how to ensure you work for an ethical company to the latest guidance on skills development, there’s something for everyone, at all stages of your OSH career. See ioshjobs.com/careers

Could you offer work experience to the upcoming generation of OSH practitioners?

Have you checked out our new video on IOSH qualiﬁcations yet?

Recently, 33 learners became the first cohort to pass the new IOSH Level 3 certificate, and IOSH magazine was there to congratulate them at IOSH HQ. We sat down with a few of them to find out what encouraged them to take the course and how they think their new qualification will enhance their careers. Watch it here: ioshmagazine.com/video/qualifications

Don’t miss any of IOSH magazine’s award-winning videos – like and subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@ioshmagazine1104

We recently launched a work experience initiative to encourage employers to offer a new way for both employers and members to give back to the profession by encouraging internships and providing a rung on the ladder for those exploring an OSH career. This offering aligns with IOSH’s

charitable and strategic goals, so please spread the word, and if your organisation is in a position to offer work experience and help the next generation of OSH practitioners, ﬁnd out more here: ioshjobs.com/article/advertise-work-experience

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.

Engaging your workforce

Following the last issue’s discussion with Dr Chris Davis about the meaning of wellbeing, IOSH’s thought leadership manager here shares his insights into worker engagement – and what can be done to boost it.

Can you deﬁne worker engagement?

century academics started looking much more at positive psychology.

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The best starting point is to think about its relationship with burnout. If you think of workers being cynical or exhausted or having had prolonged exposure to excessive stress, engagement is the opposite of that. It’s about vigour, dedication and absorption. It is a worker’s level of energy, involvement and enthusiasm for what they are doing, their concentration and the degree to which they feel engrossed in their work.

Dutch academic Arnold Bakker, along with a wider group of academics, were responsible for several different theories around engagement and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). This is a validated academic questionnaire

featuring statements that people need to agree with or not – for example, ‘At my work, I feel bursting with energy’ or ‘When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work.’

Related to this is the job demands and resources model. You can imagine this as a kind of scale, where demands are things that

So engagement and burnout are counterpoints, with the caveat that there are certain aspects of engagement that – if pushed too far – can lead directly to burnout. If someone is so engrossed in their work that they cannot switch off from it, then over a prolonged period that can also lead to burnout. It’s the sweet spot in the middle we are aiming for.

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ehind it?

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Historically, we have been more adept at understanding causes and consequences when things go wrong, rather than when they go right. But at the turn of the

ENGAGEMENT IS ABOUT VIGOUR, DEDICATION AND ABSORPTION. IT IS A WORKER’S LEVEL OF ENERGY, INVOLVEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING, THEIR CONCENTRATION AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY FEEL ENGROSSED IN THEIR WORK.

that give us a steer on whether someone is engaged or not. There is also a degree of caution because some of those statements are very general; they do not necessarily speak to your direct perspective as a worker.

As a more general point here, I think there is a degree of survey fatigue because worker insights are so rich and valuable that obviously lots of people want to canvass them. But if you ask too many questions too many times, people start to zone out.

What is the role of data? What can we learn from the Gallup survey, for example?

I think that we can learn a lot from it. Engagement is a key dimension of wellbeing and something we need to be in tune with. It is interesting for those who want to see that bigger picture.

The headline ﬁgures that came out in the most recent report (Gallup, 2024) suggest that only 23% of workers are engaged – 62% of workers are not engaged and 15% of workers are actively disengaged. Engagement has gone up since the early 2000s, but that is still only one in ﬁve workers engaged.

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detract from our resources, such as tasks or stresses. Our resources – support systems, physical energy, personal strategies for resilience – help to balance the scale. This research led to lots of followup studies around the causes and consequences of worker engagement. We now know that some of the antecedents of workers being engaged are good recovery time from work, access to a variety of erent resources, personal resilience, transformational leadership and autonomy over the work that they do. Equally, looking to the consequences, there is a direct association between worker engagement and personal and team performance, creativity and innovation.

So, how can we measure engagement?

The UWES is the measurement scale that has probably been used most often and has been adapted for different environments.

There is also the Gallup survey used for the State of the global workplace report. Again, it offers statements such as: ‘I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right’, ‘At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day’ or ‘At work, my opinions seem to count.’

But I would stress that we do need to learn how to check in routinely over a period of time to ask those questions

The US comes out as the highest-scoring region in terms of worker engagement, with about a third of workers engaged, compared with Europe at the bottom of the pile with 13%. Only 10% of workers in the UK report being engaged.

But take it with a degree of caution because there could be cultural differences in the way workers in different regions consider engagement or feel comfortable talking about their experiences.

Who is responsible for worker engagement?

It is for leadership to set the tone. Then it is people-focused professionals, including OSH and HR. Line managers have a big role to play here, and I feel for them because in conversations around wellbeing, the line manager often comes out as the one who carries a heavy burden. But there

are a lot of accidental managers who are not hugely experienced at managing people. Therefore, while the line manager carries responsibility for engagement, a certain degree of upskilling needs to happen to better empower them.

We live in an age where there is pressure from above to be efficient and productive, with clearly deﬁned objectives and goals. But it is also a time where people feel very familiar with the idea of mental health, feel knowledgeable about the way that they work and have high expectations. It often falls on the line manager to navigate both those things, with pressure from above and below.

What are the wider organisational beneﬁts of good worker engagement? When we talk about engagement, we are not talking about an abstract, nice-to-have thing; it is right at the core of wellbeing. From an OSH perspective, think about the likelihood that engaged workers are going to be compliant and safe in their behaviours.

Then the broader organisational beneﬁts include productivity and efficiency. If workers are engaged, they are doing their work freely and not having to be pushed so much. There are obviously cost beneﬁts to that as well.

There is something called discretionary effort, which suggests that it’s only really sustainable for workers to give a maximum of 80% of their effort while, at the same time, workers can often do enough by giving as little as 30%. At 100%, workers burn out. So the challenge is to work within this window, eking out the effort workers give by discretion, without pushing them by force to give more than they’re able to.

It is part of an employer’s or manager’s role to try and tease out that additional effort. And you do that through motivating workers and making sure that they feel engaged and that they are contributing to something meaningful. Discretionary effort frames the value of worker engagement.

How can work engage or disengage workers?

A big part of this is job design. The ability to design roles in a way that maximises the

opportunity for workers to feel engaged is a tough ask – and certain roles will just not have the scope to accommodate big changes – but it is important to have those questions in the back of our minds.

What is work like for people as they arrive each day, at the office, at the factory, at the site? And then throughout the day? If we can start thinking about that – line managers, OSH professionals and leadership more generally – then we are some way towards having success in this area.

Outside job design, there is what I would call ‘scaffolding’. If you think about what someone’s experience of work is – besides the actual tasks they do – there are social relationships, participation in the decision-making of an organisation, active participation in committees or teams, and all the extracurricular stuff as well.

IF

WORKERS ARE ENGAGED, THEY ARE DOING THEIR WORK FREELY AND NOT HAVING TO BE PUSHED

Putting them in order of priority, I would say that job design is the most important. But also think about that broader experience of work for people and whether there are quick wins, where workers can be engaged in a slightly different way.

It is incumbent upon OSH professionals to think about what their touch points are with workers – whether it is in face-to-face conversations or through policies and risk assessment processes, and the degree to which they are involving workers in those.

If different organisational stakeholders are thinking about their touchpoints with workers in terms of their vigour, dedication and absorption, as I mentioned earlier – and whether those touchpoints are going to have a positive or negative effect on somebody’s engagement – then I think we are on the right path.

I do not for a moment think that OSH professionals should suddenly become

psychology experts! But I think having an understanding of worker behaviour and basic psychology will be really helpful. Being able to channel that and make use of that will become an important part of OSH practice.

How can organisations engage people who work from home?

The move to remote work was massive. There is not just a responsibility for employers to produce or create engaging work for people, but a real need in order to get effort out of people. There are all sorts of different approaches, including strategic interventions.

It is about someone’s work set-up and the technology they use. It’s about the degree to which management communicates with their direct reports. It’s job design and people being able to ﬁt their work around their lives. It’s a real challenge to keep people engaged.

How do we ensure that engagement is not limited to short-term measures?

Fundamentally, it goes to the heart of what it means to undertake long-term strategic thinking. It comes down to a peoplecentred approach. It goes into the way that strategies are written, jobs are designed and workplaces are organised. It goes into the way that relationships are built; how people are prioritised through day-today interactions.

While different jobs have different proﬁles, people come to work for broadly the same motives – money, career development and other beneﬁts. But beyond that we really need to understand the context of the work that is taking place. Think about people and have those conversations about what they want to do two or three years down the line. Doing the people-centred stuff in practice rather than in theory starts to get us thinking about that long-term view.

To listen to the full interview, visit ioshmagazine.com/ podcast/chris-davis

The results of a lack of good management of premises are often seen when tragedies occur. But by then it’s too late to rectify the issues that should have been resolved. The assumption is that statutory requirements are easy to understand and covered in some basic document that sets out what they are for a particular premises. How wrong that assumption would be.

Many building owners don’t have any knowledge of who has a statutory right to inspect their premises and records because it no longer happens (though in fact this falls to local authority environmental health officers or the GB Health and Safety Executive).

Even the ﬁre service has had its responsibilities for inspections passed over to building owners, who often fail to take their responsibilities seriously. These comments are based on the fact that I have surveyed more than 500 buildings over the past 24 years.

I can recall numerous issues within premises, some of which are listed below. They generally relate to ﬁre because I undertook many ﬁre safety risk assessments.

1. An OSH manager undertook a revised risk assessment of a fire station and stated that the downward escape from the first floor needed no protection because all the staff were trained firefighters. The assumption he made was that the station had no admin staff on-site and no visitors – and maybe he thought the fire crews always carried their breathing apparatus with them.

2. A school had a ﬁre risk assessment of its main building but a secondary block was not referred to. The property manager naively asked: ‘Do I need one for both buildings?’ This was after 16 years of occupation.

3. A large warehouse full of combustible products and a spray booth had no ﬁre alarm system, no evacuation plan and no one was taking responsibility for the situation.

4. A seven-days-a-week ‘meals on wheels’ operation had a secondary ﬁre exit that

CLARITY ON COMPLIANCE

Those responsible for a property are assumed to be meeting the statutory requirements, but this doesn’t always happen. How can we make compliance rules easier to follow?

WORDS JAMES GREENAN, AFFILIATE MEMBER (RETIRED)

led to a small adjoining courtyard with three-metre high gates. The adjoining courtyard belonged to another tenant who stored combustible chemicals in the yard, the place operated ﬁve days a week and two guard dogs patrolled the courtyard out of hours.

5. A 10-storey office building where 60% of the emergency lighting needed replacing but the facilities manager did not want to ask for the money because it would have

resulted in an overspend of the capital budget allocation. I suspect they thought it would look bad on their employment record. The company was making £6bn a year at the time.

6. A London airport terminal building where the ﬁre dampers in the airconditioning systems had not been inspected, maintained or tested for at least 15 years. The director in charge asked: ‘Do we have to test them?’

Example statutory compliance schedule

7. An office building had a problem with the heating system so the air conditioning was turned to 100% recirculation to keep the temperature at a reasonable level. A year after the heating was ﬁxed, the building was still on 100% recirculated air.

8. A hospital building that had been open for six years featured air ﬁlters in the air conditioning that had either disintegrated or were totally choked with dirt and dust.

9. A large food manufacturing building had not tested its ﬁxed wire electrical systems for 25 years (since the place was built) and distribution boards had sub-boards and sub-switches that had no indication of what they served.

10. Protection to a landing in a plant room that collapsed when someone fell against it because it was constructed of 25 square mm aluminium posts and timber rails with no structural integrity.

I am not trying to be negative, but simply stating the reality of unprofessionalism within the UK’s building management arrangements. No one is picking up on these mistakes, omissions and oversights today.

How

it’s

done in New Zealand

When working in New Zealand, years ago, I managed property portfolios under New Zealand’s Building Code compliance and Warrant of Fitness arrangements.

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Sample check schedule

A sample check schedule used to verify compliance or a failure to comply is illustrated below. Minor issues should not result in a failure if these issues are resolved within an agreed timeframe.

Premises

System – SS2

SS2.1 Fire alarm – weekly call point tests

SS2.2 Audibility

SS2.3

SS2.4 Annual ﬁre alarm contract in place Alarm supplier01/01/2501/01/26

SS2.6

SS2.8

SS2.9

SS2.11 Fire alarm logbook in place

*See report

These impose a statutory duty on building owners to maintain the health and safety of the premises in respect of the majority of the building elements. Approval is given under the Building Code on the basis that the building plant, equipment and fabric will be inspected regularly, serviced and maintained as required to ensure they function as designed.

This is achieved via the annual audit process, conducted by independent qualiﬁed persons (IQPs) appointed by the building owner. The regional authority is provided with up-to-date information on the IQPs’ annual inspections and will also audit the premises every couple of years to ensure that the ‘warrant of ﬁtness’ is valid. The building owner retains overall responsibility although an IQP must conduct the inspections to ensure compliance.

The system in New Zealand worked very well, and the premises I helped to manage were well maintained and safe.

A new statutory compliance process

Returning to the UK in 2001, I developed a similar arrangement that could be followed here to help people understand the myriad of acts of parliament, regulations and approved codes of practice that try to perform a similar role as the code compliance arrangements in New Zealand.

According to my proposed system, there is an overall compliance record for each premises, based on an annual audit, so a building is either compliant or not for the various elements (see Example statutory compliance schedule, page 25).

A building’s compliance schedule must also be speciﬁc and tailored to the building and its speciﬁed systems. This is for two main reasons:

1. A building’s environment can introduce speciﬁc requirements for a speciﬁed system.

2. Some systems incorporate a broad range of sub-systems and features, each with its own individual inspection and

maintenance requirements to ensure that it performs to the standards.

Five matters should be considered when developing a compliance schedule or proposing inspection and routine maintenance procedures for the purposes of a compliance schedule:

• System description

• Inspection

• Maintenance (planned and reactive)

• Reporting and recording

• Responsibility.

The statutory compliance process I developed is not intended to mimic the New Zealand system but to improve on it. Using this process, or another like it, could achieve a badly needed improvement in building safety within the UK.

