Occupational Health Dealing with the issues
At present it is estimated that fewer than 20 per cent of workers are covered by any kind of basic OH support and only three per cent of employers provide comprehensive support.
The TUC view on occupational health provision At present it is estimated that fewer than 20 per cent of workers are covered by any kind of basic OH support and only three per cent of employers provide comprehensive support. Even employers that do have OH provision often see it in terms of a glorified first aid service aimed at patching up the wounded and getting them back to work as soon as possible. However, good OHSs can improve the quality of work, help assess, reduce and remove risks and ensure suitable jobs and adaptations go to ill, disabled or injured workers. A good OHS will: identify what can cause or contribute to ill health in the workplace determine the action required to prevent people being made ill by work introduce suitable control measures to prevent ill health ensure people with health conditions or who have a disability or impairment are not unreasonably prevented from working ensure people at work are fit to perform the required tasks through adaptations etc provide health surveillance, review records and promote research provide health education and counselling support sick or injured workers. The TUC has always contended that the UK Government is failing to meet its minimum legal duty under the European Framework Directive, which requires all workers to have access to preventative OHSs. There is a clear case for a legal requirement on all employers to provide such a service. Following action by the HSE, an employment tribunal recently ruled that a local authority was in breach of the MHSW Regulations by not providing an OHS for its employees.
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