We sat down with Jon Williams, Managing Director of Direct Safety Solutions (an NFP company) to discuss why 'health' is often the forgotten aspect of health and safety.
Don't drop the 'H'
What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘health and safety’ in relation to a workplace? To many of us, it may be hard hats, protective eyewear, reflective clothing and fire drills. While these sorts of things are crucial, they all fall under the remit of ‘safety’ - whereas a commitment to maintaining people’s ‘health’ at work is rarely associated with the phrase so closely.
This is backed up by what we at NFP are seeing in the businesses we support – accident rates are on the decline, while instances of ill health and work-related medical complications are seemingly going the other way:
This trend indicates the need for a greater awareness of these less tangible hazards that cause more unseen – yet still very serious – health issues.
Invisible threats
As well as tackling the more physical risks that they can see, business owners need to start thinking about and addressing the more ‘invisible’ threats to their people’s wellbeing. Some examples include:
- Paint and oil fumes
- Harmful gases generated by machinery
- Silica and wood dust inhalation
- Poor mental health
As of May 2023, the Dust Kills campaign was launched by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to raise awareness of the consequences of dust exposure, and the importance of effective control measures to improve the long-term health of those working in areas like construction.
Many of the above risks could be seen as niche and industry-specific, but perhaps the largest, hardest to detect risk to employee wellbeing – regardless of work environment - is poor mental health.
Helping your business break the mental health taboo
As a business owner, offering support to your people suffering from poor mental health falls just as much within your responsibility as supplying safety equipment. As a health and safety partner, our focus is on helping your business to deal with risks proactively rather than waiting for a problem to arise before doing something about it.
We can support you in turning your office or workspace into a safe environment for people to talk about their problems, by:
- Helping you to encourage open communication via 1-on-1 meetings with your people
- Supplying you with collateral to distribute among your workforce, containing information on mental health charities and resources
- Helping you to source mental health first aid training, which gives people the knowledge to spot possible signs of poor mental in their colleagues and provide adequate support if necessary
Our mental health support also extends to workplace stress; every one of our systems and employee handbooks contain stress and mental health management policies. This helps to build awareness and understanding throughout your business; we equip you with the knowledge on how to best support your people, whilst simultaneously educating your people on how they can best support themselves and others, should they need to. It’s a clear microcosm of how our health and safety service operates - we put the systems in place so you can manage issues proactively, rather than reactively.
How we support your business
No matter the size of your business, the size of your workforce or the industry you operate in, Direct Safety (an NFP company) can look to provide you with comprehensive health and safety products and solutions.
| Initial Inspection | Supplementary resources | Additional, ongoing support |
|---|---|---|
| A full health and safety audit to identify your workplace hazards and risks. | Health questionnaires so you can assess things like the skin condition, lung function and hearing of your people. | Health and safety visits on request and access to ad-hoc advice and guidance via email or phone. |
| A bespoke action plan based on your audit results, to manage the identified risks. | Distribution of employee handbooks outlining best workplace practices, including do's and dont's. |
Supporting your business to stay safe and compliant
With many years of experience in the health and safety field, Direct Safety’s (an NFP company) consultants are always on-hand to provide a holistic service that helps safeguard your people’s safety at work, as well as their long-term physical and mental health.
We would be delighted to hear from you and offer a free initial consultation to review your current arrangements and discuss your risk management needs. To find out more:
Drop us an email: healthandsafety@nfp.co.uk
Or give us a call: 0845 467 1693