Firms may need to spend less time collecting accident statistics and more time ensuring their premises are safe. A proper process that monitors compliance with statutory requirements would help this.

A proactive approach to AI

WORDS ANGELA GRAY CMIOSH

Digital technologies are fundamentally altering the way tasks are performed and how organisations operate. Innovation is crucial for advancing safety practices, but what is artiﬁcial intelligence (AI), how is it being used and how does it make a workplace safer? These are the questions we have been asking the members of our Business Leader Forum.

AI is becoming increasingly integrated into the workplace, making tasks more efficient, enhancing decision-making and improving productivity. It can also play a signiﬁcant role in improving health and safety by predicting, monitoring and preventing potential hazards and risks.

The rapid advancement of digital technologies is reshaping the landscape of work and business. How can we make sure we’re getting the most from them?

1. Predicting and preventing accidents

INNOVATION IS CRUCIAL FOR ADVANCING OUR SAFETY PRACTICES

The Business Leader Forum agreed that over the course of this year the team will discuss and share the following:

• Real-life examples of AI in action

• Impacts and outcomes on safety performance and culture

• Care points and lessons learnt.

Recently, we continued to analyse the topic of AI and focused on exploring examples of AI in action. Here are some of the more common applications identiﬁed and discussed by the forum.

protocols, such as wearing protective gear or following correct operational procedures, are being followed. This can assist in monitoring compliance and analysing real-time situations where there may be a physical threat to workers.

AI systems can analyse historical workplace data, including accident reports and environmental conditions, to predict potential safety hazards. For example, in construction, AI can use sensor data from equipment or wearables to detect unsafe actions and behaviours, such as improper use of machinery or dangerous physical postures, and alert workers before accidents happen. Wearable devices, such as smart helmets, gloves, exoskeletons or vests that are equipped with AI, can monitor workers’ vital signs (heart rate and body temperature) and physical movements. If a worker shows signs of fatigue, dehydration or potential injury, AI can send alerts to supervisors for immediate action.

AI systems can continuously monitor environmental factors such as air quality, noise levels, temperature and lighting in workplaces, especially in manufacturing or construction settings. If any parameters reach unsafe levels, AI can trigger alerts for ventilation adjustments or other corrective measures.

Another common use of AI is to predict when equipment is likely to fail by analysing sensor data from the machinery. This helps prevent unexpected breakdowns or accidents caused by malfunctioning equipment.

3. Automating elements of the OSH management system

AI can automatically assess workplace hazards by analysing data from safety inspections, machinery performance and employee feedback. It can prioritise risks and recommend speciﬁc safety actions, such as equipment maintenance or changes in safety protocols.

The data from these wearable devices, used particularly for those in safety-critical roles or high-risk environments, can, for example, monitor eye movement, posture or even brainwave activity to assess if a worker is becoming drowsy or distracted, creating the risk of accidents or ill health.

2. Monitoring for compliance

By integrating AI with CCTV, cameras, sensors and so on, it can track whether safety

AI tools can automate the process of reporting incidents or near misses in the workplace. Employees can use voice or text to report unsafe conditions or behaviours, which AI can then categorise, analyse and prioritise for follow-up action.

4. Safety training with virtual reality (VR) and AI

AI combined with VR can provide realistic safety training simulations for employees. One example is in emergency training. Workers can practise responding to emergency situations, such as ﬁres or equipment malfunctions, in a controlled virtual environment, improving their readiness without any risk of real harm. This enhances employee preparedness and conﬁdence in handling emergency situations, leading to quicker, more effective responses.

Other examples discussed were:

• Bodycams for frontline workers facing potential violence or conﬂict points –police, shop workers, cashiers and so on

• In-cab monitoring for HGV drivers, supporting good driving practices

• Warehouse systems to enhance vehicle and pedestrian segregation

• At-height inspections via drones

• Speech detectors for order picking

• Facial recognition to aid site security.

Some of the technology discussed has been available for some time, and the question was asked: ‘When is it AI and when is it just smart tech?’

It's important to understand that AI is the ‘so what’ in the equation. The smart tech gathers the data and AI will then capture, interpret, analyse and make

sense of that data and information. Therefore, it provides the triggers for action and reaction.

The biggest challenge for OSH professionals is keeping pace with the rapid rate of development of such applications and systems enhanced by the integration of AI. What is new now will very soon become commonplace.

With adoption times becoming increasingly shorter, the scale of change can be daunting. Upskilling of the OSH profession is essential.

OSH leaders may need to consider the dynamics and skills mix within their OSH team to include ‘tech-savvy’ individuals to really optimise the opportunities and beneﬁts of integrated AI systems and data management.

AI to help humans learn

The use of AI in the development of OSH professionals is a hot topic within IOSH's Training Network Forum, as favoured learning styles across multiple generations within the workforce become increasingly varied.

Appetites for presentationstyle classroom courses are waning, with increasing preferences for e-learning, videos, virtual reality and bitesize learning interventions. This is particularly prevalent among the younger generations entering the workplace.

The desire for bespoke training programmes relative to a customer’s own sector, industry and their own speciﬁc company is a driving force behind material development and delivery.

Attracting new talent into the OSH training arena remains a challenge. Even more so, it’s crucial to attract great trainers who are competent and comfortable with pushing the boundaries and embracing the advancing technology, and the desired new methods and styles of learning delivery.

This team of IOSH-approved training providers intends to explore this in more depth at future meetings.

If you have any points to raise, any questions or general comments on the topic of AI, email angela.gray@iosh.com. For more information about our Business Leader Forum, visit ioshmagazine.com/voice-of-business

Zeebrugge (1987, 193 died)

Grenfell (2017, 72 died)

Ladbroke Grove (1999, 31 died)

Aberfan (1966, 144 died)

Bhopal (1984, 16,000 died)

WORDS NICK WARBURTON

The second, most damning, report from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry arrived in September 2024. Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the chair of the inquiry, didn’t mince his words: he pointed to the catastrophic organisational management failures that directly resulted in 72 deaths.

Ian Scott CFIOSH, an IOSH Fire Risk Management Group Committee member, says that in his 50-year career in OSH he has never heard anyone be so critical of the parties responsible for failure.

Arguably, what set Grenfell apart from many previous inquiries was the wealth of evidence submitted by the public, in addition to insights from the external experts who had investigated the tragedy and highlighted ‘critical safety concerns’, says Dr Shaun Lundy CFIOSH, quality assurance and strategy director at Tetra Consulting, IOSH vice-president and chair of the IOSH construction group.

He adds that employees can often be guarded in how they describe their employers when providing evidence. Consequently, inquiry reports can fail to reﬂect the real picture. But Grenfell’s inquiry was ‘all ﬂavour’, he says, describing the management organisation as ‘psychologically dangerous’.

good solid governance structure in place and people know they’re responsible or they’re accountable for those decisions, then if they are not competent to make that decision, it’s up to them to go and ﬁnd the right people to inform. You have that whole escalation process and that is fundamental to that good governance piece.’

For Peter Allanson, principal consultant at the Good Governance Institute, a consultancy that helps public-purpose organisations to improve their strategy, leadership and governance, good governance means to be an enabler.

‘It’s a means to ensure an organisation is well run, is delivering what it sets out to deliver – its mission, purpose, values and strategy – and is managed by a team of capable experts who have access to the right advice, skills and information,’ he explains.

The board, which supervises management, should be set up to anticipate any potential issues arising, he says. ‘Principally, the board’s responsibility is the future. It’s looking to see where the organisation is going [and] what’s likely to blow it off course in trying to achieve its aims and ambitions.’

In the case of Grenfell, where multiple players impacted on decisions, there was a striking lack of foresight and proactive measures to do just this.

Taking accountability

It’s a long charge sheet, but the Grenfell governance failures encompass a lack of accountability, poor stakeholder cooperation and communication, inadequate risk management, ambiguities in roles and responsibilities, cost prioritised over safety, and incompetence.

For Gill Hancock, head of technical content at the Association for Project Management (APM) and co-chair of the Industry Competence Steering Group that was set up in response to Grenfell and the Hackitt review, the ‘web of blame’ diagram in the second report was revealing.

As Roger Bibbings MBE CFIOSH (retired) noted in last year’s November-December issue of IOSH magazine (Bibbings, 2024), the disaster raises a deeper learning point: the ‘need to think clearly about how we maintain our awareness of potential safety problems and highlight them before they result in tragedy’.

At the heart of it lies good governance. Organisations such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) describe what this looks like (UN, 2024; Hill, 2024).

‘If you look at the detail of Grenfell, there really wasn’t a governance structure across the project at all,’ she says. ‘Your natural position is always to blame somebody else if you don’t think that you’re accountable for that decision. Whereas, if you have that

For Trina Hill, a past lecturer in corporate governance at Kensington College of Business and author of the CGI piece, the four general governance principles that can be applied to all organisations are fairness, transparency, responsibility and accountability.

‘You’d want those principles to be respected and applied across the business,

engage

but importantly, with a top-down approach, if the leaders aren’t demonstrating them, how can you expect other employees to?’ she asks.

Following ﬁrm principles

IOSH is a member of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), which has produced and updated the Global Governance Principles (ICGN, 2021).

Ruth Wilkinson CMIOSH, IOSH head of policy and public affairs, explains how these principles span requirements such as achieving an appropriate board composition, instilling the right culture, risk oversight and corporate reporting.

She insists that health and safety must be prominent at board level, inﬂuencing both decision-making and governance.

‘It is for boards and those in leadership/ senior management roles to ask about health and safety and to seek assurance and oversight on these matters,’ she explains.

Ruth identiﬁes stakeholder engagement and interaction as being important and says good governance for risk management should be non-negotiable, with ‘mechanisms to routinely check the organisation’s risk proﬁle, ensuring accurate assessment and robust control measures’.

She points to a BP corporate governance report, which outlines principal risks, internal controls and global workforce

THE RIGHT QUESTIONS Leadership questions for assurance

• Know what the organisation’s internal and external context is, including factors that affect organisational goals.

• Ensure that the organisational strategy, goals and objectives are aligned with the management system.

• Set and understand the organisation’s risk appetite and tolerance levels.

engagement, among other things, as an example of good practice (BP, 2023).

Other examples highlighted by contributors to this article include Balfour Beatty’s Zero Harm programme and the APM and Crossrail’s joint learning legacy report on completing Greater London’s Elizabeth line (APM, 2023).

Trina concurs that having good governance of health and safety policies and procedures is a necessity and that these must be proactively embedded in the organisation.

‘It’s about people in the business being proactive and making sure people know about and are following these policies and procedures, but also constantly reviewing and updating them and dealing with any incidents or near misses as they come up,’ she explains.

Interestingly, from committees she’s worked with as company secretarial director at accounting, tax and corporate ﬁnance ﬁrm Wilson Partners, she has seen a growing number of clients considering the whole range of stakeholders, including customers and the supply chain, when it comes to risk management.

Risk appetite is important, Peter adds. ‘The board needs to know there is an operational risk register,’ he explains.

‘It might want to look at that a couple of times a year and it certainly wants to be able to trust the management to alert it to any concerns management has about risk because it’s going to pose an existential

• Have processes in place to identify organisational risks and opportunities and their potential impact to the business, including OSH risks.

• Ensure that arrangements and competencies are in place for effective risk management, including raising matters to the board. Also make sure there are consultation and feedback channels in the organisation, including the voice of workers at board level (ICGN, 2024) and within decision-making. Likewise, feedback from other stakeholders.

• Put in processes to identify emerging threats or trends impacting the organisation’s operational safety or strategic goals.

• Make sure OSH performance measures (leading and lagging) are in place and discussed at board level and by decision-makers.

• Have audit processes in place for OSH management systems and performance review. As part of this process, ensure that action is taken to respond to the ﬁndings and strive for both corrective action/remedy and improvements.

• Be a learning organisation; learn from lessons.

Grenfell (2017, 72 died)

threat, it’s going to cause a publicity concern or be something that affects the strategy.’

Getting reliable data

So, what sort of information do leaders need to ensure that decision-making has positive outcomes? For Ian, the starting point is data because this enables leaders to formulate the information they need to shape their decisions and the actions that follow.

Having sight of the correct information and trusting the source is incredibly important for senior leaders, says Peter. It’s about assessing whether what they are being told is ‘assuring because it’s evidencebased or reassuring because somebody with certain random status, knowledge and capability is telling them so’, he explains.

Although the board’s principal role is to look ahead to see what could blow the organisation off course, this doesn’t always happen.

In an APM webinar that covers the Business Integrated Governance framework, former chair of APM’s Governance Speciﬁc Interest Group Martin Samphire says senior leaders can often focus too much on historical data when reviewing projects, with little thought given to forecasting (APM, 2024).

‘One of the key messages of getting integrated governance in place is having the data for proper forecasting of outcomes of projects [and] how that is going to impact on the strategic performance of the organisation,’ he says in the webinar’s feedback section.

Trina says senior leaders should be supplied with regular reports that concisely provide the most relevant information on business operations to ensure management systems are effective and robust. She recommends

executive summaries so that board members don’t have to wade through overly detailed reports to gain key information.

However, as Arup’s director James Pomeroy argued in a widely commented-on LinkedIn post from 2024, leaders themselves must be proactive (Pomeroy, 2024).

One of the prominent strands permeating many inquiries is leadership that lacks curiosity. ‘The concept of incuriosity… involves being in a position of responsibility but failing to ask the right questions even when there was mounting evidence that something was not right,’ he wrote.

Ruth adds that senior leaders must demonstrate ‘authentic leadership’. She suggests some key points covering the questions they should ask for assurance and oversight (see Leadership questions for assurance, left).

BOARDS CAN BE GUILTY OF NOT LISTENING TO THE ANSWERS

For Shaun, there is no substitute for getting out and seeing things for yourself.

‘People can tell you whatever they want, but when you see it yourself and talk to people [and] get to feel what’s important to them, that’s a useful piece of information,’ he says. ‘It’s not necessarily easy to quantify but that qualitative experience is really meaningful.’

Most of the experts IOSH magazine spoke to for this article said it is important for senior leaders to challenge not only organisational relationships, but also what is presented to them. This is where critical thinking comes in, and an ability to consider different motivations and tensions within an organisation.

Peter acknowledges that boards don’t always ask sufficient questions, especially open ones, but says they can also be guilty of not listening to the answer if they do.

‘A decent chair will allow a director an opening question and at least one if not two follow-up questions so that, ﬁrst, you make sure you’re getting the information and, second, you’ve talked about it,’ he says.

‘You keep pursuing the issue until you’re satisﬁed. If people are trying to hide something, it’s more difficult to get at it and you probably need to have several goes on different occasions if you have any suspicions.’

Ruth adds that encouraging a culture where team members feel psychologically safe to question established practices is important and recommends seeking external perspectives.

Balancing ethics and objectives

In the high-pressure, fast-paced environment in which many businesses operate, there is always a risk that ethical considerations become a casualty, so what can leaders do to maintain a balance between ethical integrity and business objectives?

rations to ensure management systems oper are e ‘It’s not qualitat He a know w and saf doesn’ sh good g like. T an ide and th

He adds that senior leaders also need to know what ‘good’ looks like. ‘A lot of health and safety reporting is negative because it doesn’t explain to the board members what they should be expecting,’ he says.

‘I’ve shared a lot of case studies of what good governance in health and safety looks like. They really engage because it gives them an idea of what a good situation looks like and they can compare themselves against it.’

Trina says many companies set up ethics committees to consider ethical proposals before they reach the board. Alternatively, they appoint an ethics champion to the board who ensures that an ethical approach, for example making it mandatory to report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, is woven into the organisation’s fabric.

Returning to the executive summaries she mentioned earlier, Trina also suggests inserting an ethics section because ‘having that as standard just keeps it in view of the executive management’.

Ian agrees, saying that by starting with ethical objectives, ‘your classiﬁcation of the objective is fundamentally and squarely ethical’.

An agent for positive change

Drawing on his research, Shaun recognises how some boards can develop negative perceptions of OSH professionals, who sometimes can be viewed as ‘banging heads with the business trying to get things done’.

However, in more mature businesses, the OSH professional is increasingly recognised as being someone who can offer something that no other head of service actually can (see The role of the OSH professional, right).

‘Many heads of service work in their own service area,’ he explains, ‘whereas an OSH head works across all areas with unique access to quite senior people in the business. But those heads need to leverage that in the right way because they’re so exposed and could make themselves very unpopular very quickly.’

Shaun advises being mindful of business politics, which is ‘where all those soft skills come in, and the ability to negotiate your ideas to the right level’. He suggests that OSH professionals help the business to recognise evidence of good performance by ‘focusing on things that go well and capturing that information’.

Ian says that one of the OSH professional’s most important roles is to act as a critical friend. Although they are often not the

person in charge of the organisation, they excel at critical analysis and need to inﬂuence the leaders who do make other important decisions.

Reﬂecting on Grenfell and the broader lessons it provides for construction projects, Gill feels it’s about a cultural shift away from fast and cheap to functional and safe. Above all, it is a legal duty to only employ competent people.

Although she stresses that overhauling the industry’s culture overnight is unrealistic, encouraging the right behaviours is fundamental to fostering change.

‘We’re in the early stages of that standard change curve,’ she reﬂects. ‘We’re not in a position where we have competence frameworks in every part of the industry. So, to say you must be competent, there is still the question, “What does that look like?”’

Shaun, who has been involved in developing PAS 8673, a competence speciﬁcation for stakeholders that manage buildings, agrees.

‘The regulator is pushing this idea of intelligent customers very strongly, but nobody really knows how to do that,’ he says.

‘Those speciﬁcations are out there, but I’m not sure everyone is using them, so there needs to be a push to get industry to engage with them more proactively to build the right culture.’

For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ transforming-tragedy

VIEWPOINT

The role of the OSH professional

The key challenge for OSH professionals in all organisations is to expand their senior leaders’ understanding of why things go right and why they go wrong.

Far too many senior managers and directors still have a hopelessly over-simple view of health and safety failures, without really understanding the complex interplay of organisational and personal errors that lead up to them. That is why investigations of signiﬁcant incidents should always be led by senior managers. Investigation, if well conducted, is a really good form of in-service health and safety training.

A further problem is too many leaders seem to view risk-taking as a sign of commercial virility and fail to understand that disasters only happen because they are not prevented.

And this leads to a tick-box mentality, which assumes that if legal requirements seem to have been complied with, then it’s full steam ahead.

I’m not convinced that in most organisations, the leadership of safety, health and reliability has moved on sufficiently from the time of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster nearly four decades ago when Justice Sheen described the operations of operator P&O at that time as characterised by ‘a culture of sloppiness from top to bottom’.

All operations are pregnant with the possibility of failure and too often disaster is narrowly averted more by the effects of chance rather than by proactive preventive measures.

There is no substitute for senior leaders being able to simultaneously take a critical ‘helicopter view’ and be prepared personally to get down in among the operational detail. That’s the attitude they need to inspire in all their colleagues.

The OSH professional’s job is to help them

on that journey.

Roger Bibbings MBE CFIOSH (retired)

Zeebrugge (1987, 193 died)

Hillsborough (1989, 97 died)

EXPLORE

PRACTICE

SKILLS, IDEAS AND THEORIES K ILLS , IDEAS A N D THE O RIE S

With incidents of violence and abuse surging, what can be done to protect retail staff who ﬁnd themselves on the frontline?

WORDS PETER CRUSH

There is a crime epidemic sweeping the UK, and it’s happening in front of our eyes.

Each day, the nation’s customer service and retail staff are at the receiving end of physical and verbal abuse – and, according to Lara Conradie, communications adviser at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the latest data shows everything has got 'much worse’. The BRC Crime Survey 2025, based on data from September 2023 to August 2024, states that incidents of violence and abuse have climbed to more than 2000 a day, up from 1300 the previous year, amounting to 737,000 during the period. More than 25,000, or 70 a day, involved the use of a weapon (BRC, 2025a).

‘Numbers of attacks involving weapons are up,’ Lara says. ‘Organised crime is also up –it’s really scary out there.’

Chris Brook-Carter, CEO at the Retail Trust, a charity dedicated to the health and happiness of retail workers, adds: ‘Staff are repeatedly facing unacceptable levels of abuse at work, with 80% of workers we recently spoke to saying they’ve experienced abuse [threats and actual violence] in the last year. One in three said this now happens on a weekly basis.’

The union Usdaw – which compiles its own data – corroborates these depressing statistics. Its research suggests that each year, 69% of shop workers experience verbal abuse, 45% feel threatened by a customer and 17% are physically assaulted. The latter ﬁgure has more than tripled from 5% in only the last ﬁve years.

Considering that around 2.9 million people (or 10% of all employees) now work in retail (BRC, 2025b), the number of people who go to work each day in fear of an altercation is frightening.

But it presents a challenge for OSH professionals providing advice to retailers. On the one hand, employers are obliged to provide a safe working environment, and on the other, they also want to ensure that staff are accessible. Yet they can’t reasonably predict when a normal customer interaction could escalate into a dangerous incident.

‘It’s a very difficult area,’ says Dr Iván Williams Jiménez, senior policy and public affairs manager at IOSH. ‘Customers want staff to be accessible to them, but we also know that young people, women and certain ethnic groups can be disproportionately impacted by work-related violence. We also need to be mindful of telephone mistreatment and abuse that call centre workers in this sector experience. Retail staff tend to be talked-down to, because they are considered by some as working in a lessskilled occupation – this is despite them being critical for society to function.’

In the face of these difficulties, proper support is desperately needed. And yet the Retail Trust ﬁnds that less than half (48%) of workers feel they get it (Retail Trust, 2024).

‘Employers already have a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their staff, and this includes workplace violence,’ says Tony Whelan, health and safety officer at Usdaw. ‘But the sheer rise in cases means there’s now a rising need for more employers to better understand the risks from violence and provide their staff with support before and after an incident has occurred.

CASE STUDY

Tragic suicide of shop worker

A case earlier this year provides an example of the immense stresses retail staff sometimes face. In January, Woolwich Crown Court heard how shop worker Oliver White killed himself 24 hours after thieves stole uninsured luxury watches worth nearly £1.4m while he was working at 247 Kettles in Richmond, west London.

Feeling to blame, he reportedly told his girlfriend that bosses accused him of not putting up enough of a ﬁght. He killed himself in May 2024 after trying to transfer £14,000 of his own money to the store to help cover some of the loss.

‘We still ﬁnd employers don’t always easily facilitate reporting – even minor incidents, believing them to be trivial. But unless all incidents are reported and a culture of reporting is encouraged, it’s impossible for OSH professionals to know proportionate levels of intervention [such as CCTV, counter screens or body-worn cameras] to manage this risk. We think there is likely to be mass under-reporting.’

How can data help?

Although incidents against staff can feel random, we know that OSH leaders can inform their risk responses. ‘We ﬁnd that 70% of incidents are triggered by staff encountering shoplifting,’ Tony explains.

Lara adds: ‘Our data ﬁnds the top triggering cause is actually when staff try to intervene to stop a theft. Because we know more women work in retail – people who will typically feel more vulnerable – this should inform the right preventive plan.’

The tendency for escalations to occur when staff check customers’ ages for purchases such as alcohol and cigarettes or vapes was behind the legislation recently passed in Scotland to make it a speciﬁc offence for people to assault, threaten or abuse staff. The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 was introduced by Daniel Johnson MSP, who had to withstand considerable resistance from opponents claiming that existing laws sufficiently covered assault.

He says: ‘I come from a retail background, but took the view that if retail staff were legally required to conﬁrm someone’s age –something which potentially increases their risk of potential harm – they deserved legal support from the state.’

In the last 18 months, Daniel conﬁrms, the new legislation has been used to charge 5306 aggressors. Although he acknowledges that this law won’t stop violence, he claims it does force the reporting of it, so that it ‘encourages employers to take their duties towards staff seriously’.

For this reason, there is chagrin in some quarters that there is no similar legislation

in England or Wales – yet. ‘This law makes violence something employers shouldn’t expect their staff to simply tolerate,’ Daniel explains.

What's the role of technology?

According to James Carter CMIOSH – group health and safety manager at opticians Specsavers, who has worked with the likes of retailers Marks & Spencer and the Co-op – it’s only when ‘we start to see violence as a foreseeable risk’ that companies are then able to decide what to do to support their employees. He says: ‘There are lots of businesses that are investing in live monitored panic systems, to ensure their employees feel protected in the event of a violent situation.’

One technology that can both document violence and play a part in reducing it is body-worn cameras. Staff typically feel better protected having them on and, even though their potential for preventing abuse is still to be properly researched, polling among 22 retailers across the US and Europe by the ECR Retail Loss Group (2020) has found that violent and verbal abuse incidents fell by 45% when they were used. The Co-op has been using them since 2019, and it too has reported a reduction in confrontations.

‘CCTV is nowadays just not a big enough deterrent to protect staff,’ says John Seddon, business development manager at Peoplesafe, a global market leader in personal safety technology, which provides

a variety of apps and devices that retail staff can use to raise an alarm or have their interactions listened to (live) by a fully managed alarm monitoring centre.

He says: ‘Bodycams are great – and I’ve seen studies that show they reduce risk of abuse – but something that’s not often talked about is how they might alienate existing law-abiding customers, who may see them as off-putting, creating a barrier, and a bad customer experience.

'These are the sorts of ﬁne lines health and safety officers have to think about. A camera still won’t protect someone during an actual incident.’

What can training achieve?

Does this mean that employers need to offer something else, such as training in deescalation tactics or self defence?

This is a highly charged debate. Training companies now provide it, but opponents

CCTV IS NO LONGER A BIG ENOUGH DETERRENT TO PROTECT WORKERS

suggest that following a policy like this in the name of reducing risk could actually encourage retail staff to put themselves in harm’s way – because they should really just walk away.

Iván explains: ‘There is a beneﬁt to employees knowing how to safely handle and deal with problematic scenarios, and many employers will already train staff around practical scenarios because it gives them tools to be able to prevent and manage these issues.’ But the key, he says, is that training, together with systems and policies, should inform staff about when to retreat and ‘not put themselves in harm’s way.’

200029% £4.2BN 47% 30% violent and abusive incidents happen to UK retail workers every day (British Retail Consortium, 2025) is the increase in shoplifting offences, the highest level since current recording practices began in 2003 (ONS, 2024) was the cost of retail crime, including crime prevention measures, forUK businesses in 2023/24 (British Retail Consortium, 2025) of respondents have feared for their safety at work, and 39% have considered quitting (Retail Trust, 2024) of fatalities in the US retail sector in 2023 were homicides (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024)

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Others draw a ﬁrmer line. ‘Retailers could – in theory – train staff in how to better manage disputes or handle threatening situations,’ says Steve Faye, managing director at security company Safecrowds Group. ‘But there’s always a risk that staff put themselves in a dangerous situation they don’t have the right skills for.’

Steve champions retailers hiring security staff who are trained in dealing with hostile behaviours. A problem he acknowledges, though, is that the cost of hiring them can be questioned, especially with ever-increasing pressure on retailer margins. ‘But a good guard will be able to see what’s happening and position themselves between an aggressor and an employee.

‘We want to educate employers about this, and for them to understand that protecting staff and customers is more important than protecting assets.’

Further support is needed

Most commentators agree that the simplest OSH policy is one that encourages staff to step away from a deteriorating situation, even if goods are stolen. This would, they say, also reduce the natural instinct many staff might have to want to intervene to protect goods or property.

‘The last policing minister [Chris Philp] actually promoted shop workers making citizens’ arrests,’ says Tony, ‘something wildly criticised by safety professionals at the time. Employers have to be careful what they advocate.’

One area of consensus is that an OSH policy should not just be one that assesses risk and tries to prevent it, but should also have a package of support in place –including psychological and legal – for those who have suffered the misfortune of a verbal and physical attack.

‘The psychological impact an attack on a member of staff can have is often signiﬁcantly underplayed,’ says Lara, who has also heard of incidents ranging from ‘people brandishing knives, to one retail worker being stabbed in the neck with a syringe, and not knowing if there was anything in it transferred to their body’.

RETAILERS

NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROTECTING PEOPLE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN

SAVING ASSETS

It’s a view shared by Jo Causon, CEO at the Institute of Customer Service – whose ongoing ‘Service With Respect’ campaign has been instrumental in getting more stringent sentences for those committing an offence against a person providing a public service in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. ‘Research shows 46% of retail staff are considering quitting the sector for good because of harassment they’ve faced.

‘Employers must provide decent counselling, and avoid staff feeling like they’re under pressure to return to work too soon – especially after a particularly traumatic experience. The OSH sector has been strong in areas like safety, but another element to this is understanding the real human impact that an attack on an individual can have.’

While there is no excuse for abuse, Jo says it’s worth considering how company processes and systems can increase exasperation and the potential for customers to lash out, such as call centre systems that pass people from pillar to post.

‘There’s an argument for saying organisations should put more effort into smoothing out processes that have the potential to aggravate customers and those trying to serve them,’ she says.

Better legal protection ahead?

So,what of the immediate future? With all the evidence suggesting that attacks are up and safeguarding efforts need improving, some might say there is little light at the end of the tunnel.

One hope, however, is that the Labour government has pledged to bring in retail worker protections similar to those in Scotland later this year [in the Crime and Policing Bill]. But this still won’t alleviate the need for employers to carry on promoting safe working practices, and having more explicit policies for what staff should (or should not) do if an interaction seems likely to overspill into something potentially dangerous.

But as well as having policies for while staff are at work, Sue Parker-Tantush, senior safety and risk leader, thinks employers will increasingly have to think out of the box.

‘There’s a whole other debate about the long working hours of retail staff – with people shutting up shops in the dark, late into the evening,’ she says. ‘It’s possible customers involved in a previous altercation could be waiting for that staff member to leave, late at night, when they’re extremely vulnerable.’

Rates of attacks and abuse in retail are worsening, with miscreants emboldened by the perception that little will be done by the authorities. Steve explains: ‘Thieves know shops and the police won’t do much, and so they can be more aggressive and brazen.' But this does not mean that staff should be left to deal with it alone.

‘The unfortunate thing is that abuse towards staff creates a culture of fear and burnout among people working in retail,’ says Iván.

Tony adds: ‘We’re not going to arrest ourselves out of this problem. It’s a societal issue, although legislation spelling out clearer punishments [for England and Wales] will act as a deterrent.’

In the meantime, says Daniel, ‘employers need to make their contribution to making the workplace safer. The view that the “customer is always right” shouldn’t pervade when staff are being verbally or physically challenged. What’s just as important for employees is for them to know that their employer won’t tolerate this, and that they have ways of reporting attacks, and accessing follow-up support if needed.’

James concludes: ‘Employees need to feel conﬁdent they are protected, but also be conﬁdent that any decisions they take will be supported too.’

For references, see ioshmagazine.com/ violence-aggression-retail

HOW TO… CHOOSE A DIGITISED EHS SYSTEM

We discuss what OSH practitioners should look for in health and safety software.

WORDS ANNA SCOTT

Environmental, health and safety (EHS) systems bring a huge range of beneﬁts for organisations. The ability to handle and process large amounts of safety and health data boosts productivity and enhances workers’ wellbeing. And in the global economy, the reduced environmental impact, improved

reputation from lower accident rates, and investor and stakeholder conﬁdence delivered by EHS systems are crucial. There is a clear trend towards increased adoption of digitised EHS systems across industries, which bring risks and opportunities. IOSH’s digitalisation policy states that OSH professionals should ‘promote a sound “prevention through design” approach that mitigates against any unintended consequences’ (IOSH, 2024). So, how can OSH professionals make sure their organisations get the maximum beneﬁts from an EHS system?

Identifying the gaps

Effective frameworks and methodologies to conduct gap analyses of risk assessments are essential (see What to look for in EHS software, page 45). ‘We use the HSE [GB Health and Safety Executive] ﬁve steps to risk assessment framework to write risk assessments. Why would we not use it to help complete an audit on our assessments?’ says Rob Bullen CFIOSH, senior EHS specialist at health and safety software provider HandsHQ.

It’s worth including those employees directly involved in a task or operation because they know the process that needs to be risk-assessed, according to Barbara Derecka CMIOSH, director of Sustainable EHS Consulting. ‘They may not be able to identify all control measures by themselves because they have always been doing the task this way, but they are experts in their ﬁelds,’ she says, adding that the risk assessment is a live document that should be consistently reviewed.

Behaviour and perception

‘Great technology solutions can inﬂuence behaviour by ﬂagging risks,’ says Krystal Truax, vice-president of environmental health, safety and quality at software provider Ideagen. ‘Having software that has done a risk analysis on the situation you’re about to go into, and alerts you to those risks, opens your eyes to things that maybe you wouldn’t see or think about.’

Accessible technology drives employee engagement and takes away reporting barriers. ‘A very simple thing a technology solution should be able to do is say: “You told us something, now we’ve done

something about it,”’ says Duncan Davies, CEO at Notify Technology, another provider of health and safety software. ‘A solution that’s a closed loop that feeds back to the end user on the ground is powerful. Often in the most dangerous sectors, the employee is a long way from their manager.’

The storytelling that technology allows can shift health and safety cultures from compliance-driven to culture-driven by ‘helping people relate to the difference they make if they report incidents and how they can help change outcomes’, adds Andy Dumbell, chief technology officer at Notify Technology.

Through real-time data, immersive training and hazard identification, technology solutions can significantly influence employees’ behaviour and risk perception by immersing them in real work situations, improving learner engagement, preparedness, and knowledge retention.

‘A scalable EHS platform can ensure transparency and better data analytics, driving continuous improvement and encouraging ownership of safety practices,’ adds Rob Leech, principal product director at software provider EcoOnline.

The right functionality

The ﬁrst step for a company choosing a digitised EHS system is to understand where its problems are. ‘Different companies might say they haven’t got enough reporting, so they would need something that makes incident reporting quick and easy,’ Duncan says. Companies also need apps that can work offline, ‘so that it can be used anywhere by anybody, open to everybody to access’, he adds.

Begin with the end in mind of what functionality is needed and use a MoSCoW analysis – must-have, should-have, couldhave, won’t-have or will-not-have-rightnow. And software should be conﬁgurable to the business’ processes, not the other way around.

Usability is crucial too. ‘You can buy the best software in the world that checks all the administrative boxes and does fancy things, but if you can’t get your end users to

enter data into the system that drives your workﬂows, then your software has failed you,’ Krystal says.

Setting goals

Before any onboarding process, companies should set out their goals for the system they plan to implement. ‘What matters most to your business? Turn that into a companyspeciﬁc KPI and report on it regularly,’ Rob Bullen says. ‘It’s hard to recommend measures and progress tracking as each business is unique and they have their own challenges, goals and motivations.’

However, companies should always set up SMART (speciﬁc, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals. ‘Usually, there is also an option to generate system usage reports, track login frequency and time spent on the platform,’ Barbara adds. ‘Regular stakeholder meetings and pilot testing are two measures I would use at the very beginning of the implementation to track the initial progress.’

Measuring success should include both leading and lagging indicators, such as incident reduction rates, near-miss reporting trends and audit completion analysis. And then, while incident rates show past performance, leading indicators like safety observations, training participation, and engagement with digital reporting tools provide a forward-looking measure of safety culture, says Rob Leech.

Ensuring engagement

A lack of employee and leadership involvement is a common pitfall for businesses to avoid when implementing digitised EHS systems. A system that isn’t user-friendly won’t be used. Captured data with no follow-up actions will reduce engagement. If employees aren’t offered ongoing support and training, they may hesitate to use the system or forget what they have learned.

‘Leaders must support the system’s implementation,’ Barbara says. ‘After all, they pay for the system that they want to be successful, but maybe the implementation of the system you propose is planned at

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• Increase employee engagement in safety by 10x

• Support and accelerate compliance

• Build a proactive safety culture throughout your entire organisation and supply chain

• Prevent accidents and incidents

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the same time as the opening of the new warehouse. When both important projects are planned to happen in the same time frame, resources requested may not be available, some managers would have to prioritise what’s most important.’

Companies should have a plan to introduce software and its value, and to train people in how to use it and where to go for help. Then build on that and roll out more functionality. ‘Don’t rip the rug away

ENGAGEMENT

LEADS TO LESS ABSENTEEISM AND

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

from people and try and roll it out all at once,’ Krystal says. ‘You’ll just overwhelm people, and it’ll take longer to embed.’

Clear communication and ongoing support during adoption is crucial. ‘The organisation should anticipate common hurdles from resistance to change to insufficient training,’ Rob Leech says. ‘Ensuring that employees understand how data is collected and used is crucial for acceptance.’

EHS technology should be introduced much as a change management programme. ‘You’re changing behaviour, and therefore culture, so you need engagement,’ Duncan says. ‘And for each phase of implementation, get feedback from that part of the business and use that to iterate.’ Internal champions are crucial. ‘If you’ve got people that can help manage conversations and get people on board that helps,’ Andy adds.

It’s important to understand the audience. ‘What are the problems, motivations and priorities for the people you need to buy into the system? It’s then about tying in their problems to your proposal as the solution and using their language and terminology to support your case,’ Rob Bullen adds. ‘It also boils down

to understanding how your organisational culture works. What is the process for bringing something new to the business and have you followed that?’

A key motivation is return on investment, and ‘ﬂipping the narrative’ to show how much value OSH brings to employee retention and brand management will get leadership buy-in.

‘Companies tend to focus only on the cost to implement against the savings from, say, insurance premiums, which is very myopic,’ says Krystal. ‘The savings for an organisation extend beyond OSH. A robust digital management system improves engagement leading to less absenteeism and increased productivity.’

AI opportunities and challenges

EHS systems are increasingly using artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) to process and analyse data, then produce insightful results. Notify Technology is looking at three advantages offered by AI in EHS systems: assistive capability to help OSH professionals work more efficiently by boosting data accuracy; streamlining tasks; and providing AIdriven suggestions in areas such as incident reporting, training, risk management, and document creation.

What to look for in your EHS software

• Ability to improve communication and consultation across the business

• Audit and inspection management

• Data-tracking

• Environmental monitoring

• Flexibility to mirror current ways of working

• Incident management

• Interoperability

• Multilingual support

• Real-time reporting

• Regulatory compliance

• Scalability

• Training and competency module

‘People’s jobs aren’t getting replaced; they are getting more time to do work,’ Andy says. ‘We still think a human is needed to be accountable. Companies need to make sure that whatever they put into AI, people trust.’

Human beings remain an important influence, as Barbara explains. ‘AI can help with detecting hidden patterns in large datasets that would take ages to go through, it can predict trends based on historical data, identifies safety issues which are underreported and helps counter confirmation bias where human beings interpret data to fit our existing beliefs. It all depends on people and their data input.’

‘Because OSH professionals are so good at collecting data,’ Krystal points out, ‘AI presents opportunities that we are well positioned to take advantage of: standardisation, summarisation, consistency in root cause analysis.’ Rob Bullen agrees: ‘Treat AI as an apprentice or peer you can help educate.’

But if AI is not properly governed and regulated, organisations face an increased exposure to cyber security, ethical and privacy risks, Rob Leech points out. ‘AI governance in EHS should follow principles of transparency, fairness and accountability.

‘Incorporating AI may feel like an overwhelming or unknown task, so the key is to consult experts, including software vendors, who can help to strike the right balance – leveraging automation while establishing clear governance policies to address data privacy, algorithm biases and decision-making transparency.’

As AI continues to evolve within EHS systems, the possibilities for smarter and more efficient approaches to health and safety and risk management are endless. If OSH professionals remember to identify gaps in their health and safety culture, invest in software with appropriate functionality, get buy-in and measure – as well as understand the implications of AI – the risk perception and behaviour change needed from the workforce will emerge.

For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ how-to-EHS

When a train crashed in southern India in October 2023, killing 14 people, its drivers – who both lost their lives – were reportedly watching a cricket match.

In 2022, a crash on the A1(M) in County Durham, UK, which claimed the lives of three people, was caused by a lorry driver who was browsing dating sites at the wheel. And, in the same year, police caught another HGV driver watching TV while driving down the M4.

Mobile phones were a contributory factor in road traffic collisions in Great Britain which killed a total of 22 people and injured 652 in 2022 (Department for Transport, 2024) – though it’s unclear what proportion occurred while the driver was at work. But digital distraction is creeping into every industry, says Saeed Ahmadi, OSH content developer at IOSH.

‘It’s especially problematic in highrisk environments like processing, manufacturing, logistics, transportation and gig work such as food delivery,’ he says. ‘These are industries where situational awareness is critical, and even a moment of distraction can have serious consequences.

‘When smartphones get involved, constant notiﬁcations or in-vehicle systems mean

things can get dangerous fast. In industrial settings such as warehouses, reﬁneries or construction sites, even a momentary lapse in attention can be the difference between a near miss and a serious accident.’

Distraction data

A US survey found that 75% of digital distractions in industrial settings led to property damage, while over half (58%) resulted in injury or even death (Screen Education, 2020).

Sometimes it’s the very technology workers rely on to obtain and carry out their work that distracts them. A survey from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that gig workers – who rely on smartphone apps for navigation, customer communication and job management – are four times more likely to use their phones while driving (IIHS, 2022). Hands-free technology, too, has been shown to distract drivers (Briggs et al, 2016).

‘Over-reliance on technology is potentially adding even more layers of distraction,’ says Saeed. ‘Vehicles today come with in-vehicle infotainment, navigation systems and eco-driving feedback, all designed to help drivers – but they can also push drivers into multitasking while driving.’

UK software specialist Unily (see Too much noise, opposite) found that more than threequarters (77%) of employees said they find notifications from workplace digital tools a distraction – with email and messaging alerts proving the most overwhelming (for 61% and 57% respectively). The poll of 500 UK employees found that almost a third (31%) were distracted every 15 minutes by a digital notification, leading to around 160 distractions a week.

Kaz Hassan, principal market insights manager at Unily, suggests that distraction can be symptomatic of excessive online tools and unnavigable systems. ‘Where organisations have digitalised over a short period of time – particularly during COVID – many have picked up multiple smaller apps and not tied them all together, meaning the employee has to go ﬁshing for information across different tools and, in that process, get distracted and often lose sight of the task they’re doing.’

Losing faculties

The impact of distracted workers isn’t easy to quantify, says David Sharp, CEO of OSH training provider International Workplace.

D I V I D E D

Technology can cause workers to lose focus, with potentially serious consequences for health and safety. We look at the extent of the problem – and some solutions.

WORDS HELEN BIRD

‘I think there is a fallacy of work intensiﬁcation. It feels like technology is constantly pushing us to do more and more but, actually, we’re not doing more and more,’ he says, citing the example of a worker being in a face-to-face meeting while responding to emails on a laptop. You can’t do everything at once.

‘There is also the dataﬁcation of workers – people working to metrics set by an algorithm,’ David adds. ‘Essentially, you’re not paying attention; you’re simply working to an algorithm. At the root of all this is a lack of agency, if we’re not careful. If you’re relying on technology to the extent that you stop relying on your faculties over time, that’s a dangerous thing – for immediate accidents at work but also for mental health and wellbeing.’

Being distracted doesn’t just hamper the individual, says Saeed. ‘It has a corrosive effect on workplace morale and efficiency. Employees who are constantly checking notiﬁcations aren’t fully engaged, which means others have to pick up the undone tasks. Over time, that can lead to frustration, resentment and burnout – all of which hurt the overall work environment.’

AAssessing distraction risk

What role do OSH professionals play in helping workers to avoid distractions? For David, there needs to be a tailored approach. ‘As the Pissarides review [Institute for the Future of Work, 2025] points out, technology impacts on people in different ways, depending on their role, their education, their skill, the nature of the work they do. There is deﬁnitely not a one-size-ﬁtsall approach,’ he says.

‘I would be asking: what’s the impact on our workers over time? I would then do an impact assessment on what technology we use and how it is contributing – or not – to their health, safety and wellbeing.’ Saeed also recommends that OSH professionals start with a risk assessment and task analysis (see Takeaways for OSH professionals, page 49).

Some organisations implement nonotiﬁcation hours, while for others, solutions are offered by yet more technology. For UK truck drivers, tools such as fatigue and distraction monitoring are designed to track eye movement and head position.

But there are ethical considerations: many drivers feel these close-watch technologies cross privacy lines, so companies must be

Too much noise

Almost half of workers (48%) are distracted every 30 minutes, while 31% are distracted every 15 minutes and 13% every ﬁve minutes or less.

Almost two-thirds of respondents in ﬁnancial services report being distracted every 30 minutes or less... ...followed by 58% of those in business and professional services... ... and a third (34%) of retail, distribution and transport workers.

71% of managers say digital tools add to their workplace stress, versus 59% of employees.

More than one in 10 employees would consider changing jobs over excessive digital noise.

Source: Unily, 2024

T T E N T I O N

Smarter software for organizations that value people’s safety, communities and the planet.

Smarter software for mid-market and enterprise organisations that prioritise safety, regulatory compliance, risk management and sustainability.

Legislation across Europe

UK

There is no single piece of legislation that governs the use of technology in an employment context, and employers should be aware of the principles set out across a patchwork of legislation and case law. The UK approach has been to rely on a crosssector approach to regulation, with existing regulators playing their part (CIPD, 2025).

Germany

The private use of smartphones is often restricted or prohibited by employers, particularly in production facilities.

Ireland

The right to disconnect is established in a voluntary code of practice. It comprises the right of an employee not to routinely perform work outside their normal working hours, the right to not to be penalised for disconnecting, and the duty to respect another person’s right to disconnect.

France

Employers need to ﬁnd a fair balance between the professional use of company devices – which remains the general rule – and personal use of these devices. French case law gives companies some benchmarks for determining a ‘fair’ balance.

Portugal

The responsibility for the right to disconnect rests on the employer under ‘refrain from contact’ laws. This means that companies with more than 10 employees can be ﬁned if they text or email staff outside their contracted hours.

Takeaways for OSH professionals

Saeed Ahmadi, OSH content developer at IOSH, advises: Start with a solid risk assessment and task analysis. OSH professionals might need to take a step back and reassess their workplaces, identifying where and how technology might be causing distraction, cognitive overload or mental fatigue. For key roles in any business, OSH people should analyse the tasks required and determine

where digital tools might be creating more harm than good, by being overused or misused.

and cognitive overload in workers?

It’s best to ask questions as part of analysing tasks, such as: Are workers dealing with constant notiﬁcations? Are in-vehicle systems overwhelming drivers with too much information? Is excessive screen time leading to mental fatigue

transparent about how the data is used (Hastelow, 2024).

Balance and context are key, Saeed adds. ‘In some work environments, a momentary loss of situational awareness can lead to catastrophic accidents or even fatalities. In those cases, setting clear policies around technology use isn’t just acceptable, it’s necessary for keeping workers safe.

‘It’s not about banning technology outright or micromanaging employees. Workers need to be consulted and engaged in the process so they understand the “why” behind any decided safety measure to manage this risk.’

Right to disconnect?

Implementing a right to disconnect policy during non-working hours could mean that employees are less distracted during working hours. The idea of such a right is currently hotly debated, but is generally understood as the right to ignore work-related communications during non-working hours.

A trade association that champions the technology sector, techUK, says it advocates a policy that empowers the employee, similar to Ireland’s code of practice (see Legislation across Europe, left). ‘This will take full advantage of the

Check out IOSH’s research, webinars and technical content aimed at helping OSH professionals to understand the broader impact of technology on workplace safety. The key is balance: leveraging technology to enhance safety and efficiency, while making sure it doesn’t introduce new risks that put workers in danger.

beneﬁts of the right to disconnect, namely fostering discussion between employers and employees about healthier and more suitable working practices,’ it says.

IOSH, too, supports the idea of a right to disconnect, says Saeed. ‘Giving employees the ability to switch off after work isn’t just about reducing distractions – it’s about protecting their wellbeing and productivity in the long run.’

IOSH also points members towards its digitalisation policy position, which calls on governments to ‘take a proactive approach on laws and regulation to ensure new technologies do not negatively impact worker rights and protections’ – and on OSH professionals to ‘promote a sound “prevention through design” approach that mitigates against any unintended consequences of new technologies’.

Ultimately, says David, digital distraction is a human issue: ‘As humans, we should try to think about the real meaning of intelligence, if we can – which means us exercising control over the choices we make, and not losing our agency.’

OUTSIDE On the

As the threat from extreme heat grows, what controls and other measures can protect those working outdoors?

WORDS SAEED AHMADI CERTIOSH

Climate change is driving up temperatures globally and the risk of heat-related health issues for outdoor workers is becoming more severe. Many workers, especially those in industries such as energy, construction and emergency response, are exposed to extreme heat for extended periods, often with little relief. In addition to the heat itself, workers face other environmental stresses such as UV radiation and harmful pollutants, further putting their health at risk.

The dangers of heat exposure are not just a matter of discomfort: they can lead to serious health problems, ranging

from heat exhaustion and heatstroke to long-term conditions such as skin cancer and immune dysfunction. According to studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) between 2000 and 2019, nearly 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred globally each year, with large portions of these fatalities in Asia and Europe. In Europe alone, there were 61,672 heat-related deaths during the summer of 2022. Alarmingly, this number is expected to rise globally, as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heatwaves (WHO, 2024).

But it’s not just about direct threats from the heat. Prolonged exposure also

impairs human focus, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. The rise in ground-level ozone and other pollutants further complicates matters, contributing to respiratory issues and allergic reactions. These factors can severely affect workers’ health and productivity, making it more crucial than ever to identify effective strategies to reduce the harmful effects of extreme heat (Abokhashabah et al, 2021).

Let’s take a closer look at practical, affordable solutions through the lens of the hierarchy of risk control to protect outdoor workers from the harmful effects of extreme heat.

Engineering controls to limit heat exposure

While it may not be possible to eliminate extreme heat or substitute it with a less harmful condition, engineering controls provide practical solutions to reduce workers’ exposure and create safer environments. These controls are particularly effective because they are less dependent on human action, making them more reliable for sustaining cooler and safer workplaces compared with other measures.

A key strategy is the use of shading stations designed speciﬁcally for outdoor worksites. These structures, designed with

heat-resistant materials such as insulated walls and roofs, provide a reliable refuge from the sun. Outdoor shading can be enhanced with airﬂow mechanisms to help workers cool down during scheduled rest breaks. These rest areas allow workers operating in high-heat environments to recover, reducing the risk of heat stress and related illnesses (Morris et al, 2020).

Another effective engineering control is the automation and mechanisation of labour-intensive tasks. By analysing tasks and identifying opportunities to reduce the physical demands of work, duty holders can limit the build-up of metabolic heat (heat generated by the body during exertion). For example, replacing manual labour with machinery, such as using backhoes instead of picks and shovels, can decrease the physical strain on workers and minimise heat exposure risks (Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health (CCOSH), 2024).

THERE WERE 61,672 HEAT-RELATED DEATHS IN EUROPE IN SUMMER 2022

Adjusting work-rest schedules is another vital administrative measure. By allowing for longer breaks during peak heat hours and scheduling intensive tasks during cooler parts of the day, workers can maintain productivity while minimising heat-related stress. Additionally, the introduction of acclimatisation plans can help workers gradually adapt to high temperatures, reducing the likelihood of heatrelated illnesses (HRIs).

Finally, there is the insulation and isolation of hot surfaces. By covering or isolating machinery, equipment or other heat-generating surfaces, the rate of heat exchange can be minimised. This simple yet effective measure reduces the rate of heat exchange, contributing to a cooler and more comfortable workspace.

Administrative controls to improve work design Strategies can be deployed that optimise how and when work is performed as part of administrative controls. For instance, implementing heat alert programmes ensures that workers and supervisors are informed of high-risk conditions in advance, allowing for timely precautions. These programmes can be paired with hydration initiatives, providing readily accessible water stations and encouraging regular ﬂuid intake to prevent dehydration.

Comprehensive training programmes are also critical. Educating workers about the symptoms of HRIs, such as heat stroke and heat syncope (fainting), and teaching them to recognise early warning signs empowers them to take quick action. Vulnerability assessments, which identify at-risk workers – such as older employees, pregnant workers, or those with preexisting health conditions – allow for tailored protection measures that prioritise safety for all team members (Esfahani et al, 2024).

Purpose and design of a hydration programme

Maintaining proper hydration is essential for workers exposed to heat stress. Dehydration, which occurs when the body loses more fluids than it consumes, is a serious risk in hot working conditions. Excessive sweating combined with insufficient fluid intake can lead to reduced performance, heat-related illnesses, and even life-threatening conditions. A structured hydration programme is an effective way to combat these risks and ensure worker safety. In hot environments, relying solely on thirst as a signal to drink water often results in incomplete fluid replacement. A hydration programme (see Designing a hydration programme, overleaf) emphasises planned drinking, where

workers consume ﬂuids at regular intervals, such as every 15 to 20 minutes, regardless of thirst. This proactive approach helps maintain hydration levels and reduces the risk of dehydration-related health issues.

Acclimatisation:

key to heat tolerance

The process by which we gradually adjust to heat stress is acclimatisation, making our bodies more efficient at handling high temperatures. This improves heat tolerance by increasing sweat volume, lowering its salt content and promoting better heat dissipation. With acclimatisation, the body becomes less prone to dehydration and other heat-related illnesses.

However, it takes time – typically around two weeks of regular exposure to hot environments – for the body to fully adapt. Long-term acclimatisation can take years, but it can be lost quickly if you are away from the heat for several weeks. New and returning employees should acclimatise before assuming a full workload. It is advisable to assign about half of the normal workload on the ﬁrst day of work and gradually increase it over the subsequent days (CCOSH, 2024).

Certain factors can hinder acclimatisation, leading to heat intolerance. These include

age, obesity, low physical ﬁtness, dehydration, medical conditions like hypertension or thyroid disease, and previous heat-related illnesses. Genetic predispositions, reduced skin-tobody mass ratio, and conditions like pregnancy or large scars can also play a role. Additionally, behavioural factors such as consuming alcohol or caffeine can exacerbate heat stress by promoting dehydration and cardiovascular strain. Understanding these factors helps employers better manage heat risk by adjusting work schedules, providing hydration, and ensuring workers are properly acclimatised before exposure to extreme conditions (Rascon et al, 2019).

The beneﬁts of PPE and wearable technology

Personal protective equipment (PPE) plays a critical role in protecting workers from heat stress and HRIs. Properly selected PPE can signiﬁcantly reduce the physical strain caused by heat and minimise exposure. For instance, lightweight, breathable fabrics and UV-protective clothing can help limit the amount of heat absorbed from the sun, providing an essential layer of defence. Additionally, anti-

Designing a hydration programme

When developing a hydration programme, these key components should be included:

An accessible and adequate water supply. Employers must ensure that cool, potable drinking water is readily available near work areas. Having water stations close to the job site reduces the effort required for workers to stay hydrated and increases the likelihood of frequent ﬂuid intake.

Structured ﬂuid consumption. Workers should be encouraged to drink measured amounts from cups or bottles instead of directly from fountains. This practice enables OSH individuals to monitor ﬂuid intake and meet hydration goals. Employers can also set up reminders or schedules to ensure regular breaks for drinking.

Supportive facilities. Easy access to nearby toilets is critical. For female workers in particular, concerns about the inconvenience of leaving the work area for toilet breaks can discourage adequate water consumption. Providing clean and conveniently located facilities helps to address this barrier.

A balanced fluid intake. While staying hydrated is important, excessive fluid consumption (>1 litre per hour) can lead to hyponatremia, a dangerous condition caused by low sodium levels in the blood. This imbalance can result in severe complications such as cerebral swelling, coma or even death. Duty holders must educate workers about the importance of a balanced fluid intake and provide options such as electrolytereplenishing drinks for prolonged, highintensity work in extreme heat.

Customisation. Each hydration programme should be adapted to the speciﬁc demands of the job, factoring in the level of physical activity, duration of heat exposure and the nature of the environment. Jobs requiring prolonged physical exertion in extreme heat may necessitate additional electrolyte supplements to maintain a healthy balance of minerals (CCOSH, 2024).

An accessible water supply near the job site improves the likelihood of regular hydration

heat-stress garments such as cooling vests and moisture-wicking fabrics promote better heat regulation by enhancing sweat evaporation and reducing heat retention.

For workers exposed to extreme heat, especially under direct sunlight, PPE that incorporates advanced cooling features can be particularly valuable. Helmets with ventilation systems and cooling inserts help prevent heat build-up, keeping workers cooler and more comfortable.

Wearable technologies that track heart rate, skin temperature, and other physiological responses provide real-time data on the worker’s condition. This allows both workers and supervisors to quickly assess heat stress risks and take proactive steps to ensure safety.

The latest cooling garments meets various worker needs. Air-cooling garments (ACGs) use cool air to promote sweat evaporation and enhance heat

COMBINING MULTIPLE RISK CONTROLS GIVES GREATER PROTECTION FROM THE HEAT

exchange, while phase-change cooling garments (PCCGs) and liquid cooling garments (LCGs) offer more direct ways to manage heat. Their effectiveness depends on the airﬂow rate and distribution of cold air, which directly impact comfort and cooling (Zhang et al, 2022).

However, it is essential to balance PPE effectiveness with comfort, as overly restrictive gear can impede heat dissipation, emphasising the need for well-designed, purpose-built PPE in managing occupational heat stress. Rather than being based on the attributes of one

type of worker, often men, the available PPE needs to ﬁt workers with diverse attributes so that they can use it easily.

A layered, strategic approach that follows the hierarchy of risk control is essential for protecting outdoor workers from extreme heat. Given their prolonged exposure to this risk, prioritising higherlevel controls – such as engineering solutions and administrative measures – ensures the most effective defence. By combining multiple heat risk controls, businesses can create safer, more resilient workplaces which not only prevent heat-related illnesses, but also enhance productivity and wellbeing. As climate change continues to intensify heat-related risks, proactive, well-structured strategies are more crucial than ever.

For references, visit ioshmagazine. com/outdoor-worker-protection

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Long-term sickness absence is spiralling in the UK and the government has pledged to get people back to work. But how to tell when an employee can safely return and when they can’t?

WORDS PETER CRUSH

The UK has a persistent and deepening productivity problem. Of 9.4 million economically inactive people (including students, carers and those who have retired early), a staggering 2.9 million are thought to be long-term sick (Cuffe and Georgieva, 2025). Recent rises in economic inactivity have been so large that the UK now has the unwanted tag of being the only major economy to have seen a fall in employment since Covid-19 (Department for Work and Pensions et al, 2024). According to the BCG Centre for Growth and NHS Confederation (2024), if half to threequarters of those currently off due to long-term ill health could be reintegrated into workplaces, an extra £35bn to £57bn of ﬁscal revenue could be added to the UK economy in the next ﬁve years alone.

Yet trying to remedy this puts employers in a difficult position. While employers are only too aware that long-term absence is disruptive, it’s critical that return to work is conducted properly. But what does this mean?

A best-practice mineﬁeld

A GP or other healthcare professional must determine if someone is either ‘not fit for work’ or whether they ‘might be fit for work’ –terminology that is somewhat vague. Here, an employer is obliged to determine if a limited return to duties can be arranged, such as avoiding heavy lifting if that person is a factory worker, or offering flexible working or other accommodations, but this approach can run into difficulties if the parties disagree about their capability.

‘There’s absolutely no point trying to get people back into work if they’re not able or well enough,’ says Steve Boorman, former director of health and safety and chief medical

adviser at Royal Mail, now employee health director at Empactis. ‘Good return to work is as much about risk-assessing what people are capable of doing to avoid a revolving door of further absences.’

Laura Kearsley, head of employment at law firm Nelsons, says: ‘There are definitely people who could work but are signed off because GPs don’t have time to get chapter and verse on a business’s working conditions. In addition, the system makes it hard for employers to know how to make the first move. Leave making contact with staff too long and there’s a danger they feel ignored, but communicate too soon and staff with anxieties about returning may feel they’re being bullied back to work before they’re ready.’

An approach she suggests is for OSH professionals to mirror what already exists for staff who are off due to maternity –inviting them in for coffees with the rest of the team, having informal catch-ups and adding them to team emails.

‘The best approach is to proactively ask employees what channel they want to be added to and how often they want communication,’ Laura says. ‘Maintaining a sense of connection is greatly underestimated as a tool. With this, people are much more likely to return when they are ready.’

Since most people have a ﬁnancial necessity to work, she says instances of people playing the system are fewer than politicians imagine.

Amy White is head of training and wellbeing at Loch Associates Group, which helps organisations to manage their people. She explains: ‘The tricky bit can come

when someone says they’re ready to return, but it’s due to need more than wellbeing. Here, employers need to ascertain if an employee is ready to come back because they’re well enough – not because they’re under ﬁnancial strain.’

Invisible problems

According to Amy, it’s where organisations fail to offer the right support that signedoff rates are often highest, because in cases like these ‘getting signed off is the only alternative, especially if a request just for a few days off to get over an incident falls on deaf ears and yet would have sufficed’.

One problem, says Victoria Regan, employment law solicitor at Loch Associates Group, is that ‘illnesses or life events present themselves in very different ways to different people. For some, a bereavement might take just a short time to get over, while for others it can be a path to depression and real long-term issues. This is why it must always be taken on a case-bycase basis.’

Nowhere is this more evident than physical versus mental illnesses.

‘A broken bone or sprain typically has linear improvement,’ says Glenn Mason, counselling psychologist at Onebright. ‘The real challenge for employers is the invisibility of living with a mental health condition and dealing with this.’

in the development of a wellness action plan, reasonable adjustments, access to employee assistance programmes and wellness workshops. ‘Those living with a mental health condition face the additional challenge of feeling judged, so having good peer support, workplace wellbeing advocates and people to buddy-up with can help them get back into the swing of things.’

According to the Equality Act 2010, employees are protected from discrimination arising from disability, including physical and mental health conditions. This means employers must make reasonable adjustments to support their return, says Nicky Cranﬁeld, head of employment law at Ignition Law: this ‘could include a phased return to work, adjustments to working hours or duties, and the provision of assistive technology or equipment.

‘Other wellbeing support could include mental health ﬁrst aiders, access to occupational health services or peer support networks. Any performance adjustments must also be made during this period to allow for a smooth transition back to work. This may also involve discussing alternative roles if the employee feels this is necessary.’

Making the right call

Depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses were some of the main reasons people were on long-term sickness absence in 2022, according to the ONS (ONS, 2022).

Mental health services in England received a record 4.6 million referrals in 2022 – up 22% compared to 2019 (NHS England, 2025).

According to Glenn, the impact a mental health condition has on work cannot easily be identiﬁed. ‘OH [occupational health] must apply the same principles that one would to a physical illness.’ Employers, he says, should consider supporting employees

Where things can get difficult is around judging someone’s capacity to work safely (even in some limited form) when they have been experiencing mental health issues.

There is a generally accepted view that work is actually good for mental health – because it gives people a routine, social interaction and more of a sense of purpose. ‘So managers can sometimes want to rush into this,’ says Nicola Banning, a former British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy therapist

The IOSH view

Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH head of policy and public affairs, says that IOSH research on return to work after common mental health conditions identiﬁes good collaboration between different healthcare professionals as being important. The research also identiﬁes ways to facilitate return to work for each stakeholder group, from medical professionals to managers and OSH practitioners.

Managers can:

• Pay attention to the worker: listen; show recognition of their condition

• Provide structure and clarity.

OSH professionals can:

• Pay attention to the worker: listen; show support; take their condition seriously

• Offer a caseworker/coach in the recovery and return to work process

• Provide perspective: take away fear; provide conﬁdence in the future.

Read the IOSH report on return to work after mental health issues: b.link/IOSH-return-to-work-barriers

Also see: iosh.com/about/what-wedo/policy-positions/return-to-work

who has supported employees in their return to work.

She adds: ‘While it’s counter to the culture of a busy workplace when managers slow things down, listen and show compassion, this can mean a person gains conﬁdence and comes back to work more quickly and successfully.’

Nicola says it helps to ask employees what they feel they are capable of. ‘It’s

worth exploring possibilities such as working ﬂexibly or reducing hours at work, as this can help to reduce the stressors which often contribute to sickness.’

But this type of self-certiﬁcation is seen by some as placing too much power in the hands of those who might be safely able to do more than they think. Jo Watson is a registered psychotherapist, author of Drop the Disorder! and founder of adisorder4everyone.com –which warns against the medicalisation of what she calls ‘everyday life issues’.

She claims too many people are simply diagnosed with a mental illness – with all the medical pathways this creates – rather than being seen as just experiencing a temporarily difficult time. ‘The problem is that this medical explanation has never been backed by science or evidence,’ she says. ‘Instead of telling people they are mentally ill, we need to ﬁnd out why they are struggling.

‘Staff have not been told how they can best understand forms of distress. And while OH can’t magically offer solutions to people’s problems, it can at least help people to feel that their feelings are understandable. They don’t have to take on the additional stigma of being “mentally ill”.’ Working with staff this way, she says, ensures faster returns.

Sarah Burke, senior associate in the employment team at professional services company Knights, adds: ‘Having an open and supportive work environment and culture

encourages staff to raise health issues early on. This could be achieved by encouraging staff to share experiences and stories involving their health – where they are happy to – so that the perceived stigma of having health issues is removed.’

A holistic view

‘We need to remember that lots of chronic and physical health conditions have a mental element to them too,’ says Steve. ‘Mental ill health rarely exists in isolation. In the right environment though, work can be beneficial even to those with severe mental ill health. What OSH professionals need to move away from is the very binary “either you’re fit, or not fit” way things are assessed. There needs to be more creativity

2.5 M 28% 36%

Between June and August 2022, around 2.5 million people reported long-term sickness as the main reason for economic inactivity, up from two million in 2019 (ONS, 2022)

Long-term sickness is an increasingly common reason for economic inactivity, making up over a quarter of all those out of the labour market (ONS, 2022)

More working-age people are self-reporting longterm health conditions, with 36% claiming at least one long-term health condition in Q1 2023, up from 31% in 2019 and 29% in 2016 (ONS, 2023)

around offering more ﬂexibility to those with depression, for example.’

By taking a holistic view, experts agree that even those who are off sick for a long time can return. ‘The key,’ says Steve, ‘is regularly checking in with returnees, to ensure people’s activities are expanded back again as they get better. OSH must work with HR.’

Diane Lightfoot, CEO at Business Disability Forum, would like to see change at the governmental level. ‘Statutory sick pay currently doesn’t allow for a phased return to duties – you’re either viewed as fully well again and back completely, or off sick. You can’t blend the two.’

As for employers, she says: ‘The last thing OSH professionals want to do is make a condition worse. But if someone is, for example, unable to drive or use machinery because of being on medication, OSH and HR professionals should be more creative about what people can do. I would urge them to listen to the employee, though. They are in the best position to judge.’

Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH head of policy and public affairs, concludes: ‘IOSH recognises that good work is good for people. If good work is beneﬁcial for the health and wellbeing of people, then workers should be returning to “good work” – work that is safe, healthy, supportive and accommodates people’s needs.’

For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ return-to-work

One way OSH professionals can support a return to work is by holding informal catch-ups with workers who are off sick

IOSH’s future of work report asked the question: what if deregulation leads to a reduction in OSH standards? Here we explore what the impact might be on workers and the work of OSH professionals.

WORDS NICK WARBURTON

Donald Trump’s second US presidential term started 2025 on an explosive note, with his threats of trade tariffs (since carried out) causing international shockwaves. Closer to home, his appointment of Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency was the ﬁrst step in cost cutting on an unprecedented scale. The new administration has since slashed funding for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and moved to replace the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with state regulations (Carey, 2025).

But the US is not alone in challenging established norms, as the aptly named ‘The revolt against regulation’ edition of The Economist (2025) illustrates. Numerous countries, to varying degrees, are pushing deregulatory agendas to justify their growth plans.

Argentina, where the Ministry of Deregulation has taken a ‘chainsaw’ approach to regulation, may be an extreme case, but even the UK’s Labour government has stepped in this direction.

James Pomeroy, global health and safety leader at sustainability experts Arup and co-author with IOSH of Towards a safe and healthy future of work: evolution or revolution? (2024), notes that they have brought in the regulators to identify areas where ‘red tape’ might be reduced.

Indeed, following a decade of Conservative administrations bemoaning

regulatory burdens (Clay, 2024), is Labour pursuing an agenda that radically differs, particularly in relation to OSH?

For Ceri Finnegan, senior policy and public affairs manager at IOSH, some of the messaging has been positive: take the government’s Make Work Pay plan to ‘tackle low pay, poor working conditions and poor job security’ (Department for Business and Trade, 2024).

Yet Dr Donna Brown, senior lecturer in the School of Business and Management

THERE IS A DECLINE IN REGULATORY ACTIVITY BY BOTH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE HSE

at the University of London’s Royal Holloway College and co-author of the report Accidents will happen: (de) regulation of health and safety legislation, workplace accidents and self-employment, argues that Labour also sees ‘an incompatibility between the regulation of health and safety and good working conditions and economic growth’. This is evident in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ statement that the regulatory focus is now on ‘growth, not just risk’ (Hoffman and Edgecliffe-Johnson, 2025).

Going back to the question posed in the IOSH-Arup report, could a shift to greater

deregulation result in a reduction in the OSH remit and a drop in standards?

Deregulation and standards

For Donna, this has already been happening in a growing sector of the labour market – the self-employed. When the previous Conservative administration decided that parts of this sector should be classed as low risk, some 840,000 self-employed workers fell under this deﬁnition (Brown and Wadsworth, 2022).

However, it is not only the repeal of protections this brought about. There is also a decline in overall regulatory activity, both by local authorities and the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Donna says. For example, global legal and business provider DWF pointed to a 32% drop in unannounced HSE inspections over the past decade (DWF, 2023). The British Safety Council also warned that the number of criminal prosecutions for health and safety breaches in 2022/23 had fallen by 67% from 2018/19 (Liversedge, 2023).

‘Whether it’s the enforcement ability of local authorities that cover the so-called low-risk areas or the HSE’s, there’s far less resource,’ Donna explains. ‘One of the HSE’s important duties is to share information about what risks are and what best practice would be – and to encourage organisations that don’t have capacity to inspect and consider their own activities to get in a trained health

and safety consultant. They are also much less able to do that because they don’t have the resources.’ (See the Jan-Feb 2025 issue of IOSH magazine for an in-depth look at the HSE.)

Opinions vary on how much deregulation would impact on OSH professionals’ ability to inﬂuence organisational principles and deliver wider OSH beneﬁts.

Richard Jones, former head of policy and regulatory engagement at IOSH, points to responses to the Institution’s salaries and attitudes survey in the austerity era and how members face similar issues championing OSH in today’s economic climate.

He says that IOSH and the wider OSH profession used an evidence-based approach that included impact assessments and post-implementation reviews to successfully make the business case for good OSH regulation and to demonstrate to government the many beneﬁts of OSH – for example, in supporting sustainable growth by protecting workers, enabling businesses, assuring investors and tackling inequities.

‘As hazards outpace regulation, we need action. This means risk-based, goal-setting public policy and agreed standards to help close gaps and inequities,’ he argues.

One of his proposals is that OSH professionals take an active role in developing and promoting voluntary standards and clauses in trade agreements (Jones et al, 2020). Meanwhile, James feels that if they are using regulation to help their cause in organisations, they may be in for a ‘rude awakening’.

Drive to deregulate

The UK’s OSH regulatory system has been framed by a series of reviews since the early 2010s that have considered deregulation, starting with Lord Young’s Common sense, common safety and Professor Ragnar Löfstedt’s Reclaiming health and safety for all. In more recent years, there has been the ‘red tape challenge’ and the Deregulation Bill.

Phoebe Clay is director of Unchecked UK, a network of diverse organisations that argue the case for ‘common sense

AS HAZARDS OUTPACE REGULATION, WE NEED RISK-BASED, GOAL-SETTING PUBLIC POLICY TO CLOSE GAPS AND INEQUITIES

protections which help keep people safe and allow businesses to thrive’. She points to research by the group on the different Conservative-era reviews that aimed to identify unnecessary regulatory burdens. The fact that none yielded a massive curtailment in OSH rules suggests the government recognised they provide an important safeguard, she says.

An alternative explanation that both the Conservatives and Labour have promoted at times, Phoebe says, is that regulators are reluctant to cede anything because either they have a risk-averse culture or there is a level of self-interest in preserving regulations.

‘Regulators already have all sorts of duties on them to promote growth,’ she says, countering this viewpoint. ‘There is already a huge alignment between regulators and

industry. If you look at how regulators operate when they do, for example, consultations, the way the questions are framed is very much driven by an agenda of promoting growth and enterprise, so the notion that regulators are stuck in this mindset that prevents them from giving way isn’t really grounded in much evidence.’

While a series of reviews have taken place to check the balance of regulation, in James’s view, the UK could be more radical, suggesting it has tended to ‘tinker around the edges’. He says the priority should be to return to a principle-based approach that promotes sensible regulations to strengthen fatality and injury prevention.

He also believes that regulation could be more attuned to the available data. ‘We have this illusion that we have good regulation but often it’s not particularly risk focused, nor aligned to what the fatality data is telling us. This often leads to a focus on processes and low-level risks,’ James argues.

The September 2024 publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase two report shone a light on the catastrophes that can unfold when proﬁt is put before safety and there is a failure to properly assess risks.

The inquiry’s chair, Sir Martin MooreBick, stated how the previous government’s deregulatory agenda dominated thinking

REFORM

Spanish success story

In January 2025, the New Economy Brief followed up on an article in The Economist that named Spain as the best economy in the world for 2024 after registering 3.5% growth rates and explored why it had ranked so highly. These included the Spanish government’s decision to pursue structural reforms, notably in the labour market. The New Economy Brief points to a historic agreement with the trade unions, which was signed in February 2022 to reintroduce sectoral collective bargaining, as being central.

It argues, for example, that by restricting temporary contracts while also making permanent contracts more ﬂexible, seasonal workers in sectors such as agriculture and tourism have been given more job security and this has helped improve overall employment ﬁgures (New Economy Brief, 2025).

so much that ‘matters affecting the safety of life were ignored, delayed or disregarded’ after the Lakanal House ﬁre that left six people dead in Camberwell, London, in 2009 (Grenfell Tower Inquiry, 2024).

Brexit complexities

OSH professionals have a range of views on the challenges and opportunities that Brexit presents to the nation’s regulatory system. James says the Health and Safety at Work Act introduced goal-based rules but that the past 30 years have seen the level of prescription creeping up again. He adds: ‘There is a whole swathe of regulation which we’ve never really looked at post-Brexit.’

Richard’s view is that Brexit –ironically, given the promises made to voters before the 2016 referendum – has led to more red tape due to various regulatory non-alignments. He also warns of the risk that OSH in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act could lead to ‘zombie laws’ (Law Society, 2024). This would mean laws remaining on the statute books but frozen in time and not updated with new protections, lower exposure limits and so on.

Donna concurs. The two most prominent players that would apply political pressure to make sure legislation is updated – the HSE and trade unions –both face signiﬁcant resourcing issues. What’s more, Donna feels the HSE is ‘taking a very deferential attitude towards government’ perhaps hoping this standpoint saves it from further cuts: ‘We don’t see them as being a particularly active or inﬂuential partner.’

Targeted regulation

For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), regulatory responsibilities can be difficult to comply with; they have fewer resources to allocate and can’t

What’s your view?

Do you have an opinion on the pros and cons of deregulation? Share your thoughts with the editor at joanne.perry@ioshmagazine.com

Ceri argues that further moves to deregulate could be matched by broader cost-cutting measures that inevitably leave a reduced workforce taking on more work, creating additional pressure that could lead to higher rates of sickness absence. A recent report by the Trades Union Congress (2025) estimated that UK workers are already putting in £31bn worth of unpaid overtime per year.

employ OSH professionals to advise them on managing risks. James wonders whether regulation for small businesses should be adapted so it is more attuned to their needs.

Judging by responses to the 2024 autumn budget and concerns over additional employment costs, such as accommodating the national living wage, some clearly see any new protections as an unwelcome burden (Winstone, 2024).

In January, the European Commission launched its Competitiveness Compass, one of its aims being to cut the administrative and reporting obligations for SMEs by 25% and 35% respectively (North, 2025).

‘While we might think that reducing work-related stress and anxiety is just a nice thing to have, it does have a big impact on productivity and therefore it will have an impact on economic growth,’ adds Donna.

According to the HSE (2024), in 2023/24 16.4 million working days were lost to stress, depression or anxiety, around double those lost to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Each person with mental health issues took an average of 21 days off work, more than for ill-health cases, MSDs or injuries.

Donna argues that even internationally trading medium to large-sized organisations could face recruitment and retention issues if crude deregulation wins the day. ‘One of the things we see regarding organisational

behaviour and the politics around health and safety is that many people repeat the phrase “Let’s get rid of red tape”, but they don’t understand the beneﬁts,’ Donna says. ‘And they don’t necessarily understand what they should be doing in their organisation to ensure that it is a productive workplace.’

Phoebe adds that businesses which beneﬁt from a deregulated agenda –where OSH is compromised – tend to be those that cut corners and are focused on short-term proﬁts rather than longterm investments.‘You have to question whether those are the sorts of businesses that the regulatory system should be supporting,’ she says.

‘Conversely, businesses that have a long-term strategy that takes account of risks are the ones the regulatory system should be beneﬁting. You will always ﬁnd areas of regulation that need looking at again but the principle that a wellregulated economy, a well-regulated labour market gives them an advantage is very well understood and shared by businesses’ (Unchecked, 2023).

Different approaches

James points to Australia as an example of a country that has increased regulations. Ministers have introduced

legislation to manage psychosocial risk, effectively putting health and wellbeing protections on the same footing as physical health. Australia is not alone in moving in this direction, but he believes there has been a pause.

‘The most interesting piece in the regulatory space is the working hours and the right to disconnect,’ he says. ‘If I’d looked back three years ago, I’d have said that many countries in Europe would have gone the way that France and others have gone.’ France has strict workplace rules including the right to disconnect outside working hours. ‘That has not transpired. It has become a much more complex area the more that governments have looked at it.’

Bigger picture

Globally, there is a broader impact that deregulation could have in relation to supply chains. As Richard explains, these can be ‘vulnerable to economic shocks and regulatory deﬁcits, intensifying competition and leading to corner cutting and lower standards’.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that two billion workers worldwide operate in the informal economy, often in poor conditions and without labour protection (ILO, 2023).

Richard stresses that only a fraction of workers in developing countries are covered by OSH legislation. Moreover, not only do these protections fall short of international standards, but the laws often aren’t enforced. Some might argue that greater deregulation in supply chains could exacerbate this situation further.

‘All this underscores the need for OSH to be embedded throughout global supply chain management and procurement,’ Richard argues.

James’s plea is for the OSH profession to have a more thoughtful discussion and consider regulation more broadly rather than assume that all regulation is good. ‘We need to be more nuanced in this sphere about where it is appropriate,’ he argues, highlighting the plateauing of Great Britain’s fatal and serious injuries statistics to make his point.

‘That tells us we need to look at this area and it may be that we need much more focused regulation,’ he says. Einstein might not actually have said it, but James feels there is some value in the famous quote: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’

For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/deregulation

FRUIT PICKERS

Bitter fruit

Workers picking fruit and vegetables face difficult and sometimes dangerous or exploitative conditions. How can OSH professionals help to keep them safer?

WORDS KATIE SMITH

About one in four workers in Europe’s agricultural sector are migrants (Oxfam, 2024). In the UK, Brexit ended the free movement of workers from the European Union, but a new seasonal worker visa scheme designed to address subsequent labour shortages increased the variety of nationalities picking the country’s fruits and vegetables.

In place of Europeans there are now Kyrgyz, Uzbekistanis and Tajikistanis, among others (House of Commons Library, 2023).

Germany tends to recruit its temporary fruit and vegetable workforce from Poland, while Sweden relies on migrant workers from Thailand, and the majority of pickers in France and Spain come from Morocco (European Union, 2021).

Iván adds: ‘Seasonal migrant workers can be associated with precarious working conditions, with many workers vulnerable to forced labour, trafficking and modern forms of slavery. This includes inexperienced or illiterate individuals, and women in particular are at risk of being exploited and sexually abused.’

SEASONAL MIGRANT WORKERS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION

Many face daily risks such as fatigue, exposure to hazardous chemicals, falls from height, noise pollution and exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays. A study of 248,000 agricultural workers from six countries reported a higher risk of developing skin cancer, particularly in women, compared with the general population (Togawa et al, 2021).

‘They face musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive movements and awkward postures, physical and psychological violence when not meeting production quotas, unsafe machinery, and issues around working in hot or cold temperatures,’ explains Iván Williams Jiménez, senior policy and public affairs manager at IOSH.

Precarious work

While not all fruit and vegetable pickers are migrants, those living on-site can come up against the additional challenges of poor sanitation and overcrowding, making rest and recovery periods even more difficult (Oxfam, 2024).

The UK government has acknowledged that seasonal worker visa holders ‘may be more vulnerable and open to exploitation than other workers’ and that as numbers have increased, so have cases of exploitation and poor working conditions (House of Commons Library, 2023). While visas can only be arranged by a limited number of scheme operators with a licence from the UK’s Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) – one that can be revoked if they fail to abide by standards pertaining to workers’ welfare – other controls are limited (House of Commons Library, 2023). Neither the GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) nor the GLAA routinely inspect farms. This means that workers’ health, safety and wellbeing rest largely on the OSH structures in place at their employers.

At produce supplier G’s Fresh, the problem of exploitation and modern slavery is taken very seriously indeed, with the company undergoing regular internal and external audits. Gary Cullen, its head of health, safety and risk, says: ‘Our ethical team interviews individuals, asking them how they got here, if they had to pay to get here, and so on. We’ve got an online system for awareness training that managers have to complete. When you ﬁnd out stories about an individual’s previous work and there were potential issues, this can be ﬂagged.

‘We have instant reporting, behaviour reporting and ethical reporting. For example, if someone complains they had to pay for transport or had extra work, that would be identiﬁed as a yellow ﬂag.’

Scale of the problem

It is estimated that 150,000 people suffer accidents every year in agriculture and forestry in the European Union, with another 500 losing their lives (European Trade Union Confederation, 2023). In the UK, 23 people working in agriculture, forestry and ﬁshing were killed in 2023/24 out of 138 fatalities across all sectors, with only construction losing more (HSE, 2024).

Felicity Richards, chair of Farmsafe Australia, whose members include fruit and vegetable organisations, says: ‘The leading cause of fatalities on farms in Australia

TOP TIPS

Key takeaways for OSH

Felicity Richards, chair of Farmsafe Australia, offers her top tips on how OSH professionals can support agricultural workers, including fruit and vegetable pickers:

• Cover the fundamentals during the safety induction for new workers, but break down other information so that it’s easier for them to remember.

• Be a mentor – watch what workers are doing and check that their

understanding is translating into practice. Have they really taken on board the safety messages?

• Don’t assume that people who have been picking fruit and vegetables for 30 years remember every safety measure. It’s best to deliver quick refresher sessions as farms are approaching harvest to make sure everyone is still familiar with what safety looks like.

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is usually three leading agents and they take it in turns at the top each year. They are tractors, quad bikes and side-by-sides. In 2024, the leading agent of fatality was side-by-side vehicles.’

While it is unknown how much fruit and vegetable picking is accounted for within these statistics, these numbers help to highlight the scale of the problem.

Iván says: ‘Poor OSH for seasonal migrant workers is often seen through lack of information, instruction, training and supervision, unsafe systems of work and poorly maintained machinery or vehicles.

‘Due to language or cultural barriers, it’s often the case that seasonal workers struggle to understand the existing risks and availability of control measures.’

Overcoming language barriers

So how can OSH practitioners in agriculture and the wider food industry help to keep these workers safe and well?

G’s employs health and safety managers from Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and the UK. ‘I could not manage health and safety at G’s without them,’ Gary says. ‘Having individuals from countries that seasonal workers are from helps us overcome language barriers and enhances understanding of the control measures they need to be aware of.’

Iván adds: ‘OSH professionals are critical in providing a comprehensive induction, training and guidance on safe working practices for all temporary staff before they start work. This should include information about emergency procedures, speciﬁc occupational risks and familiarisation with machinery and equipment.

‘The temporary nature of the working arrangements and urgent need for the workforce to cover production at peak times makes traceability of their occupational health and safety difficult to monitor.’

Living risk assessments

Evolving risk assessments are key in helping to protect this workforce. ‘A risk assessment that was done three years ago is not ﬁt for purpose now,’ Gary explains. ‘It’s a living,

LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Tackling

unlawful practices

The results of poor OSH in agriculture have been widely reported across Europe. In Italy, 20 workers ended up being poisoned and in Spain a person died after not receiving water during an 11-hour shift in 44°C heat (Oxfam, 2024).

Franck Magennis, employment barrister at Garden Court Chambers, recently worked on a case regarding a migrant fruit picker from Nepal. Sapana Pangeni, who worked on a fruit farm in the UK, claims she was underpaid, had to work six days a week and buy her own protective equipment. It is thought to be the ﬁrst case of its kind of someone on a seasonal worker visa taking legal action against a farm (Bloomberg, 2024).

‘The provision practice we alleged was systematic unlawful deductions from wages,’ Franck explains. ‘We attempted to argue that the respondent company was failing to pay proper wages. It seemed clear that a lot of people who worked at farms within that company were making similar complaints about their hours not being recorded properly.

that people in Nepal were not entitled to give evidence remotely, he adds.

While the case was lost in the ﬁrst instance, Franck says the team is appealing the decision.

When it comes to legislation around fruit and vegetable picking, Iván Williams Jiménez says: ‘It’s important that national legislative frameworks take proactive steps to ensure seasonal migrant workers are not left vulnerable to abuse and exploitation from employers and poor OSH. More robust scrutiny and enforcement with existing schemes to employ these workers is needed.’

This, he says, includes imposing sanctions upon illegal and unethical practices. ‘A more integrated approach has to be initiated in the origin country, covering the whole employment cycle – from recruitment to returning to the country of origin – through sectoral, national and international mechanisms, and by placing emphasis on migrant-centred policies,’ he explains.

‘By making these unlawful deductions of wages, it was putting people at a particular disadvantage – a reduced ability to enforce their employment rights. If you are on a six-month visa and by the end of it your employer owes you money or they have made unlawful deductions from your wages, it’s much more difficult for you to enforce your right to recompense.’

This was helped by employment tribunal officials conﬁrming in writing

Welcoming developments such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Iván says this establishes stronger due diligence to be integrated into corporate policies and risk management systems for upstream and downstream activities. But, he warns: ‘We need to better understand how it will apply to sectors such as this.’

The CSDDD is a directive from the European Commission that aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour in companies’ operations and across their global value chains.

breathing document; you’ve got to be on it and understand it.’

Felicity agrees: ‘Our risk assessments have to be constantly evaluated – what are we doing and how is this going to work in practice? Is there anything we just might not have considered yet that could have an unintended devastating consequence?

‘In our ‘Toolbox Talks’ [podcast], we refer to the hierarchy of control. The very ﬁrst thing you need to do is look for an opportunity to eliminate the risk and then we go through a series of mechanisms, ﬁnally working our way

down to protective equipment.’

Importantly, Gary adds: ‘The risk assessment control measures have got to be managed by the individuals as well. If we do a Toolbox Talk, it ends with section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act – individual responsibility for their own acts and omissions.’

It’s crucial these workers are given the knowledge and skills for them to act accordingly, Felicity says. ‘One of the requirements under Australian legislation is that you must consult with your employees,’ she explains. ‘You can’t just say: “Here you go, this is what you

Constantly evolving risk assessments are essential for seasonal workers, who often work with dangerous machinery

CASE STUDY

Tasmanian Berries, Australia

As is the case in the UK and other European countries, there is no speciﬁc legislation for fruit and vegetable pickers in Australia. However, this group must be afforded the same rights as any other worker in the country, explains Stephanie Terry, director and legal counsel of berry farming business Tasmanian Berries.

Tasmanian Berries’ picking teams are primarily seasonal migrant workers recruited through the Paciﬁc Australia Labour Mobility scheme, which allows approved employers to recruit unskilled, low-skilled and semiskilled workers to address workforce shortages in the sector.

Stephanie, who is also president of notfor-proﬁt organisation Primary Employers Tasmania, helps to keep these workers safe by ensuring they complete in-person inductions and online training. ‘Our two sites are equipped with multilingual safety signage and farm safety videos in relevant languages,’ she says.

‘We have also invested in a safety management software application that facilitates vehicle QR code scanning before operating machinery, competency assessments, access to safe working procedures and hazard mapping.’

Workers also receive ongoing training, including ﬁrst aid, working at height and leadership and management courses from third-party providers, Stephanie adds.

Water and sunscreen are provided in communal areas and regular breaks are implemented. ‘When dealing with heatwave warnings, management will conduct frequent ﬁeld visits to assess and enhance safety measures and encourage hydration by providing ice poles, water bottles and reminders through electronic platforms, including social media and direct group messaging apps,’ she says.

have to do.” There has to be a consultation process in place.

‘That’s really important if you are working with a lot of employees who may have English as a second language. You are really going to need to be checking in with them about their understanding of what your safety requirements are.

‘When it comes to having the conversation on the farm – testing, understanding and consulting with your workers and talking them through the safety procedures in your operation – that’s when those risk assessments come in (see Key takeaways for OSH, page 65).

Gary says: ‘I tell my team to go and spend a day with these workers and see what it’s like. Health and safety professionals need to understand how things are done and what the process is from start to ﬁnish.’

A baseline of protection

Both countries and individual companies have a duty to protect fruit and vegetable pickers worldwide. ‘IOSH advocates for recruitment policies and practices that safeguard workers from trafficking and ensure a baseline of labour and OSH protections,’ Iván says.

‘Seasonal workers need to have access to decent work in safe environments and have their health and safety rights protected wherever they live and work.

‘Countries such as the UK must remain at the forefront internationally in eliminating labour exploitation and upholding stronger due diligence requirements for companies and their supply chains.

‘Despite the seasonal nature of the work and the urgency of certain tasks in speciﬁc periods, these essential workers need to

be guaranteed the full protection of OSH standards and improvements to living and working conditions.’

For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/spotlight-pickers

IOSH’s Rural Industries Group: b.link/IOSH-Rural-Industries-Group

Farmsafe Australia’s Toolbox Talks: farmsafe.org.au

EVIDENCE

EXPLORE THE LATEST RESEARCH

TOPIC: Climate change

TITLE: Rapid review of the impacts of climate change on the health system workforce and implications for action

PUBLISHED BY: The Journal of Climate Change and Health

SUMMARY: This research reviewed the empirical literature gathered over the past 20 years on the impacts of climate change on HSWs with two goals in mind: to make recommendations that enhance OSH for the workforce, and to generate adaptation options that may mitigate future risks based on past experiences and better prepare the health system for an uncertain future.

HSWs were broadly deﬁned as public health staff, emergency response planners, emergency responders, emergency room physicians and nurses, long-term care workers, family physicians and administrators, who were recognised by the researchers as already under strain from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Out of 1662 articles, 38 were selected and analysed in relation to the World Health Organization’s Climate Resilient Health Systems Framework. Themes highlighted throughout the research included occupational health impacts such as physical hazards, burnout and psychosocial

Research matters

Recent papers examine the effects of climate change on workers in the healthcare system and safety lessons from nanotechnology.

impacts. The researchers concluded that accelerating climate change is already disrupting population health planning and service delivery, along with acute healthcare.

They described these impacts as profound for those responsible for delivering the services that care for, protect, treat and promote the health of both individuals and populations.

They anticipate that, as the climate emergency grows, change will come to job roles, core competencies and health system priorities, with many promising opportunities ahead if the transformation is undertaken thoughtfully, with a person-centred approach.

READ REPORT AT: b.link/JCCH-climatechange-HSWs

TOPIC: Emerging technologies and worker safety

TITLE: Responsible development of emerging technologies: extensions and lessons from nanotechnology for worker protection

PUBLISHED BY: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

SUMMARY: With the emergence of commercialised nanotechnology in the early 2000s through the production of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), stakeholders called for responsible development to avoid repeating the asbestos disaster, which saw scientiﬁc information on the hazards ignored and consequently millions of workers developing asbestosrelated diseases.

There were four factors of concern with ENMs before commercialisation occurred, and five criteria for the responsible development of nanotechnology were identified in 2014. This paper describes approaches to responsible development by reviewing three examples of emerging technologies: advanced manufacturing, synthetic biology and artificial intelligence. The researchers concluded that the responsible development of emerging technologies required anticipating hazards and risks and any ethical issues related to them. They found that the same principles used to underpin responsible development of nanotechnology can be applied to emerging technologies.

This latest study states that the true extent to which nanotechnology has been developed responsibly with regard to workers is still too early to determine, with too little information to conclude whether workers have experienced adverse health effects, which, they note, is itself an indication of a development that is not responsible.

READ REPORT AT: b.link/JOEM-emergingtechnologies

Research: in depth

We take a look at a recent paper to see how its ﬁndings can inform OSH.

TITLE

The UK’s hidden crisis in women’s workplace health worsens

PUBLISHED BY

British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Since its last report a year before, BOHS notes that the proportion of women getting ill because of work has increased even more, and there is even more evidence that there is signiﬁcant under-reporting of work-induced illness among women and of employers not taking the issues seriously.

BOHS has republished the substance of its previous report because, as it states, ‘things have not got better, the problems are the same, the solutions are the same and the impact on women is greater’.

The new report aims to start what should be a national discussion of a national crisis. It examines instances of how the relationship between work and society is failing women in workplace health protection.

KEY CLAIMS/FINDINGS

Still not enough is being done to monitor, measure and report the scale of the problem. The GB Health and

Safety Executive’s annual statistics still do not highlight the issue.

Women are carrying more of the burden of occupational disease than men; asbestos diagnoses in the under-50 age group are rising for women and almost on a par with incidences of the disease in men; and as more women do shift work, there is more evidence of an association between breast cancer and reproductive illness.

Moreover, the absence of a UK strategy on workplace exposures affecting the female reproductive system is leading to gaps in protection; no meaningful progress has been made in addressing the growing women’s health crisis; and the exclusion of an explicit requirement to report mental and physical injury under RIDDOR leaves women’s safety insufficiently protected.

CONCLUSIONS

BOHS calls for all those involved in occupational health protection to develop a focus on the impact of the workplace on women’s health. It also calls on the government to use the impact of the workplace on women’s health as a measure of national equality policy, health and safety impact and social sustainability.

‘A new deal for working people cannot be at the cost of women’s health,’ the organisation says.

The report’s calls to action comprise empowerment for women, more accountability for employers, better focus on the protection of women’s workplace health, and better leadership by professional bodies in supporting their members to identify risks to women’s workplace health.

RESEARCHER’S TAKEAWAY

‘More than 100,000 more women are being made ill by work, and that is probably an underestimate. Recent beneﬁt reforms are likely to hit women even harder because the ill health caused to them by poor working conditions falls in the categories most likely to be at risk.

‘Despite campaigns to support women with the health issues that they bring to work, the country has no strategy to protect women from being disproportionately and negatively affected by workplaces designed for men and a regulatory system designed for a male-dominated industrial past.’ Kevin Bampton, CEO, BOHS

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE –

IOSH’S TAKE

Long-term sickness average rates have reached almost 35% for women, overtaking men for the ﬁrst time, with a staggering 1.5 million women off work for ill health. Women have been found to have more work-related cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, respiratory diseases and infectious diseases – this is not an issue related only to women’s mental health. Research has shown that 42% of women were not comfortable about raising issues about health at work, indicating a clear need for attention to be paid to reporting procedures and the culture surrounding the reporting of ill health. Section 3 of

Clean quicker Save

the Health and Safety at Work Act places a responsibility on employers to ensure they protect the health of their workers, even if they are being supplied on an agency contract by another organisation. While the focus of most OSH activity is on the prevention of accidents, the consequent reduced focus on workplace health inherently favours the protection of male workers. The duty to risk-assess the susceptibility of workers to ill health may be being ignored, which can be taken as a clear action point for OSH professionals.

Read the full report at b.link/BOHS-women-WH

Employed or not?

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.

When considering whether an employee is officially employed or not, three fundamental questions need to be answered:

1. What is the contractual relationship with the worker?

2. Can the employee be regarded as being at work or not?

3. Can the worker’s condition be attributed to his employment?

The master-servant relationship has been the cornerstone of UK law for 400 years, but it is also a complex and evolving aspect of law.

Understanding the nature of the employment relationship is fundamental when it comes to assessing risk or asking the right questions during an incident investigation. The nature of the contract with an individual matters in terms of what actions or behaviours can be expected. The starting point is to ask whether it’s a contract of service (employee) or a contract for service (contractor) (HM Revenue and Customs, 2016).

Glasgow (1899) have historically set the tone for deciding when someone is at work or not. Vicariously, the important questions have been:

• Was the injured party on the work premises?

• Were the premises safe?

• Was it during shift times?

• Was the injured party under contract or not?

EMPLOYMENT STATUS IS AN EVOLVING ASPECT OF LAW

Prior to the 1940s, legal argument focused on the degree of control an employer exercised over an employee. In modern employment arrangements, management control alone may be inconclusive. In Montreal v Montreal Locomotive Works (1947), a fourfold test was introduced that examined

the nature of the control exercised, the ownership of tools or signiﬁcant assets and the risk of loss or opportunity to proﬁt. An example stated that while the captain of a ship is under the employ of the ship owner, he alone has responsibility for navigating his ship safely, illustrating that an employed specialist can have delegated responsibility for making decisions, underlining the importance of employing competent people in critical roles.

Cases such as Brydon v Stewart (1855) and Conlon v Corporation of

It is now commonly understood that if the employee is off-shift and off the premises, she is on her own time and the employer has no liability for her safety, but it depends. If it can be shown that the employment contributed to an incident, then the employer will be liable. For example, in Kerle v BM Alliance Coal Operations (2016), the plaintiff had worked four consecutive nights of 12 hours. He fell asleep at the wheel and crashed when driving home. The company was held to be liable for causing his fatigued condition. So, ask yourself, do you sufficiently understand contract details, and have you considered if any vicarious liability can be extended beyond work hours or the workplace?

For references, visit ioshmagazine.com/ civil-law-milestones-employed

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